47 minute read
Remote learning and learning loss impact
While it is difficult to measure the impact the switch to remote learning has had on children and young people, one evident trend is that those who entered the pandemic with the fewest academic opportunities are on track to exit with the greatest learning loss.
Described as a global experiment, remote education, necessitated by the pandemic, has taken many forms as nations sought to manage the spread of the virus within their own restrictions. Pinpointing the outcomes of remote learning for children and young people has proven difficult when considering the many variables, not least the different lengths of school closures, different delivery methods and differing levels of accessibility.
While it is obvious that remote learning has brought benefits in relation to access to education that would not have existed had schools simply remained closed, the overwhelming indication from research is that remote learning remains a poor substitute for being back in the classroom and that students have paid a heavy price in lost learning.
Many countries, including Ireland, are still deliberating on the best pathway to return all students back to classroom and so an efficient evaluation of the full impact of remote education will require fuller analysis in the future. However, a common theme emerging from current research is a divide in relation to remote education outcomes.
In February 2021, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) offered some insight into the divide when it published data in relation to the impact of school closures on students’ learning and social development, informed by input of more than 1,600 parents.
The data sought to capture opinions on the different outcomes for different age groups within education. It suggests that the negative impact of school closures is less prevalent when moving down the sliding scale of age groups, for example, almost half of parents with a child in fifth or sixth year secondary education reported a major negative impact on their learning, compared to just over a third for the whole of secondary education. These figures fell further when assessing the impact of school closures on primary school children, where almost 15 per cent reported a major negative impact. Looking at it from another perspective, the data outlines that only 9 per cent of parents with a child in fifth or sixth year reported a positive effect of remote education on their child’s learning and this figure fell significantly further for children in junior cycle secondary education, where the rate was just 1.5 per cent.
Disadvantage
However, research carried out outside of Ireland would suggest the need for closer analysis, not just of the outcomes for children and young people of different ages, but also the impact on the different levels of disadvantage.
A report by McKinsey & Company has sought to look into the cost of remote working on pupils, with a particular focus on vulnerable students. Unlike the CSO data, the McKinsey report surveyed teachers, recognising their unique viewpoint in “deciphering the long-term impact of this protracted learning experiment”.
Ireland: Impact of enforced school closures on student's learning by school cycle, February 2021
Secondary school
Primary school
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Major negative Moderate negative Mild negative No impact Positive Source: CSO
UNESCO estimates that by mid-April 2020, 1.6 billion children were no longer being taught in a physical classroom and while it is recognised that many nations used different timelines in relation to school attendance restrictions and that within that there were various models and experiences of remote learning, the broad consensus was that remote learning is a poor substitute for being in the classroom.
Recognising the value of face-to-face learning, amidst the pandemic, The World Health Organization released guidelines which states that school closures should be “considered only if there is no other alternative”.
A trend recognised as a result of teacher feedback from various nations is that while remote learning has improved as schools adopt best practices, it remains difficult for students who struggle with issues such as learning challenges, isolation or lack of resource.
“Teachers in schools where more than 80 per cent of students live in households under the poverty line reported an average of 2.5 months of learning loss, compared with a reported loss of 1.6 months in schools where more than 80 per cent of students live in households above the poverty line,” the report stated.
Although different countries reported different experiences of the effectiveness of instruction once classes went online, one of the most telling trends is an almost universal outcome that teachers in private and wealthy schools are more likely to report effective remote learning, access, and engagement.
In a score out of 10, of the teachers surveyed, those who taught in public schools gave remote learning an average global score of 4.8, which compares to a 6.2 average rating by those who teach in private schools, where it is assumed there is better access to learning tools.
This disadvantage trend is analysed further in assessing the scale of poverty within public schools. Teachers working in high-poverty schools flagged an ineffectiveness of virtual classrooms, rating it just 3.5 out of 10, a finding which feeds into concerns that the pandemic has exacerbated educational inequalities. Teachers in wealthy and private schools reported a much higher rate of students logging in and completing assignments, linked to higher levels of reporting that their students were more likely to report that their students were well equipped with internet access and devices for remote learning.
The report adds: “The full impact of this unprecedented global shift to remote learning will likely play out for years to come. For students who have lacked access to the tools and teachers they need to succeed academically, the results could be devastating.”
Global: Student engagement with remote learning by share below poverty line % of students
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
<20% >80% 100% Average
McKinsey teacher sentiment survey: 28 October-17 November 2020
In both the private and public sector, the effects of staff turnover are exacerbated by younger entrants to the job market, who may be prone to leaving a role after a short amount of time, rather than the lifelong career which had previously been associated with the public sector in particular.
The negative impacts of high staff turnover rates are wide-reaching, encompassing not only the high cost of replacing long-term staff, but also the loss of both soft- and hard-skills, knowledge gaps, reputational damage and a negative impact on remaining staff. The average time taken to recruit a new staff member can range from one to four months, with the Adare Human Resource HR Barometer finding the average cost of replacing a staff member coming in at around €14,000 in recent years, much more than the cost of offering learning and development to current employees.
Aaron McKenna, Managing Director of UCD Professional Academy, says that investing in your workforce via training is one way to get a win-win, showing your team that you are willing to invest in them whilst also increasing their skills to achieve in their roles. The pandemic has had a two-tier impact on employment trends. While headline unemployment figures have been high, this isn’t the case across the board and the competition for talent remains high in certain sectors. Recruiters are approaching staff with tempting remuneration packages and promises of career development and organisations understand that losing key staff at a time of major organisational change such as this would be doubly difficult given the knowledge capital built up over the past year in particular.
