Robocode Wars

On the subject of all things e-learning, not just VLE’s. As part of my lecturing I teach Java to BTEC level 3 students and once we have arrived at the point where they can competently produce small GUI applications, I introduce them to Robocode, developed by Mathew Nelson, a software engineer at IBM. It’s a free battle simulation API that really helps them to develop their understanding for some of those more bazaar Java OOP issues, while writing a game based around small battle tanks, really good fun. If you have not seen Robocode before, do try this link for a really good tutorial and have a look at a video clip of the tournament the other week, its located in the video clip block on the right of this blog and please feel free to comment if have, or would like to try Robocode.

Leading a bid

Following my presentation at an HE event the other week it seems we qualify as the lead college in a JISC bid proposal, and that really seems to have focused hearts and minds here. I am hoping to center the proposal on using the VLE to transform teaching and learning, but the details are yet to be published. I have received some requests for the Moodle Quiz course and that will run after this half term and even more encouraging are questions from some staff as to how they can extend their Moodle work in the coming academic year.

DSpace user group

If you have been following the Moodle Journal blog, then you will be aware that we are running the DSpace content repository here at bromley and the other day I made it along to the first official meeting of the UK & Ireland DSpace user group that was hosted by BioMed Central in London. The topics covered at the meeting included: IRRA talk and discussion, DSpace 2 - vision and issues, JISC funding and potential collaboration. We made a decision to hold future meetings at various locations around the UK and Ireland, though there was no firm time scale as to how often yet. If you are interested in joining the user group then have a look at DSUG. As you may know the Open University have adopted Moodle and I was encouraged by a comment by Professor Andy lane of the OU Open Content initiative who said ‘the effective linking of repositories will be absolutely vital during the next five to ten years’.

Demand for training

My Moodle training programme is going well at the College. I ran the first Quiz training, though with hours reduced from 3 to 2, I have had to devise a strategy of core and optional activities for the candidates, but judging from the feedback reviews it went extremely well. For the first time this week I actually found myself having to turn candidates away for the ‘Intro to Moodle’ training course, as the number of applicants actually exceeded the number of available places!!