Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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HumSS Portable Technology Scheme
Introduction
Introduction
During summer 2013, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences secured funding to invest in portable technology for the purposes of enhancing learning and teaching. As a result, a range of flexible equipment has been purchased to cater for the varied demands of Faculty staff and to facilitate new and existing activities. All members of staff, including both academic and support, are welcome to apply for this equipment. It is envisaged that the first batch of equipment will be made available before the beginning of the 2013/14 academic year, and advertised again before the beginning of the second semester (subject to availability). However, staff are welcome to apply to keep the equipment for as long as their proposed usage entails. Applications are now being accepted.
Here you will find information about the equipment available, potential uses and the necessary form with which to apply. If you would like more information prior to making an application, please contact either Kelvin Johnstone (Faculty Director of Learning and Teaching) or Dan Harding (Faculty Learning Technologist). You may also wish to speak with your School Director of Learning and Teaching, as their approval is a requirement of the application.
How to Apply
How to Apply
To submit an application, please complete the online form here. The closing date for the first round of applications is Friday 4th October 2013. However, if you are unable to return an application by this date, please contact Kelvin Johnstone or Dan Harding as soon as possible. Subject to availability, there will also be a second call for applications prior to the beginning of semester 2. However, you are welcome to apply for second semester equipment during the first round of applications.
Before completing an application form, you will need to consult your School's Director of Learning and Teaching to discuss your proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
- When will I receive the equipment?
We aim to deploy the equipment as soon after the closing date as possible. Where there are urgent requests for equipment, please make this known in your application so that we can prioritise its roll out.
- Free equipment? What's the catch?
The only thing we will ask for in return is a short summary of how you felt the equipment helped (or hindered) your proposed idea. This will be requested within 12 months of you loaning the equipment. There may also be a short online questionnaire for informal feedback. Of course, if your proposal is a great success, you may wish to disseminate your findings via University events such as the Annual Teaching Symposium or the new J.A.D.E. journal, however, this is not a requirement.
- What support will I receive?
In addition to the existing support offered by I.T. Services and the Learning and Professional Development Centre, Dan Harding will be on hand to provide ad-hoc troubleshooting and training sessions where staff are using similar equipment.
- What if there are more applications than equipment?
No one can predict what the demand for the equipment will be, however, there have been expressions of interest even at this early stage. If demand outstrips supply, it will be the task of Directors of Learning and Teaching and the Faculty DLT to consult and judge where equipment will benefit learning and teaching most. There will also be multipurpose kits available for short term loans (e.g. one week) if longer periods cannot be catered for.
- When will I have to give the equipment back?
It depends. To maintain the equipment it will be necessary to return it (at the very latest) the following summer, i.e. July 2014. Of course, if you only need to loan the equipment for 1 semester, then it can be returned soon after. The aim will be to ensure that equipment is fairly distributed across the Faculty and it is not the intention of the project to request its return where there is on-going good practice. Your return date will be made clear when loaning the equipment.
Equipment Available:
Ultrabook Kits
Ultrabook Kits (x15 available)
Despite the popularity of tablets, there remains a huge market for highly portable laptops which had previously been catered for by netbooks. Due to their size, netbooks were limited in the specification they could offer whilst keeping the device affordable. Hence, as technology has advanced, ultrabooks provide a lightweight, mid-high spec solution that can be purchased at a similar price to standard laptops.
The ultrabook kits include an external hard drive for additional storage (for those maybe wishing to work with larger video files), a portable DVD/CD-RW and wireless mouse.
Suggested Uses
- A collaborative agreement with an external provider requires study materials to be delivered off campus. Portability combined with an integrated webcam and microphone would allow the tutor to produce screencasts, capture lectures or conduct Skype calls without the need for additional equipment.
- Markers using the audio feedback facility within GradeMark could utilise the in-built microphone, whilst being able to work more portably. Those wishing to conduct video feedback could also do so.