More and more organisations are looking toward the benefit of continuous learning for retaining staff. Staff training and upskilling is becoming a must rather than a “nice-to-have” in the modern world, so whether organisations are looking towards online courses, sponsoring further education or training on technical skills, there are a number of different approaches available, all of which are likely to lead to improved levels of staff retention. Over the past year, UCD Professional Academy has enrolled over 5,500 students, of which the vast majority were sponsored by their employer, who in many cases went on to enrol additional students based on positive feedback and increased levels of employee retention. Clients like the HSE Finance and Health & Wellbeing Departments, Skillnet Ireland, Concern Worldwide and Microsoft all choose to upskill their employees with UCD Professional Academy within the past year.
There are many reasons why people seek alternative employment opportunities; these range from general dissatisfaction to looking to increase earnings, but one of the biggest factors influencing people on an outward trajectory from a company is lack of room to grow and progress. When employees have access to resources including outside courses, you create an environment where people can see themselves acquiring the skills to progress, which motivates them to do so. In cases like this, organisations are able to promote from within rather than look externally to fill more senior roles, which not only boosts employee morale, but allows organisations to give these roles to people who already hold the business knowledge and context.
As technology evolves at a rapid rate, skills shortages are sure to follow in its wake. According to Antonio Palacios, Head of Product at UCD Professional Academy, it’s no longer enough to source specialised roles, now those roles have to come “with tech”: business analysis with tech, financial expertise with tech, marketing qualifications with tech. Even in small businesses, the potential combinations grow and quickly lead to the question: Should we map out all the possible learning paths our employees can potentially take (and perhaps in the process inadvertently limit development growth avenues), or is it time to empower them to make their own choices from a broader set of solutions?
The lack of certain skills within the Irish landscape can drive people to seek opportunities elsewhere, where those possessing shortage skills in fields like IT and data analytics could be headhunted to join opposing companies or organisations. When employees are encouraged to upskill into these fields, they’re a lot more likely to remain with the employers who helped them get there. Acquiring these skills is an ideal way for employees to move upwards in a company, as well as in a lateral way, to explore other opportunities. In addition, as a large number of organisations move towards a more digitally driven model in the wake of the pandemic, IT and other digital skills will become even more valuable. An ideal way to ensure that employees are retained, is by offering them the chance to gain these skills through training, courses, and professional diplomas.
In addition to all the obvious staff retention benefits of offering courses and qualifications to employees, a huge factor that organisations need to be thinking about all the time is employee wellness and engagement. With many employees reporting lack of engagement and interest in their roles being exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 situation and remote work, it is more imperative than ever to encourage and facilitate employees in their personal growth and development.
One advantage of providing access to courses that lead to professional diplomas is instant recognition beyond the confines of the organisation. On successful completion of a professional diploma, employees earn that accreditation, one they can proudly display on their LinkedIn profile and at work. Celebrating and demonstrating learning achievements can be a key component of a larger talent development strategy that provides new opportunities, clear career progression paths and turns key employees into change agents that bring new skills and initiatives to the organisation.
Although there is still much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and the ability of previously mighty sectors like tourism and hospitality to return to normal, one thing is already clear: management training and management style are still one of the main drivers of employee turnover. It is not a matter of if, but when these businesses start hiring again, and as they begin to ramp up to pre-pandemic levels, they will not be able to afford unwanted turnover. As manager training increases, employee turnover intentions decrease. The time to create the right management culture to quickly build teams that perform and remain committed to their employers is now, before the hiring process starts.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how UCD Professional Academy can benefit your organisation, you can get in touch using the details below.
professional.academy@ucd.ie www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/eolas
EDUCATION 4.0
The evolution of education to meet the needs of a new world of work has been kickstarted by the necessitated response to the pandemic, writes David Whelan.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, its impact on the labour market and the efficiencies which can be driven by increased artificial intelligence, virtual reality and big data analytics have been a feature of future economic strategies for some time. However, while much attention focusses on the changes which will be brought about in industry, analysis of how the education system must adapt to prepare for Industry 4.0 is relatively new.
Industry 4.0 is a concept of evolution rather than a defined moment or an exact period of implementation, but a host of research all points to a transformed, smarter labour market by 2040. The vast majority of this change is expected to be driven by automation. Research by McKinsey suggests that around 60 per cent of occupations could see around one third of their activities automated.
Education 4.0 is a concept in which schools, higher education facilities and universities adapt their traditional methods to prepare students for the future world of work. Importantly, the concept envelopes not just school leavers but also adult learners, seeking to up- or re-skill.
However, many have assessed that current education delivery, especially higher education, will need to revolutionise rather than just adapt from their traditional methods if economies are to take full advantage of changing industry.
Importantly, the Education 4.0 concept involves not just meeting the changing needs of industry but also integrating evolving technology to enhance student
experience and drive greater efficiencies in staff time and investments in estate and infrastructure.
The traditional methods of education were disrupted by the mass transition to remote teaching in 2020 in response to the pandemic. Although education methods have remained traditional, they have not remained static. Previous introductions of technology such as computers and later a more usergenerated internet (Education 2.0 and 3.0) have seen delivery methods of education diversify and undoubtedly the building blocks of Education 4.0 have been evolving. The scaling of technologies associated with Industry 4.0 on top of these building blocks offers huge potential.
