Welcome to the November update for the LDC Blog.
We use the blog to announce events and development opportunities that we run; to inform staff of initiatives, projects and changes, and to celebrate the successes of staff from across City University London.
In the blog this month:
Researcher’s Development Day – 23rd November 2011
The first full-day event on the LDC Research 
Development Programme takes place this month on Wednesday 23rd November. Bookings are now being taken and places are limited. You are therefore advised to register early.
The event has been designed to meet the various needs of newly registered and continuing doctoral students, early career researchers and other academic staff.
As a newly registered doctoral student, you will have the opportunity to:
- meet the Vice Chancellor of the University
- learn how to get the best from your supervision;
- learn how to frame a hypothesis, write a literature review and construct a thesis;
- understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods;
- learn how to get the most out of the Library’s online resources;
Additionally, doctoral students nearing completion will benefit from sessions on:
- preparing for your viva;
- getting published in journals;
- presenting papers at conferences.
Further information on the aims of each session, and notes on contributors, will be provided shortly, but a programme of the day, and details of how to sign up to the event, is available here.
If you have any further questions please contact the Learning Development Centre by email on ldc@city.ac.uk.
The Media and Innovation Learning Lab enjoyed a successful launch on the 1st of November, when over 50 staff from across the institution came to see what the MILL has to offer, including a showing of some highlights from iTunes U; demonstrations of the bluescreen and other video facilities open to staff use; and an opportunity to look over the wide range of equipment that is available for loan from the Lab.
What was the best thing about the event? According to one respondent to our evaluation questions: “The vibe! Was really good – fun to be at, loved the cinema theme.”
For those that missed the event, here’s a summary of activities and services the MILL can offer you over the next month or two:
What’s on at The Mill – November & December 2011
TV Studio Induction – Friday 18th November 10am – 12.30pm
The TV Studio (room E206 at The MILL, Drysdale Building) is ideal for recording interviews and presentations. All staff are welcome to use the TV studio you, but it is advisable to have an induction. This session will take you through lighting, using the two professional cameras, the backdrops and blue screen, using the autocue, mixing and saving the footage.
Video Making Day – Tuesday 6th December 9am – 5pm
This one day course will show you essentials of video production, from how to use the camera, composing your shots and editing your footage using Final Cut Pro into a finished film. Essential technical aspects are also covered but in an easily accessible way. By the end of the workshop you’ll be able to create and edit your own films with a greater degree of confidence. This course acts as an induction to using The MILL and many staff who have attended continue to develop their skills and produce films using the Mill facilities.
Check the new website for further details of both these courses and for information on how to book your place.
New web page for The MILL
The MILL has a new web page, with details of how to book spaces and equipment and get advice and training.
http://www.city.ac.uk/about/education/ldc/sle/mill
iTunes U – the City University London Collection
To find out more about the University collection and how to get involved, do visit the new site. You can also access a sample of the collection here without access to the iTunes software.
Learning Development Projects 2011-12
The LDC is pleased to announce plans for this year’s Learning Development Projects.
For 2011-2012 the Learning Development Projects will take the form of an institution-wide educational research project focussing on issues arising from the National Student Survey. The research will be carried out by postgraduate students working with academics in schools on a particular research question in a particular discipline area.
We need you!
We are looking for academic staff to express their interest in working on one of these projects with students as researchers. There will be seven related projects – one for each School. Individual staff may express an interest or a module or programme team may come forward.
Timeline
Projects will run from January –July 2012 with a possible extension to December 2012.
Reports will be expected at the end of February, end of May and end July and on receipt the next stage of funding will be approved. Projects that do not report back will not receive funding. A final payment of £1000 at the completion of the project will be given to the member of staff as an honorarium, after presentation at the LDC showcase, conference or workshop and submission of an article to the learning at City Journal
What you will need to do:
- Meet regularly with the students and LDC
- Provide reports as required
- Participate in dissemination events
- Contribute to a journal article at the end of the projects
What the LDC will do:
The LDC will recruit students , manage payment and provide mentoring for each project. We will also order associated equipment required for the projects.
Interested?
If you are interested in being involved please send your expression of interest to ldc@city.ac.uk by 23rd November 2011. You should state, in not more than 250 words your research question and why you are interested in this project. If you have any questions please contact Pam Parker – p.m.parker@city.ac.uk
For some inspiration on what you could do with a Learning Development Project opportunity, here’s a case study from one of our Project holders last year:
Learning Development Projects: Class Gift – Cass Business School
One of the Learning Development project success stories from last year is the Class Gift programme managed by Namita Sharma, Development Officer, Cass Business School.
Class Gift was launched in 2010 during induction, with student volunteers collectively raising money to support a project of choice within Cass Business School.
Students took ownership of the programme and decided how to raise funds via a number of different events including a bake sale and a 10k charity run.
The MSc class of 2011 raised money to support a bursary for incoming MSc 2012 students and advertised the scholarship on the Cass Website for prospective students to apply and later shortlisted the applications to determine the right candidates.
The Learning Development project grant enabled Namita to develop a fundraising pack, marketing materials and merchandise, creating a brand that will hopefully continue year on year as new students continue to leave lasting legacies. And at the same time open it up to alumni classes and inspire them to launch their class gifts to raise much needed funds for the school.
For more information about the project please contact Cass Development
Learning Spaces Business Case Approved
Making the case for blended learning, thinking about designs for modern learning spaces
” The future of higher education is in our hands, if we design it for the 21st century” – Dr. Stephen Heppell
The LDC, in consultation with the Learning Spaces Group(LSG), has recently had a Business Case approved to review rooms that are currently under-utilised within the campus. The LSG will be involved in redesigning a number of rooms in College Building, Northampton Square Campus, to create spaces for students which encourage self-directed learning and provide staff with an opportunity to teach in a room that encourages active learning & teaching. To find out more about learning space design please click here
We have already started speaking with tutors that teach in Labs to identify what works and what doesn’t in those spaces. We have also started working with student groups and the Student Union but we would like to get more students involved.
If you are keen on being involved:
- in the planning of the redesign of these rooms
- or in teaching in these rooms
- or have students that could be interested
then we would love to hear from you. We will be inviting staff or courses who may wish to teach in these pilot rooms to sign up for these rooms in advance through the timetabling team.
So please do get involved at the earliest opportunity!
Contact the LDC for more information.
Dates for your diary
TV Studio Induction @ the MILL – Friday 18th November 2011
Researcher’s Development Day – Wednesday 23rd November 2011
Learning Development Project Application Deadline – Wednesday 23rd November 2011
LDC Journal & Research Club – Ethics of Research in Higher Education – Friday 25th November 2011
Video Making Day @ the MILL – Tuesday 6th December 2011