October - University of Edinburgh

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8,000 Supported XP Desktops! 3. Service Pack 2. 3. MIS and the Supported Desktop 3. The Supported Desktop in CSE. 3. Linux pilot in the labs. 4. Open- access ...
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edinburgh bits October 2005 Volume 16 Issue 2

This is the second issue of the redesigned BITs – I hope you recognised it! I forgot to give due credit to its designers last month: Aileen Robertson and Sonia Virdi of MALTS, to whom all thanks.

Nick Stroud

IT support for research

contents IT support for research

1

Work has begun on the next edition of the University’s Knowledge Management

Eliminating IT duplication

1

Strategic Plan, and in particular on the Research Computing Support section.

Huge demand for MyEd

1

The current version is at http://www.kmstrategy.ed.ac.uk/KM_index.htm

Changes in the LRC

1

University Web Site

2

Brian Gilmore, Director of Computing Services (email [email protected]),

Web accessibility course

2

or Professor Peter Clarke, Chair of e-Science (email [email protected]).

First Polopoly website live

2

Email relay news

2

I would appreciate comments by 31st October (to [email protected]) on

Wireless developments

2

the University’s proposals for harmonising IT systems by developing common

8,000 Supported XP Desktops!

3

systems and services, as discussed at September’s IT Committee meeting; see

Service Pack 2

3

http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/ucsinfo/cttees/itc/2005-09-27/paperB.html

MIS and the Supported Desktop

3

Comments and suggestions would be welcome, and should be addressed to

Eliminating duplication of IT effort

The Supported Desktop in CSE

3

Linux pilot in the labs

4

The Learning and Resource

Open-access labs 2005–2006

4

moved on to MyEd at the beginning

Centre – LRC – was born out of a

Lab PC availability – at a glance

5

of Summer, and the demand for

collaboration of the Library and

Printing with Pcounter

5

EUCS over five years ago.

Software News Autodesk Powerpressed S-Plus 2000

5

5

staff moved to the Helpdesk, so

From the JISC support centre BBC Computer Tutor Yotophoto FoI conference

there are changes in the LRC.

100 chemical books online

6

Helen Hayes (Information Services)

Huge demand for MyEd The Edinburgh Student Portal

it has exceeded all expectations. Around half the new students who

Changes in the LRC

That collaboration broadened

had a confirmed place at Edinburgh

within Information Services with

logged in before they arrived at the

the launch in August of the new IS

University, so this is a potent new

Helpdesk on the ground floor of the

opportunity to welcome them.

Main Library. Two members of LRC

The system coped well in Freshers’ Week, but there were teething problems in week one.

The LRC Reception desk has

PhD students: literature searches 6

In the same period last year there

closed. Enquiries about library and

Data Library news

6

were around 3,500 daily logins.

information databases should now

An e-Learning cornucopia

7

It seemed sensible to expect this

be directed to the Helpdesk on the

Informatics Forum

8

number to double, but in the event

ground floor. Multimedia support

Realising Lifelong Learning

8

we saw up to 37,000 daily logins

continues in the LRC as before.

Alice in Web-Wonderland

8

UCISA courses

8

and more than triple the number

The Student Support Team will

of unique users visiting the site

continue to offer a service in the

– with around 300,000 logins

LRC, giving advice on computing

altogether during September.

issues. The popular eSkills seminars

MyEd handled 100,000

will carry on, and the ‘Learning

service visits in the last week of

Centre’ aspects of the LRC will be

September: most students use it

further developed. Support for

every day. This is not surprising,

assistive technologies will remain.

as MyEd is tightly integrated with a range of popular student services. MyEd is clearly now a significant and strategic way for the University to reach its core customers. Mark Wetton, Anne-Marie Scott (MIS)

INFORMATICS FORUM (see page 8)

Allyson thanks all the staff who have worked to support and encourage the LRC, and contributed so much to its success. Allyson Hayes (EUL) Noel Millar (EUCS)

page 1

edinburgh bits C&IT news from Information Services

University Web Site

First Polopoly website live

Email relay news

The University is engaged in a

The first website to use the Polopoly

All mail passing through the main

major exercise to redevelop its Web

web content management system

University mail relays has long been

Site. The intention is to unify the

went live in September, marking the

scanned for viral content using

University’s existing web publishing

end of the implementation phase

Sophos anti-virus. We are now

into a single cohesive entity,

of this EUCS project. The School of

also scanning all traffic with the

designed from the outset with the

Divinity’s website (at http://www.

free open-source ClamAV package

needs of all users in mind.

div.ed.ac.uk/) is now served from

(http://www.clamav.net/).