While most education institutions remained focused on transitioning classroom learning online, these efforts represent the first step in a shift to more permanent blended learning. The 2019 Jisc Digital Experience Insights Survey offers a look at the changing mindset of higher education students to digital education. Over three-quarters of those surveyed said that digital education allowed them to more easily fit learning into life, while a similar amount found it enabled them to be more independent in their learning. Probably more interesting is the shift in mindset over just one year. In 2018, 32 per cent of university students said that they wanted more digital technologies in their course but by 2019, this figure had risen to 44 per cent.
Away from simply preparing students for the world of work of the future, Education 4.0 will also involve detailed planning around course delivery. For example, what will be the role of teachers if AI, VR and other technologies are immersed in the education experience? How personalised can and should learning within these institutions become? How will assessment methods change to incorporate digital experimental learning? And how should campuses be re-designed to incorporate smart technology?
In Ireland, the journey to Higher Education 4.0 has already begun. In January, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, announced €12.4 million for IT Sligo towards its initiation of Education 4.0.
Announcing funding for a number of higher education institutions Human Capital Initiative, the Minister said: “This global pandemic has reinforced the need for us all to be agile and diverse. Crucially though it requires us to develop new skills and equip the next generation with the critical importance to the economy and the workplace of the future.”
IT Sligo is held up as an exemplar of online learning having transitioned from online course delivery to five students in 2002 to over 10,000 students accessing 140 courses by 2020.
It would be wrong however, to suggest that challenges to implementing Education 4.0 do not exist. The primary challenge is one currently being recognised in relation to remote learning, digital disadvantage. Although technology is evolving, the costs and accessibility of these technologies, once available at scale, remain unclear. Analysis of the past year has taught us that the negative outcomes of remote learning tend to be compounded for those already experiencing disadvantage through, for example, computer access. This digital divide could be widened further if Education 4.0 comes with accessibility barriers.
Another major challenge is that of connectivity. Industry 4.0 predicts super-fast broadband connections across the globe, however, in Ireland in 2021, the variety of connectivity experiences in differing parts of the island are evident. Again, any inequalities in connectivity could provide an unlevel playing field in education delivery.
Delivery will require a cultural as well as a technology shift. While individually tailored and delivered education has its opportunities, it also challenges the pre-existing strongholds of inclusivity and belonging which comes with traditional classroom learning in the student experience.
Those who will be expected to deliver these new teaching models have also raised concerns about the potential shift in their competencies. Covid-19 has offered an initial insight into the levels of digital upskilling that may be required as education evolves but subject mastery remains core. However, as education evolves alongside disruptive technology, more will likely be required of teachers in terms of design and facilitation of courses.
Education’s response to the pandemic has shown both the advantages and challenges associated with remote learning and the greater integration of technology into traditional methods of education. Industry 4.0 is set to change the landscape of the future of work and while those technologies associated with it remain some way away from being rolled out at scale, in order for economies to recognise the full benefits, education must be ahead of implementation.
How Ireland’s oldest educational and legal institution is at the forefront of digital learning
The past 12 months have witnessed unprecedented change in the way we work, live and study. Renate Ní Uigín and Kathy McLaughlin, the Librarian and Learning Technologist at Ireland’s renowned law school, King’s Inns, give us an insight into how the oldest institution of professional legal education in Ireland has been at the forefront of digital learning, using technology to make learning more accessible.
Working and studying online brings many challenges, not just how we use technology to stay connected with our colleagues and classmates but also how we process business information using various technology solutions. This includes how education and training centres share course materials and process personal data while continuing to meet the relevant domestic and EU legislative requirements.
Although the institution was founded in 1541, King's Inns (The Honorable Society of King's Inns) is still renowned for professional legal education and training. As well as training future and qualified barristers, the School extends its reach to a diverse community of people from non-legal backgrounds offering a range of accessible part-time courses in specialist areas of the law.
Technology as an enabler
Kathy McLaughlin, Learning Technologist with King's Inns, explains how digital technology enhances the learning experience: “At King's Inns, our focus is on using technology to make learning easier and more accessible. Many people will have heard of the importance of bringing learning to people, rather than people to learning, but that's exactly what the technology we use here at King's Inns enables us to do.”
Whether through the use of lecture capture software to record lecture content for consumption by the learner in their own time, through the delivery of live group learning sessions using videoconferencing software, or by making learning materials, including course manuals and lectures, available online via our virtual learning environment, King's Inns can deliver learning to students at a time, place and, importantly, a pace that suits them. Such flexibility in the learning provision mainly serves individuals who need to fit their study around existing work commitments or those who live at a distance from King's Inns. “For us, it's not about revolutionising how we run courses, it's about maintaining equality of access and optimising the learning experience, whether that's in person or online.”
Focus on the learner
The range and availability of educational technology solutions have grown exponentially over the past number of years. While King's Inns staff continue to keep abreast of the latest offerings in technology-enhanced learning, they are always cognisant of the importance of choosing technology that adds value to the learning experience. The learning experience remains central when planning and developing courses and implementing digital solutions. “It's important to ensure that any digital solutions we utilise have a proven benefit to learning and, crucially, that they will be easy for our learners to use and navigate. Technology should never be something that our learners need worry about,” adds Kathy.
Flexibility
Technology-enhanced learning has also allowed King's Inns to provide flexibility in its educational delivery. Many of the Advanced Diploma courses at King's Inns offer classes either early in the morning, in the evenings or at weekends. Lectures on courses such as Data Protection Law, Social Media and Media Law, Applied Employment Law, Public Procurement Law, Law and Education, Planning and Environmental Law, and Medical Law, all use videorecording technology to record sessions for those unable to attend the scheduled live classes. These courses are designed with busy schedules in mind.
