CONTENTS:RSC RoundupJISC Advance updateOffer developmentCommunicationLegal issues/safeguardinG

RSC round up:

Y&H: * Accessibility and inclusion forums - attracting about 12 people a time. * Roadshow and kit - doing day's training at different learning providers. Proving very popular.* Inclusivity website been recently revamped - has lots of videos.http://inclusivity.rsc-yh.ac.uk/

Also the Out of the Box scheme in which we loan accessibility kit out to providers following a training day

Forgot to mention Xerte training and some training which we are currently developing (yet to be badged!) on basic accessibility features and approaches

North West:* Kev set up Googledocs for his updates.Mindmaps, Xerte etc.*recordings of online sessions * Xerte Toolkits - Kev developed intro as full day F2F session and 2x2hr online sessions. Happy to open up courses for others to use.* Blog http://asstech.wordpress.com with videos and info on assistive techs* DART project - disseminating roles and assistive techs. Beaumont and National Star colleges mentoring other colls on AT issues.* InBook - safe and secure social network for people with learning difficulties. 

South West:* Online inclusion forums including FE colls - 1 - 3 /yr.* Specialist college forums (also tied in with DART project). National Star working with Bournemouth/Poole and Swindon Colleges.* Esafety for vulnerable learners. * Popular AT kit loan including 6x iPad2 with accessibility related apps. William Morris and Ruskin Mill colleges have been very interested.* Infolio - working with OakWood Court. They have developed qualifications based around using technology for living and communication skills. They teach using skype because some learners won't communicate F2F. National Star have very good IT based CPD using Camtasia clips etc.

* Joint webinar series with Alison, Martin and Kevin based on 4 key themes derived from JTD.* F2F joint session with RSC SE.JULIA WANTS EGs of ISCs working with GFE

East Midls* Case studies from last year's inclusion work now on website.* ITQ at South Notts college (Dave Foord supporting). Lyn now RSC advisor and has lots experience.* Action for Blind Toolkit for initial assessment for VI - rolling out from  23rd Feb.* Databridge - Linkage college looking for alternatives... Currently all ISCs in East Midls are using Databridge.

London* Xerte courses - proving v popular - even paid for courses!

* Creating lots LOs with pedagogy and Inclusion focus. Lead to webinar at end March.* VLE courses - ULCC have lots Moodle experience and came across recent eg of college making accessibility improvements to Moodle.* Looking at alternative formats now. * Inclusion built into many of 'non accessibility courses' as well

Eastern* Lots of momentum with Xerte- Norwich city coll wanting 2 courses.* Epping forest college on Excellence Gateway - collaborative Xerte.* 2 providers got OASES awards.

SE* Recently changed format of ISC forums to include wider (eg GFE) mix.* Soton accessibility event - * AOSEC (Association of  South East Colls) LLDD network meetings - well supported and good links to GFE* MyStudyBar in WBL

W Mids * Forums going well* Specific projects - iPads with New Coll Worcester; Regents college - nursery.* InFolio CPD fpr staff teaching pre entry and independent living skills* Popular Xerte training events - online ~24 attendees; f2f ~6* Multicampus live streamed video staff training across 4 campuses at South Staffs colls. Based on cheap (£60) video streaming solution (?Nexis?)

Wales* Worked on accessibility of online events (eg hearing impaired)* 2 ACL providers were successful in gaining an RSC Wales Technology for Learning Small Grant and are  exploring the use of mobile technolgies (mainly tablets) and Apps to assist learners with Basic and Essential sKills requirements.One of the projects will also utilise/incorporate intergenerational learning.* Digital inclusion BIG issue in Welsh Assembly - in compusory sector. RSC advising compulosry sector as impartial trusted intermediaries. Possibly iTunesU will become important. Govt exploring single VLE for all schools. (This model is already implemented in Scotland)* Online 'Lunchtime bites' sessions - rebranding as the Naked Technologist in Sept! It's the Shoelaces scenario - top basic tips...

