Fuze Learning Stage one

I have collated the details for the new Fuze Learning provision and am now contacting Supervisors of Part time students to take part in the programme.

What will this entail?

The timeline set will depend greatly on the availability of Supervisors. I will need them to bring their various computers/tablet devices so that I can familiarise them with the interfaces across the various platforms. A great advantage to the introduction to the software is that Fuze has already provided me with a quick start guide online for the Supervisors to use in order to get started which will save me time collating the material.

Project stages:

• Send out emails to the PT/Distance learners and invite them to come in for a group session to introduce the learning aid and get them registered and started.
• Set activities that will allow the supervisors to think in a more creative way when using the Learning aid.
• Gather feedback over time to the supervisors to act as technical support.
• Draw up a report to see if it is a viable and robust learning tool.
• Advertise the resource to a wider range of doctoral supervisors to implement across the university.
• Possibly Liaise with Learning technologists within the schools to see if they would be interested in implementing them into the undergraduate programme.

 

What next?

Depending on the feedback I want to explore using this as a method to make Itunes courses and an aided learning tool at the same time.

The advantages of this type of conferencing software is that a lecturer can set up a meeting on an Ipad of tablet device and broadcast the pre loaded presentation at the front of the class and webcast from the back of the room with the audio from the tablet device. This will enable the lecturer to not only control the lecture but also use the tablet as a laser pointer or make annotations in real time with will little effort and then upload the lecture onto the internet for those who had attended and who are distance learners.

But lets take it one step at a time.

 

*Here is a link to a previous educational use of Fuze at St Louise University.

Technologies for Learning

Within my current role in The Graduate school at Caledonian university I have been working closely with an array of students from multiple disciplines. When working with distance learners and Part time students I started to notice that they find it quite difficult to attend workshops due to other commitments or find it difficult to travel to them. This can be seen with GCU London students specifically.

Background:

When working with Ursula Canton on an Academic publishing workshop we noted a huge interest from the GCU London students and were contacted by our colleague Paurav so that we could webcast the workshop down to GCU London using Adobe connect and a Microsoft HD web cam.

When we got the feedback we noted that there was difficulty for interaction between the students far in GCU London and the Ursula due to a one way and although the Presentation was streamed as well as camera footage we found that audio and video experienced Latency and Ursula needed to move away from the camera (and mic) to facilitate the students who were also in the room.

I researched and asked around to see if there was anything used in Caledonian university to try and help aid distance learners but there was no standard software used for this purpose except Skype. I started to research new ways of making distance learners feel more involved in the workshops and came across many softwares (Skype, Adobe connect, GoToMeeting, StreamUK etc) that seemed to be easily used but this one stood out the most:

Fuze

Fuze appealed to me most of all as the advantage of annotating work and recording meetings or workgroups as well as having audio, visual and chatbox communication so it is very robust in its usability. Although it is targeted for business, its functionality can easily be adapted for the learning environment.

It is a free software for up to 25 users at the same time and meetings can be planned from outlook and gmail calendars. This could be used as an effective tool for classrooms and workshops with an added option of conferencing with other groups and workshops.

It has smartphone, tablet, Mac and windows cross compatibility so work can be done on the go or with a more intuitive tactile way whilst everyone within the group can annotate and rewrite the same document.

Moving Forward:

I’m currently starting up a small beta group of distance learners and supervisors who will start to use Fuze and provide feedback on the user experience. I will introduce them to the software and give a guide on how to use the software. Hopefully from this I can develop video guides for the distance learners and arrange for them to have meetings once a week and supply feedback on their experience with the software.

Moving on from that I shall devise a new group of students with in Caledonian University and have them works on a project together whilst using the software. This shall be used to see how effective it is at collaborative work and if it would be feesable to use within collaborative workshops and give distance learners a sense of involvement within the workshop from a remote location off Campus.

What I hope to achieve:

At the end of this testing, I am hoping to give our workshops a more flexible way of getting students involved and have the ability to record and use the documents they prepared and worked on in the workshop. These can be used for references at a later date when they are focusing on a topics from that workshop at a later date. Hopefully this can encourage students to start inter University collaborations with other students and academics who work in the same field of research and give more impact to their research.

 

If you would like to enquire about the programme please get in contact with me below:

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Photoshop touch ups

This was done as a favour for a colleague where she had an old illustrated story book where she wanted to preserve the images of it but also try to get rid of the colour fade and lines in the centre fold in the images.

Here is what I came up with:

Before and after of the Ginger bread house

Touch ups

Before

After

Before Bears

After Bears

Before Prince

After Prince

Off the trodden path

It’s been a while since my last update and mostly down to my change in Job requireing less freelance work to be explored but recently I have started to delv back into some external projects outwidth of my work.

Here’s a quick update on a few of my Caledonian university ventures but note that this is not all of them.

I have been working the past year within Glasgow Caledonian University with in the Researcher Development strand of the Graduate school. 

I have been very busy this past year developing and  working on integrating technology and applications for advancing researchers and doctoral supervision.

Web Casting

I have led the set up and transmission for the workshop “an introduction to Academic Publishing”. This was transmitted down to the GCU London Campus for our PhD students and we are now using the feedback and looking into other technologies to improve the user experience to increase functionality and interactivity within the workshop.

 

Tool for English for Academic purposes

I am currently working on an interactive learning tool for developing English for academic purposes in conjunction with our lecturer in Academic writing and other lectures in English for academic purposes. I am under certain time constraints with this project, as this is an extra curricular project and I have more impending deadlines to attend to, but I have been creating the UI for the learning tool that uses standard Javascript and HTML protocols so that the web team will have a model to base their design and coding on.

 

That is all for now, But I shall be updating more often to go over my current projects and add more content as it becomes available. 