Through all these courses, submission of assignments and coursework is made online rather than in person. King's Inns Librarian, Renate Ní Uigin, remarks that King's Inns also uses technology-based study support tools for its learners, including online revision notes to accompany recorded lectures and video guides to assist students in navigating the range of digital resources. Students have access to the online legal resources subscribed to by King's Inns for their course duration, facilitating
access to cases, journal articles, and legislation. E-book versions of several legal texts are available, with publishers continually updating their e-book offerings in response to a growing market.
Increasing the reach
Communications technology is critical in the delivery of learning at King's Inns. This has become even more evident over the past year when face to face contact waned, but the need for learner engagement and connection continued to grow. Thanks to the use of technology such as video conferencing for 'virtual coffee chats' and online discussion forums for interaction in the user's own time, King's Inns fosters the peer-to-peer engagement and collaboration that is so important in the learning sphere. Technology also provides students with the opportunity to connect with legal and industry experts on King's Inns courses, with live online Q&A sessions and panel discussions enabling students to engage with leaders in their fields.
Alongside its degree of Barrister-at-Law course and Diploma in Legal Studies, King's Inns provides many other highly regarded courses with a broad crosssector appeal. The use of technology allows King's Inns to accommodate those who wish to take part in such courses whilst also working in full or part-time employment. By delivering their courses online, including Corporate, White Collar and Regulatory Crime, Quasi-Judicial Decision Making, and Immigration and Asylum Law, King's Inns has provided an opportunity for professionals to enhance their legal knowledge and make valuable professional connections, regardless of where in the country they are located.
Renate believes that “one of the prime benefits of digital learning is that it is not defined by geographical boundaries”. “Currently, we have students attending remotely from all over the country and further afield. In addition, our Advanced Diplomas are designed to take into account the needs of participants who are in full-time employment, as the sessions are scheduled either for early mornings, evenings or weekends.”
Innovation
King's Inns have successfully used technology, including video capture and video conferencing software, for several years, either to facilitate viewing remote attendance at lectures on our Diploma in Legal Studies or to run small group sessions remotely on our Advanced Diploma in Law and Education. This experience was invaluable when they, like many other organisations, had to move all their activities entirely online in March 2020. They were well-positioned to expand the use of existing technology across all courses and complete the academic year successfully. This was partly due to the technology they employ; “We are very aware that some technologies can overwhelm the learner, so the platforms we currently use, including Zoom, Microsoft Office and Moodle, can be navigated with confidence by our students. All courses can be completed successfully without requiring a high level of technical expertise or a particular skillset,” says Renate. Anyone interested in enhancing their career and learning more about the law, please visit the King's Inns website, kingsinns.ie/education. King’s Inns is very proud of its courses, its teaching teams and its diverse network of graduates, and believes that many people will find at least one of its courses useful for their continuing professional development.
Renate Ní Uigín, Librarian
About King's Inns
Based between Henrietta Street and Constitution Hill in Dublin 1, King's Inns is an independent educational institution, renowned for professional legal education and training. As well as training future and qualified barristers, the School extends its reach to a diverse community of people from non–legal backgrounds offering a range of accessible part-time courses in specialist areas of the law.
With courses taught by expert law practitioners, King's Inns students include leaders, advocates, innovators, and game-changers, from industries across Ireland and abroad. The School excels in promoting the use of the Irish language in the law.
For more information, please visit kingsinns.ie.
Kathy McLaughlin, Learning Technologist
King's Inns
Henrietta Street Dublin 1, Ireland DO1 KF59
W: kingsinns.ie
Digitalised or online guidance provision: What is it?
From March 2020, the adjustment to providing eLearning and eTraining has focused the attention of educators, policy makers, practitioners, teachers, students, and parents alike. With the delivery of education online, all other support services provided throughout the education sector were required to “go online”.
As a result, the provision of Career Guidance and Guidance Counselling within post-primary schools and the Further Education and Training (FET) sector was required to change delivery practices to online provision also, but what would this look like? How could the traditional classroom-based career guidance classes or group based adult guidance sessions and the confidential one-to-one guidance counselling sessions be delivered via online platforms?
Interestingly, it has not sounded the death knell of quality guidance provision. Indeed, the opposite is the case. Guidance provision in the education sector is adapting to using online provision as another tool within the guidance toolkit for such quality provision.
So, what is online guidance, how is it provided and how does it relate to e-learning and e-training?
In reality, guidance (otherwise referred to as career guidance, guidance counselling or career development) has been provided online for many years in Ireland. Websites such as qualifax.ie and careersportal.ie are well known by anyone who has researched higher education courses or career information in the last 15-20 years. More recently, fetchcourses.ie and apprenticeship.ie, springboard.ie, jobsireland.ie among others, provide clear information on what education, training or employment opportunities are available across different sectors and for different target groups. In March, the Gov.ie website portal ‘The Right Course’1 aimed to provide one reference point for ease of access to all these sites. But this is just one element of guidance; ensuring access to up-to-date quality information on education, training and employment options and does not include the myriad of private sector employment and recruitment websites.
To understand how guidance is provided online, it is important to understand what is meant by “guidance”. For too long, there has been continued misunderstanding that “guidance” is about filling out college application forms in schools for post-school career and education plans. For many adults, whose career trajectories included moving from school to the local university or institute of technology and into specific careers, they may not have had any experience of job loss or career change considerations and therefore have not required or accessed guidance services as an adult. Perhaps their experience of “career guidance” in schools, was not positive? So how can such professionals now understand that changes in career guidance or guidance counselling provision have developed in line with all other developments within the education, training, and employment sectors? Informed by academic research and international policy documents particularly since 2000, guidance delivery has changed and pivoting to deliver online is just another example of how all professions develop in response to the needs of their clients, students, and stakeholders.
