Author: Christine Sinclair

Are you aware of all of the sources of support for online students at the University of Edinburgh?  As well as the members of the MSc in Digital Education team, you can access advice and resources on a wide range of topics – including using the library, academic writing, counselling, disability, IT support, academic English, careers…. So you should never feel that ‘distance’ means no access to these resources.

For example, if you’re worried about studying at Masters level or starting your dissertation, you might want to investigate what the Institute for Academic Development has to offer. This includes workshops, guidance notes on various topics, a dissertation planner, a newsletter and blog.

If you need confidential, impartial information about financing your studies, wellbeing, or issues with the University, you are automatically a member of the Edinburgh University Students Assocation (EUSA) and can seek advice from The Advice Place.

Our Programme Handbook contains many links to useful sources of support.

Hi everyone and welcome to the Academic Year 2017-18.

This is Week 0 or orientation week – when tutors and students all have an opportunity to check out the different sites and plans for the semester and sort out problems if there are any.  It’s a chance to meet other people taking the same course and to say hello to our students who are new to the programme.  We are still finalising the numbers of new students, but we have more than 30, and from many different countries.  A very warm welcome to you all.

Your courses will open some time on Monday 11 September and you should be able to access them via the links on the left or directly from Moodle.  Continuing students will see that the latest Moodle upgrade has given courses a slightly different look and feel. The Technologies Guide may help you to find your way around this and other spaces.

Our Research Methods course is now re-titled Introduction to social research methods.  It is associated with a MOOC with the same name that starts in October – https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-social-research-methods-edinburghx-socrmx#.  For our own students, this MOOC comprises the middle section of their course.  However, the assignments and learning outcomes and tutorial support for our own students are the same as they always were.  We are very excited about this development: a further example of opening up what we do.

As many of you will already know, Hamish Macleod has now retired and he is already greatly missed!  However, he is still in touch with us and you may well see him around from time to time, so I have still included him in the Programme Handbook.  You’ll find the current edition of the Programme Handbook in the Handbooks section of this site. It contains important information, whichever course you are taking.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone soon.  Week 1 starts on 18 September – but people are Tweeting already #mscde  (and see the course Twitter hashtags in the left hand column too).

Christine

Image: cc BY 2.0 Omar Reiss https://www.flickr.com/photos/bitesizeinspiration/8733889058

Welcome to the Hub as we get ready to start the new academic year.  If you’ve signed up for a course you should now be enrolled in it (you’ll see this in Euclid).  The course guides and handbooks are available from the link in the column on the left.  Don’t forget to read the new programme handbook too.  The technologies guide will be updated in time for Week 0.

Your tutors are busy putting the finishing touches to their courses. Your  course will start on 18 September and you’ll have access to it from 11 September.  You’ll be able to access it from the left hand column here or directly through Moodle.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Current students should have received an email from me about course choices for next semester.  Let me know if this didn’t arrive; it was sent to your student email address.  You can sign up for your course following the link to the Course Enrolment form to the left of your screen. Below is a little more information on each course option.

Course design for digital environments – this is a popular option and sometimes has more applications than places.  It is already filling up!

Digital futures – this year, the course has been linked to an innovative project at the University of Edinburgh, Near Future Teaching.  It will be open access.  Jen has updated the description on the website – see http://digital.education.ed.ac.uk/course/digital-futures-learning

Learning analytics: process and theory – this will be run in conjunction with Teachers College, University of Columbia, a great opportunity for collaboration.

Research methods – this will involve participation in a MOOC called Introduction to Methods for Social Research.  You can sign up for this MOOC at any time;  however, when you take the Research methods course you will receive ‘scaffolded’ support as well as the assignments for credit.

Wider themes in digital education – this is our student-driven course that can be taken at any time, allowing you to build up a portfolio at a time and pace that suits you.  You can sign up for this once you have completed 60 credits.

Spreading the word…

We are currently advertising the programme for new intakes in September and January.  If you know anyone who’s interested in joining in September, it would be a good idea to get applications in over the next few weeks, and certainly by the end of May.  Do retweet us when we tell the world about our programme!

Our public website is available at http://digital.education.ed.ac.uk

Christine

September poster:  By Work Projects Administration Poster Collection [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons