Maths Masterclasses

The Learning Gateway has been the proud host of a series of Maths Masterclasses for young people at Cumbrian schools who show potential and interest in Maths.

The sessions have been running every Saturday morning in November from 10-12pm with specialist lecturers from all over the UK who are keen to bring Maths to life. Local tutors have been in attendance to support this very important initiative.

VOUCHERS TO BE WON!

The Learning and Information Services Team have always valued your input on how we can improve our services...It's also good to know what we are getting right! If you complete a short online survey telling us your thoughts on Learning and Information Services, you could be in with a chance of winning £100 of high street vouchers - very useful during the 'credit crunch'! Just go online to www.cumbria.ac.uk/LISsurvey, or pop into the Learning Gateway where the survey will be on laptops at the ground floor. If you do the latter, you may get a chocolate!!!!

Where have all the laptops gone?

Some users of the Gateway will have been unable to take out a laptop recently due to an unprecedented demand on our laptop stocks. This was mainly due to a number of IT classes taking place at the same time and laptops being necessary for those teaching sessions.

We would like to apologise to any students who were inconvenienced by this and want to assure you that we are looking at ways to prevent this situation happening in the future.

Many of you gave us comments and feedback, which we value and will act upon. In the meantime, if you have any further comments or complaints, please ask to fill in a feedback form at the issue desk or alternatively leave your comments here on the blog.

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.