North Yorkshire County Council: Recording inclusive evidence for learner progression

An Excellence Gateway case study

This case study was produced by JISC RSC (Regional Support Centres) Yorkshire & Humber on behalf of the Excellence Gateway.

Sector relevance: Adult and community learning

Keywords: Improving teaching and learning, improving responsiveness to learners, improving institutional effectiveness, learner support, administration and support, learners with disabilities, learner progression

Summary

A case study on the creation of an Electronic Learner Progress Book that includes video and audio evidence. It is intended to make the RARPA process more inclusive for learners with profound and multiple disabilities. The future potential of this project is also considered, including the development of the “e-personal passport” and facilitating a more joined-up programme of care for supported learners.

About North Yorkshire County Council

North Yorkshire Adult Learning Service welcomes over 24,000 learners each year to more than 2,800 courses at 245 venues across the county. All areas deliver supported learning and it forms a sizeable part of the service.

The challenge

In 2005, the LSC introduced RARPA (Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement) as a “learner-focused system of recognising both anticipated and unanticipated learning outcomes arising from non-accredited programmes” (NIACE).

The North Yorkshire Adult Learning Service uses a Learner Progress Book across the Service and it includes what each learner on each course would like to and is expected to achieve. The challenge for the Supportive Learning Team was to best record the evidence for RARPA with learners where evidence is of complex behaviour and communication. Consequently, it is mainly visual and often hard to describe textually.

Chris Schofield, Supportive Learning Co-ordinator, works with learners that have individual, often non-verbal, ways of communicating. He adopts a teaching approach based on what has become to be known as Intensive Interaction. Progress can often be gradual – for example, it may take six months for a learner to make eye contact with the tutor. Chris uses creative ways of working, ie in play, music or dance, which provide a motivating medium for developing skills. Chris wanted to use technology to make the RARPA process inclusive and to develop a suitable way of recording evidence of progression of the learners with whom he works.

The activity

Chris Schofield adapted the Learner Progress Book to take into account that evidence of progression with learners with a profound and multiple disability is mainly visual. A Learning Aim could be that the learner is able to attract attention to themselves or that they are taking part in the activity. Videos, recordings and photographs are taken and edited in order to capture evidence of achievement of these Aims.

It was important to obtain appropriate multimedia consent, which also had the effect to emphasise to the learners that they have ownership over the video and photographs used.

The outcomes

The videos and photographs are hyperlinked to the relevant section of the Learner Progress Book.

A further activity involves the video and photographic evidence being used to put together a ‘personal E passport’ called “This Is Me”. Photographs and video can help to outline the learner’s ambitions, list family and friends and introduce their key worker. This is created with parents and key workers and is interactive. It can be presented by the learner by means of a touch screen.

The document can be a way of interesting people in the learner’s work, a means of getting to know the learner, and could be built on at care plan meetings.

The learner has something to properly record their progress, in the same way as other learners. It is also something transferable; the tutor can give the learner a CD of evidence to take with them.

The impact

1. Learner-centred approach and focus on learner independence

The learner is at the centre of this process. Learners can see their own achievements and what is being said about them. Previously, this has been paper-based so not as accessible. The learner also provides the evidence himself or herself in listing likes and dislikes, providing a more rounded way of seeing the person.

2. Transferable technology skills to empower learners as individuals

The results of the project can be felt in the “real world”, not just within the learning environment. Family members and key workers have been keen to get involved. Video of people talking about the learner validates the learner and emphasises that they are not a client but a “real” person. Technology is the tool for those involved to get to know each other and share mutual interests.

3. Supporting PCDL

The project emphasises the personal and community aspect in PCDL (Personal & Community Development Learning) where the aim is to develop personal skills as a member of the community, for employment but also for sociability, literacy, basic core skills, and democracy. It develops the person and that person’s role in society. As the project can be used inter-agency as part of the care plan, this empowers the learner as a part of the community. Traditionally, learning providers and care teams have been separate. Learners with disabilities are able to embark on educational courses that have scope for development and will make a difference to their lives.

Caroline Applebaum, Supportive Learning Manager, explains the impact of the project:

It highlights the importance of using various aspects of e-learning and the value of the use of multimedia recording methods to ensure the learning taking place within the environment is captured at all times. Staff have been creative in finding innovative methods of communication in which to work with learners with high complex needs. Our belief is that all learners, regardless of their disability, should be given the opportunity to develop their skills, work on ways to communicate with others and be given opportunities to engage in new and exciting opportunities”

The future

1. Developments in evidence collection and presentation

The next step would be for learners to collect and present the evidence themselves, with less tutor guidance. The technology used for storing the information can also be developed so that the presentation of evidence is more interactive.

2. Adapt across the curriculum

There are plans to spread the project across to accredited services. The visual aspects of the project lends itself easily to ESOL and Skills for Life provision but it could also be used in Arts subject areas, physical leisure activities, and language classes to record activity. There is also potential for return to work activities with online CVs. It is also useful in retention as learners are given CDs where they can see where they have progressed.

3. “e-Passport” for learners

There is also the potential to create a kind of e-CV or e-passport for learners. It can be used with tutors new to the learner to demonstrate how they communicate and what they have achieved. It can be shared across learning providers or agencies such as care providers and link in with care plans and the needs of the community and learners.

Useful links

• North Yorkshire County Council
• LSC website pages on RARPA
• Useful contact details: Caroline.Applebaum@northyorks.gov.uk Supportive Learning Manager 01609 533325

Disclaimer: The Regional Support Centres (RSC) and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) support the development of educational e-learning. We may refer to specific products, processes or services. Such references are examples and are not endorsements or recommendations and should not be used for product endorsement purposes.