Scotland

A.....RSCtv - fortnight....OASES winners. Last week equalities data tool ....A tool was developed to allow course teams to pull out the main performance indicator data at course, faculty and college level to allow monitoring and benchmarking across the four main equalities groupings and calm cubed...(3) on 15 Feb - http://www.rsc-scotland.ac.uk/rsctv/RSCtv.htm

B.....OASES...institution wide.....

C......Inclusion blog......RscScotland inclusion in eLearning Blog....http://rscscotlandinclusion.blogspot.com/ 

D........ Case studies as a quick and innovative way to share practice and promote innovative use of technology.                                                              Structure, template and support from our team...

Themes .......AI, staff development, managing the curriculum, technology for the curriculum,  technology and

infrastructure,

2011 - 60 + 2012 - 10/12 case studies

Examples of AI case studies .....1..using social networking with students with supported learning needs...2.... Using VC/Skype to carry out remote DSA assessments at UHI...3...... CALM cubed/3...      15th feb open to all to join in...4......using free technologies......5.......Equalities data tool ...

E.... In Folio .... Trial ....In Folio Demo Day November with Lisa.  5 colleges interested in using it in supported learning programmes. (Scot Coll PCN team).  Setting up accounts, delivering training, supporting colleges in writing up case studies.

F.....Delivery of training....making the most of PDF, assistive technologies, support issues in online learning with regards to students who have learning difficulties such as dyslexia...xerte

Scotlands Colleges PCN service...resources day....

G. Supplier Seminars ...  tribal target skills... Core Skills literacy and numeracy resources at SCQF levels 2 to 5

H....Cloud services..GPII.....University of Glasgow CPD   ....  Cloud services /  Emerging Inclusion...http://gpii.net/ AccessMyStudies - http://www.accessmystudies.com/

Northern* GFE having >% of profound/complex needs as LAs cut costs by not sending out of county to ISCs.* Gateshead college produced http://www.latv.org.uk - free info sharing website created by learners with disabilities to make info accessible.* Enhancing Learning Support project being run in LS dept of GFE college.* Flexible Improvement fund - creating CPD modules on using different types of technology.* iPads workshops and sharing practice.* Wanting to analyse Ofsted reporting on effecitveness and efficiency to see if technology is built into it. Could be useful for WBL inparticular.

JISC ADVANCE SESSION - Angela Harvey 1. Martyn Harrow session highlights. Draft report being refined. Managers should know something in next few weeks.JISC Adv will become more customer focused and efficient. Hybrid Formula 1 team and John Lewis partnership.2. JA strategy being rewritten. RSC strat will align to it. JISC things first, partner things second..JISC to become legal entity in August 2012

OFFER DEVELOPMENT - Greg Vivash* Unified offer that shows we work together efficiently as RSCs and services.* Potential for diversifying in the future (schools etc).* Consistency needed - charging? BUT don't want to stifle creativity and innovation which is a key strength of RSCs.* Issue of different A&I staff having different % of other responsibilities in their regions. Some are sole A&I supporter, others are well supported by colleagues who equally take responsibility.* Other team members need to take responsibility for A&I. Could be important career element for non-specialists.*  Terms of reference needs to begin to focus on key areas where RSCs can offer A&I specifics with JTD

support.* Need to be more business focused - clear strands, firm set of Terms of Reference, leadership.* Focus on meetings being more formalised - papers submitted beforehand, formal minutes.

Communication- Allison Loftfield* being able to keep spontaneity without losing parity and equality of knowledge, info etc.* Big themes from JTD includedINFOLIOXERTE ACCESSIBLE IT PRACTICE (ITQ)ALT FORMATS

JISC Legal session - Jackie MilneSafeguarding important:Legal duty of care / Ofsted limiting grade / Moral duties and imperatives / Reputational issues.Safeguarding is about "Culture of vigilance" - wider than child protection, more than safe recruitment. Learners should be aware of who they report things to and how.

Statutory duties:Safeguard (right to feel safe)Eliminate discrimination / harrassmentEnsure inclusion Duty of care (reasonable steps to ensure safety)

Criminal issues (where police need to be involved) includeSexual offencesObscene publicationsCyberbullyingHarrasssment.

