Preston College

E-Learning Development

The E-Learning Development Team @ Preston College is responsible for a wide range of services for both staff and students. The team has evolved over time to ensure it puts Preston College at the forefront of e-learning technologies. The team are located in ITF01, PC Place, at the Fulwood Campus and offer a drop-in service as well as a call centre and appointment based support. The direct line is 01772 225575 or you can use our contact form to get in touch.

E-Learning Development Team:

• Responsible for the college VLE (MyCourse)
• Responsible for e-learning staff development (specific targets set in college strategic plan)
• Responsible for the college website (http://www.preston.ac.uk)
• Responsible for all web based material in college, including internal pages, student & staff pages, e-learning web based material and academy/departmental websites
• Promoting and helping staff use e-learning in the classroom
• Converting paper based material into computerised documents and interactive material
• Responsible for ensuring all students have relevant and stimulating information available on the college VLE, intranet and website
• Involved in the development of the college e-learning strategy
• Support the E-Learning Development Support Fund
• Staff & Student logins to MyCourse
• Develop staff related courses on MyCourse
• Responsible for all the college communication systems (Staff Noticeboard, Student Noticeboard, Screensaver, Plasma TVs)
• Overall responsibility for the Lounge CyberCafe and the PC Place, drop-in centre.

PC Place:

• The PC Place is a drop-in centre equipped with 50 computers that any student in College is entitled to use.
• A helpdesk is provided to assist students
• The E-Learning Development offer additional support (video recording, extra information, wireless connectivity etc)
• The facility to loan laptop trolleys to staff for classes (a total of 6 trolleys available to all staff, each containing 16 laptops)
• The facility to loan other equipment such as OHPs, Videos, TVs, DVD Players etc.

theLOUNGE:

• theLounge is a drop-in centre for all students and is primarily a cyber-café
• Computers are available
• Laptops are available for loan in the centre
• Students can be given access to the wireless internet to use their own laptops
• A wide range of healthy food and drink is available
• Comfortable chairs and tables offer a unique experience to the other centres in college

Basic services offered to staff & students:

• Add, create & convert materials for MyCourse (Virtual Learning Environment or VLE)
• Develop interactive material such as websites, CD-ROMs and DVDs
• Teach you how to include e-learning into your teaching (full e-learning staff development programme available)
• Develop staff e-learning skills
• Advise you before buying e-learning equipment (software or hardware) and support funding applications where possible
• Give guidance on using Smartboards, digital cameras, video cameras etc
• Convert old format materials (Videos, tapes, etc.) to DVD, online formats etc. We also have the facility to record TV, radio etc into different formats
• Provide inductions to students (we’ll do staff inductions as well!) on using the college e-learning facilities

Meet the Team:

Steven Aspey - E-Learning Development Manager
Line Manager of the E-Learning Development Team and the PC Place / theLOUNGE.

Frank McHale - E-Learning Development Co-ordinator
Delivers e-learning staff development programmes either full classes in the staff LC, one-to-one support or drop-in. Also, meets with academic staff to promote e-learning.

David Harrison - Web Developer
Continuous development, updating and maintaining of the college website / extranet and other web based materials

Paul Brophy - E-Learning Content Developer
Converts paper based material to online content, develops interactive material and develops and maintains the VLE. Also ensures the links between EBS and Technical Services is maintained

Nick Hoyle - E-Learning Assistant
Works with all staff to collate their existing course materials and develop new content for the VLE.

Sonja Pywowarczuk - PC Support Officer
Day-to-day running of the PC Place (drop-in computer centre) including logging students, maintenance, helpdesk services, laptop bookings, basic operational support

Claire Jacob - PC Support Officer
Day-to-day running of the PC Place (drop-in computer centre) including logging students, maintenance, helpdesk services, laptop bookings, basic operational support