Our current projects are listed below, along with selected past projects. If you are running or thinking about running an e-learning project we'd love to hear about it. We can help with a range of things such as (resources permitting):
The earlier you involve us the more help we can offer. Contact us on tel-help@bristol.ac.uk and we'll be in touch.
Status: active
Info: Support for faculty-wide move to esubmission.
Current activity: Implementation
Scale: Faculty of Arts
Evaluation by Faculty after TB2 2013
Status: active
Info: Alongside the annual upgrade of Blackboard software we are also running a wider Blackboard development project to: support work improve Blackboard's performance planned for summer 2013 and extend our ability to pre-populate Blackboard with essential data and information to reduce staff time and improve consistency.
Current activity: Developing project plan and key deliverables
Scale: University-wide
Runs until August 2013
Status: active
Info: Pilot of a system allowing activities, information and tools in Blackboard OLE to be easily accessible on a range of mobile devices (iPhone and iPod touch, Android, iPad, Blackberry) via a free app.
Current activity: Being piloted, business case being prepared to turn in to ongoing service
Scale: University-wide
Funded until July 2013
Status: active
Info: Upgrade the core Blackboard software to add new features, enhance existing functionality and resolve issues with current version. A temporary replacment service will be provided.
Current activity: Evaluation of software options, review of known issues, develop project plan, update test environment for funtional testing
Scale: University-wide
Runs until August 2013
Status: active
Info: loaning students TurningPoint handsets to use in practical classes and lectures. The aim is to evaluate how effectively the technology can be used to:
Current activity: formative evaluation of the first year of the trial.
Scale: 480 students on the MB ChB Programme (FMVS and FMDY)
Trial will end October 2013
Status: active
Info: using an externally-hosted service to make audio, computer screen, and (occasionally) video recordings from lectures available to students in a semi-automated way.
Current activity: system in active use on several courses
Scale: Faculty of Social Sciences and Law only
Currently funded until August 2013
Status: active
Info: Building a community to share resources and ideas on maths and stats teaching across a range of subjects
Current activity: Blackboard community and occasional meetings
Scale: University-wide
Open-ended project
Status: active
Info: Looking at the work already happening at Bristol around open educational resources (OERs) and related topics, and what work is likely to be needed in the future.
Current activity: High-level review
Scale: University-wide
High-level review to be completed by summer 2013
Status: active
Info: Offer a scaleable and simple way for PhD students to submit electronic versions of their dissertations, and ensure that the theses can be checked for plagiarism using the Turnitin service.
Current activity: Briefing meeting for Faculty Education Directors arranged for May
Scale: University-wide
Timescales to be confirmed
Status: active
Info: Postgraduate support for effective academic writing.
Current activity: Implementation
Scale: School of Biological Sciences
Feedback at the end of TB2 2013
Status: active
Info: Implementation of software allowing Questionmark to share student and staff profiles and grades with Blackboard, and to schedule and run Questionmark assessments within Blackboard.
Current activity: Testing
Scale: University-wide
Pilot during 2012/13
Status: active
Info: The ESU's TEL team are undertaking a short reveiw of their staff support and development provision. We will develop a clear strategy and implementation plan for our staff development activities, in order to make them as effective as possible.
Current activity: Recommendations
Scale: University-wide
Runs until June 2013
Status: active
Info: Design and run a staff survey in 2013 to assess staff engagement with technology enhanced learning (TEL), to understand what barriers stop them from engaging with technology, and to gauge staff views of what they think their needs for TEL will be in the future.
Current activity: Planning
Scale: University-wide
Runs until August 2013
Status: active
Info:The need to clearly identify and document TEL activity arose initially out of the TEL Strategy. Undertaking a baselining exercise subsequently became essential both to support the TEL Strategy projects in an informed way, and to identify changes in TEL activity or practice that result from TEL Programme activities. The report details activity trends for key technology enhanced learning practices and systems supported by the central TEL team.
Current activity: Consultation on Faculty Reports
Scale: University-wide
Runs until July 2013
Status: active
Info: To rerun the exercise first undertaken in March 2012 which collated examples of good and innovative practice in the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching.
Current activity: Preparing the case study data for circulation
Scale: University-wide
Runs until August 2013
Status: completed
Info: automation of processes designed to reduce the time school and faculty staff spend on basic administrative activities like creating courses and enrolling users.
Scale: University-wide
Completed: January 2012
Status: completed
Info: external audit and tuning of the Blackboard Learn software, to assess the stability and reliability of our current environment and to make improvements to the performance.
Scale: University-wide
Completed: August 2012
Status: completed
Info: upgrade of the core Blackboard functionality to Blackboard 9.1.
Scale: University-wide
Completed: July 2011
Status: completed
Info: a number of workpackages, designed to add new features, enhance existing functionality and design, and fix bugs and issues with the current version. Includes a temporary Blackboard replacement service.
Scale: University-wide
Completed: September 2012
Status: completed
Info: exploring the use of e-pens for feedback and marking, and for the production of learning materials involving diagrams and notation
Scale: 6-10 academics across several faculties
Completed: September 2012
Status: copleted
Info: a major project upgrading Blacboard from the basic "Learning System" to the full "Blackboard Learn" suite. Main features and sub-projects:
Scale: University-wide
Completed: August 2012
Status: completed
Info: Pilot an approach to ensure PhD students are able to submit electronic versions of their dissertations, and these can be checked for plagiarism using the Turnitin service.
Scale: Faculty of Engineering
Service launched: 2012/13
Status: completed
Info: survey and evaluation of the use of Questionmark Perception, used to set priorities for future development of the system.
Scale: University-wide
Covered usage between August 2009 and August 2010
Status: completed
Info: a major upgrade of both the software version and the server infrastructure of the dedicated online assessment software.
Scale: University-wide
September 2011
Status: completed
Info: a survey to identify current use of mobile devices, and identify key things which our students say they need mobile access to.
Scale: University-wide
Completed: July 2011