Chief Executive’s report

Research in Learning Technology

On 1 January Research in Learning Technology finally made the switch to Open Access. 19 Volumes going back to 1993 were made freely available on the journal’s new web site at http://researchinlearningtechnology.net/. The first Issue (20.1) was published at the end of January. The switch has been widely welcomed in and outside the ALT community, although the long term effects of the switch will not be clear for at least two years. Thanks are due to ALT staff, to the editors, and to the staff of Co-Action Publishing for making the transition reasonably smooth. For a clear overview of our plans to develop and expand Research in Learning Technology, which include increasing the number of Issues from three to four, and issuing two Supplements each year, please read this letter to members from ALT and Co-Action Publishing: http://repository.alt.ac.uk/2204.

Students on each ALT Operational Committee

Last year ALT’s Trustees decided to work with the National Union of Students (NUS) to secure the involvement of an NUS nominee on each of our Operational Committees. By September or sooner we expect to conclude this process.

Evidence-based policy development in Learning Technology

On 9th Jan 2012, with the ESRC/EPSRC funded Technology Enhanced Learning programme (TEL) and Intellect (the UK trade association of the technology sector) we ran an invited symposium about Evidence-based policy development in Learning Technology, addressed by Jonathan Shepherd, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at the University of Cardiff; and Director of the Violence Research Group. The report, which contains a checklist for Learning Technology Researchers, will shortly be published on the ALT web site at http://www.alt.ac.uk/publications-and-resources/publications/occasional-publications.

A new Honorary Treasurer for ALT

Fred Pickering will in September come to the end of a six year term as a Trustee, most recently as Honorary Treasurer. In preparation for Fred’s departure the Trustees have appointed Haydn Blackey (who is currently a co-opted Trustee and Chair of the Membership Services Committee) to take over the role in September and to work in tandem with Fred between now and then. Fred has been a skilled and stalwart contributor to ALT in the Treasurer role, and I thank him for his work for ALT over the last six years.

Making ALT’s decision-making more open

In November ALT’s Trustees decided that the minutes of ALT’s main committee meetings will from now on be published on the ALT website. We have begun the process at http://www.alt.ac.uk/committee-minutes.

Staffing

Emma Carr-Jones (Finance Manager) has returned from maternity leave. Louise Ryan who has been on maternity leave since March 2011 has resigned. We wish her the very best for the future.

Consultation responses

Since the last issue of ALT News we have published the following consultation responses, all of which are on the ALT web site at http://www.alt.ac.uk/policy-consultationresponses

• An ALT contribution to the current discussion about the place of Computer Science in the National Curriculum for England – December 2011;
• An ALT response to Scottish White Paper Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering our ambitions for Post-16 Education – December 2011;
• An ALT response to Ofsted’s consultation on the Common Inspection Framework for the Learning and Skills Sector – November 2011;
• An ALT comment on the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Opportunity, choice and excellence in higher education strategy statement – October 2011;
• An ALT response to the Research Excellence Framework 2014 draft panel criteria and working methods – October 2011.

Seb Schmoller
Chief Executive, ALT
seb.schmoller@alt.ac.uk

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