{"id":1338,"date":"2012-02-27T13:29:54","date_gmt":"2012-02-27T13:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsletter.alt.ac.uk\/?p=1338"},"modified":"2012-02-27T13:29:54","modified_gmt":"2012-02-27T13:29:54","slug":"chief-executives-report-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2012\/02\/chief-executives-report-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Chief Executive’s report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Research in Learning Technology<\/h2>\n

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\u2019s new web site\u00a0at http:\/\/researchinlearningtechnology.net\/<\/a>. 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Students on each ALT Operational Committee<\/h2>\n

Last year ALT\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Evidence-based policy development in Learning Technology<\/h2>\n

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\u00a0University 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>.<\/p>\n

A new Honorary Treasurer for ALT<\/h2>\n

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\u2019s departure the Trustees have appointed Haydn Blackey (who is currently a co-opted Trustee and Chair of the Membership\u00a0Services 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.<\/p>\n

Making ALT\u2019s decision-making more open<\/h2>\n

In November ALT\u2019s Trustees decided that the minutes of ALT\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Staffing<\/h2>\n

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\u00a0best for the future.<\/p>\n

Consultation responses<\/h2>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n