About

Martin King

Martin King B.A., M.Sc., P.G. Cert., A.H.E.A.
Senior Learning & Technology Officer
Founders Building East rm. FE131
Tel: 01784 414371
ext: 4371
E-mail: martin.king@rhul.ac.uk
Skype: martin.king.rhul

I joined Royal Holloway, University of London in 2002. In my position as Senior Learning Technologist in Academic Development Services, I have successfully contributed to the widespread uptake and use of technology in support of teaching and learning. I manage the E-Learning team, chair the E-Learning Users Group (E-LUAG), contribute to the CAPITAL programme for new lecturers and encourage, support and provide networking opportunities for a growing and diverse community of e-learning practitioners. My main interests are how technologies can impact positively on the student experience, and the successful embedding of e-assessment in teaching and learning.

The technologies in use at Royal Holloway include:

• Virtual Learning Environments such as Moodle and Blackboard
• Online quizzing and assessment tools such as Question Mark
• Turnitin, the electronic plagiarism detection, online marking and peer review system
• Personal Response Systems and interactive whiteboards
• Social Networking tools such as Elgg
• The Learning Object Repository Equella, which is about to be launched

The range of activities and achievements to which I contribute is extensive but not limited to:

• the publication of key course information
• the timely availability of course materials and resources (including Anti-plagiarism and Study Skills resources to which all staff and students have access)
• the creation and use of efficient communication channels between students and between students and staff
• the use of discussion fora to build confidence, develop writing skills, encourage deeper approaches to learning, to extend and support full participation in discussions, and in support of group project work
• the use of electronic submission of assignments to check against plagiarism and collusion, to facilitate the rapid turnaround of marking and the timely provision of feedback, and to provide opportunities for student peer marking
• the flexible, accessible and ‘trackable’ access to specialist software and copyright-cleared content
• the use of electronic tests and exams for both formative and summative assessment
• The use of electronic collaboration tools such as wikis, blogs and discussion fora in support of dissertation support, virtual study groups, project teams and seminar groups
• the use of online audio tools to capture Modern Language student oral presentations (this initiative received a College teaching prize in 2009)
• the gathering of student feedback through a variety of channels

As well as evaluating, promoting, developing, and supporting the appropriate use of institutional technologies, I advise on the use of external web 2.0 services such as blogs, del.icio.us, Twitter and Facebook in teaching, learning and community building.

I have an M.Sc. in Multimedia and Information Technology and a BA in Management. Both of these qualifications have equipped me to develop a career in E-Learning in the private and Higher Education sectors. In addition to developing existing digital design interest and skills, I was introduced to the key areas of user-centred design and usability, programming, project management and web-based learning. I have also recently gained an ILM Management Level 5 Qualification and a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and am now an Associate Member of the Higher Education Academy. In May 2009 I was awarded the Royal Holloway College Teaching Prize, for my use of Wimba in French language oral assessment.

Before joining the team here at the EDC I was an E-Learning Consultant & Developer, Web Usability Engineer and Web Master & Designer for a Brighton based e-commerce and training company. Prior to that I delivered multimedia training courses to a wide range of public and private organisations on behalf of Edinburgh's Napier University, and carried out research into the use of multimedia in the community for Queen Margaret University. I have also undertaken a number of freelance e-learning, new media consultancy, development and web usability projects for a variety of clients.