Play to Learn

Two significant UK reports looking at the use of digital games in education and learning have recently been released:

1. Teaching with games (downloadable report and surveys):
www.futurelab.org.uk/research/teachingwithgames/findings.htm

FutureLab have been working on a one-year project, supported by Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Take-Two and ISFE, where several COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) games were used in classroom conditions to evaluate their relevance and usefulness.

2. Unlimited learning: computer and video games in the learning landscape (1.2Mb PDF):
www.elspa.com/assets/files/u/unlimitedlearningtheroleofcomputerandvideogamesint_344.pdf

ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association), in association with the Department for Education and Skills' personalized content team have produced a good overview of the area with some nice examples and up-to-date information on games.

There are links to more "games in education" resources at www.silversprite.com/games/resources/, and more examples of COTS games being used in education in this blog: silversprite.blogspot.com/.

Missed the Educause Conference This Year? Find out what Happened.

At the above URL, you can download presentation materials, purchase MP3 and DVD recordings, as well as view streaming versions of keynote and featured speakers on such topics as the future of the course management system or emerging and evolving technologies in teaching and learning.

Here are two specific parts of Educause you might find particularly relevant:

1) The Educause Learning Initiative brings together librarians, instructional technologists, and researchers concerned with creating a culture of learning in higher education. ELI puts out some very high quality publications, such as the "7 Things You Need to Know About..." series some of you may already use to inform your own teaching.
Read about ELI and their focus areas, read white papers, free eBooks, listen to ELI podcasts, as well as learn ways to get involved, at: www.educause.edu/eli.

2) The Teaching and Learning Track at the annual conference had high quality discussions that brought together librarians, technologists, and those who bridge the worlds. From conversation about integrating instructional content into course management systems to talking about converging service points, it was a great set of sessions for getting to know those focused on teaching and learning that don't necessarily wear a librarian hat. Supplement this with information from the Library and Information Resources Track or the Emerging Technologies Track.
Read more about Educause's focus on Teaching and Learning at: www.educause.edu/eli.

New eLearning Ezine

Get excited about e-learning! Announcing the release of a new ezine -- Electrified.ca

Electrified.ca focuses on e-learning and digital libraries in short, quick to read articles that give you advice you can use immediately. Think well written articles that are longer than the regular blog posting, but just as current and no subscription fees!

www.electrified.ca

The next issue comes out in January and they are looking for authors. This ezine could give you a forum to publish. Contact them for more information.

Finding Information on Instructional Improvement

This site has been designed to bring together resources and materials from around the country in support of academic librarians interested in pursuing their own professional development in the field of teaching and learning, and in support of instruction coordinators and other library administrators hoping to support a culture of teaching in their organizations.

Appointments

Departures

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Previous issues

• Issues 846 and forward are available on the Staff Intranet.
• Printed copies of previous issues are available at the UCLA Library or by email request.
• Issues 837-854 are available in print under the title UCLA Library Newsweb at the UCLA Library or by email request.
• Issues 1-836 are available in print under the title Library Newsletter/UCLA at the UCLA Library.

• Library News for the Faculty (www.library.ucla.edu/publications/facnews/)
• UCLA News (www.uclanews.ucla.edu)
• UCOP News (www.ucnewswire.org/ucnw.cfm)

The UCLA Library Staff Newsweb is published every other Monday by Library Human Resources. News items should be sent to Sheila Knapp, Library Newsweb, LHR. Please submit via email to Sheila at sknapp@library.ucla.edu. The deadline for the next issue (November 13) is Friday, November 3 at 3 p.m.

Other Publication dates and deadlines (www.library.ucla.edu/publications/libnews/deadline.htm)