In 2019, just prior to the global pandemic, a joint publication of international organisations Cedefop, OECD, EU Commission, ILO, ETF and UNESCO2 provided an updated definition of guidance.
In follow up to this joint publication in 2019, to reflect on the impact of the pandemic on guidance provision, Cedefop, OECD, EU Commission, ILO, ETF and UNESCO conducted a global survey of guidance practitioners and stakeholders in 2020.
The subsequent report Career guidance policy and practice in the pandemic: results of a joint international survey –June to August 20203 indicated that globally guidance services have considered providing wider access to more marginalised communities, while also remembering that not everyone has access to internet services and noted that…
Definition of Guidance, 2019
Career guidance describes the services which help people of any age, to manage their careers and to make the educational, training and occupational choices that are right for them. It helps people to reflect on their ambitions, interests, qualifications, skills and talents –and to relate this knowledge about who they are to who they might become within the labour market.
Career guidance involves a range of connected activities, including provision of careers information, personalised guidance/counselling, skills assessment, engaging with the world of work and the teaching of decision-making and career management skills. Career guidance is delivered face-to-face, by telephone and online.
…greater use of social media was reported, as well as the development of online resources to replace face-to-face provision… …changes in practice were designed to make career guidance more accessible to users. In this way, and if delivered in ways to ensure equity of access, innovation represents a positive development in the provision of guidance...
Since 2017, the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE), with the support of the Department of Education has supported the implementation of the Whole School Guidance Framework4 , providing guidelines on the provision of whole school guidance, which also involves the development of the student’s own competences of Developing Myself, Developing my Learning and Developing my Career Path. This Framework initiates the guidance process in Junior Cycle, through guidance related learning in class settings, to support young people to develop their own career management skills including personal development skills of confidence and self-understanding and career research (e.g, discerning appropriate information, accessed online and elsewhere) and encourages them to explore all their career interests from a younger age. Augmented by psychometric tests of aptitudes and abilities (many of which are online), administered by appropriately qualified staff and providing access to a one-to-one personal guidance counselling session with the professionally qualified guidance counsellor, ensures that students have time and space to consider their own personal circumstances, the research information they have gathered and their own education, training, and careers plans. Delivering this whole school guidance service online became a priority at the outset of school closures. NCGE supported the development of Department of Education Continuity of Guidance Counselling Guidelines5 for schools providing online support for students and published resources and Support Information for schools and FET guidance practitioners to inform digitalised guidance provision to students and clients.
Of note, however, the Adult Education Guidance Services (AEGS)6 provided by the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) nationally, have developed an online presence over many years, using websites, social media and oldfashioned telephone and text contact to provide access to adults to impartial, quality guidance provision. Notably, NCGE provided a continuous professional development webinar for guidance practitioners of the AEGS in 2015 on ‘Telephone and Remote Platform Approaches to Career Development’.
Delivering group guidance sessions and one-to-one guidance counselling supports to adults, AEGS services have continued to respond to adult and FET guidance needs across the 16 ETB regions. Here, guidance professionals and practitioners remain clear that guidance services must remain integrated and impartial, working closely with and referring to other support services such as personal counselling and recruitment/admissions services. Working closely with INTREO offices locally, AEGS ensure that unemployed adults are fully aware of their education, training, upskilling and career options.
Furthermore, e-learning and e-training is crucial for continuous professional development for guidance counsellors and practitioners. In this regard, NCGE delivered webinars for guidance counsellors in schools and the AEGS, developed guidelines and provided resources for digitalised online practice including using use of various social media platforms to deliver guidance
4
NCGE Resources supporting online digitalised guidance provision, available at
www.ncge.ie/resources/post-primary/digital-guidance
www.ncge.ie/resources/FET/digital-guidance
services. From March 2020 to March 2021 over 1,000 individual guidance counsellors, practitioners and stakeholders have attended at least one of 25 webinars, reflecting the appetite for developing digitalised guidance skills.
In addition, the three universities in Ireland (Maynooth University, Dublin City University and University of Limerick) providing qualifications in guidance are ensuring that current students of guidance counselling are developing and utilising ICT skills to learn, complete assignments and deliver guidance. This reflects the Department of Education Programme Recognition Framework7 which provides guidelines for the training of Guidance counsellors, which indeed bodes well for continued inclusion of online guidance service delivery into the future.
Ensuring access to impartial information and guidance supports individuals to make decisions on careers and education transitions. The EU Commission has revised and redeveloped the Europass.eu8 portfolio portal to documents skills, qualifications, and work-related experiences.
In the UK, the innovative development by Dr Deirdre Hughes and associates of CiCi the chatbot as a ‘career chat facility’ using “human and digital resources”9 marks an interesting departure in ensuring wider access to initial career guidance services and provides… “a personalised, guided career journey experience for adults… available 24 hours, seven days per week to support your career journey, choices, and decisions along the way”. In 2019, the Department of Education published the Indecon Review Report of Career Guidance10 which recommended the development of a national userfriendly centralised careers guidance portal, to provide multi-channel, blended career guidance supports, including online tools with telephone and internet access to experienced guidance practitioners. Currently discussions continue between the two government departments in the education sector (i.e., Department of Education and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science) on the implementation of the Indecon Review Report. As Director of NCGE, I am heartened by the commitment of guidance counsellors and practitioners, schools, institution management and stakeholders to continue who include digitalised guidance within guidance practice. Our next step is ensuring ease of access to all individuals to impartial, up-to-date information on all education, training, and employment options, through one career guidance online portal, with the backing of an online, telephone or textbased chat facility with an appropriately qualified guidance practitioner, to help them to consider upskilling, reskilling, job search and/or career change. This will be the guidance online contribution to the personal and economic recovery from this horrendous global pandemic.
