Delivering WBL Improvements- DEWI Case study: Swansea Metropolitan

Contact Name: Professor Tony TooleEmail: anthony.toole@smu.ac.uk/tony.toole@e-college.acPhone: 07964894790Institution: Swansea Metropolitan, University of Wales Trinity Saint DavidAddress: Mount Pleasant Campus, Swansea, SA1 6ED

Identified need/issue/opportunity:

The name of the Jisc Dewi Project initiative at Swansea Metropolitan was:The Development of Online Distance Learning courses in Logistics and Transport using the JISC WBL Maturity Toolkit.

Swansea Metropolitan delivers logistics and transport courses, validated by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) in the UK, to the British armed forces stationed abroad, particularly in Germany. A major issue for the delivery of the CILT courses is the need for periodic work based training delivery in the bases across Europe. To date this has involved tutors travelling to provide face-to-face on site support; clearly an expensive option.

The university is now considering the design of an online distance learning version of the courses that would be able to provide that tutor support remotely. It was hence proposed that the WBL Maturity Toolkit be used to assist in the planning of that online distance learning version of the programme. This would include preparation for validation, quality assurance, delivery and work-based assessment.

Swansea Metropolitan University currently has only limited experience of online distance learning delivery, but sees it as an important part of its future delivery mix, particularly for work-based learning. The Dewi project was seen as an opportunity to use the JISC WBL Maturity Toolkit to assist in that process, and also to judge the value of the toolkit for similar developments in the future.

Aims/objectives:

The broad aim of the project at Swansea Metropolitan was to use the JISC WBL Maturity Toolkit in the design of an online distance learning version of the CILT Logistics and Transport courses for delivery to British armed forces overseas.

The objectives were to:

Plan and develop the online distance learning delivery of Logistics and Transport courses in collaboration with CILT(UK) and with geographically dispersed clients, particularly the armed forces;

Use the WBL Maturity Toolkit to ensure institutional and faculty preparedness for new and innovative methods of delivery to work based learners;

Assist in the formal quality assurance and validation of online distance learning as a new delivery mode for the courses;

Evaluate the WBL Maturity Toolkit as a design tool and to use the project to assist in developing and improving the toolkit effectiveness for the user community.

Description/approach - including area(s) of the toolkit used:

1

The Swansea Metropolitan project focussed on four specific areas of the WBL Maturity Toolkit:

1. Institutional Readiness. The criteria considered being: 1-1 WBL strategy and plans, 1-8 WBL procedures and processes for programme validation, 1-9 QA for WBL and 1-12 Business, commercial and financial approaches

2. Faculty Readiness. The criteria considered being: 2-1 WBL strategy and implementation plan and 2-4 Training and support for external staff and employers

3. Programme Design for WBL. The criteria considered being: 3-3 Development and planning for validation, 3-4 Alignment with professional standards, 3-8 IT Support and 3-11 Learning materials and resources

6. Quality Enhancement of the Learner Experience. The criteria considered being: 6-3 Programme Design, Review and Quality Enhancement and 6-4 Programme Delivery and Support

In each area of focus and for each criterion the main statement, self assessment guidelines, evidence to look for and (where included) further information and examples were examined. In each case a summary was made of the area of focus in the context of the proposed Swansea Metropolitan WBL development. The summary was then followed by an assessment of the WBL Toolkit added value for the design process and concluded with proposed potential enhancements for the toolkit identified by completing the evaluation exercise.

Anticipated outcomes:

It was anticipated that the structured approach of applying the WBL Maturity considerations to an assessment of faculty and institutional preparedness and procedures would significantly assist the university in its planned development of online distance learning supported WBL delivery.

It was also expected that the particular context of the application would potentially enhance the practicalities of the WBL Maturity Toolkit itself in the way it deals with and advises on different types of WBL initiatives.

Evidence of actual outcomes:

All of the outcomes of the work carried out by Swansea Metropolitan as part of the Dewi project are available on the project website at: http://swanseametwbl.pbworks.com.

The outcomes for the different WBL Maturity Toolkit focus areas are reported on separate pages on the website:

1. Institutional Readiness

2. Faculty/School/Department Readiness

3. Programme Design for WBL

6. Quality of the Learner Experience

The following excerpt from the evaluation of Institutional Readiness gives a flavour of the evaluative approach and an example of the outcomes:

1-1 WBL strategy and plans

The term 'work based learning' does not appear anywhere in the Swansea Metropolitan strategic plan. That does not mean, however, that it does not support WBL or that WBL is not an important part of its portfolio. There are close relationships between all vocational

2

programme areas and the industry sectors they support. Involvement of employers and professional bodies in programme planning and design is common and work placement and sandwich components are part of a number of industry specific courses. As detailed in 1-12 below, a significant part of the work based learning provision is commercially based rather than part of normal degree delivery.

WBL Toolkit added value: The toolkit provides a useful checklist against which WBL strategy and plans can be mapped and guided. This may be very useful in the development of a new strategic plan for the merged institution. An explicit articulation of WBL policy is likely to guide developments in a more direct way. The reason it is not there already may be because the integration of academic learning with the development of workplace skills and experience has always been part of the Swansea Met institutional vocational culture.

WBL Toolkit proposed enhancements: The WBL Toolkit gives the impression that WBL is viewed as something separate to other learning formats. In practice, of course, WBL is integrated with the other learning formats that combine in the overall programme. It might be questioned whether a 'specific WBL strategic plan' is desirable rather than just promoting WBL in the institutional strategy as an key component of applied, work focussed training.

1-8 WBL processes and procedures for programme validation

It would be reasonable to say that the existing procedures and processes for programme approval and validation at Swansea Met already accommodate the particular needs of courses with a WBL component. The involvement of employers and the professions is certainly encouraged by what has always been a vocationally orientated institution.

