Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Adult & Community Learning Department: Loaning equipment for learning in the community

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, improving institutional effectiveness, access to education, additional learning support, blended and inclusive learning, developing self-confidence, motivating learners, personalisation of learning, support for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, management of resources

Summary

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Adult & Community Learning Department (Rotherham ACL) has developed an equipment loan scheme with their learning providers, as a result of funding from NIACE. This has had a major impact on learners in the community, making more equipment available and increasing learner support. A new IT culture is being established amongst staff and learners alike.

About Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Adult & Community Learning Department

Rotherham ACL offers community learning for adults aged 19+ in all communities of Rotherham. It funds new and established learning providers to offer community-based learning, and works with voluntary and community groups to enable them to become providers of learning within their own communities.

The challenge

Paul Morris, ICT Senior Development Officer at Rotherham ACL, found limited equipment when he started in post three years ago. His challenge was to increase the amount of equipment that he could make available to his learning providers, of a type that is useful to adult learners, and contribute to a cultural change in the approach to IT.

The activity

Rotherham ACL received funding from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) as part of their Capital Motivating e-Learning (CaMeL) Funding Programme. They purchased a variety of equipment to set up a loan scheme, including a portable hearing aid loop, laptops, dongles, digital cameras, data projectors, and a trackball mouse.

The focus was on acquiring mobile technology as this was most suitable to learning in the community. Providers can borrow the equipment and use it in less traditional learning venues, such as church halls and sheltered housing.

Paul tied the purchases in with management support for a new approach to IT. Rotherham ACL is developing its own virtual learning environment (VLE), the ‘Learning Portal’. This is an online area where all administration related to adult learning courses can be accessed and downloaded by all providers at any time. In future, it will also host courses and the aim is to give learning providers their own area within the Learning Portal. It is expected to become a stipulation of contract that all Rotherham ACL learning providers will have to use the system.

The outcomes

1. New equipment loan scheme established

   All of Rotherham ACL learning providers are able to loan equipment to use with their learners.

2. Extra capacity in the community

   Rotherham's adult learners study courses on a wide variety of subjects, such as family history and digital photography, that incorporate basic IT skills.

   Jon Mayo, Manager of JMLB Genesis, reports that access to extra equipment loaned from Rotherham ACL means that he can increase the number of learners on his courses.

3. Increased outreach provision

   The mobile nature of the technology helps learning take place in less traditional settings. Jon Mayo runs a course in sheltered housing – something he is only able to do with the loaned laptops.

4. Assistive technology can aid learner needs

   Technology helps different types of learners. Julie Draper, Manager of Kiveton Creative, describes how one learner with joint problems attended an IT class but was reluctant to return as he found manipulating the mouse difficult. Julie borrowed the trackball mouse from Rotherham ACL and the learner completed the basic IT course and moved up to the next level.

   “It’s opened doors up for him already - we can offer so much more,” Julie says.

   Similarly, Jon Mayo has borrowed laptops with SuperNova screen reader software installed on them, particularly useful to visually impaired learners.

5. A new IT culture

   Paul Morris says “staff are now thinking ICT.” The creation of the Learning Portal and the availability of equipment have improved accessibility and created a culture where people can see the benefits of using technology. For example, Jon Mayo is making his handouts available on the Learning Portal. This ensures that learners can access the handouts and then format them to a style that suits them, for example, by increasing the font size.

   Paul’s team has also loaned equipment to other Council departments. This has increased Council efficiency, as well as helped to promote ACL services.

The impact

1. The technology has aided learning

   All learners have reported benefits from the newly available technology. One learner on a family history course, June, reported how the data projector and large screen has helped her:

   “It’s fantastic because I can see the screen… I probably would have given up without having the technology. You struggle on your own.”

   Another learner, Moira, added:

   “I’m not struggling and I can pick it up more quickly… You can follow it more easily.”

The data projector makes it easier for the tutor to teach to the entire group.

2. Greater enthusiasm for learning

   Julie Draper says the technology has increased the enthusiasm of learners:

   “Since having the laptops, six or seven of learners have bought laptops."

3. Technology makes courses more relevant

   Jean used a loaned laptop to create a video in her digital photography class, based on a family wedding. She combined photographs with music and credits and will send it to her grandson in Australia.

   I look forward to coming here every week” says Jean, a learner on a digital photography course.

   "Education is not just for the young… There are so many things I want to do and I know I can do it.”

   Julie Draper says:

   “It’s a social thing, we set up email accounts and chat on MSN and they do this at home.”

   Being able to try out the equipment in class is key.

   “If the equipment wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be coming… Coming here, you can learn the current programmes. says Jean.

   All learners report added confidence in using computers as a result of using the loaned equipment – June has taught her son how to use internet banking and Moira is now experimenting making greeting cards in her own time.

4. Learning providers have benefited and want to grow

   Jon Mayo outlines how he is able to offer newer versions of technology to his learners.

“The loan scheme is good because, organisationally, I don't have the resources to keep updating,” he says.

Jon is keen to build upon the technology available to him. He has seen the use of technology in community learning and aims to build a digital community, exploring Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), as a way of connecting people who are less able to travel to learn.

The future

The loan equipment is currently mostly used on ICT courses. Having seen the positive results amongst learners, Paul Morris now wants to build equipment use into non-ICT courses.

Useful links

• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council website
• NIACE CaMeL Funding (registration required)

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