Pandora Project Description
Pandora - a project for APU
- Promoting cultural change
- A website for the Learning and Teaching Unit
- The Pandora website
- New Staff Development opportunities
- Narrative-based learning
As Anglia Polytechnic University seeks ways to implement its learning and teaching policy, which includes appropriate use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), there is recognition of the need for co-ordinated action and for seeking majority involvement in achieving cultural change.
The Vice Chancellor's Conference, Broxted, 7 September 2000
The Pandora project was announced by Stephen Marshall at the Vice Chancellor's Conference in Broxted, 7 September 2000 and is Ultralab's response to the call by Vice Chancellor Mike Malone-Lee for all Schools to promote online learning. The project draws on Ultralab's strengths as a Learning Technology Research Centre and on strengths across the University, supporting what we are already doing to promote e-learning and e-commerce at APU and building on this.
For example Schools and individuals at APU who may be contemplating putting their learning material online can find on this website some examples of Ultralab's work with different Schools in the University, and are encouraged to contact Ultralab colleagues who may be able to offer advice and help.
A collaborative project
A Project Steering Group for Pandora was established at the outset, drawing on support at senior level from APU's Learning and Teaching Unit, Communications & IT Services, Media Production Department and from subject specialists across the University, and thereby helping to set up a truly collaborative project which relates to Learning and Teaching Strategy. in promoting cultural change.
A website for the Learning and Teaching Unit
An important first step of the collaborative project was to support the Learning and Teaching Unit in establishing its own website, thereby providing opportunities for LTU colleagues to showcase their work, including work on delivering learning opportunities online; Media Production Department and Communications & IT Services had substantial input here.
Pandora hosted and managed the LTU website on an Ultralab server until the unit was in a position to take over the running of the website independently. Project subsequently delivered relevant ICT training to key LTU colleagues to assist with this.
The interactive Pandora website aims to support reflective practitioners through providing access to new staff development opportunities and through a growing collection of resources and links, thereby helping practitioners to make the best use of existing resources and affording a platform for dissemination of best practice. Contact Pandora with your own contribution - or use the contribution form.
A first point of reference
Ultralab's Pandora website, with reciprocal links to the APU and LTU websites, aims to be a first point of reference for all those interested in promoting learning online.
A resource for the Learning and Teaching Unit
The LTU website has reciprocal links to this Pandora website, a useful extra resource.
Staff Development opportunities
Two further Pandora initiatives offer further opportunities for staff development, encouraging the use of technology to develop innovative teaching processes and effective ICT-supported learning environments, both on and off campus:
These initiatives link to the Action Enquiry Module offered by the School of Education.
This latest initiative builds on Ultralab's successful Ultra-language-lab work which has already sold 2 learning packages to AngliaCampus and is being used by schools across the U.K. Pandora offers Schools support in creating narrative-based e-learning materials for specific subject purposes.
Cultural-linguistic support
Cultural-linguistic support for international students is an optional extra, affording Schools a useful marketing tool as well as support for distance learning.
"Change of heart!
Health Care Practice has commissioned the first such e-learning package, which will support delivery of the HCP Level H Public Health module. The materials are being developed collaboratively with HCP and will be available online and on CD to students from January 2002.