Things we’ve been reading about

Plagiarism Advice.org (formerly the Plagiarism Advisory Service) set up by JISC, have launched their new site combining useful resources  for understanding plagiarism and promoting academic integrity, research papers on plagiarism and academic integrity and a blog. Although not a new resource as such, the site is a useful starting point for understanding and addressing issues around academic integrity. (Jilly)

Interesting interview with Salman Khan (of Khan Academy fame) on stepping away from the lecture paradigm and how new technologies might  help accomplish the same thing more effectively. Includes links to Khan’s TED Talk entitled Let’s Use Video to Re-invent Education and an example Khan Academy screencast. (Doug)

The rise of MOOCs has recently served to reiterate the challenges faced by online educators in ensuring fair play in online assessments. Different technologies have developed to address this, but they are not foolproof: perhaps the most effective option is still a simple technology which allows the assessor to monitor candidates in real-time, as in face-to-face exams? (Jilly)

Following my last post on the Leicester Council’s move to enhance secondary school education using technology, and particularly through arranging for students to use their own devices in the classroom; I was interested to read this article about the ‘iSchool‘ which has given all its students iPads and re-shaped teaching around this new tool. Although the author proclaims no specialist pedagogical knowledge, the outcomes appear very positive; with the cost of purchasing the devices being offset by reduced printing and administration costs, and increased student engagement. (Jilly)

The concept of the flipped lecture is now commonplace throughout school, college and higher education: this article explores whether it is time to ‘flip’ the academic as well. Although the model will not appeal to all academics, the author suggests that the flipped academic has much to offer in terms of community engagement and applied research. (Roger)

Having recently revisited the Learnhigher collection of online study resources for staff and students, I was struck by the comprehensiveness of the information available; including a guide on mobile learning for academics. As a useful source of information for students and staff alike it is worth drawing attention to. (Roger)