A scoping report has been completed and a project team is now being assembled. The report

the Polopoly system, instead of from the morse webserver. The site looks no different to its

Using two different virus scanners improves protection in several ways: the average time to deal with new

concludes that the University’s

visitors, but the Divinity computing

threats is reduced; the two scanners

current Content Management

officers now have a much easier

pick up slightly different sets of

System, Polopoly, will provide a

way to maintain the pages. The

threats; the failure of one scanner

suitable platform for the new site. It

appearance of the site is controlled

does not now block mail; and

also advises a staged delivery over

using templates, and navigation

ClamAV has signatures for common

a two-year period: the University’s

menus are automatically updated.

‘phishing’ scam messages and other

main outfacing content would be

Academic staff can quickly update

types of undesirable email.

established in the first year, with

their own pages, for example to add

other key parts of the site following

new publications and photographs.

for the mail relay service. One of

in the second year.

EUCS is upgrading the hardware

The migration of the site was simple

the four relay components has been

A series of town-hall-style open

(if tedious!), and feedback about the

replaced, and the others will follow

meetings will be held in November

ease of use of the system is positive.

shortly. As well as simply being

to discuss the project and receive

Several other websites are in the

much faster, the new hardware will

feedback. There will be six meetings,

pipeline, and will be made available

cope better with the unpredictable

in the Central Area, The King’s

through Polopoly in the next month.

nature of Internet email traffic.

Buildings, Little France, Holyrood,

The latest report on the new

The old hardware will be used

The Bush and The Western General.

University Web Site recommends

to support the relay service, and

All staff are encouraged to attend.

Polopoly version 9 for content

further improve our spam defences.

Further information regarding

management. The existing Polopoly

Scott Larnach (EUCS)

the meetings, and a summary of

installation is version 8, and there

progress to date, can be found at

are significant differences between

http://www.ed.ac.uk/webpub/

versions 8 and 9, specifically in the

The registration process for Wireless

redevelopment/

user interface and the method for

and VPN has been changed: users no

creating input and output templates.

longer receive a confirmation email,

EUCS needs to get to grips with

but are directed to a ‘what next’ web

Ian Conn (CPA)

Web accessibility course

Wireless developments

version 9 in preparation for the

page which explains how to use the

The Edinburgh Branch of the British

University website project, so it has

services. The link is also available

Computer Society is running a

been decided not to migrate any

on the registration page at http://

Web Accessibility course over

more websites into version 8 beyond

www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/nsd/access/

four evenings, starting on 18th

those already in the pipeline.

wselfreg.html

October. The course is aimed at

The work done in version 8 is a

Web designers, anyone charged

good basis for moving forward with

expanded to cope with the growing

with commissioning or managing

Polopoly, confirming it as a suitable

popularity of the Wireless Service.

Web developments, and individuals

choice for the University. It has also

The address obtained by DHCP will

wanting a better understanding of

shown that a content management

now be on the 129.215.135.0 or

Web accessibility issues. For details

system brings benefits for anyone

129.215.48.0 subnets. If you get

see http://www.edinburgh.bcs.org/

creating or updating web pages, as

wireless problems, click the repair

courses/webaccess.htm

well as for website administrators.

(or renew DHCP lease) button.

Graham Rule (EUCS)

page 2

Chris Adie (EUCS)

Local network capacity has been

Bill Byers (EUCS)

edinburgh bits

Supported Windows XP Desktop reaches milestone of 8,000! The number of PCs in the University using the Supported Windows XP Desktop has now

Service Pack 2

passed the significant figure of 8,000. This

Service Pack 2 added several key security features to Windows XP,

is about 72% of the estimated number of

including a built-in firewall, security enhancements in Internet

PCs which can run Windows XP. The chart

Explorer and Outlook Express to stop viruses, spyware and popups

below indicates distribution of the Supported

(collectively known as Malware), and the whole operating system has

Desktop in the University of Edinburgh.

been “toughened up”. Its features add to the overall reliability and maintainability of users’ computers.

