Technology Enhanced Learning

TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) is the latest term used to describe the use of digital technology to support learning, and is broadly synonymous with 'e-learning' in the text below.

E-learning is broadly defined as "any learning which is enabled by the use of digital hardware, on-line resources or communication technologies."
[University of Southampton's E-Learning Enhancement Strategy 2006-10 ]

The E-Learning Enhancement Strategy strategically supports the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy (LTES). The institutional lead for E-Learning is University Director of Education, Dr Hugh Davis.

TEL Guidelines

LATEU have produced a set of TEL guidelines that aim to help you tackle the key issues that determine the success of TEL projects and to work on those projects in a considered way. Written with the input of colleagues from around the University, it prompts you to ask important questions and points you to sources of up-to-date knowledge and advice.

LATEU has also written a short guide for tutors about best practice in the use of Blackboard.

Support for E-Learning

LATEU provides support and training to academic staff who wish to develop their use of e-learning, including individual consultancy about educational and practical issues. We can also work with programme teams to help them re-develop courses using 'blended learning' that integrates the best features of e-learning and face-to-face teaching.

We work closely with colleagues in iSolutions and the Library, as well as learning technologists and learning support staff in Schools and Faculties.

LATEU staff have a good working knowledge of e-learning issues and technologies, but the list below highlights their specialisms:

  • Fiona Grindey offers expertise in Second Life and social networking (e.g. Twitter). She also coordinates the LTEF projects.
  • Paul Riddy offers expertise in video-conferencing, web-conferencing and reusable learning objects.
  • Adam Warren offers expertise in PowerPoint, Blackboard, digital images, podcasts, screencasts, wikis, blogs, zappers and computer-assisted assessment.

Please get in touch if you need advice or support with e-learning or learning technologies.

Professional Development

We no longer run schedules sessions on e-learning (for example 'Getting Started with Blackboard'). Instead, we are offering individual consultancy to discuss your ideas and provide the hands-on training needed to achieve them. Please contact us to arrange a convenient time. From this initial meeting we can then provide further support as required.

We are also organising a series of one-day themed events about TEL topics, starting in 2010.

If you would like us to run a session on a specific e-learning topic for a small group of staff in your School, please contact us to discuss your requirements. These sessions could be:

  • a short introduction to a technology such as zappers, or Second Life to raise awareness of what is possible;
  • a show-and-tell plus discussion about an educational technique, such as the online submission and marking of assignments;
  • a technical training session to develop skills, such as creative formative tests in Blackboard

We can also act as advisors on internal e-learning initiatives, and, if there is funding available, contribute our skills and time to projects. Again, please contact us.

Case Studies

LATEU is collecting short case-studies from tutors who are making effective use of e-learning. The page also includes links to other local and national collections of case studies.

Online Resources

See the menu on the left for details of TEL initiatives supported by LATEU.

See our list of Learning Technology links