Research contents
Learning objects and learning design
Learning interaction and networked communities
Informal eLearning
Funded projects

Supporting C&IT integration

FOCUS, The Framework for Optimising C&IT Uptake and Support, was a three-year TLTP Phase 3 funded project involving six institutions, the universities of Glasgow, Loughborough, UNL (now part of LondonMet), Portsmouth and Southampton, and The Sheffield College.

The FOCUS project developed a web-based database containing information of interest to academic and support staff in further and higher education who are investigating the use of C&IT (communication and information technologies) in learning and teaching.

Its three main aims were to:

• develop a web-based database for those wishing to use C&IT in their teaching
• develop a set of staff development materials for those supporting lecturers who wish to make use of C&IT in their teaching
• disseminate these products to the widest possible HE and FE audience.

A structured framework was devised to support both novices and experts in becoming familiar with the database content, thus, those new to FOCUS start with the guided tour of how to use the database. This gives step by step instructions on how to find relevant articles and related materials. More experienced users access the content directly through the Pathfinder feature.

The FOCUS development team implemented a range of easy to use features in the form of easily accessible, clickable buttons, to support novice and expert users alike.

• Locking: This enables users to locate the information needed by using 'filter' technology. Through the use of keywords, each of the categories can be locked to facilitate searching for related material.
• Copy-It: The information contained within FOCUS can be lengthy. To avoid users having to scroll through reams of text the Copy-It! function was included. When a user finds an article of interest, a simple click copies it to a personalised album.
• Album: An album is a collection of articles of interest that is emailed to the user, to avoid the need to absorb too much information in one visit.
• Contribute: Interested parties can provide information via the Contribute button to share what has been learned with the wider community. All content supplied to FOCUS is moderated by project team members.

Users of the database can access in-depth articles on a range of teaching techniques of interest or thorough reviews of managed learning environments. A case study section details the use of managed learning environments in a variety of authentic settings.

Staff and educational developers are also catered for, with a ready-made Powerpoint presentation that aims to support them in introducing FOCUS to workshop participants.

We were responsible for the internal evaluation of the FOCUS project. This work has shown it to be a valuable resource for both further and higher education staff.

Related publication:
Smith, J. (2000) FOCUS on technology-supported learning in further education ALT-J, 8 (3)

Contact details

Professor Tom Boyle
Learning Technology Research Institute
London Metropolitan University
35 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AA
Email: t.boyle@londonmet.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 749 3757
Fax: +44 (0)207 749 3781
WWW: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri

Last updated 5 November, 2008