HELLO Building learning communities
Higher Education Lifelong Learning Opportunities The HELLO Project is a JISC funded project in the Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development strand. HELLO tackles three issues; a vast reduction in pure social space, a need for an HE “identity” and engaging currciulum areas with e-Learning and associated technologies. Leicester College has over 60 HE courses delivered across a variety of Curriculum Areas. Learners are full-time, part-time, work based and distance. There are 200 learners and 14 staff involved in the project, across a variety of courses: HNCs and HNDs in Business, Engineering and Travel and Tourism. Foundation Degrees in Footwear, Fashion and Costume, Artistic Makeup and Special Effects, Photography and Video (full and part time), Graphics and E-Media, Performance (Acting and Dance) and Creative Sound Technology
Curriculum Led Community Using Moodle HELLO has developed an HE Student Community Site and course level Student Common Rooms, tackling three issues: 1. Contributing to a sense of community 2. Keeping learners “warm” 3. Integrating subtle forms of learning Programme Leader, Foundation Degree in Photography and Video (Part time) “its had a tremendous impact to the experience of my students...this year there is 100% retention rate. The HELLO Project and Moodle has certainly added to the coherence, the delivery and student experience to the extent that into next year it will be a requirement to engage through Moodle”
“[Show and Tell] makes ‘making friends’ that little bit easier”
Student Led Community Learners are using Mahara to build their e-portfolios, reflect on work based learning and practice and contact external stakeholders including business experts from their curriculum area. Other external stakeholders include peer mentors from the local university.
For information please contact: Lucy Stone, Project Manager Leicester College, Aylestone Road, Leicester LE2 7LW Telephone: 0116 2242000 lstone@lec.ac.uk or visit http://hello.lec.ac.uk