Presenter profile - Tracks I, K & O: Paul Smith, John Parkinson

Paul Smith: Personal Response System (PRS), Grademark & PowerPoint Narration

Paul is an Educational Technologist in the Educational Development Unit, CLTE at Middlesex University. His interests are in web-based learning systems, Web 2.0 technologies in teaching and learning, classroom technologies and games-based learning.

Paul Smith

The sessions Paul is in involved in running explore varying themes within e-assessment and e-feedback.

• The Personal Response System workshop will offer colleagues the opportunity to experiment with an engaging classroom technology which can help to provide immediate feedback to students based on their answers to quiz questions, and discuss the pros and cons of the use of such technology for formative assessment.
• The Grademark workshop (led by John Parkinson) will give attendees a hands-on experience of an extremely useful online tool which allows academics to read, manage, and leave comments on students’ electronically submitted work.
• The Adobe Presenter session will demonstrate one of the many methods of enhancing your presentations by adding audio to the slides. Participants will be encouraged to relate their own experience of using similar tools and to discuss features that they feel would be useful in the context of using this kind of software to assess and provide feedback to students.

Paul’s experience with various e-learning technologies has proved to him one thing above all else: there is no substitute for practice. Whether you are asking students to submit electronically, or expecting colleagues to mark using certain technology, always make sure you have a trial run before the deadlines are looming. This way both students and staff can concentrate on the tasks at hand rather than struggling with new technology.

Paul's co-presenter: John Parkinson

Presenter profile - Tracks I & K: Paul Smith, John Parkinson

John Parkinson: Personal Response System (PRS) & Grademark

John Parkinson

As a member of the eLearning Support Team John contributes to the development, maintenance and good health of several key online systems within the university. As a graduate of the arts John is always on the lookout for novel and interesting approaches to the delivery of learning and teaching.

The session I am jointly hosting with my colleague Paul Smith explores the functionality of the Grademark tool found within Turnitin. Following the introduction of the eSubmission/eFeedback initiative across the university I feel this workshop offers colleagues a timely opportunity to get some hands-on experience with a very useful bit of technology. Attendees will get to play with the system and develop a feel for the functionality within in a low-pressure environment.

John's co-presenter: Paul Smith