Here is a Storify I put together from the event on Friday, here at Newcastle University. Since then a URL to a blog post by Martin Hall, the VC of Salford University has been doing the rounds, where he talks about his experience on the #edcmooc (E-learning and digital cultures MOOC run via the Coursera platform by the University of Edinburgh). I also came across a D-Lib article by Forrest Wright on What Do Librarians Need To Know About MOOCs? There is so much coming out daily on the MOOCs theme, it’s almost a full time job just keeping up with it.

The day was a though provoking one, and we have been fortunate to be allowed to share presentations from the sessions given by Sheila MacNeill and me.

• Sheila MacNeill: So what are MOOCs? Histories, Pedagogies, Myths & the Media. Presentation. Sheila has posted on her blog since the event.
• Suzanne Hardy: What is it actually like to do a MOOC: A Student Perspective? Presentation.

There was some talk about different definitions of ‘open’ and handily, Pat Lockley (Pgogy) has recently uploaded a recording of his talk on this very subject from CETIS13.

[View the story “#unitemooc: a information day for Newcastle University staff, 15 march 2013” on Storify]

#unitemooc: a information day for Newcastle University staff, 15 march 2013

The UNITE group, facilitated by @iainwheeldon at Newcastle University organised a one day event entitled ‘What Are MOOCs?’ for staff to find out more about them. Here is my version of the story of that day.

Storified by· Mon, Mar 18 2013 08:16:15

I’ve been looking at documentation today with a view to overhauling and refreshing a great deal of it. This includes looking at online presence, printed materials, and project management documentation.  Despite having worked in this area for most of my working life, it never ceases to amaze me that design of educational materials if often either passed on to student placements to do (and not even graphic or product design students), or untrained desk top publishing enthusiasts.

Would you let an untrained hairdresser loose on your tresses? Would you let an amateur dentist anywhere near your gnashers? What makes you think you can do as good a job as professional designers who have trained for years, got lots of experience, and know the rules for making something work?

Could an enthusiastic amateur do your job?

Isn’t presenting a professional well balanced, thought out and designed online and print presence important? Don’t you want the first impression your clients get of you and your services to be a good one in advance of you meeting them?

What drives people to cut back on professionally designed websites and print?

This is an area I feel passionate about, and one that really does matter. Getting a graphic designer in to help you produce on message print and websites is not a luxury. Nor is it a frippery that can be dispensed with. In my opinion building budgets which include professional paid for graphic design services is essential, and in the long run can indeed save you time, effort and resource, as you are forced to reflect carefully on who the audiences are and the important messages you wish to convey in your marketing/dissemination media.

Providing content is something which subject experts are indispensable for, and working alongside someone who knows about print and web design and their associated production and copywriting processes is something which is difficult to quantify in terms of worth to some. Until they have tried it with someone who is good, and who helps reflect the subject experts work clearly, succinctly, and in the best possible light.

Please don’t skimp on graphic designers and copywriters. They are worth their professional weight in gold.

Most of the day was spent in a workshop on leading the student experience: academic and professional services in partnership, funded by The Leadership Foundation and The Higher Education Academy. We have been looking at a draft toolkit to promote effective partnerships across academic and professional services.

The toolkit and its preamble were dissected by a range of staff and student representatives, and the team was sent away with a lot to think about. All in all a useful day for me.

My first day working for the Quality in Learning and Teaching unit here at Newcastle, and it’s been packed and informative.

I was lucky to be asked to attend a senior tutors meeting, which was fascinating. ePortfolio was one of the topics on the agenda, but to be honest I found being able to stay for the whole meeting incredibly useful.

Senior tutors are obviously a key group to talk to about the roll out of the system across the whole University and they came up with some fantastic ideas about how we might enhance the system and about how we can creatively bring more sceptical tutors on board with using ePortfolio to support personal tutoring.

Then we went to talk to careers who also came up with some interesting possibilities.

I am pretty pleased (if slightly confused) at how the first day has gone, with a potential 5 contacts from enthusiastic people with possible  ePortfolio pilots to explore further after only one day. Let’s hope the momentum continues with those who may need a bit more convincing.

Everyone has been lovely to me today which is a great way to go into the weekend. Hoping for nice weather in Alnmouth.