CHSS 20%

Open-access and School Labs 32%

of computers using the Supported XP Desktop, with virtually zero interruption to service. If your PC has not yet been updated, it is

CMVM 12% ACSSG and CSG 13%

This Service Pack has now been rolled out to the vast majority

CSE 10% Information Services 13%

likely that it will be very soon. Most people will not even notice the upgrade, as most installations have taken place silently overnight. Mark Sammons (EUCS)

MIS and the Supported Windows XP Desktop All staff users in Administration, Communications & Student Services Group and the majority of users in Corporate Services Group – over 850 in total – have now been upgraded to the University Supported

Some of the basic benefits offered by the

Windows XP desktop by the MIS Customer Support team. These

Supported Windows XP Desktop include:

users can now take full advantage of all the supported applications

• Quick Build and Rebuild: on a standard

available, whilst enjoying reduced sign-on to the integrated email

network, Windows XP can be installed

and eDiary service, the MIS-hosted web publishing service, and a

within 15 minutes.

series of Active Directory dependent local and third-party systems.

• Windows Update Service: Windows XP is

Only the Estates and Buildings Planning Unit remains on the

automatically configured to download and

Windows 2000 platform, as its core business EBIS service must be

install all critical updates from an internal

upgraded to be compatible with the Windows XP Service Pack 2

Software Update Service (SUS).

platform. This version is currently in test within Works Division, and

• Firewall configured: the default install-

the rollout on the new desktop is scheduled for early November.

ation of Windows XP now includes Service

Bryan MacGregor (MIS)

Pack 2 and a configured personal firewall. • AntiVirus updates: if installed, the McAfee

The Supported Desktop in Science and Engineering

AntiVirus software is configured to update

The College of Science and Engineering has made great progress

itself automatically from an update server.

with its deployment of the Supported Windows XP Desktop. Over the

• Application deployment: an increasing

last eight months we have successfully installed over 280 staff and

number of applications are available for

teaching lab PCs in the School of Biological Sciences. Other Schools

automatic installation (subject to licence

have already reaped the benefits of the Supported Windows XP

conditions) at build or reboot time. These

Desktop, including GeoSciences (450 PCs), Engineering & Electronics

include Office 2003, Endnote, SPSS,

(143 PCs) and Informatics (50 PCs).

Minitab, Photoshop and Firefox.

The School of Chemistry is currently in the process of moving its

The Supported Windows XP Desktop

staff PCs into this environment, and the School of Mathematics,

provides a complete installation service from

currently using the Supported Desktop on 50 teaching PCs, will be

initial installation of Windows XP through

starting a project later this year to deploy the Supported Windows

to application configuration and security

XP Desktop to their staff PCs.

features. Service Pack 2 is now installed as

For further information or help on this or any other computing

standard (subject to local School or College

issue, please contact the Science & Engineering Support helpdesk

policy) offering enhanced network security

(JCMB Room 3251, tel 505013, email [email protected]) or

using a personal firewall.

visit our website at http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/scisup/

Graham Newton (EUCS)

Keith Nicol (EUCS)

page 3

edinburgh bits C&IT news from Information Services

Linux pilot in the labs Students from two Schools in the College of Science & Engineering will be enjoying a Pilot Linux Desktop in the open-access labs this session. For the first time, students from the School of Engineering and Electronics will be able to access specialist teaching applications in the EUCSprovided 24 hour computer labs at George Square Hugh Robson Basement and Kings Buildings Centre Level 3. Similarly, students from the School of Informatics will be able to access School resources using secure shell connections and the X11 windowing system. To get Linux, students have to restart the computer and select the Linux option at boot time. If no selection is made the PC will default into Windows XP Professional. PCs left unattended in Linux for a set period of time will shut down and restart in Windows XP Professional. For further details, please see https://adelie.ucs.ed.ac.uk/dstwikireadonly/index.php/LinuxLabPilotProject James Jarvis (EUCS)

Open-access labs – Session 2005–2006 EUCS has now completed the planned hardware and

policies (such as application installations) to 60 minutes.

software upgrades in the open-access computing labs for

This feature has caused considerable disruption to

the session 2005–2006.

