Adult and Community Learning (ACL) tutors from across the country have helped expand a free Virtual Training Suite that helps people get the most out of the Internet.
The Virtual Training Suite has been made available by the Resource Discovery Network in partnership with the Institute for Learning and Research Technology at the University of Bristol.
Five new tutorials are now available online for free, aimed at adult learners, researchers and enthusiasts in the following areas:
- Arts and Craft
- Digital Photography
- Gardening
- Health and Well Being
- Job Searching
Access the tutorials at: www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/acl/
As there's such a vast amount of information on the Internet it's often hard to know where to look for relevant websites and reliable sources.
The tutorials aim to teach people how to find the best sites for a particular area of study or research, how to quickly recognise the value of a website and how to conduct effective web searches. They are added to an existing suite of over 60 tutorials in a variety of subject areas.
Bob Powell of JISC, funders of the service, said: "For those just beginning to use the web the new tutorials provide the perfect introduction to the study of these subjects. Excellently written and easy to use they will be of enormous benefit to a great many people in adult and community learning and beyond."
The tutorials consist of quizzes, interactive exercises, and a 'links basket' in which you can store your favourite web pages. 'Success stories' are highlighted which show how the web can help people with their learning and research. There are also suggested lesson plans and class exercises for use by tutors.
The Virtual Training Suite is part of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN), an online catalogue for teachers, researchers and students. The resources have all been checked by subject specialists and organised into browsable collections, allowing easy access to the best of the web for various subject areas.
Executive Director of the RDN, Caroline Williams said: "There's a high demand for good Internet search skills, both in the workplace and for personal study and research. We're delighted to have been able to extend our RDN training services into the Adult and Community Learning sector."
The RDN is a national Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) service.
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT), at the University of Bristol, are collaborative partners with the RDN, running the national SOSIG and Virtual Training Suite training services.