// Latest Posts

Word counts and Turnitin

We are often asked about Turnitin Word counts. Turnitin states that they use a word counting algorithm very similar to that of Microsoft Word but not identical. Some of the main differences include: Turnitin does not count the words in footnotes and end-notes. Turnitin does not count words in text boxes, So, if your whole …

Starting out with Xerte Online Toolkits: new URL

Xerte Online Toolkits is an Open Source content creation tool that allows non-technical users such as academic staff to quickly and easily build rich, interactive and engaging online learning resources. It has high levels of accessibility already built in. If we can describe Microsoft PowerPoint as a specialist program for creating presentations to deliver live …

Moodle quick wins #2: Should I add a file individually or in a folder?

You can upload files to Moodle as individual File Resources or into folders. There are generally more advantages to adding the files individually. You can do very much more with individual files that is not possible with files in folders. Folders in Moodle can only contain files (not any other kind of resource or activity). …

Advent Calendar #24: Father Christmas!

And what else on our last day of the Advent Calendar – Christmas is here, and with it the man himself. Can you tell which of our team is disguised as Santa? Advent  Calendar 2021 #23: Take a break and complete the Learning Technologies Crossword #22: A Xerte Toolkits-based game to play at Christmas #21: …

Advent Calendar #23: Take a break and complete the Learning Technology Crossword

With Christmas very much on the horizon – just a couple of days to go! – we offer you an opportunity to grab a brew, maybe a mince pie too, and take a little break. Behind the door of today’s advent calendar, we have another H5P activity – a little puzzle in the form of …

Advent Calendar #22: A Xerte Toolkits-based game to play at Christmas

As we get closer to Christmas, here’s a game you can play with friends and family, or even students, both in your living room or over Zoom or Teams if you can’t get together in person. And it also proves that as well as H5P there are even more clever things you can do with …

Advent Calendar #21: The Windows emoji keyboard and Moodle

Our colleague Marilena Minoia, Assistant Professor in French and Italian, Faculty of Arts has shared a tip about using the new emoji keyboard in Windows 10. To access the keyboard: Anywhere you can enter text, press the Windows logo key  along with . (period/full stop) to access the emoji keyboard. Select an emoji with the …

Advent calendar #20: The Future of Hybrid Teaching and Learning in HE (Workshop)

As the end of the year comes closer, we often reflect on the year that’s gone and make resolutions to improve or change in the year to come. Here’s a timely conference for anyone who’s thinking about moving on from blended or hybrid learning during the pandemic to see what the future looks like. You …

Advent Calendar #19: BoB Playlists

Another box of delights to open today. In a previous entry in our Advent Calendar, we introduced you to BoB, the recording service from Learning on Screen. As well as being a recording service for staff and students at the University, BoB also can be used to create playlists of both TV and Radio programmes. This …

Advent Calendar #18: How to create a festive video message in Powerpoint

Today we show you a (reasonably) simple way to make a festive video message. It could be for your students, or if you’re not sure of the postal deliveries this year, even for your family and friends… How to create a festive video in Powerpoint, step by step: Create a folder on your Hard Drive …