Jennifer McKenzie, Director, National Centre for Guidance in Education (Ireland) E: director@ncge.ie
Jennifer McKenzie (BA, MA(Psych), HDCG).
As Director of NCGE, an agency of the Irish Department of Education (DoE), Jennifer leads the vision and strategy of NCGE to inform policy in the field of guidance and to support/develop guidance practice in all areas of education and the Further Education and Training (FET) Sector. As part of her role, Jennifer works closely with colleagues in the EU Commission and is a Steering Group member of the Cedefop CareersNet expert network for lifelong guidance and careers education.
Jennifer holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology and a Higher Diploma in Career Guidance from University College Dublin and is currently studying for her Education Doctorate in Queen’s University Belfast.
7. www.education.ie/en/Publications/Education-Reports/Programme-Recognition-Framework-Guidance-Counselling.pdf 8. www.europa.eu/europass/en 9. www.dmhassociates.org/careerchat. 10. www.education.ie/en/Publications/Education-Reports/indecon-review-of-career-guidance.pdf
Emergency remote learning statistics
The full impact of emergency remote learning experience upon the trajectory of eLearning remains to be seen. eolas considers some of the data currently available.
The annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey 2020 was published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in November 2020.
In mid-March 2021, all schools, pre-schools and further and higher education institutions closed for the remainder of the academic year. To ensure continuity of teaching and learning, all schools were asked to provide online resources or lessons, where possible, using online learning platforms.
The CSO’s ICT Household Survey 2020 (based on data collection for the full two quarters of Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 2020) produced three key findings for online learning:
1. 21 per cent of internet users reported communicating with instructors or students using educational websites/portals, representing a seven per cent increase on 2019;
2. 25 per cent of internet users reported ‘using online learning material other than a complete online course’, representing a four per cent increase on 2019; and
3. 18 per cent of internet users reported ‘doing an online course’, an increase of five per cent on 2019.
Meanwhile, Education Indicators for Ireland, a Department of Education report published in late December 2020, indicates a growing trend towards remote learning within higher education even in the years before the Covid-19 pandemic. The figures indicate that higher education enrolments increased from 6,015 in 2015 to 9,207 in 2018.
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Individuals who conducted online learning activities in the last three months, 2019 and 2020 (%)
Undertaking an online course Using online learning material other than an online course
A Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) survey of 1,036 its members at second level, as well as the further education and training sectors was completed in March 2021. Key findings include:
• 93 per cent of respondents noticed disengagement by some of their students as a result of the move to emergency remote teaching and learning;
• 76 per cent of respondents believe that emergency remote learning had a disproportionately negative effect on students from disadvantaged backgrounds; • 86 per cent of respondents believe that additional supports should be introduced for 2021/22 to support disadvantaged students;
• 5 per cent of respondents said that student engagement with emergency remote learning had improved in 2021 when compared with 2020; and
• 89 per cent of respondents said that preparation, provision and work associated with remote lessons required much more time (64 per cent) or more time (25 per cent) than face-to-face teaching.
E-learning driving business success
(L-R) Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director SFA, and Paul Healy, Chief Executive Skillnet Ireland, are pictured with Sonya Murphy-Lyons, founder of Mezzo Music Academy, who participated in MentorsWork.
One of Ireland’s biggest strengths is its skilled and agile workforce. But as technology, new ways of working, climate change and global competition reshape the landscape, investing in this asset is vital. Embracing the revolution in online learning has opened up a world of opportunity for Irish businesses to develop their workforce.
“Unprecedented” is a word which was been frequently used to discuss the challenges Irish businesses have faced in the past 12 months. However, amidst the challenges, the past year has also yielded opportunity, particularly in the digitisation of learning and skills development.
Embracing online
When Covid-19 emerged, Skillnet Ireland immediately engaged with its industry partners and established a strategy to bolster businesses throughout the crisis and prepare them for recovery. By examining and redesigning existing support models, a range of targeted digital learning initiatives were created across all 73 Skillnet Business Networks, which could see businesses through the crisis and beyond, and support the Government response to the pandemic. Skillnet Ireland has also sought to leverage digital learning to go further, developing specialised virtual programmes including the new MentorsWork, Skills Connect and Climate Ready initiatives. component of Skillnet Ireland’s model. However, like much of the world, the organisation saw its digital delivery rapidly accelerated in 2020 as skills demand from businesses soared and the classroom model became an impossibility.
Tracey Donnery, Executive Director Skillnet Ireland said: “Ensuring Irish businesses are successful is at the very heart of what we do. Business leaders and their teams were facing a completely new landscape and were seeking enterprise-led upskilling across many areas. Together with our networks, we made use of our expertise in digital skills development to create new programmes and support the workforce in an agile, responsive way.”
The pivoting to virtual delivery has enabled Skillnet Ireland, along with its industry partners, to support over 18,000 Irish businesses in 2020 and tackle rising skills demands including digital and specialised technology skills, ecommerce, financial management, healthcare supports, medtech, manufacturing, supply chain and
Driving competitiveness
In 2019, Future Jobs Ireland outlined the need to encourage higher numbers of SME owners/managers to engage in upskilling to address the productivity gap between SMEs and larger companies. In response, in 2020 Skillnet Ireland created MentorsWork in partnership with the Small Firms Association. Focused on building SME owners and managers capacity to navigate the challenges presented by Covid-19 and future business recovery, the programme offers bespoke one-to-one virtual mentoring support to participants, allow them to sustain their business and plan for growth.
