1. SIP Evaluation Report
Date: 20/05/2013
Focus: RSC Wales Overview
Summary:
This report draws from an overview document provided by Peter Scott of RSC Wales about
the organisation’s activities in support of TEL for the regional institutions. It summarises the
services provided and comments on their scope and degree of engagement. It concludes
with some thoughts about how the various initiatives and services might enhance TEL
developments at Swansea Metropolitan/TSD.
1. Social Media and Online Events
RSC Wales tweets regularly on Twitter with information about their various services and
events. The twitter feed also alerts followers to other events and services, particularly those
provided by the Welsh Government, HEA and Jisc Advance Services such as Jisc InfoNet and
Jisc TechDis. It provides an up to date commentary on what is going on in Wales by way of
online and f2f webinars and conferences, various government and Jisc initiatives, and
provides useful links to relevant websites. Following @rscwales is a good way to receive a
regular feed of information about TEL activity in the region.
The RSC hosts a series of Webinars about topical TEL issues in its ‘Jisc RSC Wales Lunchtime
Byte’ series. These follow general TEL themes, the theme for Spring-Summer 2013 being the
‘Open Educational Landscape’. Expert contributors from Jisc and the broader TEL
community of practice are brought in as facilitators in the 1 hour webinars delivered
through Blackboard Collaborate. Other webinars are also provided including, during 2013,
coverage of the WBL TRaCIO Soft Skills Toolkit for the Welsh Government and an online
event for the first day of the Jisc Wales summer conference ‘Encouraging Innovation’.
A further online resource is the RSC Wales blog which has recently been running a series of
postings on the ‘Acquisition, management, promotion and creation of ebooks’. The series is
a very useful resource for teachers and learners looking to use open educational resources.
2. The RSC Wales Moodle
The RSC Wales Moodle is a central source for TEL resources and staff development
materials. It includes a wide range of learning and skills modules including teaching toolkits,
accessibility, e-safety and getting to know Moodle, amongst others. It provides small grant
opportunities for TEL innovation, as well as technical communications support and strategic
support, including the Estyn Common Inspection Framework.
The website also provides access to the RSC Wales monthly Bulletins. These are circulated
widely across the region by email and contains the latest information about RSC Wales
events as well as information about events and news coming from the Welsh institutions,
relevant initiatives across the UK and also events and resources from the other regional
RSCs.
3. RSC Wales Engagement with the Sector
RSC Wales staff actively engage with most major TEL initiatives in Wales, typically as a result
of being invited to join project management groups as expert advisors. It has its own

2. calendar of conferences and webinars, as well as frequently contributing to similar events
organised regionally and nationally by institutions, organisations such as the HEA and
government bodies. RSC Wales is part of Jisc Advance and offers a direct link to the
resources, initiatives and events of all the advisory services provided. A key role is keeping
institutions up to date with current TEL innovations and alerting them to new development
and funding opportunities.
In 2013 engagement with the community of practice includes the Encouraging Innovation
Conference and the RSC Wales Technical Conference.
4. Jisc Advance Advisory Services
The Jisc Advisory Services are well established sources of specialist expertise in aspects of
TEL available for use by the sector:
Jisc infoNet
Jisc infoNet has developed a wide range of ‘infoKits’ that provide rich advice and guidance
on aspects of TEL development and delivery. It also offers a range of practical development
tools and staff development opportunities through a programme of workshops.
Jisc Netskills
Staff development is also provided by Netskills which aims to help individuals and
organisations make effective use of innovative technology. F2F workshops, online delivery
and the provision of practical training materials are offered.
Jisc Digital Media
Jisc Digital Media services include finding, creating and managing media for training
materials development. It covers professional production techniques, good practice, design
for web delivery and provides training workshops and courses.
Jisc Legal
Jisc Legal provides legal guidance for ICT use in education, particularly with regard to online
course delivery. All aspects of IPR are covered, including the use of third party resources and
copyright law. Advice is provided on legal obligations, liability and risk for institutions.
Jisc TechDis
TechDis promotes inclusive practice in the design and delivery of online learning. It provides
guidance on the accessibility obligations of institutions for learners with disabilities,
including sight, hearing and mobility impairment. It advises on supportive technologies.
JiscMail
JiscMail is a service that facilitates academic collaboration through email groups and
distribution lists. It allows group creation, list management, secure communications and the
ability to link through social network sites.
Jisc Procureweb
Procureweb is a Jisc Advance service that provides procurement support for the HE and FE
sectors. The aim is to assist institutions get best value for money and it provides tools,
information and support to anyone who participates in the procurement process.

3. 5. Conclusions and Planning
Jisc Advance and Jisc RSC Wales clearly represent a rich resource for institutions planning
innovative TEL developments. They draw on the very substantial legacy of Jisc innovative
research and development in e-learning, as well as having their own track record of
successful support across the sector.
The merger of Swansea Metropolitan with UW Trinity Saint David has resulted, of course, in
a root and branch re-examination of all institutional strategies, policies and operational
systems. The use of TEL in that mix is a current consideration and a new e-learning strategy
and operational plan will emerge in due course.
This paper is intended as the first contribution from the SIP project to help inform that
process. It summarises the services and resources currently available and provides links to
each of them.
The project will continue with a more detailed examination of the Jisc Advance initiatives
and will report further on information, services and resources that are likely to be of use to
the institution in its e-learning planning. The outcome will be a complete picture of leading
edge developments in the sector that will be of use to all involved in development.
The fact that the work of RSC Wales and Jisc Advance is ongoing means that all the links in
this document will lead to resources that are dynamic and being continuously updated. This
document will be made available on the SIP project blog which will be used as a repository
and dissemination tool for the project.