With well over 100 staff and 600 internal students identifying themselves as being of non-English speaking background, UNE’s Armidale campus is a genuinely multicultural environment.

Conversations and other forms of spoken communication between people of English-speaking and non-English speaking background (ESB and NESB) are a daily occurrence. When they go well, as they often do, these interactions are of great benefit. Not only in do they provide important opportunities for international students to improve their English, they also help domestic students and staff build competence in intercultural communication, a skill increasingly valued by employers.

On the other hand, there are various kinds of problems that can arise in intercultural spoken communication. These can not only cause frustration on both sides. Worse, since spoken communication is a key medium of learning, they can act as a significant barrier to education, as emphasised by AUQA’s Good Practice Principles.

TLC is starting a series of projects aiming to foster effective spoken communication between ESB and NESB participants. The first, starting soon, is a survey to find out what is already working well and where there is room for improvement. We hope many staff and students will take a few minutes to complete the survey - and go in the draw to WIN ONE OF FIVE $20 iTUNES VOUCHERS!! Information about how to participate in the survey will be circulated shortly.

Results from the survey will be used to develop workshops, materials and strategies to build on those aspects that are already working well, and bring about improvement where this is needed.
In the meantime, if you have comments or suggestions about intercultural speaking and listening, if you would like help with any speaking and listening problems you may have, whether from the ESB or the NESB perspective, or if you would be interested to join a Community of Practice and help foster effective spoken communication, please contact Dr Helen Fraser or x2681.

Want to put your course content online but not sure how to do it well?
No problem - let Wimba Create do it for you!

Perfect for both academic and general staff, Wimba Create lets you
compose your site in the familiar Microsoft Word environment, then
click ‘Generate’ to see Wimba Create convert your Word doc into a
fully functional website, complete with interactive navigation.

Using Wimba Create is a short video introducing the basic concept. The Wimba Create Training Manual (by Su Woodward) shows how to use Wimba
Create.  Click here to download and install Wimba Create (using the
UNE campus-wide licence).

Or go to the Open2Learning Blackboard unit to get all the information
together in one place.

Hands-on tutorials, demonstrations and information sessions for groups

Friends of Wimba – Friday 6^th, 10-11am

If you’ve discovered how useful Wimba can be to create Blackboard-friendly HTML content and online learning activities, or would simply like to find out what others are doing with this application, come to our first Friends of Wimba session, see some current development using the Wimba Create software and share in the discussion with colleagues over coffee.

Copyright for educational purposes - Thursday 12^th, 10-11.30am or Friday 13^th, 11am-12.30pm

This session addresses copyright issues as they apply to learning and teaching. An overview of copyright and the provisions within the Copyright Act and educational licences that can be relied on for teaching and educational purposes will be followed by practical examples applicable in the UNE context. These include using text, images, sound and video in face-to-face teaching, examination situations, print and CD unit materials, online teaching and podcasting.

Understanding eSubmission and TurnItIn - Thursday 19^th, 10am

This session covers effective management of assignments through eSubmission and TurnItIn, and how to utilise the TurnItIn reports. Get in early and avoid technical issues with your assignments next year. To maximise your assignment workflow, attend one of the PDF markup sessions below to learn how to easily mark and return assignments electronically as well.

Comic Life (PC and Mac) - Friday 20^th, 10am

Creating engaging digital media for online teaching isn’t just about podcasting or video -expand your ability to deliver creative and engaging content to students using Comic Life. Learn how to combine images and text to create effective scenario-based learning experiences that really grab students’ attention, while having some fun at the same time.

Dealing with Video (PC and Mac) - Friday 20^th, 12pm

Many lecturers are now using video in their online teaching, but are having difficulties with student access, or want to begin using video but don’t know where to start. This session explores different upload options, compression settings and using media collections in Blackboard, which allow you to maximise the use of video in your online units, whilst still allowing students on any type of internet connection equal access.

Wimbering up: Create HTML from Word with Wimba – Wednesday 25^th, 2pm

Want to create HTML web pages easily from your Word documents? Wimba Create is an amazing application that lets you write your unit materials in Word, then convert them with a click to a set of attractive web pages with menus, navigation, and headers ready for upload to Blackboard.

See a UNE specific demo on Using Wimba Create.

Marking Up PDF Files (For Mac) Thursday 26^th, 10am (for PC) Friday 27^th 11am

Put a stop to your paper trail by learning how to easily mark PDF assignments electronically using software already on your computer, and explore third-party software options for using with graphics tablets or tablet PCs. Increase your efficiency and decrease time spent marking using simple comment functions, callouts and more. Please note this session does not cover the eMarking or ReMarks software for marking Word documents.

Preparing your Blackboard unit for re-offer – Thursday 26^th, 2 – 3.30pm

Take the opportunity to work with your own online unit to amend settings, revise files and generally prepare your unit for offer in the next teaching period. In these sessions you will be guided through:

• Compiling and managing discussions
• Group manager and selective release
• Message of the day
• Quiz management revision
• Revising and Adding content files.

Marking Up PDF Files (For PC) Friday 27^th, 11am

Put a stop to your paper trail by learning how to easily mark PDF assignments electronically using software already on your computer, and explore third-party software options for using with graphics tablets or tablet PCs. Increase your efficiency and decrease time spent marking using simple comment functions, callouts and more. Please note this session does not cover the eMarking or ReMarks software for marking Word documents.

Preparing your Blackboard unit for re-offer – Thursday 3^rd, 2 – 3.30pm

Take the opportunity to work with your own online unit to amend settings, revise files and generally prepare your unit for offer in the next teaching period. In these sessions you will be guided through:

• Compiling and managing discussions
• Group manager and selective release
• Message of the day
• Quiz management revision
• Revising and Adding content files.

Effective discussions in Blackboard CE 6 – Tuesday 8^th, 10am

In this session, we look beyond the basic operational features of online discussion forums in Blackboard CE 6 and explore further how the tool can be used for effective teaching. The session considers the principles of teaching with asynchronous forums, and covers the issues of managing class sizes, time management, structuring and staging activities for effective participation and using discussion forums for assessment.

One-on-one: Fridays 9-11am, 1-5pm

Arrange a time to work with specialist assistance on an aspect of teaching with technology, or book a space in the Commons to pursue your own interest in developing online teaching features.

All sessions are held in the Staff eLearning Commons on the top floor of the T&LC Building (C30) and, unless specified otherwise, are 1 hour long.

To enrol: Contact Kerryn Reeves, ext. 2339
For further information: Catherine Clarke, ext. 3395