NEW!! Short online courses

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CONTENT
Each of these short courses looks at a different ICT tool. Participants can sign up on one or more courses, consecutively or simultaneously.

Podcasting
A podcast is an audio or video file that is stored on the Internet, and can be downloaded to a computer and/or mobile listening devices (such as an MP3 player, or PDA). This short online course looks at how podcasting works, how it can help students learn, and what teacher needs to know and do to use audio podcasts with learners. This practical, hands-on course explores:

	free web-based software for audio podcasting - what it looks like, how it works, where to access it
	real examples of projects which use podcasts, set up by language teachers from around the world, for young learners, adults, Business English learners, teacher trainees, and a range of other disciplines
	how course participants might use podcasting with their own learners. Course participants will make their own sample podcasts (with their own learners if possible) during this course.

Wikis
A wiki is a series of interlinked collaborative webpages that can be edited and added to by a group of people. This short online course looks at wikis, and how they can be used for collaborative projects with learners. This practical, hands-on course explores:

	free web-based software for wikis - what it looks like, how it works, where to get it
	real examples of wikis, set up by language teachers from around the world
	how course participants might use wikis with their own learners. Course participants will make their own sample wikis (to use with their own learners if possible) during this course.

eNetworks: How to set up online communities and events
This two-week online course is for educators interested in learning how to set up online communities, and online training events or conferences. The practical, hands-on course includes:

	the theory and practice of online communities of practice (CoPs) – what are they, and what makes them work
	a tour of several functioning CoPs related to language teaching and training
	a look at examples of real online events and conferences, from short one-hour synchronous events to long-tem online conferences which use asynchronous communication and resources
	an exploration of various free web-based tools that can be used to create web communities and events (e.g. Yahoogroups, Ning, Moodle, WizIQ, skypecasts...)

Course participants will consider how they might set up an online community and/or training event for their own context, during this course.

Second Life: an introduction for educators
Second Life is an online virtual world which educators are increasingly using for teaching and training purposes, in a wide range of disciplines. This short online course consists of four timetabled synchronous (real time) sessions held on EduNation, The Consultants-E’s own virtual educational island in Second Life, as well as asynchronous discussion and reflection on Second Life as an educational tool. The course covers the following areas in Second Life:

	designing your Second Life avatar and the basics of movement
	inventory, archiving possibilities and working with basic objects in Second Life.
	teaching and training in Second Life, considering tools and approaches.
	issues and possibilities for learners in Second Life

NOTES BEFORE SIGNING UP FOR THE SECOND LIFE COURSE:

6 hours of the Second Life course are carried out synchronously in Second Life itself, with the rest of the course done asynchronously in Moodle. The provisional dates and times for the June course are as follows: Session 1, Friday 17th October– 18:00 – 19:30 UTC Session 2,  Monday 20th October– 18:00 – 19:30 UTC Session 3,  Thursday 23rd October– 18:00 – 19:30 UTC Session 4,  Monday 27th October – 18:00 – 19:30 UTC Please check your availability (and the exact time in your time zone) before signing up for the course.

You will need to check that your computer and Internet connection can handle Second Life and voice. To do this, please get a free account from the Second Life website at www.secondlife.com, download and install the software and complete the Second Life orientation. If you are happy that Second Life works for you, please continue with the registration for this course. No refunds will be given for those not following these guidelines before paying.

You will follow each short course entirely online, working individually, in pairs and in small groups in Moodle, and with a tutor providing constant guidance and feedback.

AUDIENCE
These courses are aimed at teachers, trainers, tutors, facilitators, lecturers and mentors from any discipline and any level of education, who are interested in working with one or more of these ICT toolsor approaches, and implementing them effectively in their own teaching or training.

[ find out where our course participants come from with our participant map... ]

Each course covers two weeks (see dates above). Participants are expected to spend approx. 5 hours per week (a total of 10 hours per course) on online individual and collaborative group work, including offline reading and reflection. Deadlines for task completion are weekly, and participants can log on at any point during the week to work on the Podcasting,Wikis and eNetworks courses.

The Second Life course includes four timetabled synchronous (real time) training sessions held on EduNation in Second Life, and the times of these training sessions (two per week)  are negotiated to suit everyone on the course. You will receive a detailed course timetable and information for each course, to help you organise your workload effectively, once you have enrolled on the course(s) of your choice.

You won’t need any prior experience or knowledge of online tools for the eNetworks, Podcasting and Wikis courses, although very basic experience of email and Internet use would be helpful, as would a reliable broadband connection. Note that there are some important system requirements for the Second Life course (see What You Need below).

The Consultants-E will issue you with a Certificate on successful completion of the course. Successful completion of the course is defined as completing 80% of the course work, and especially the final course project, where applicable.

You will only need a PC or Mac with an Internet connection, a web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape) and an email program, for the Podcasting and Wikis courses..

The Second Life course has the following technical specification requirements

reliable broadband Internet connection
headset & microphone
Computer Processor: 2GHz Pentium 4 or better
Computer Memory: 1024MB (1GB RAM) or better
Video/Graphics Card:
          nVidia GeForce FX 5600, GeForce 6600, or better
          OR ATI Radeon X600, or better
          Minimum 128MB graphics card memory, 256MB recommended.

You can enrol online by following the links at the top of the page, for each course. The fee for the eNetworks, Wikis and Podcasting courses is €125 (please note that the fee for the Second Life course is €165 to cover the synchronous sessions which form the basis of the course) and covers all tutorials, guest speaker sessions (where appropriate), and ongoing tutor support and feedback. The Consultants-E reserves the right to cancel any course that does not reach the minimum number of 6 participants.