A strong appetite from businesses paired with flexible online delivery has been fundamental to the programme’s success according to Donnery: “Small businesses needed fast, focused support. Embracing digital learning allowed us to bring that support directly to businesses, pairing them with expert mentors for one-to-one guidance online and offering a suite of other virtual supports they can engage with on their own schedule for minimal disruption and maximum impact.”
MentorsWork is on track to support over 1,000 businesses by late 2021, with the online learning model delivering strong engagement levels for this traditionally hard to reach segment.
Meeting talent demand
Another digital learning initiative that has achieved notable success is Skills Connect, an initiative aimed at helping workers severely impacted by the pandemic to quickly reskill and secure new roles within their sector or undertake conversion courses to avail of opportunities in new sectors. The Skills Connect programmes have focused on sectors where there is employment potential and the demand for talent is high, including technology, agri-food, medtech, cyber security, wind energy, logistics, energy efficiency and digital marketing.
One example of the work underway is the Future in Tech programme from Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet. Supported by a host of technology companies, it offers seven certified Tech Skills Pathways to help non-tech jobseekers rapidly develop new digital skills and access job opportunities in the tech sector. Delivered fully online, the programme also incorporates online mentoring with more than 40 industry mentors supporting pods of four to six participants throughout. Having helped hundreds of trainees establish a new career within the technology sector to date, the programme demonstrates the potential of e-learning to develop healthy pipelines of new talent for Ireland’s economy.
Most recently, Skillnet Ireland has launched Climate Ready, a long-term initiative to equip Irish businesses with the skills to manage climate change. Developed to support Government’s Climate Action Plan and the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, it aims to equip businesses with the practical skills and insights they need to respond to challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. Virtual learning, via the Climate Ready Academy, will form a cornerstone of the offering. Aiming to support over 1,100 companies in its first year, the Climate Ready Academy already offers online programmes including a Sustainability Pass and the Energy Leaders Programme.
(L-R) Minister Simon Harris, Tracey Donnery, Minister Eamon Ryan and Paul Healy are pictured at the launch of Climate Ready, an initiative to equip Irish businesses with green skills.
The digital learning horizon
Digital learning has proved its value, most especially for the business sector. Key to its future is the ongoing focus on innovation and quality assurance. One area Skillnet Ireland believes will pay dividends for workforce development is the adoption of digital badges and micro credentials, an emerging field that offers short lead-in times, flexibility in learning, and skill provision in new areas. In 2021, Skillnet Ireland published A Micro-Credential Roadmap: Currency, Cohesion and Consistency, examining how micro-credentials can contribute to upskilling demands from industry. Conducted in partnership with the National Institute of Digital Learning (NIDL) and the Irish Institute of Digital Business in Dublin City University (DCU), and five Skillnet Business Networks, the research indicated a strong appetite from employers and several projects are currently underway to examine how the future workforce will adapt to new ways of learning including the use of micro-credentials and digital badges.
Looking ahead, Donnery says: “As the world of work changes, embracing new and creative approaches to workforce development and accreditation is vital. Ongoing development with new technologies including augmented and virtual reality will ensure continuing professional development becomes more accessible and engaging for each of us.”
As the economy rebuilds, the e-learning revolution for businesses has taken root. Offering ample benefits for businesses, it has the potential to reshape the face of workforce learning as more and more businesses discover and recognise its value.
For more information on Skillnet Ireland visit www.skillnetireland.ie
The Right Course: Online training portal launched
Credit: Merrion Street
A new online training portal has been launched and additional capital funding for those seeking to upskill or train has been announced by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Launched in January 2021, The Right Course, an online portal for those seeking to retrain or upskill is promoted as a “one stop shop for businesses, employees or unemployed persons”.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris TD outlines: “This online portal offers people a clear picture of what is on offer, how they can access it and the supports available to people also.”
Aimed equally at employers, employees and unemployed people, The Right Course details further education, training and higher education opportunities, alongside information for those in receipt of a social welfare payment. The portal also outlines the range of upskilling options offered by Skillnet Ireland. These options include enterprise-led business supports, targeted upskilling for employees, free online training programmes and virtual job placements.
At the portal’s launch, the Further and Higher Education Minister acknowledged the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic in exposing Ireland’s skills shortages. Ensuring that people and businesses are equipped with the right skills to grow is essential to the post-pandemic recovery, he contends.
“If you are unemployed temporarily as a result of Covid-19, now could be the time to do a short course. You can still retain your social welfare payments while undertaking the course. Or, if you are in employment but want to improve your skillset, there are options available to you too,” Minister Harris indicates.
“The new portal will be a valuable tool to help each person identify the most suitable upskilling option for themselves and their teams. It will be great at showcasing the diversity of upskilling supports available from formal accredited programmes, apprenticeships to practical work-based learning from all the agencies,” he added.
Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme
Included within the July Jobs Stimulus, the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme provides employers with a financial incentive to recruit apprentices. This support incorporates all existing national apprenticeship programmes as well as any new programmes launched in 2020.
A grant of €3,000 per new apprentice registered between 1 March and 30 June 2021 is provided to employers, with €2,000 paid upon registering the apprentice and €1,000 in Q3 2021 for each eligible apprentice that has been retained for one year.
