Why not try videoconferencing?

The portable videoconferencing units have been put to good use recently in the Learning Gateway. Groups of students have been taking the opportunity of linking up with colleagues in Lancaster and Ambleside with great success.

Did you know it is also possible to connect the VC unit up to the laptop you are using so that students on other campuses can see what you are demonstrating or teaching at first hand?

Staff in the Learning Gateway are more than happy to help you plan and organise a videoconferencing session to take place in one of our flexirooms or indeed, in theLecture Theatre.

Please let us know if you need any further information or help.

A busy week

The Learning Gateway is enjoying record numbers of visitors for the start of the academic year. This week we have enjoyed academic staff using the VC equipment to teach students in the building and at Whitehaven at the same time. A Blackboard session saw students using the second floor open space and talking to each other online. Finally, Wednesday night was the first chaplaincy DVD and a pizza night.

Fresher's Fair in the LG

The Learning Gateway welcomed hundreds of freshers last Wednesday for a special day of freebies and survival tools to see them through life at University of Cumbria. In our packed building, students were given advice on everything from sports clubs, voluntary and paid work opportunities and support services available to them.

The local pubs, clubs and organisations on the social scene were also represented and offered money off vouchers for nights out.

Local organisations included the Mothers’ Union, seen giving out free pasta and rice, to the Abbey Singers and multi-cultural community group leader Saj Ghafoor. Not forgetting, of course, Wilkinson's who were giving out free spatulas - a must for every fresher.

Welcome Back to UOC!

Welcome Week started with a vengeance on Sunday 14TH September for our Undergraduate students. There were a series of events to help integrate the new starters into University life. Many, such as 'Health and Safety for all students', were held in the Gateway.

We have started our SMART Board Training Sessions, and uptake has been brilliant. Feedback on the course content and delivery has been very positive. Please contact the Learning Gateway if you require familiarisation with SMART Board.

Learning Gateway Facilitators can also provide training on the portable polling system. On Friday 19TH September, Trudy Purkiss used this facility during her LIS Induction to students. She said it was a very successful session. If you require training on aspects of the Gateway, pop in or e mail learninggateway@cumbria.ac.uk, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Learning Facilitator Workshop at NoWAL Conference

On Friday 5th September Learning Facilitators, Heather Benson and Linda Moses-Allison, from the Learning Gateway, ran a workshop at the NoWAL conference:Up Close and Personal: our changing roles in a digital learning age, at Edge Hill University. The core theme of the conference was to examine the many changes taking place within Learning and Information Services as a result of the pervasive digital learning environment.
Heather and Linda's workshop was entitled: Learning Facilitator; defining a new role in Learning and Information Services (LIS) created for a new learning environment, and it looked at the evolution of the Learning Gateway and the Learning Facilitator role.
It was a very interesting conference and it was great to receive positive feedback about the Learning facilitator workshop.
For more information look at the NoWAL website: http://www.nowal.ac.uk/

Summer School

Students from various regions in the North West visited the University of Cumbria last week to take part in a Summer School as part of the Aim Higher initiative.

During the week they were given a taste of University life; staying in the Halls of Residence, attending lectures and presenting work they had produced during their visit.

A lot of fun was had by all and they are pictured above on their final day.

Software event in the Gateway

We were thrilled to welcome Rachel Ashmore of Promethean to the Learning Gateway as part of the PCGE Primary Conference Week ( 23-27 June). Rachel lead three training sessions on the latest developments in interactive whiteboard technology and focused on some key features of 'Activ Primary' and 'Activ Studio' software for use with Promethean boards. Students and staff were also shown the voting and texting system 'Activ Expression', which operates using mobile phone like handsets. A taste of what the future has in store!