higher education

The July/August edition of the Re.ViCa newsletter about Virtual Campuses is now available and features an article about the popular Virtual Campus wiki which has attracted 3,506 unique visitors since the beginning of July.

The newsletter also includes news and reports about recent relevant publications and events, information about forthcoming conferences, introductions to several experts and project news.

Access the latest edition and check out the Virtual Campus wiki, contributions to the wiki welcome!

The VENUS Handbook entitled 'Creating New Opportunities for Universities' has just been published. This handbook is based on the experience of the partners in the VENUS project who organised Virtual Seminars on a broad range of European subjects and a Summer School on the Use of Social Software in Business and Higher Education.

The handbook contains practical advice about how universities can set up these kinds of services and opportunities and provides plenty of guidelines, checklists and tips. With summaries available in French and German, this handbook guides the reader through the different steps involved in this process, from choosing a pedagocial approach, selecting a suitable topic to preparing speakers and supporting participants.

Edited by Sally Reynolds, Kamakshi Rajagopal and Bieke Schreurs, more information is available from the VENUS site http://www.venus-seminars.net/

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the creation and use of web-accessed digital video and audio throughout the education sector. The pedagogical vision is clear: only when video and audio have become routine components of education and e-learning will we have an educational environment that reflects the media-rich world in which we now live. The VideoAktiv Handbook on Digital Video and Audio in Education is designed to assist in creating and using audio and video material for educational purposes. This handbook is one of the products of the VideoAktiv Project, and available also from the VideoAktiv website, where you will find additional useful resources on the use of video in higher and further education. Print copies can be obtained by sending an email to videoaktiv@atit.be.

ATiT has now concluded its evaluation report on how satellites can be used to connect Higher and Further Education Institutions and individuals. Some areas in England, Scotland and Wales are at present underserved by traditional telecommunication means. From Mid 2002 until May 2004, 17 institutions and individuals based in these remote areas used two-way satellite terminals to connect to the Internet, and to the Janet and Campus networks. This evaluation report highlights the importance of the right match between user requirements and the offered service. Read the full report...

A review entitled "Improving access to further and higher education via satellites" written by Mathy Vanbuel and published by JISC in the UK, you can either download it as a pdf from our site here or go to the JISC site. This comprehensive report provides a snapshot of the opportunities afforded by recent developments in satellite technology in meeting educational needs and was officially launched at the recent JISC conference held in Birmingham on 23 March.