HE in FE: Using e-Learning to support students in the workplace?

1. HE in FE: Using e-Learning to support students in the workplace? Charles Engola – LRC Adviser Tony Delahunty - E-Learning Development Co-ordinator Jenny O’Callaghan – LRC Assistant CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

2. College of North West London • 3 sites in Brent, North West London.  • Stepping stone to employment or higher education • To lead in the provision of knowledge and skills for work, in support of London's economic success. • Feb 2007: successful OFSTED inspection CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

3. HE Programmes • 344 approx students per year • Foundation Degrees (Part-time) • Construction, Building Services Eng • ICT, Comp Eng • BTEC Higher Nationals (Full and part-time) • Teacher Training • Interpreting • Internal progression is frequent • Links withUniversities: • Middlesex • Westminster • Reading • Thames Valley Univ. CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

4. HE validation/approval • 4 successful validations from 3 separate universities since 2003 • Quality assurance: “confidence in HE programme” (QAA/HEFCE inspection, 2005) CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

5. HE graduation CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

6. ILT Strategy • Targets in CNWL Strategic ILT Implementation Plan, eg: • All schemes of work, assignments, and mock exams are on the Student Intranet for full time courses • 50% of courses using the student intranet provide material that enable learners to study at their own pace • Student Intranet (VLE) available at anytime • Parallel targets in School of HE in FE Implementation Plan - need for separate strategy? • SMT support critical CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

7. ILT Team • 2 (now 3) dedicated ILT Support • Established specialist LRC support for curriculum staff, students • LRC staff work as part of ILT team, can upload and link materials on VLE • LRC attained Matrix Accreditation 2006; AoC BEACON highly commended CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

8. ILT (E-Learning) implementation • VLE – all staff and students have College email and VLE access/remotely • LRC manage resource acquisition • Ongoing staff training programme, plus ILT Champions • Infrastructure & Equipment – networked computers in all classrooms, LRCs CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

9. VLE (CNWL Online) • Moodle-based (since 2005) • All staff and students have open access within VLE (‘roaming’ allowed) • Students get induction with lecturers and/or LRC • Remote access very important (20% across whole College) • Aim is to unify resource access via VLE (= Student Intranet) • Focus tends to be more on resources than activities CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

10. VLE: front page • Opens up as home page at start-up • What’s New: ensures VLE does not look static, stale CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

11. “Typical” Course Area on VLE • Maintained by Lecturers • Scheme of Work, Course Handbook • Worksheets, Presentations • Assignments • Interactive Content, e.g. NLN Materials, Multi Choice Quizzes, Hot Potatoes Activities • Links to Web Resources • Exam Past Papers • Standards, uniformity, quality control – still in development CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

12. VLE: Course Layout CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

13. VLE: Resources… • Barbour for technical indexes, info • Access via VLE within college, or remotely CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

14. VLE: Assignments, Communication • Developing use of online assignments • Developing use of email to students using VLE CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

15. VLE: Exam Past Papers • Lecturers send past papers and assignment specs to the LRC annually to make available on VLE CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

16. VLE: Usage Statistics • Number of Students Logging In to the VLE (all course areas), arranged into weekly totals. • These are number of hits, not number of students • Long-term trend rising, with dips in academic holidays CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

17. VLE: Usage Statistics • Student hits by Curriculum area • Hits also recorded for individual courses, or indeed resources • Need to correlate with achievement, etc CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

18. VLE: Usage Statistics • Taking students only, roughly 20-30% of access is from outside the College, eg from home or a workplace • Proportion from outside the College appears to be rising (29% in Jan 2007) CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

19. E-resources: Usage Statistics • Access to resources measured, need to look at impact CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

20. Students’ portfolios • Students tend to have ad hoc portfolio on flash drive • Some assignments on VLE • Relevance for transition to University, work? Some exchange – e.g. Students may use PDP in CNWL assignments, and in workplace, job applications – but not standardised CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

21. E-portfolio? • College looking at emerging ePortfolio options • Some possibilities in Moodle, or with Elgg, PetalPad: not yet robust or smooth • Need for standardisation or personalisation? CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

22. Resources online - constraints • Cultural resistance from staff • Time constraints • Learning curve • Perception of unreliability • Current model working – why change? CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

23. Resources online - constraints • Cost of HE resources • Appropriateness of online medium for e.g. technical drawing • Complexity of some resources, eg CAD/CAM CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

24. Future development • Employer engagement, access • Interactive learning • Student file area – ie construct and display own work, ePortfolios…. • Collaboration with partner universities? CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

25. Issues, Questions • HE in FE funding disparity • Student Fees disparity • Measuring Impact • Quality, standards of online resources, VLE: external benchmarks? CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE

26. HE in FE: Using e-Learning to support students in the workplace? Thanks for your attention www.cnwl.ac.uk/vle charles.engola@cnwl.ac.uk tony.delahunty@cnwl.ac.uk CNWL: eLearning for HE in FE