Members of the #AmplifyFE community space are encouraged to get involved by contributing to the community blog. The #AmplifyFE blog publishes short, topical entries to help keep us all up to date with developments in learning technology and communities of practice within FE.

Contributing to the blog gives you the opportunity to disseminate your work, share something you are excited about, explore a common problem, or express an opinion; with the opportunity for opening the doors to discussion with your peers in the sector. 

Who can submit?

Any AmplifyFE member can submit to the blog, including innovators and industry experts associated with our network. We do not accept paid for posts or advertisements.

What sort of posts can I contribute?

Entries can be text-based (usually 500-1,000 words) or use other media, so please consider a video post or supplementing your written post with video, images or audio.

Your contribution might fall into one of the following categories:

• A review or reflection e.g. of software, a book or other publication, a conference or event, or a course.
• A project report e.g. a summary of a research, implementation or development project with links to further information.
• A case study e.g. an account of your department or institution’s experiences implementing a technology, policy or process.
• A preview, draft or follow-up piece linking to an article in a journal e.g. Future FE Pedagogies.
• An interview or journal entry e.g. ‘week in the life’ style or with influential and inspiring learning technology people.
• An opinion piece on a learning technology or education topic.
• Classroom Advice or tips for your fellow AmplifyFE Community Space members.
• An introduction to a current community of practice describing ways in which people can get involved.
• A learning technology call out offering opportunities to trial your platform in order to garner a deeper understanding of the FE sector needs. 

What should my post look like?

Keep it simple! Use illustrations and different media as appropriate. Please bear in mind:

Our audience

• Talk directly to the FE community – be conversational, keep it brief, and pick a title that will draw in readers.
• Explain technical terminology, acronyms and avoid jargon and local colloquialisms.
• If appropriate, engage the community in discussion and comment. Raise questions to encourage readers to contribute using comments.
• Consider ethical issues associated with sharing information online.

What works online

• Write concisely, using simple language
• Start with a summary, then expand on this
• Use short sections and subheadings
• Use bullet lists and illustrations (jpeg or gif less than 4Mb)
• Respect copyright (use Creative Commons where possible)
• Use bold or italics for emphasis
• Link to other materials using the name of the resources (e.g. ‘see the project final report’). A couple of references in Harvard style can be included if appropriate.

How do I submit my post?

Please send a draft contribution to amplifyFE@alt.ac.uk. Chloë will contact you to discuss any changes. We aim to publish as soon as possible but please be mindful that we try to space blogs out throughout the month.

Unless otherwise indicated, posts and video interviews with editors are © their author(s) and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Who can I contact for more advice on writing for #altc Blog?

Please email amplifyFE@alt.ac.uk .