Welcome to technologyenhancedlearning.net, the home of learning technology development at Plymouth University. You'll find details of all our Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) projects, developments and support activities on this site.


Social Media for Employability

In an increasingly competitive job-market, using social media effectively can really help our students stand out from the crowd.

What is social media?

Social media refers to websites and applications where users create and share content, networking across like-minded communities. The most popular in the UK are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Why should my students use it?

Networking is crucial when you’re searching for work. Most companies advertise vacancies online and your networks can inform you about positions as soon as they appear, as well as keep you up to date with the latest industry news. They can be used to find out about a particular career, what it’s really like to work for a company or to find inspiration from someone’s career progression route. Alternatively, students might be interested in working for themselves…

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Posted in Digital Literacy | Tagged , , , ,

Introduction to Podcasting – new dates available

Have you ever wondered what a Podcast is and how you can create and use them with your students?

Podcasts are bite-sized chunks of audio and/or video content that are designed to be played on computers or mobile devices.

Come along to the 2 hour University staff session to learn about:

  • Scenarios where you can use podcasting
  • Equipment & software you need to record a podcast
  • Planning and recording a podcast
  • Distributing your podcasts to students
  • Copyright, good practice and hints & tips

Sessions available on 15 May, 12 June, 24 July and 21 August.

For further details on the session and how to book a place see University Staff training course page.

Posted in Events, Training | Tagged , ,

Being Productive with Tablets: A Glimpse of Google Drive

Are tablets just shiny toys or can they be used in a professional work environment? Google Drive, a free cross platform mobile and desktop application, provides way for people to take work with them without the hassle of emailing copies. This software also boasts a synchronous collaborative work environment.  Above all tablets should provide functionally and convenience whilst on the go, but does Google Drive provide what you need? Try Google Drive for yourself and search “Google Drive” in the iOS and Android stores.

There has been much debate about the functionality of a tablet and if it is appropriate for work life. The main issue with tablet devices is being able to access and edit documents particularly when later accessing the same document on your desktop. This is important when a user is away from their desktop, typically at a meeting or traveling. A way of getting around this was to email the documents to yourself, edit it on the tablet and email the edited version back. This usually results in time wasted managing versions and clearing one’s inbox. Utilsation of cloud services would provide users’ access to their documents regardless of their location and device.  There is still a lot of development regarding connecting these cloud services with mobile editing applications.

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Posted in Collaboration, Mobile, Tools | Tagged , ,

Introducing the MOOC

MOOC Wordle

Massively Open Online Courses, or MOOCs as they are better known as, are becoming ever more popular.  Academic institutions offer course materials at no cost to the students over the Internet.  This has lowered the threshold for attendance, bringing education to the masses resulting in tens of thousands of students registering and attending these online courses.

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Posted in Open Educational Resources | Tagged , , ,

Student e-mail setup for iPhone, iPod & iPad

Plymouth University have created a guide for students who are having difficulty setting up and accessing their University e-mails on their iPhone, iPod or iPad.

If you are a student in this situation, please view Plymouth University’s ‘how-to’ guide on setting up e-mail on your iPhone, iPod & iPad.

Posted in Guides | Tagged , , ,

YouTube – an educational tool

Made a video but only want to share it with a limited audience? Want your website to be the only place your film is viewable on the web?

Take a look at this lovely presentation for step by step instructions on how to privately share your videos using You Tube.

If you have any questions or need any help with this feel free to contact Technology Enhanced Learning & Assessment at tel@plymouth.ac.uk.

Posted in Tools, Uncategorized, video |