Research in online learning
The Faculty of Education has a strong research focus on the role of ICT in teaching and learning, particularly in researching and promoting best practice. Recent ICT research projects include the T-Media project, the Interactive Whiteboards as Pedagogic Tools project, Developing Warranted Practice in the Use of ICT, and the SET-IT project.
The developing use of CamTools to the Faculty continues this tradition of promoting best practice. Case studies on the introduction of blended learning, and the sharing of successful teaching strategies, are immensely valuable both within the University itself, and to the wider HE audience. CamTools is a local implementation of the Sakai VRE and Cambridge is part of the international Sakai Foundation for the development open-source virtual collaboration software, which holds conferences twice yearly (in December and June). Papers on your use of CamTools would be warmly welcomed at these conferences.
VLE/VRE use at the Faculty of Education
Over the past few years, Faculty research groups and individuals have started exploiting the potential of the web for research, teaching and learning and for running community groups. We have been using tools for online learning ('virtual learning environments') such as CourseWork and BlackBoard and CamCommunities to organise courses, research groups or groups of interest. Since 2005, the Faculty of Education has been successfully piloting CamTools for use in administration, teaching and research at Cambridge University, and from Michaelmas 2006 it has replaced CourseWork and CamCommunities at Cambridge. CamTools is also used by major educational research projects such as the Teaching and Learning Research Programme.
Seminar series on learning and teaching online
We regularly welcome distinguished speakers to our seminar series.
Previous speakers have included:
- John Eyles Senior Lecturer, Auckland University of Technology;
- Professor Stephen Heppell Professor of New Media Environments, Apple, on Possibilities and Potentialities - success stories from around the world;
- Professor Diana Laurillard, Institute of Education, London, on Models of Online Learning;
- Professor Avril Loveless, University of Brighton on Creativity and Online Learning;
- Tony van der Kuyl, Director, Scottish Interactive Technology Centre on Teaching and Learning with VLEs - a Scottish model;
- Dr Paul Beedle, University of Cambridge International Examinations, Eve Eisenschmidt, Tallinn University (Estonia) and Debbie Holley London Metropolitan University Business School and RLO-CETL on Using E Portfolios in Blended Learning.