PCs when installing large Science and Engineering

Hardware upgrades

applications, some of which are over 3 Gigabytes in size.

Over 300 four- and five-year-old PCs were replaced with

The intelligent part is that SMS is using Microsoft’s

the current configuration of the SelectPC, including 17"

BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) in a

flat panel TFT monitors which consume less power and

similar manner to Windows Update, delivering large

generate less heat than the traditional CRT monitors. The

quantities of information to a large number of systems in

new PCs have 1GB RAM, providing some ‘future proofing’

a sophisticated way. BITS asynchronously transfers files

against the next generation of Microsoft Desktop

in the background, using only idle network bandwidth

Operating System, as well as offering greater flexibility

to preserve the responsiveness of other network

for some of the larger School-based applications.

applications, and automatically resumes file transfers

All of the open-access Apple Macintosh iMac G3 computers – on Level 4 of the Main Library, in the Hugh Robson Basement and in Holland House – were replaced

after network disconnects and machine restarts. Using SMS, we have transferred almost 4 Terabytes of information across the network during the course of the

with new Mac minis and 17" TFT Monitors.

Summer upgrades.

Software upgrades

Network Upgrades

All of the Windows XP PCs were updated to include

A planned series of network upgrades took place over

Service Pack 2, and some core applications such as SPSS,

the Summer, resulting in a significant increase in

Maple and eXceed were upgraded to their latest versions.

bandwidth to each desktop (100Mbit/s). Access from

This year also saw the removal of Novell Client32

each lab to core services was increased to 1Gbit/s. These

from the open-access labs. Novell Client32 provided

changes, combined with the removal of Novell Netware

authentication access to the now defunct GPAS printing

Client32, have drastically reduced the time it takes to

system hosted on Novell Netware servers.

log in to a lab computer. The upgrades have also allowed

Printing is now being provided by four Windows 2003

the Desktop Services Team to use the extra bandwidth to

file servers using the new Pcounter print accounting

deploy both the Windows XP image and the applications

system (see article on next page).

in the labs remotely. All the PCs in the open-access labs

This year saw the introduction to the open-access labs

were built this year without operator intervention, using

of Microsoft’s Systems Management Server (SMS). SMS

a series of scheduled tasks at each PC, allowing up to

allows us to overcome a “feature” in Windows XP that

fifty PCs to be upgraded concurrently within one hour.

limits the amount of time a PC can spend processing

page 4

Dave Ross, Vlad Zirojevic (EUCS)

edinburgh bits

Lab PC availability – at a glance

Software News We have been asked if the University might be interested in a couple of new software deals:

Autodesk Imass Design Solutions (http://www.imass-ids.co.uk/) has contacted us about a new campus-type agreement for Autodesk. This is used for design work: more details at http://www.autodesk.co.uk/

Powerpressed A new service to students has been launched by Information

This Windows-only software reduces the size of

Services to indicate where open-access PCs are available.

Powerpoint presentations without the need for zip/

The system relies on data collected for each user session

unzip facilities. A new Chest deal for Powerpressed

at every PC, which in turn updates a central database. This

is available; details at http://www.eduserv.org.uk/

information is displayed on the three plasma screens in the

chest/software/powerpressed/

Main Library, and on stand-alone kiosks at key locations

If you might be interested in either of these deals,

throughout the University. It is hoped that these kiosks,

please contact [email protected] .

which are fitted with touch-screen technology, will come

S-Plus 2000

to provide students and staff with a range of general

The Appleton Tower licence server is no longer

information, and web access to Information Services.

available for S-Plus 2000. We are not aware of anyone

Vlad Zirojevic (EUCS)

still running this version of S-Plus, but please contact your EUCS Support Team or Software Services if your

Printing with Pcounter

copy of S-Plus 2000 stops working.

