Geraldine Jones
E-learning support officer for the Department of Education
Ext: 6259
Room: 1W 4.24
The aim of my role is to raise awareness of the possibilities offered by e-learning and support the development of good e-learning practices in the teaching of undergraduate, postgraduate, campus based and distance learning students within the Department of Education.
I work with staff in a number of ways; designing and leading e-learning workshops for staff; facilitating student induction sessions, supporting staff who wish to use technologies in carrying out their research and working with staff on development projects that explore and exploit the potential of new technologies.
Much of my work is connected with supporting the effective use of Moodle, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment. The department has an expanding portfolio of Moodle courses used for a variety of teaching, learning and administrative purposes. I see the dissemination of this emerging good practice across the department and beyond as particularly important.
Mobile learning is an emerging interest within the Department of Education. Recently I have been collaborating with colleagues to explore ways in which mobile technologies and communication can be effectively integrated into UG teaching to increase student engagement and learning. The first year UG and GAU unit ‘Exploring Effective Learning’ has undergone extensive redevelopment to provide an integrated learning environment encompassing face to face sessions and the VLE linked by SMS communication.
My background is in open and distance learning and my involvement in the design and development of the School for Health’s suite of online distance learning programmes (MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine, PD Health etc.) has provided me with valuable experience in designing, supporting and implementing e-learning innovation. In particular, three teaching development funded projects have acted as text beds for innovation:
- Supporting and Enhancing UG learning with mobile phones and SMS
- Digital voices – an exploration of podcasting techniques and their application to distance learning programmes
- Virtual Clinics – problem based learning for health professionals
I have long standing experience in e-moderating and the design of e-tivities to scaffold learning in online groups with an extensive portfolio of online group learning activities used in a variety of contexts e.g. UG/PG Induction, PD Health, MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine, staff development e-workshops for online tutors, CPD for adult care workers.
My interested is in the technologies and philosophies that underpin mobile learning and Web 2.0 and their implications for learning and teaching. The ways in which e-learning technologies shape staff approaches to teaching and the ways in which staff approaches to teaching shape their adoption of e-learning technologies is an ongoing interest.