Westend Festival

Westend Festival Publication for the Roxy 171

Westend festival Guide to the Roxy 171

Master of the Audio Verse

I have some nice wee new projects getting released on Itunes soon, Keep an eye out for Tremors ‘Rabbit Hole’ and a funny little Guy calle Chirper Horsket. Some new material coming out from them both mastered by myself with hopefully more releases to come. I’ll get some new examples of how mastering can improve your recordings soon so watch this space.

Got something on your mind???

So finally after 5 months without it, I am back up and running with my MacBook and hit the ground running. I’m currently doing some freelance mastering work with Stance 52 records.
My live recordings are expanding (however since I started using my Ipad the EQ has been a bit bass heavy) but there have been some amazing acts playing in the Roxy 171.
Check out the sounds on http://www.soundcloud.com/theroxy171

Something to Laugh at

Glasgow Comedy festival in association with Magners: what on at the Roxy 171

Lots of new and exciting things are happening at the Roxy 171 including its introduction into the Magners comedy festival with Shows from Ginger ale comedy and David Burke presenting his own very intimate show called ‘3 Days off Jesus’ Check out the events and where to buy tickets here:

http://www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com/shows/#!/shows:filter/venue=32

And the Wheel Keeps on Turning

This Week

We have sold out events also coming up so bare in mind that the Roxy 171 will be shut off to the General public this Friday (26th October) for the Madchester night which has been sold out for over a month now so you better get in contact soon to reserve tickets for their Novmeber nihgt. We are also in the mix for the Westend Chilli Cook off this Saturday where we will be dressing up for the Day of the Dead and celebrating Halloween and the Chilli cook off in style. and on Suday we have Ed Romanov and Mick Hargan doing a joint head liner in the Roxy which is just about to sell out with the last 15 tickets available for that date.

Football

No matter if it is the Europa league or the Champions league, we will be showing it on our 52″ Plasma screen every night throughout the season and this will be a fantastic season so come and join us for the matches and overviews.

VENUE UPDATES

With few spaces left in the calender for November and December we have gaps filling up quickly, Promoters and people looking to book private functions and Christmas parties get in early to get the last few Thursdays and Sundays in the Roxy 171. Latest updates include new equipment being bought in for the Venue including live multitrack recording so that we can record live sets either as a live stereo recording for free, as we have done in the past (www.soundcloud.com/theroxy171 for examples), or to be taked away to be mixed at a later date for a affordable fee to cover the costs of the person mixing the recordings. 

MAGNERS COMEDY FESTIVAL

We are now booking for the Magners comedy festival in March so forward all enquiries about hire or shows to theroxy171@gmail.com for further information. 

New Promoters

We are also pleased to announce that PMCJ Events  have now joined up with our long list of promoters running 2 shows a month for full live band set ups along with the Newborn sessions now running strong every Monday for Acoustic acts to showcase their abilities. Book now with PMCJ through their website www.pmcjevents.co.uk/ and book with the Newborn Sessions through newbornsessions@gmail.com .

 

We have all this and more coming up so stay tuned in with updates and if you have any questions dont hesitate to contact us on theroxy171@gmail.com

 

Whats Going on???

I’ve been working at the Roxy 171 for roughly three months and have found myself now well at the opposite end of what I had originally intended to do when I took on the job as sound engineer. I have since then become the Sound Engineer, Events Co-Ordinatorand the weekly open Mic night compare, we have expanded the venues options since the Days of old with the Free Candy sessions but with the new month coming up with events planned for every night except for two Sunday nights (comparably to the three nights a week that were a regular occurrence Free Candy and Open Mic). 

On a Monday night we have every week we have the Newborn Sessions, a weekly slot with most of the acts boding from the Greater areas of Glasgow they have began gaining a good reputation with acts and are planning on getting in some big names on the down low, soon

Check them out on https://www.facebook.com/newborn.sessions

On a Tuesday we now have the Weekly Cut Choir… What is it you may find yourself asking. Well this is a weekly group that anyone can join, Bring your instruments and your voices and chill out for a fun evening with all the guys from the Cut Choir.

On Wednesday nights we have our Weekly Open mic night which has taken off in a big way. With Myself there every week and swapping between Singersongwriter Matthew Malone and front man of Glasgow Based Band Young Aviators (www.youngaviators.co.uk) you’re sure never to get bored with the antics that go on. We now have our band of regulars who have kept us entertained over the summer and with a vast amount of talented newcomers now sweeping in we are so excited. We like covers, But Love originals. It’s just such a good vibe and atmosphere on each night with an unsigned act hosting the Open Mic every one to two months. You should pop down and check out whats happening.

The first Thursday of every month we have ‘Deep Trouble’. A new Deep House and Ibiza classics night that is Debuting this week in the Roxy 171 with £5 Entry (£3 if you’re a delectable student) and Drinks Promos Galore.  

The Second Thursday of each Month we have the Groove Alliance takeover where  fresh Dj’s will over both floorseach month and will over run your senses with the funkiest grooves in old school Disco, Soul, Funk and Motown.  

Once a month on a Sunday we have our new Comedy night coming up brought to you by Superior Events with the first date scheduled for the 23rd September with a fantastic lineup organised for it. Check out their Facebook for other events coming up in the near future:

https://www.facebook.com/simplysuperior.co.uk

 

Other nights we have lined up are with One Creative Tv (A New online music blog somewhat like Tenement TV/Balcony TV) except you can be in the crowd and Participate. We Also have Toxic Rock Bringing you the lastest bands from the Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen as well as Unplugged in Glasgow now providing you local acts live and unplugged in an intimate setting where they acts can show just how versatile they can be. 

 

All in all it’s been a hectic few month but with new opportunities arising and firm promoters in place there’s only one thing more to do now… Expand