Excellence Gateway
This case study was produced by JISC RSC (Regional Support Centres) Eastern on behalf of the Excellence Gateway.
Sector relevance: Further education colleges
Keywords: Improving teaching and learning, improving institutional effectiveness, staff development, development of teaching and learning resources, policies and procedures, judgements and reporting, evidence gathering, actions and outcomes, quality improvement
In 2008, JISC RSC Eastern launched the ‘e-Skills for e-learning' project (originally created by JISC RSC Scotland SW). Its purpose - to disseminate the basic skills and principles of e-learning for participants to cascade within their own institutions.
Some of the participants included:
The structure and content of the course offers a more comprehensive but flexible approach to developing such skills, that perhaps existing staff development models do not.
All three have successfully run the programme and it has helped shape a positive approach to e-learning as a result, with consequently more staff engaging with technology to support their delivery.
For more information on each of the colleges featured in this case study please visit the relevant links below:
It is typical to find within colleges, a handful of staff who have a keen interest in technology and innovative approaches to teaching. However, for many institutions this interest is not shared amongst the majority. The common reason for this is that they do not feel confident nor see the benefits of using IT in learning.
The challenge for each of the three colleges was to find a new staff development model that would appeal to members of staff. Ideally, one that helps them to understand that technology is not a substitute for existing teaching methods but rather a supporting mechanism to help broaden their approach to curriculum delivery.
In 2008 JISC RSC Eastern launched ‘e-Skills for e-learning' - a programme designed to help teaching practitioners gain the basic skills and knowledge required to use technology for teaching and learning.
JISC RSC Eastern ran an open invitation event for practitioners who have a keen interest in e-learning. The purpose of the day was to demonstrate all the key components of the programme which include:
The event was intended for delegates to gain an understanding of the course and its components, and then take this information away to cascade and run the course as e-Skills mentors within their own college.
For many, the training session was a real eye-opener, particularly for those who did not have much experience of e-learning.
Diana Keyzor, Lecturer and e-Skills Mentor from Great Yarmouth College comments:
“I thought it was going to be a lot more technical."
Diana added:
“But it appeals to me because it relates directly to my teaching."
Phil Ackroyd, e-Skills Facilitator for City College Norwich, explains his reasons for taking part in the programme:
“It gave us another string to the offering that we have here for staff at City College. We do a whole variety of short 30-minute sessions, e-Clinic sessions, longer development sessions, and this overall package (e-Skills) was missing from what we had.”
Each participant is provided with a course guide which comes in a folder with information and exercises relevant to each module. There is also a CD with a number of resources to practise and perfect basic techniques such as drag and drop, making materials accessible, creating course material for VLEs, etc.
The onus is then with the participant to attend the regular three-hour sessions to complete the course. On completion of all the modules, the participant is presented with a certificate which can then be included within their continuing personal development (CPD) portfolio.
All three colleges offer the course material via their own VLEs to complement the three-hour sessions so that participants can practise techniques in their spare time.
Phil explains:
“We had to set-up the course within our own systems to meet the requirements of staff. First we had to adapt to put it into Blackboard (VLE) so we had to make sure all the materials were well placed for staff to access.”
For participating colleges, the e-Skills course has universally helped practitioners to embrace new technology and develop an understanding of the benefits of e-learning.
David James, an Art and Design Tutor from University Campus Suffolk (UCS) commented on the highlights of the course:
“The key things were how to use online assessment tools. Subsequently I also learnt how to use wikis and realised that they had lot of potential for learning.”
Donna, a tutor for Art and Design at Great Yarmouth College, did not have much experience or understanding of e-learning due to the nature of her subject area. However, after participating on the course she explained:
“I found lots of interesting websites to use. I learnt how to use hyperlinks, use word (MS Word) more effectively and simple tasks like how to drag and drop information.”
One of the benefits of the e-Skills course is that it is modular. Teaching staff normally find it difficult to find time for extra-curricular or CPD activities. Therefore, the structure of the programme naturally offers the opportunity for staff to pick 'n' mix modules which they have an interest in and feel would add value to their teaching.
University Campus Suffolk adopted this approach and have made modifications to each module to meet their specific needs. This was because their local priority was to get staff involved with e-learning. With time being a particular restraint for most staff, this approach was more fitting.
Similarly, Great Yarmouth College had to change their delivery schedule to fit around staff commitments.
The way in which the course is structured offers the flexibility for institutions to tweak and adjust the course material, schedule and overall delivery to their individual needs. For this reason the e-Skills course is growing in popularity within the region.
Another participating college within the Eastern region has also run the course successfully. As a result, they have now managed to get the course accredited by a national awarding body, which has increased its popularity amongst staff in the College.
The ‘e-Skills for e-learning' programme, although still in its infancy, has already helped raise awareness of the benefits of e-learning across the region. Furthermore, it has helped around 50 practitioners build their confidence to effectively use technology for teaching and learning.
Eddie Naylor, Lecturer and Staff Development Manager comments on the positive impact it has had with the participants at UCS:
“It has changed their method of delivery. I've used the content for my personal delivery and it's been highly useful.”
He adds:
“The main thing is to make the tutors aware that the technology exists. I believe that once they see how it can be used they will get onboard with it.”
E-Skills has consequently helped transform the learning experience for students too. Julia Buckland, Health and Beauty Tutor at CCN, enrolled on the programme primarily with the intention of engaging learners through innovative teaching.
Julia comments on her experience of e-Skills:
“I was hoping that it would help me with my delivery, to keep things more interesting for the students, to help them research and to help them make better use of the IT facilities."
Lucy Taylor, a Beauty Therapy student, enrolled at CCN four years ago. She describes how both teaching and learning have changed since she started:
“It's a lot more interesting, we are not just here looking at a screen for two hours and having to read it ourselves. It helps keep your attention. Before, we only had one teacher who knew how to use PowerPoint, the rest used to give us sheets and talk, but a lot has changed since then.”
“Some students have found it stimulating and it helps them with their learning in ways in which they can relate to.”
Malcolm Bodley, FE e-Learning Advisor for JISC RSC Eastern explains the purpose of the e-Skills programme:
“From the RSC's perspective, the skills transfer initiative has been a useful addition to our provider support. e-Skills is proving to be an excellent tool for introducing tutors to the world of e-learning by giving a basic understanding, enhancing skills and building confidence. Facilitators are taking and adapting the materials to suit their organisations and developing their delivery to fit tutors busy timetables. The RSC Eastern staff have supported the programme by acting as mentors, supplying the original packs, both paper-based and on CD; the course also comes with detailed lesson plans. RSC Eastern are now offering the programme to all providers in the Eastern region.”
Watch a video of the 'e-Skills and e-Learning project'
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