Organisations working with Web2 need takedown policies and need the technical/admin rights to take down.

Law, ICT and Indep Sp Colls - http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/ManageContent/ViewDetail/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/2296.aspx

Steps needed to reduce risk include Security (technology - Firewalls, Filters etc) Relevant linked policiesRepsponsible personsAuditRisk assessment etc  Dealing with incidents Immediate, appropriate, recorded. Clear consistent guidelines on how to report and what it will include. Needs clarity of investigation, sanctions etc. Follow up and support.  CEOP get 4000 reports a month, most relating to online grooming. 38% teenss affected by cyberbullying but only 28% report it. Risks can never be eliminated but can be minimised (and you can show how you've done it).  Imprtant to keep learners involved in esafety advice and guidance as well s having chance to keep up with what learners might be wanting to do.

Interesting examples / scenarios such as Can you check history of learner's laptops to check for inappropriate use and scams?

See mobile learning webcast mid March.   Christine Hockings - Wolverhampton Developing OER materials for accredited courses for teacher training. Focus on Digital Info literacy and Development of inclusive curriculum   http://www.wlv.ac.uk/teaching4diversity

How to facilitate inclusive learning environments and implcations for policy and practice?Successful teaching included:

Icebreaker sessions etc to get to know students. Collaborative work opportunities to encourage debate, confidence in sharing knowledge and

experience. Problem based activities to draw on learner's existing understanding and then connect to

theoretical ideas/scaffolds. Talking through problem areas encouraged metacognitive thinking. Mixing up student groups regularly for tasks in order to cross fertilise ideas nad experiences. 

Learning to teach inclusively now has 3 units, >100 video clips (subtitled) from project, content, developed using Xerte all available on OpenJorum. 

Module on inclusive teaching -http://www.wlv.ac.uk/LTImodulefor top level - see http://www2.wlv.ac.uk/celt/oer/unit2/ for example module.Eg packages for download http://resources.jorum.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/15981

AOBGV - needs info back on SpColl feedback from the regions. Can be good things, challenges, early stage projects etc. Important Greg gets feedback of whatever kind.AVN suggested having a monthly roundup each headed up by a different RSC person with JTD coming in to each for drip feed updates but RSC AI person would take responsibility for coordinating event.MN suggests Portal could be used but issue is not just discoverability for us but also for others - learning providers etc.Portal can be made available for all. Could the RSC lead for a particular month simply add a show notes page with links, key points etc?  Donna Knight is preparing guidance resources for portal and happy to provide support and training.Maxand AlisonW will look together at developing portal. TMc - using Twitter hashtag for RSCAI group #rscai. Possibility of linking work blogs (for those who have them). http://Learningregistry.org and JISC jlearn project - looking at Paradata - finding teacher etc conversations about learning resources teachers etc. http://jlernexperiment.wordpress.com/ 

Suggested patterns:First Thurs every month 11am. Initial 

5th April - Artie3rd May - Mags7th June - Alison5th July - Julia

LINKS SUMMARY

Inclusivity website been recently revamped - has lots of videos.http://inclusivity.rsc-yh.ac.uk/ Kevin's blog - http://asstech.wordpress.com with videos and info on assistive techs.calm cubed...RSCTv on 15 Feb - http://www.rsc-scotland.ac.uk/rsctv/RSCtv.htmRscScotland inclusion in eLearning Blog....http://rscscotlandinclusion.blogspot.com/ Cloud services /  Emerging Inclusion...http://gpii.net/ AccessMyStudies - http://www.accessmystudies.com/Gateshead college produced http://www.latv.org.uk - free info sharing website created by learners with disabilities to make info accessible.Law, ICT and Indep Sp Colls report - http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/ManageContent/ViewDetail/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/2296.aspxTeaching for diversity - http://www.wlv.ac.uk/teaching4diversityModule on inclusive teaching -http://www.wlv.ac.uk/LTImodulefor top level - see http://www2.wlv.ac.uk/celt/oer/unit2/ for example module.Eg packages for download http://resources.jorum.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/15981Learning to Teach Inclusively http://www.wlv.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=27792