Author: Noreen Elizabeth Dunnett

If anyone on the course lives around the Rotherham/Sheffield area and is interested in games and STEM subjects, I am helping to organise a week long festival for school pupils which runs from 2-6 July at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham.

We had a press event recently at which Andy Payne, OBE launched the event and spoke about the importance of involving young people in STEM subjects and the games industry. We also launched a competition for school pupils to design a game, game character and music (my husband and I wrote the teacher’s pack!)

http://www.gamesbritannia.com/montymole/

Some of the press coverage here
The Guardian

The Independent

If you are interested in coming or contributing, let me know and I’ll give you some details about the workshops, speakers etc.

I’m hoping to use UCINET – social network analysis software – for the data analysis section of my dissertation on learning communities in Twitter. I’ve downloaded it and made a feeble attempt to use it but I really need some training, especially around how to interpret and use the output from the programme. Has anyone used this software before and be willing to help me?

Coming up from Sheffield for the day – so for those of you (like me!) who can’t make Mon 4th July – either graduation or the get together after, we are meeting at Peter’s Yard, on Sunday 3rd July starting at about 4.30 – 5.00 for coffee and cake – well that’s me (Noreen Dunnett), James McLuckie and possibly Michael Gallagher, with our partners. If you’re in Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon and fancy coming along, leave us a note here and we’ll look out for you and try not to eat all the cakes before you get there!

For more pictures of the course Christmas party in Second Life on Monday 13th December click here

Those who attended did some virtual dancing, some virtual quaffing of wine and lots of chatting.  Thanks to Fiona Littleton for the lovely decorations and for the participants for some great Christmas costumes which we never did get around to judging!  Be great to make this an annual tradition wouldn’t it?  Perhaps more people could join in if we flagged it in September?

Please could you post an announcement in your Webct courses with the date, time and location of the course Christmas party in Second Life on Monday 13th Dec, 7.00 p.m onwards in the cafe area of Holyrood Park ( here’s a link directly to the cafe ).

Feel free to dress your avatar up in a Christmas outfit – lots of free ones available – see Twitter. Come along and socialise, chat, dance and meet other people on the course or renew your acquaintance with former course colleagues.  Celebrate the end of another successful term.