As part of the migration to Windows and Active Directory,

Frances Provan (EUCS)

it has been necessary to replace the GPAS Printing Prepayment system. Pcounter, purchased from Altman Technologies, has been chosen as the new system. There are background information and tools for

From the local JISC support centre BBC Computer Tutor Computer Tutor is a BBC resource for people who have

Computing Officers managing Pcounter printers, and

never used a keyboard, mouse or computer screen. If

information for students printing through Pcounter, at

you know people who are nervous about starting to

http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/isd/archpub/pcounter.html

use a computer, they might appreciate this step-by-

Adding credit to print

step introduction. To sugar the pill, the action takes

You must have credit in your account before you can print.

place in a virtual TV theme park. This learning aid is at

This is achieved using one of the new prepayment kiosks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/computertutor/more_info.shtml

Alternatively credit can be topped up at the IS Helpdesk

Yotophoto

in the Main Library. Locations of the kiosks and details of

Yotophoto is a search engine for finding free-to-use

other locations for adding credit can be found at

stock photographs and images from a collection

http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/ucsinfo/printprepayment.html

currently numbering over 100,000 items. Get the

In the open-access labs the amount of credit in an

picture at http://yotophoto.com/

account is displayed via a pop-up, or it can be checked from

FoI conference

a web browser by logging in with an EASE username and

Holyrood Conference’s Freedom of Information

password at https://www.printbalance.ucs.ed.ac.uk/

One Year On takes place on 12th December at

(On a Windows workstation you must enter the Windows

the Edinburgh Conference Centre at Heriot-Watt

domain before the username – for example ed\uun .)

University. A short leaflet is available which provides

Charging and refunds policy

information for staff about the Scottish Information

At the start of the Academic Year all students have £2.40

Commissioner’s role, investigation procedures and

in their accounts; unused credit can be claimed back at

legal powers of enforcement.

graduation. Details of this and the policy on refunds for

If you would like a copy or a stock of leaflets for

spoiled or lost print jobs are provided at http://www.ucs.

training purposes, please call 01334 4646410 or email

ed.ac.uk/ucsinfo/cttees/citc/policies/studprinting.html

[email protected]

Garry Scobie (EUCS)

Caroline Porteous (JISC Regional Support Centre)

page 5

edinburgh bits C&IT news from Information Services

100 chemical, petrochemical and process engineering reference books online

PhD students! Searching the Literature?

The Library has purchased Referex Engineering, providing perpetual access

Conducting a comprehensive and

to 100 chemical engineering reference titles from Elsevier.

accurate search of the literature in your

What?

field is a key task as you start your PhD.

The collection combines key sources of reference material, including:

Staff from the Science & Engineering

• Handbooks of engineering fundamentals

Libraries run courses to help you make

• Situational reference

the best use of library and information

• How-to guides

resources within the University and

• Titles focused on technique and practice

beyond, and help you manage your

• Scholarly monographs

literature review and bibliography. Time

• Highly specialized professional information

spent now learning to make good use of

Key titles

these facilities will be time well spent.

The collection comprises leading titles in energy, chemical engineering,

The following courses are available:

chemical hazards, process engineering, oil and gas engineering, and

• Biological Sciences, 11th October

environmental engineering. Titles include Bretherick’s Handbook

• Physical Sciences, 18th October

of Reactive Chemical Hazards, and the unique handbooks from Gulf

• GeoSciences, 25th October

Professional Publishing, such as Standard Handbook of Petroleum and

For a place email [email protected].

Natural Gas Engineering, and Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers.

For further information contact:

A full list of titles is available in PDF format (http://www.ei.org/eicorp/ refxtitles.pdf) or Excel format (http://www.ei.org/eicorp/refxtitles.xls).

Key features

• Informatics and Engineering: [email protected] • Biological Sciences and

• Site licence provides unlimited access to the subscribed collection. • 100 full-text electronic reference titles in PDF format.

GeoSciences: [email protected] • Physical Sciences: [email protected]

• Search all of the collection simultaneously. • Search the full-text or restrict to searches on title, author name, or

The Transkills website is at http://www. scieng.ed.ac.uk/transkil.htm

ISBN. • View titles based on subject category.

Sarah Kelly (EUL)

• Result lists show section title, book name and bibliographic

Data Library news

information. • Cover images and relevance ratings are displayed with each record.

