Research Committee

I reported in the October 2005 Newsletter that we are in the process of establishing an ALT Research Committee. The Research Committee will be chaired by Professor Robin Mason, from the Open University’s Institute of Educational Technology, and its vice-chair will be John Cook, the current ALT President, from London Metropolitan University's Learning and Teaching Research Institute. The remit of the Committee will include: developing the ALT Learning Technology Research Strategy; advising ALT on research related events and workshops, including the Spring Conference research strand; drafting responses for the Central Executive to research-related consultations; advising on research-related collaborations. Further details will be provided in the next issue of the Newsletter.

Prof Robin Mason Dr John Cook

CMALT
A new and professionally designed version of the prospectus for the ALT Certified Membership Scheme (CMALT) can now be accessed (along with full details of the scheme, and guidelines for applicants and assessors) from http://www.alt.ac.uk/cmalt/. If you require copies of this for use within your organisation, please send an email to cmalt@alt.ac.uk. Arising from our work with the Higher Education Academy on CMALT, I will be representing ALT on Academy’s Standards and Accreditation Advisory Group, an informal advisory group established to “provide policy and strategy support to Academy senior officers in revising the (Academy’s) accreditation process”.

Membership Services Committee
We are currently planning the merger of two of our key committees – Events and Membership – into a new Membership Services Committee. The rationale for this is that each committee has a role in shaping the services which ALT members receive, and there is sometimes overlap between them, for example, the provision of workshops (shaped by the Events Committee) which are relevant to the continuing professional development of holders of CMALT (shaped by the Membership Committee). I am working with Jane Seale (Chair of ALT) and the Chairs of the two committees (John Phelps and Barbara Newland) on the terms of reference of the new committee, which is likely to starts its work before Summer 2006. If new members are needed for the new committee, an open call will be issued.

JISC Partnership
JISC and ALT have recently agreed to establish a formal Associate Partnership Agreement, to build on the practical collaboration which is already taking place. This will focus upon support for the learning technology research and practitioner communities, and our joint aim is that the agreement, once finalised, will result in:

• information exchange;
• regular senior management dialogue;
• the development of shared annual activity plan;
• strengthened participation and collaboration at events;
• consideration of capacity building initiatives.

Seb Schmoller
Executive Secretary
sschmoller@brookes.ac.uk