Supporting Part-time Students Using the Communication Tools in Blackboard - Discussion Boards and Email
by Lorraine Lavery
Students on Built Environment programmes are supported using blended learning techniques at Belfast Institute. Those supported include students on programmes such as HNC and NC Estate Management, HNC Building and HNC and NC Town Planning. They attend the Institute one day per week based on a traditional “day release” structure but the students on these courses are, for a large part, however geographically dispersed across Northern Ireland and often tend to be out on site during their working week. This can make telephone contact outside college time with a tutor difficult.
Read the full article...

Learning Styles
by Cathy Ellis
A major study of learning styles and their implications for pedagogy is currently being led by Professor Frank Coffield and his team at Newcastle University. Commenting on the findings of the research to date Coffield writes ...
Read the full article...

Blackboard and the National Learning Network Materials
by Andrew Robson
With the National Learning Network (NLN) materials now available to Further Education Colleges, Specialist Colleges and Adult and Community Learning, identifying suitable content for Blackboard should now be much more straight-forward. We have approximately 600 hours of interactive, engaging learning material covering 21 subject areas from which to draw learning material, including some generic material that can be used in a variety of contexts.
Read the full article...