Case study Organisation: Springboard Hackney Type of provider: Work Based Learning Focus on: Technology
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“The tutors and staff have benefited from online learning because it has greatly sped up the time taken for verification and assessment.” Background Jo works as a project manager for Springboard Hackney Trust, a work based learning provider with Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) contracts to deliver learning. Springboard also works in collaboration with other learning providers such as Hackney College. A large section of work for Springboard Hackney is delivering LSC funded apprenticeships, and courses for adults funded by the DWP to get people into work, developing job readiness skills, CV writing, industry certification, and safety certificates. Jo began her career as a teacher in a secondary school and completed a master’s degree in electrical engineering, which had a large IT component. She then worked in IT for around 15 years, before moving back into more community based learning projects, so she could be more involved in the direct use of IT in a learning environment.
Jo works with learners on a one-to-one basis where there is some kind of social need, and the learners need extra help. As well as working with learners, Jo’s role includes introducing new products or new initiatives, such as new learning contracts with the LSC, or new IT systems and related products.
Use of technology The latest Ofsted report indicted that Springboard had good access to technology in the classroom, and had good use of technology for training and learning. Springboard is trying to introduce more flexible course modules, with more online work and assessment using Moodle (Moodle is a free and open source web based e-learning software platform), especially among those learners who are work based. They can access their work remotely which means that their learning can suit their needs and also the needs of their employers, who sometimes find it difficult to release workers. Feedback will then be given online, sometimes using the chat function. Tutors at Springboard have tended to develop ‘home grown’ applications and learning materials using Microsoft Office, Microsoft Share Point, and via Moodle – although this tends to be rather haphazard. The problem is that it requires constant work to develop these resources and applications, so Jo is looking to use more commercial products, utilising online repositories and e-portfolios for the learners to take away some of the development burden from staff. Jo feels that there is a need to look at what is out there in the e-learning market that would help with course delivery in the classroom, improve the learning experience and improve flexibility. Training in the use of technology tends to take place in teams, or on an individual basis as needed and requested by staff – however this tends to be geared towards the needs of the tutor. Jo will work to ensure this training becomes standardised across the organisation as to reflect the needs of learners: “We need to look at what other organisations have been doing and standardise because up to now it has been tailored to individuals – and we need to change that focus.”
Impact/key lessons Jo thinks that the use of Moodle has made learners more proactive in organising their own learning as they don’t have to come into the centre as often to pick up or hand in work. A trial with tablet PCs in the workplace was successful in allowing learners to organise their own learning, this was particularly useful where there is no computer at work.
higher achievement rates as learners feel more motivated when their accreditation is received sooner. This also benefits the employers because their workers are qualified quicker – they see things happening – particularly in schemes where the employer is paid a bonus when the employee gets their qualification, as Jo says: “Final accreditations were taking ages to get through – this increase in speed has improved employer participation and motivation.”
Future plans Jo would like to provide devices with wireless capability for learners, to increase their ability to access learning at their convenience. Having mobile devices would enable tutors to contact learners more easily and visa-versa. Jo says that: “In the past we had to phone them, and it was difficult to get contact because a lot of them didn’t have any credit on their phones, or they swapped them and changed their number. A lot of the learners like to use messaging online so the support tutors use that to let them know what is happening, and they can let us know what they are doing. I think that if you can do this then it will improve retention and success rates.” There are also obvious benefits with mobile devices for learners who have mobility problems. Many of the learners have issues outside of their learning, such as housing problems. With this approach counsellors and support workers would be able to provide advice and guidance as they need it and put them in touch with local agencies who could send information directly. The challenge, as she points out, is getting funding to provide such devices.
“Learners can access their work remotely which means that their learning can suit their needs and also the needs of their employers, who sometimes find it difficult to release workers.”
The tutors and staff have benefited from online learning because it has greatly sped up the time taken for verification and assessment. Previously when it was purely paper based it took a long time for people to get their accreditation and qualifications. Jo has found that this increase in the process speed has resulted in RW09/09/CS009
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