The following datasets, obtained from

• Link to detailed book descriptions, the full-text book, the relevant

the UK Data Archive, are now available

full-text section and sub-section in PDF format.

to University staff and students:

Other collections

• Transition Out of the Parental Home in

Referex Engineering comprises three collections. The Library chose initially

Britain, Spain & Norway, 2001–2002.

to purchase the Chemical collection, in consultation with the School. If

• Improving Survey Measurement of

you are interested in the Mechanical & Materials and/or the Electronics

Income and Employment (ISMIE),

& Electrical collections, please inform your School Library Representative

2001–2003.

(http://www.scieng.ed.ac.uk/Admin/Committees/libcom/libcom.htm).

Useful links:

• Dynamics of Attitudes Towards Democracy and Participation in

• The Referex story: http://www.ei.org/referexstory.html • Referex factsheet: http://www.ei.org/referex.pdf

Contemporary Britain, 2000–2002. • Survey of How Parents Balance Work,

Referex Engineering is available via the Engineering Village 2 platform (also used to access the Compendex and Inspec databases): • On campus: http://www.engineeringvillage2.org/ – no username or password required.

Family and Home, 2000. • Scottish Schools Adolescent Life-style and Substance Use Survey, 2002. • General Household Survey, 2003–2004.

• Off campus: http://www.engineeringvillage2.org/ – Athens/EASE

For further information contact the Data

username and password required (see http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/

Library (email [email protected], tel

resources/databases/athensdaease.html).

511431 or 503304). Sarah Kelly (EUL)

page 6

Stuart MacDonald (EDINA)

edinburgh bits

An e-Learning cornucopia ALT online newsletter ALT – the Association for Learning

New JISC publication on e-Learning

JISC e-Learning workshops A series of regional workshops from

Technology – now has an online

Innovative Practice with e-Learning

the JISC e-Learning and Pedagogy

newsletter, with an RSS feed, at

was published by JISC at the

strand, in partnership with the

http://newsletter.alt.ac.uk/

Association for Learning Technology

Higher Education Academy, will look

Conference (ALT-C) held recently in

at ‘Planning and Evaluating Effective

emailing the Editor, Susi Peacock

Please send comments by

Manchester. It builds on the case

Practice with e-Learning’.

([email protected]) or Rhonda

study approach adopted in ‘Effective

Riachi ([email protected]).

Practice with e-Learning,’ and is a

practitioners, e-learning champions,

Edublogs? a workshop

The workshops are for advanced

good practice guide to embedding

staff developers and those who

Weblogs – ‘blogs’ – widely used

mobile and wireless technologies

support effective e-learning practice

for online journals, have opened

into everyday practice. It includes

in UK higher education. They are

a new era in personal publishing.

the presentation of ten case studies

not an introduction to e-learning for

Can they also enhance learning and

written by the Open University,

general academic staff, and will not

teaching? What are the advantages

five of which include illustrative

involve any skills training.

of combining them with technologies

videos made by MALTS. Copies of

such as Really Simple Syndication

the publication can be ordered, and

Effective Practice with e-Learning

(RSS) news feeds?

downloads obtained, from http://

guide (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/elp_

www.jisc.ac.uk/eli_practice.html

practice.html) shows the widespread

‘Edublogs’ are weblogs, weblogging tools and RSS in education. A workshop on the theory and

ALT-C 2006

The success of JISC’s recent

demand for expertise in exploiting

ALT-C 2006, on the theme of ‘the

e-learning. The workshops will:

practice of using edublogs in a

next generation’, will be held at

• establish principles of effective

variety of educational settings takes

Heriot-Watt University, on 5–7

place on 17th November in London.

September. The conference website

Full details are at http://www.alt.

is at http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2006/

ac.uk/workshop_detail.php?e=191

British Library e-newsletter

Handheld computers

The British Library has recently

‘design for learning’; • introduce participants to planning and evaluation tools; • discuss the usability of these materials in different contexts;

The Third National Workshop and

launched an ‘e-newsletter’

Tutorial on Handheld Computers in

specifically for researchers in

Universities and Colleges takes place

Higher Education. It will be issued

on 4th November at Wolverhampton

three times a year, and includes

Science Park. Each delegate will

information on:

The one-day workshops – for a

receive a complimentary handheld

• How to use the Library for your

maximum of 50 delegates – will be

computer. Further information is at http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/pdaws/

research;

• share ideas for using materials in participants’ own activities; • create an informal network to test, share and cascade the tools.

delivered throughout the UK by a

• New products and services;

core team who have worked closely

• Special offers;

with the e-Learning and Pedagogy

• Exciting new collections items;

Strand. They will be at Edinburgh

From April 2006 the Learning and

• News;

University on 18th January.

