An Approach to Employer Engagement

Employer Engagement at WKCWKC is currently delivering to a variety of employers who require flexible delivery

Learners want to learn at a time and place that suits them rather than the College.

The Challenge of Flexible Delivery

How can we maintain a rich interactive experience between teachers and learners …?

The Interactive Web

Blogs WikisVideo/ Image Sharing Video/voice conferencing

Second Generation web tools have the potential to deliver

high quality interaction between

teachers and learners.

Second Generation web tools have the potential to deliver

high quality interaction between

teachers and learners.

Second generation web tools enable asynchronous two way communication . These include

Case Study - The Army

A group of Army catering personnel join the Foundation Degree in Hospitality

The Army challenge

The learners are highly dispersed often in different countries.

Learners had limited IT skills

Teaching team had little experience of interactive web tools.

Learners returning to learning needing close tutorial support.

As a first assignment all

students introduce themselves via the

class Wiki

As a first assignment all

students introduce themselves via the

class Wiki

I feel I’m lagging behind with my assignment ...

need to pull my weight a bit

Wife and kids coming over ... excited about

seeing them again

Tutorials will be held via

MSN Messenger or Blackboard

Chat

Students find out about Blogs and Wikis using YouTube video.

Delivering ContentAs well as PowerPoint and other office docs …

On-line videos of sessions with full time students delivered through our VLE

Home grown YouTube clips that have achieved success far beyond WKC.

Assignment Setting and Grading

Electronic Assignments issued through the VLE and require the use of Blogs and Wikis

Grades/Feedbackreported throughthe VLE

The Student Experience

“Well, I'm over the moon - I've passed my first assessment!!!!”

“some issues with IT at work ... hardware would not be out of place in a museum”

“I have enjoyed sharing my experiences and knowledge with the rest of the course.”

Over the past year I have received help and encouragement from many of the team, our little band the brothers.

The IQER Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) is a review method specially devised for higher education in further education colleges

“The use made of the virtual learning environment to enable students to develop, review and update their personal development plans, and to enable staff to deliver, support, monitor and assess students' progress with their plans is a feature of good practice”

“The use of the virtual learning environment for assessment was recognised as an area of good practice"

“Students use web-based tools to undertake appraisal of their academic, career and personal skills, and set long and short-term tagets”

YouTube: Free for 10 minute clips.

What Price the Interactive Web?Wikis and Blogs: Commonly used VLEs such as Moodle and Blackboard include these tools at no extra cost.

Web conferencing: Free web based services are from DimDim . Pro Version $20 a month.

Screen Sharing: Many free screen sharing applications e.g. CrossLoop . For $9.95 a month Screencast.

Lessons Learnt•Take time to induct students into how it all works

•You are not always in control of the technology – when it lets you down have a back-up plan.

•Keep nagging them (the learners) to access the VLE and communicate - constant monitoring is required.

• Teaching teams really need to get to grips with the technology so it becomes easy and natural.

Questions?

ian.mcdonald@westking.ac.uk