The thermal desulfination of allylic sulfonyl halides

Allylic sulfonyl halides can be generated by halogenolysis of the corresponding triorganotin sulfinates. Allylic sulfonyl bromides and iodides undergo a first order, thermal desulfination with allylic rearrangement to yield the corresponding allylic halides. The desulfination of a cyclic allylic sulfonyl bromide is stereospecific, proceeding with T-syn bromine migration.

[Book review] Collaborative learning in mathematics

Review of: Collaborative Learning in Mathematics: A challenge to our beliefs and practices by Malcolm Swan, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, paperback £24.95, ISBN 981-1-86201-311-7; hardback £44.95, ISBN 978-1-86201-316-2.

Exploration of the student experience of e-learning: beginning to bridge the learning divide

Introduction This proposal aims, through debate within symposium to explore the student experience of e-learning. The team facilitating the discussion will draw upon their experience of an HEA funded pathfinder project, the main aim of which was to collect learner stories about their experience of using technology in their everyday learning activities at the University of Greenwich across a range of programmes, levels, locations and student groups. Method The project design responded to the growing body of student voice literature and then utilised and built upon the JISC-funded studies that focussed on understanding the learner perspectives on the role of technology in learning, namely: • the LEX study which investigated a broad spectrum of technology use by eliciting rich data about learners’ feelings, beliefs and intentions towards e-learning (Creanor et al, 2006); • the LXP studies which explored disciplinary differences in uses of technology by university students through a variety of methodologies (Conole et al, 2006). Results The symposium will be organised as a round table discussion that will be structured into three sections: • Designing an online survey tool, and the results of our survey. • Exploring student stories. • What can learned from the project and taking the findings back to enhance learning. To stimulate discussion each section will start by asking the participants to discuss and debate a particular question, this will be followed by an interactive presentation by the respective member of the project team who will share the findings of the project and invite contributions to the resulting discussion from personal perspectives. The questions are: • What is effective learning within a context of digital technology? • What are the myths and truths about the identity of today's learners? • What practical changes need to happen in order to see real change? Conclusion The final section of the symposium will invite contributions from the participants in order to collate the views and perspectives of all the participants in order to focus the discussion on the following: • The issues that have arisen as a result of the round table debates. • New speculative approaches to enhancing the student experience. • A controversial stand to the future of Higher Education teaching and learning and the role and integration of technology within that education. The symposium will provide an opportunity to explore the predictive value of Student Experience of E-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project.

Experts on e-learning: insights gained from listening to the student voice!

The Student Experience of e-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project at the University of Greenwich was designed to explore and then implement a number of approaches to investigate learners’ experiences of using technology to support their learning. In this paper members of the SEEL team present initial findings from a University-wide survey of nearly a 1000 students. A selection of 90 ‘cameos’, drawn from the survey data, offer further insights into personal perceptions of e-learning and illustrate the diversity of students experiences. The cameos provide a more coherent picture of individual student experience based on the totality of each person’s responses to the questionnaire. Finally, extracts from follow-up case studies, based on interviews with a small number of students, allow us to ‘hear’ the student voice more clearly. Issues arising from an analysis of the data include student preferences for communication and social networking tools, views on the ‘smartness’ of their tutors’ uses of technology and perceptions of the value of e-learning. A primary finding and the focus of this paper, is that students effectively arrive at their own individualised selection, configuration and use of technologies and software that meets their perceived needs. This ‘personalisation’ does not imply that such configurations are the most efficient, nor does it automatically suggest that effective learning is occurring. SEEL reminds us that learners are individuals, who approach learning both with and without technology in their own distinctive ways. Hearing, understanding and responding to the student voice is fundamental in maximising learning effectiveness. Institutions should consider actively developing the capacity of academic staff to advise students on the usefulness of particular online tools and resources in support of learning and consider the potential benefits of building on what students already use in their everyday lives. Given the widespread perception that students tend to be ‘digital natives’ and academic staff ‘digital immigrants’ (Prensky, 2001), this could represent a considerable cultural challenge.