8th Durham BB Users Conference – Durham Blackboard

The Eighth Durham Blackboard Users’ Conference took place on Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th December 2007.

The conference was a mix of invited speakers, panel sessions and submitted papers.
The theme of the conference was “Connectivism” – and we looked at the following strands:

Blue Skies: Anything goes in this forward-looking, “wouldn’t it be nice if we could…” type strand. We encourage proposals where people’s ideas aren’t constrained by/restricted to the current technologies.
Challenging Pedagogy?: We’d like to see some examples of successful learning achieved through the conscious application of some pedagogical principles, or equally, discussions of how your model of learning has adapted to meet the challenge/opportunities of technologies such as social networking.
Connecting People: Using technology to support communication between individuals, whether that is timetabled or informal, staff to student or peer to peer.
Connecting to Services: Innovative applications where joining users to different tools or technologies has helped achieved deeper learning – be it your student record system or Second Life!

Keynote Speakers

Our first keynote was Dr Sian Bayne is a Lecturer in Higher and Community Education at the University of Edinburgh. She is interested in how internet technologies subvert, challenge and bring into question the process and project of higher education. From that starting point, she runs an online Masters programme in E-learning at the University of Edinburgh, and researches some of the ways in which the internet prompts us to re-think what education is and can be. At present, this research is focused around social media and the ways in which online higher education and lifelong learning are engaging with it.

Our second keynote was Lawrie Phipps who is the Programme Manager for the JISC Users and Innovation Programme. His background is in Environmental Sciences and Learning Technology, working on various projects and programmes supporting and enhancing learning and teaching in Higher Education. His most immediate previous role was in advising staff on supporting disabled students through the application of technology. His current programme (Users and Innovation) is looking at emerging technologies (some of which are characterised by the phrase Web 2.0) and the role that they may play in education. Lawrie is a registered practitioner with the Higher Education Academy, and member of the Staff and Educational Development (SEDA) Executive Committee.

Conference Programme

The year’s programme will be a mix of keynote speakers and parallel strands, to allow delegates to select the most appropriate conference path. We are to include presentations, discussions and demonstrations plus a Roadmap Session from Blackboard.

Our Conference Sponsors will be available in the Exhibition areas during the two days for informal chats and demonstrations.

Thursday, 13th December 2007

9.00 – 10.30Registration, early morning coffee and exhibits
Presenters – this is a good time to upload your slides and check equipment

10.30 – 11.00Housekeeping & Welcome – Malcolm Murray

11.00 – 12.00Keynote 1 – Dr Sian Bayne

12.00 – 1.00Lunch & Exhibits

1.00 – 1.45STRANDS – SESSION A

Connecting People:
Tagging – just a game? Expanding your knowledge and avoiding paralysis by classification at the same time
Malcolm Murray, Durham University

Connecting Services:
Using Snapshot to manage enrolments for sites with non-traditional enrolment criteria
Cathy Colless & Anthony Leonard, University of York

Challenging Pedagogy:
Innovative and creative approaches to deep-learning with non traditional students Fiona Crampton, Christopher O’Brien, Martin Cole & Carmel Arnold, Liverpool John Moores University1.45 – 2.30STRANDS – SESSION B

Blue Skies:
Virtually learning or virtually not (the great SecondLife debate)
Mark Gamble, David Pike, University Of Bedfordshire, Debra Tinney University of Teesside

Connecting Services:
Connecting AJAX style!
Marios Stamoulos, Newcastle College

Connecting People: Walking the Talk – Building a Staff Support Site Using Community System Tools
Wayne Britcliffe & Cathy Colless, University of York

2.30 – 3.00Coffee & Exhibits

3.00 – 4.00Blackboard Roadmap

4.00 – 4.45STRANDS – SESSION C

Blue Skies:
The VLE is dead! Long live the PLE!
Richard Mobbs,University of Leicester

Connecting People:
UK Blackboard Content System User’s Meeting
Peter Rayment, Cardiff University

Blue Skies:
Collaborative eLearning Assistant Network
Patrick Parslow, Shirley Williams & Will Browne, University of Reading

7.15 – 11.30Conference Dinner – St Mary’s College
Drinks reception starts at 7.15, the meal commences at 8pm sharp!

Friday, 14th December 2007

8.30 – 9.00Early morning coffee and exhibits
Presenters – this is a good time to upload your slides and check equipment

9.00 – 9.45STRANDS – SESSION D

Connecting People:
Blogs and wikis: innovative teaching in Modern Languages
Katharine Griffiths & Alia Moser, Durham University

Challenging Pedagogy:
Developing connectivism and improving teaching practice using wikis
David Pike & Mark Gamble, University of Bedfordshire

Connecting People:
Fresher’s Week 2012/13: Welcome to the Dark Ages?
Nicole Cargill-Kipar, Heriot-Watt University

9.45 – 10.30STRANDS – SESSION E

Challenging Pedagogy:
Useful feedback and flexible submission: getting to grips with assignment management online
Stuart Hepplestone Sheffield Hallam University

Challenging Pedagogy:
We are the web: From a Course to a Community (and back?)
Melissa Philips, Nichola Hayes & Zak Mensah, University of Leicester

Challenging Pedagogy:
Any colour as long as it’s Blackboard: using a VLE to support courses in art and design
Tony McNeill, Kingston University

10.30 – 11.00Coffee & Exhibits

11.00 – 12.00Keynote 2 – Lawrie Phipps

12.00 – 1.00Lunch & Exhibits

1.00 – 1.45STRANDS – SESSION F

Connecting Services:
New Approach to the implementation of Blackboard e-Portfolio
Maria-Christiana Papaefthimiou & Guy Pursey, University of Reading

Blue Skies:
iPocalypse Now or Brave New eWorld?
Peter Rayment, Cardiff University

Challenging Pedagogy:
Patterns of Student Attendance and Online Engagement with Blackboard
Martyn Stewart & Tim Stott, Liverpool John Moores University

1.45 – 2.30STRANDS – SESSION G

Challenging Pedagogy:
Collaborative report writing: bridging the divide between formal and informal learning
Richard Walker & Wayne Britcliffe, University of York

Blue Skies:
From “if only” to “that’s better”
Tim Squires, Stephen Vickers & Kim Picozzi, University of Edinburgh

Connecting Services:
How do you enhance your Blackboard course for the mobile learner?
Andy Ramsden, University of Bristol, Bhagesh Sahania, Economics Network of the Higher Education Academy & Sophie Paluch, Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies

2.30 – 3.00Coffee & Exhibits

3.00 – 3.45STRANDS – SESSION H

Connecting People:
Blackboard vs. Facebook
Patrick Parslow, Shirley Williams, Mike Evans & Karsten Lundqvist, University of Reading

Challenging Pedagogy:
Managing Project Work with eUreka: Create-Discover-Innovate
Sheryl Wong & Daniel Tan Tiong Hok, Nanyang Technical University (Singapore)

3.45 – 4.30Plenary & Close