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| Toshiba Ultrabook Z930 (Front) |
Toshiba Ultrabook Z930 (Back) |
Buffalo CD/DVD-RW |
Buffalo 500Gb MiniStation HDD |
iPad Kits
iPad Kits (x40 available)
iPads have fast become embedded within education and provide an intuitive and portable platform which can be used to free staff from using more static technology such as their office or pool room PCs.
With this in mind, accessories such as a keyboard case, digital adapter (to connect the iPad to an external display e.g. lecture theatre projector) and a stylus have been bundled with the iPad to create a kit which is flexible enough to cope with the demands of university staff.
Each iPad includes applications such as Pages, Keynote, Numbers and Notability. At time of writing, the possibility of pre-installing apps is being considered so that recommended free apps (e.g. Skype, Dropbox, Google Drive etc.) can be provided without the recipient having to download them.
Suggested Uses
- Academic staff who have reported online marking via their desktop PC as restrictive could utilise the recently released Turnitin app to mark student papers on-the-go, whilst also taking advantage of offline functionality where wi-fi is unavailable.
- Lectures can often include PowerPoint presentations whilst the tutor makes notes using the classroom whiteboard. An app such as Notability (provided) would allow the tutor to capture both as a single PDF document, even recording the audio as well. The final files could be then be uploaded to the KLE, providing the students with a verbatim record of the session.
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| 32Gb iPad w/ Retina Display |
Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Case |
Apple Lightning to VGA Adapter |
Kensington Virtuoso Stylus |
Digital Voice Recorders
Digital Voice Recorders (x10 Available)
The Sony ICD-TX50 digital voice recorder comes with 4Gb of storage space to record up to 44 hours of audio at 192kbps MP3 quality; plenty for staff who may wish to record meetings, audio feedback or lectures. The device charges via the bundled USB cable and can provide 1 hours recording from just 3 minutes charging. Audio files can also be transferred to your computer using the same cable to edit or upload straight to the KLE. It's one-click recording makes it a useful device to produce quick and easy audio files.
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| Sony ICD-TX50 (Close Up) |
Sony ICD-TX50 (Controls) | Sony ICD-TX50 (Profile) |
Dictation Kits
Dictation Kits (x5 Available)
The aim of providing dictation kits is to better equip those who find typing lengthy documents a problem or who wish to produce podcasts/narrated screencasts with accompanying transcripts. The kits contain a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking, a headset and a professional standard Snowball microphone. Support installing and using the software will be provided, if required.
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| Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking Premium 12 |
Blue Snowball Microphone | |
Flip Camera Kits
Flip Camera Kits (x10 Available)
Flip video cameras have been deliberately designed to be accessible, requiring little or no technical knowledge to create high quality recordings. The camera's inbuilt 4Gb memory will comfortably record 2 hours of high definition (720p) footage that can be transferred to a computer by using its flip out USB arm. The kits also come with a screw mounted desktop tripod and carry case, making them extremely portable and lightweight.
The cameras have been used with great success for purposes such as internship video diaries (see FLIP:EM), documenting field trips, tutorial exercises and student's creating their own films as part of MAN-30062 Management, Organisation and Media.
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| Flip HD Digital Video Camera | Flip Desktop Tripod | Belkin Case for Flip Kit |
Multipurpose Kits
Multipurpose Kits (x2 available)
The multipurpose kits provide all of the equipment above (plus those pictured below) for larger projects or one off events that require a considerable amount of support. For example, a one off School event (e.g. Open Day talk) could utilise the multipurpose kit's camcorder and tripod to document the occasion for those unable to make it on the day.
It is envisaged that the multipurpose kits will be made available on a shorter loan basis, to allow all Schools equal access to them. They will also be used as training kits to demonstrate the equipment across the Faculty.
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| Panasonic HC-V720 Digital Camcorder |
Optoma PK301+ Pico Projector |
Hama Compact Tripod |
Peli 1610 Carry Case |
