It’s been a while since the “@SGH” part of eCoffee has been strictly accurate, but we’ve had another year of valuable virtual meet-ups.
Read moreeCoffee in 2021-22
Digital Learning
Consult | Collaborate | Create
Academic voice: Improving digital accessibility with Blackboard Ally (3/3)
Recently, Luke met with Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, Lecturer in Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences to explore how digital accessibility has been improved in their teaching content. This interview is the final in a series of three, in which
Read moreAcademic voice: Improving digital accessibility with Blackboard Ally (2/3)
Recently, Luke met with Ms Sharon Williams, a senior teaching fellow in the Fashion Design Department, Winchester School of Art to explore how digital accessibility has been improved. This interview is the second in a series of three, in which
Read moreBlackboard and VLE Awards: 10th anniversary
Our 10th Blackboard & VLE Awards gave us plenty to celebrate! In this post we reveal the winning courses and share some highlights from this year’s event.
Read moreAcademic voice: Improving digital accessibility with Blackboard Ally (1/3)
Recently, Luke interviewed Dr Brian Moss, Lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology to disseminate his approach to accessibility of teaching materials. This interview is the first in a series of three, whereby the digital
Read moreCelebrating LGBT+ History Month
This month is LGBT+ History month. LGBT+ History Month is a month-long celebration that recognises the triumphs and legacy of LGBT+ historical figures. This is in aid to promote equality and diversity in our society and communities. Our team would
Read moreGamification in Higher Education
Motivating adult learners in continuous and interactive studying is considered as a crucial part in learning process and in distance learning. Therefore, Gamification helps the academics to turn something otherwise dull to an interesting and fun learning experience, tailored to
Read moreReflection: ATHEN STEM Conference: Starting with Math
Recently, I attended a two-day conference where experts shared their best practices, solutions and techniques, for accessing and creating accessible STEM content in higher education. This conference will inform strategies for creating accessible STEM content. The event started at 05:00
Read moreBest Fully Online Course: Blackboard & VLE Awards
For this year’s 10th anniversary of the University’s Blackboard & VLE Awards, there are 10 award categories for staff nominations. In this blog post, the featured category is ‘Best Fully Online Course’ and we are sharing an interactive ThingLink presentation.
Read moreInnovative & Creative Courses: Blackboard & VLE Awards
For this year’s 10th anniversary of the University’s Blackboard & VLE Awards, there are 10 award categories for staff nominations. In this blog post the featured category is ‘Innovative and creative courses’ and we are sharing an interactive ThingLink presentation.
Read moreGood use of external resources and reading lists
One of the categories that has been introduced for the 10th anniversary of our Blackboard and VLE Awards is for ‘Best use of external resources and reading lists’. In this blog post, I’ll explore some of the external resources that you could be making use of as well as discussing electronic reading lists.
Read moreBuilding Community: Blackboard & VLE Awards
For this year’s 10th anniversary of the University’s Blackboard & VLE Awards, there are 10 award categories for staff nominations. Here, we are sharing a ThingLink infographic based on the category of Best Community. This infographic has some key statistics
Read moreBest development of employability skills: Blackboard and VLE Awards
For this year’s 10th anniversary of the University’s Blackboard & VLE Awards, there are 10 award categories for staff nominations. In this blog post, we focus on courses that shine when it comes to development of student employability skills.
Read moreFonts – An introduction to Typography
A short exploration of the science of Typography.
Read moreStructure: Blackboard & VLE Awards
Another 10-minute overview, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University’s Blackboard & VLE Awards! In the video below we explore the Best Structure category, one of ten different awards on offer this year.
Read moreLearner support: Blackboard & VLE Awards
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University’s Blackboard & VLE Awards, we are offering awards in ten different categories this year. In the 10-minute video below, we delve into the Best Learner Support category.
Read moreiSolutions Digital Accessibility Community of Practice: what did we do in 2021 and what was the impact?
The iSolutions Digital Accessibility Community of Practice began in December 2020. It aims to share practices, provide peer support, and raise awareness of digital accessibility within the department. Using results from a survey of community members, this post reviews the past year and looks forward to the year to come.
Read moreBlackboard and VLE Awards 2022
Rewarding excellence. The 2022 Blackboard and VLE award nominations are open. Nominate your module to be shortlisted today.
Read moreLearning Designer: 6 months in the post
I started at the University of Southampton in the role of Learning Designer. When I mentioned to friends and family that I was joining the University of Southampton. Curiously, they would respond with “Get ready for the big leagues!”
Read moreChanges to our Media Team
Due to some staffing changes, our always in-demand Media Team will be operating at a reduced capacity for the early part of next year. Team Lead From the 17th of December we say a temporary goodbye to Sofia Bazzini, Media
Read moreDr Jane Lavery: an immersive Day of the Dead experience using ThingLink
I’m a lecturer in Modern Languages and Linguistics at the University, conducting research on the Mexican Day of the Dead. I’m researching how this ritual is celebrated by Mexicans in the UK and Ireland, and the impact of Covid-19 on this
Read moreA year of eCoffees
In person, eCoffee@SGH provided opportunities not only for peer learning and support with TEL tools and techniques but also for forging connections. Since we’ve been meeting online, that opportunity has felt just as important – if not more so. Sharing
Read more360 camera review by Peter Morgan
Digital Learning Media team have some kit to loan out to encourage everyone to have a go at creating their own media. Recently, Peter Morgan from the School of Geography and Environmental Science requested the loan of the Nikon Keymission
Read moreGoodbye to our Accessibility Allies intern team
Since mid-July we have been working with a team of 5 interns. They have improved the accessibility scores of Blackboard Modules and contributed to various communications about the project. Emily, Stefan, Velina, and Sian are returning to their studies as
Read moreAn Accessibility Allies intern journey
Introduction Hi! My name is Sian, and I am a soon to be second-year student at the University of Southampton. During this summer I wanted to challenge myself – in the form of an internship (which I had never done
Read moreFrom online learning to an Accessibility Ally
Picture this, 5 months studying in Norway, exploring new places, feeling refreshed ready to start the second half of my third year of University back in Southampton. I managed to have all of January off as I didn’t have exams, so was
Read moreAccessibility does not impede agility! Six ways that Digital Accessibility maps to Agile Practices
A common misconception is that Digital Accessibility slows down and impedes IT development process, making them less agile. In this post we cover six aspects we learned in our Agile training course and how they relate to accessibility.
Read moreOverview: three ways PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” excludes your audience, and how to fix it.
PowerPoint’s Design Ideas feature helps us create attractive slides quickly. Unfortunately, some of its suggestions do not follow accessibility best practice, creating barriers that may exclude members of your audience. In this blog post we explain three issues and how to fix them.
Read moreThree ways PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” excludes your audience, and how to fix it: Part 1 – Setting text in “all caps”.
Text in all caps can present a barrier to readers with dyslexia. Moreover, it slows down reading speed for all. Design Ideas will often set short bullet points in all caps. Find out how to fix this and more.
Read moreThree ways PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” excludes your audience, and how to fix it: Part 2 – Centre alignment of longer text.
Centre-aligned text can be difficult to read if it spans more than one line in length. This can be a particular barrier to readers with dyslexia
When presented in this way your presentation appears less professional. Design Ideas often centre aligns text. In this article we explain why it’s important to fix this and how.