Additional funding
In late March 2021, Minister Harris and Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins TD announced €20 million of capital funding to expand apprenticeship provision.
“Today’s investment of €20 million, to be provided via SOLAS and the Higher Education Authority (HEA), will fund the delivery of almost 4,000 additional craft apprentice places annually across further and higher education – helping to catch up on the lost provision in 2020, and to support the target increase of 1,450 registrations across all apprenticeships in 2021.This investment reaffirms the Government’s strong commitment to enhancing and expanding the apprenticeship system.
“The Government will shortly consider a new Action Plan for Apprenticeships. It will set out new ways of structuring, funding and promoting apprenticeships, with a target of 10,000 new apprenticeship registrations per year by 2025,” Harris states.
Léargas and Digitalisation: Committed to Connecting During COVID
As Ireland’s National Agency for European Union programmes like Erasmus+ and eTwinning, Léargas has managed international and national exchange programmes in the adult education, school education, vocational education and training, and youth sectors for more than 30 years. These exchanges connect people across different communities, counties, and countries, and bring a European dimension to Irish organisations.
It might be natural to assume that Covid-19 would bring this work to a standstill. While restrictions have indeed made international travel a distant memory, Irish participants in European programmes continued to interact with other communities and countries, pursue their project objectives and benefit from engagement with European counterparts, and they did it all online.
In Léargas, we quickly digitalised complex international events like Transnational Cooperation Activities, which were intended to bring professionals from across Europe to meet face-to-face and work together. Ultimately, moving this collaborative space online proved hugely important in the midst of the pandemic.
"It’s [about] staying connected," says Lisa Downes, a TCA attendee and Youth Worker at St Andrews Resource Centre in Dublin. "We were feeling quite isolated on a European level, local level, every level. It’s about keeping the conversation [going] and keeping the doors open.”
For some, being involved in European programmes before lockdown had already laid the groundwork for a new, online way of working. “If we hadn’t been involved in European projects, we wouldn’t have that digital infrastructure and learning in place, so wouldn’t have been able to connect online," says Sarah Boland, Assistive Technology Facilitator at Saint John of God Community Services. Sarah found that moving SJOG services online was made easier because of the organisation’s previous involvement in Erasmus+ Adult Education Strategic Partnerships, which enhanced digital skills and improved accessibility.
Similarly, eTwinning, the online community for schools across Europe, “literally came into its own during lockdown”, according to Glenda McKeown, a teacher at Our Lady of Fatima Special School in Wexford. eTwinning links more than 500,000 primary and post-primary teachers across the continent to work on collaborative projects using information and communication technology. Glenda’s project was about supporting pupils’ mental health and she found that using the platform “kept us on the right road, the learning continued”.
Transferals like these were a constant reminder of the importance of digital education. Without the right skills and methods, navigating the digital realm can become draining.
Last September, in direct response to these challenges, the European Commission funded two new types of Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership projects. Almost €2.5 million was available to organisations in Ireland to support the recovery process, and to build digital and creative readiness in some of the hardest-hit sectors.
This commitment to support digital transformation among learners, educators, youth workers, young people and organisations remains, and is one of the four key priorities of the new Erasmus+ programme for 2021–2027.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that the adaptive nature of Erasmus+ and those who take part in it will continue to create connection and innovation in education, training and youth work. Many of us felt our horizons growing narrower under lockdown, and discovered that even virtual travel broadens them.
Programme Support & Development Team: psdt@leargas.ie / eTwinning: etwinning@leargas.ie
W: www.leargas.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Leargas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Leargas.ireland
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/leargas/
Connect with DCU for a digital edge
As a world leader in digital education for 25 years, DCU has enabled thousands of people living throughout Ireland, and beyond, to upskill and advance their careers by studying fully online through DCU Connected.
DCU has a long history of fully online education well before the Covid-19 pandemic. Did you know that DCU has been offering distance education since 1982? This was the year the National Distance Education Centre was established at DCU and ever since the University has been committed to providing wider access to higher education through flexible learning pathways.
The term DCU Connected helps to convey that in today’s new digital world students can be connected to DCU wherever they live. Through DCU Connected people with limited time or opportunity to study in-place on a DCU campus, can pursue part-time online study with flexibility that fits their life. Importantly, DCU Connected programmes make it possible to continue to learn and earn from anywhere, with potential to take you everywhere. We have many stories of students who began their study through DCU Connected when living in Ireland, and as new career opportunities arose were able to stay connected, and complete their DCU degree, from anywhere in the world. As one of the world’s top ranked young universities, a DCU degree is internationally recognised and importantly our online programmes have the same status and meet the same high-quality standards as any other DCU qualification. DCU was also named the Sunday Times University of the Year 2021. We offer the only online degree in Psychology that is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), which ensures that the programme meets the highest standards. Moreover, DCU is the only Irish university that applies the internationally recognised Quality Matters (QM) standards to the design and delivery of our online programmes. These standards adopted by the world’s leading online providers, including our US partner Arizona State University, ensure that students can have confidence in the quality of DCU Connected programmes.
Notably, over 85 per cent of our online students ranked the quality of digital learning on their DCU Connected course as good, excellent or best imaginable in the 2018 International Student Digital Experience Tracker Survey. DCU is known around the world for our innovation and leadership in the design of online education. The National Institute for Digital Learning in DCU hosts a team of experts spread across specialised labs and units each dedicated to innovation in the science, craft and design of learning experiences. Mostly recently we have been helping onboard hundreds of learners new to online learning via our Digital Edge: Essentials for the Online Learner course. We want to bring you on a study journey with us. All you need to do is take the first step.