Skills Development Agency (LSDA)

• First-class exhibitions and

Learning and Skills Agency to be restructured

will become the nucleus of a new agency, the Quality Improvement

events; • How we collaborate with HE;

There is no charge for the events. To register your interest, visit http:// www.jisc.ac.uk/elp_workshops.html

Agency (QIA) for Lifelong Learning.

• Ways in which to get involved.

A second new organisation, the

To sign up, send your

e-Learning and Pedagogy strand

Learning and Skills Network, will

name and email address to

visit http://www.jisc.ac.uk/

take over the hands-on delivery work

[email protected].

elearning_pedagogy.html

with the learning and skills sector

To find out more about the range

For information about the

For any queries about the

currently carried out by the LSDA, as

of services offered by the British

workshops, contact Sarah Knight

described at http://www.qia.org.uk/

Library, visit http://www.bl.uk/

(email [email protected]). Wilma Alexander (MALTS)

page 7

edinburgh bits C&IT news from Information Services

Informatics Forum: builders start work on University’s world-class facility The Crichton Street car park is

begin building. The Informatics

about to disappear. The City of

Forum which is phase one of the

world’s leading centres for artificial

Edinburgh Council granted planning

development is due to open in 2007.

intelligence, cognitive science,

permission for the University’s

Also in September the University

The result will be one of the

computer science and information-

development plans for the area at

won further backing for the £42m

the end of September. A water main

project with £14m from the Scottish

was diverted around the site over

Executive, adding to the support

webcams behind the ‘construction’

the Summer, and the contractor

already received from the University,

link to follow progress – is at

has fenced off the area ready to

SHEFC, the Wolfson Foundation and

http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/building/

private contributors.

Realising Lifelong Learning

related research. The project website – with

Gordon Duckett (Informatics)

UCISA courses

JISC infoNet and ALT – the

IT Training Skills Workshop

Association for Learning Technology

Date: 6–8 December 2005

E DINBURGH BIT S

– have launched ‘Making Lifelong

Venue: University of Edinburgh

Learning a reality’. The publication

This Workshop is for HE staff from

Editor: Nick Stroud, Computing Services.

looks at the organisational and

any background who need to deliver

cultural aspects of trying to provide

practical-based IT training, and is

a seamless transition for students

suitable for non-teaching staff. It is

between institutions and across the

particularly suitable where the tutor

FE/HE sectors.

and participants make substantial

The publication is available, free

use of desktop computers.

of charge, from JISC infoNet. Details

Professional Advisory Skills

of how to obtain copies of this and

Date: 3–6 January 2006

other publications can be found

Venue: Stirling Management Centre

at http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/

Professional Skills for Advisory Staff

publications/

is aimed at computer professionals

Janette Hillicks (JISC infoNet)

who have been working in an HE IT service for at least a year,

Alice in Web-Wonderland

and focuses on administrative,

The original Alice in Wonderland

communication, problem-solving

manuscript is now online, complete

and business skills, with particular

with Lewis Carroll’s drawings, in

reference to Helpdesks.

the British Library’s Turning the

Details and booking

Pages website at http://www.bl.uk/

For information go to http://www.

onlinegallery/ttp/ttpbooks.html

ucisa.ac.uk/groups/sdg/courses/

(Editor)

page 8

Sue Fells (UCISA)

Published by: Information Services The University of Edinburgh Contributions: Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0131 650 3345 Distribution queries: BITs is distributed through School offices; secretaries please notify changes in requirements to Carla Zaccardelli: Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0131 650 4999 Printed by: University of Edinburgh Printing Services http://www.pps.ed.ac.uk/about/printing/ BITs on the Web: http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/bits/ BITs RSS feed: http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/bits/bits.rss Some acronyms explained: http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/ucsinfo/ acronyms.html NB: if you fail to access a URL shown in BITs, please email [email protected].

Contributions to BITs are welcomed. Copy deadline for November BITs:

W e d n e s day 19 th O c t o b e r