WBL Toolkit added value: The WBL Toolkit would provide a useful focus for future validation planning. Although the culture of the institution accommodates WBL as an important component of courses that benefit from it, the articulation of that approach is likely to ensure that the opportunities for, and benefits of, WBL are not missed in new course design and approval.

WBL Toolkit proposed enhancements: The guidelines here seem to promote 'fast tracking', 'shell frameworks' and other features as being essential, rather than just options if appropriate. It may be helpful if they were presented as such and that the 'further info and examples' addition to this particular criterion (not a feature of most other criteria) included as part of an appendix of useful resources.

1-9 QA for WBL

The QA processes for WBL clearly need to include an assessment of the quality of the learning process in the workplace, and the way it integrates with the underpinning knowledge delivered by the institution. In the case of the CILT Logistics programme, it involves no on-campus attendance at all. Hence the QA assessment must consider both the WBL and the distance learning provision as an integrated delivery process.

WBL Toolkit added value: All of the guideline statements are valid and helpful for the planning process (but see the comment below).

WBL Toolkit proposed enhancements: As noted in other comments, the QA processes and processes supporting WBL planning, development and implementation are covered more than once in the WBL Toolkit. The distinction between the contexts of each QA criterion needs to be made clear (or a separate area of the toolkit be created dealing with all aspects of QA). Also, the main statement for the criterion is expressed as a question rather than as a statement and this may need to be revised.

1-12 Business, commercial and financial approaches

3

The CILT Programme at Swansea Metropolitan is managed as a commercially funded programme through the Commercial Services Department at the University. Staff from the Faculty of Applied Design and Engineering are contracted to deliver the courses. A full business case and costing is attached to the programme.

WBL Toolkit added value: There are no self assessment guidelines or evidence suggestions given in the current version of the WBL Toolkit. An assessment of added value for this criterion is therefore not possible at present. Some possible toolkit guidelines and evidence are presented below.

WBL Toolkit proposed enhancements: Self assessment guidelines could include:

A viable business model is in place for the WBL programme based on full economic costing

The resourcing model includes workplace provision and mentoring Approval and validation includes employer commitment to WBL support

requirements Provision for APEL based on evidence of workplace competence mapped to learning

objectivesEvidence to look for could include:

Employer contractual agreement to fund the delivery Documented evidence of WBL target delivery Audit/accounts confirmation of meeting financial targets/viability

Barriers to success:

As far as the Swansea Metropolitan contribution to the Dewi project is concerned, there were no particular barriers encountered that prevented a very useful assessment of the WBL Maturity Toolkit. It will be seen in the next section of this case study, however, that there are some significant areas for improvement in the toolkit itself and it is hoped that the outcomes of the project will assist in the development of the resource.

Comments on the Work-Based Learning Maturity Toolkit/how the Tool could be improved:

Overall, the WBL Maturity Toolkit was found to be a useful and valuable resource for institutions developing their work based learning capacity and experience. At the end of the day it is basically a lengthy checklist, based on established practice, against which institutions can judge their preparedness.

As indicated in the excerpt of the evaluation above, however, the project carried out by Swansea Metropolitan identified the fact that there were two aspects of the toolkit that needed significant attention before the toolkit itself could be regarded as a ‘mature’ resource. The first was completeness and the other was consistency.

It is clear that there are a number of areas of the toolkit where the ‘self assessment guidelines’ and ‘evidence to look for’ sections are either incomplete or totally empty. This is important for institutions looking for guidance in specific areas of WBL design and delivery.

Related to the same issue is consistency. There are some focus areas where the guidelines and evidence advice contains more than a dozen recommendations for action. In others there are just one or two. It is not clear from the toolkit guidelines whether this is indicative of greater importance and complexity in some areas compared with others or whether some focus areas have received greater attention in the toolkit development and are hence more complete and detailed.

4

Either way, for the WBL Maturity Toolkit to be accepted and used as an authoritative source of information, advice and practical guidance, the completeness and consistency issues need to be addressed.

Reflection/impact, including lessons learnt:

Lessons learnt - the process of using the toolkit

The toolkit is most useful as a checklist against which work based learning courses can be mapped and their completeness judged. To some extent it can be seen to be a two way process as new programmes bring different contexts, priorities and methods to WBL design and can inform and refine the toolkit itself. The toolkit will be most useful if seen as a design tool owned, managed and continuously improved by the whole WBL community of practice.

Lessons learnt - relating to the Swansea Met project and WBL

The CILT Logistics and Transport programme being used as a case study in the use of the JISC WBL Toolkit has two very specific characteristics that have provided valuable information about WBL design. The first is that the programme is designed and validated by the industry lead body rather than the institution that delivers it. The second is that the online distance learning delivery method is completely new to the programme and the institution. This points to the need for the WBL Maturity Toolkit to be a dynamic resource that actively supports and promotes innovation in WBL, particularly through the exploitation of emerging technologies.

Impact of the project

Given the innovative nature of the delivery method, the toolkit has the potential to be central to the 'checks and balances' process that must accompany the course development and approval process. There is likely to be uncertainty and some scepticism about online distance learning and the inclusion of a systematic evaluation process will bring reassurance that all quality issues are being addressed.

How will the project be taken further e.g. become sustained and embedded?

As with any resource relating to innovation and development, the WBL Maturity Toolkit will quickly become irrelevant and will atrophy if it does not:

Maintain a dynamic presence that is clearly being maintained and continuously improved by an active user community;

Represent a key authoritative resource, the value of which is repeatedly endorsed by leaders in work based learning, particularly employers and the professions;

Provides more than just a checklist of good practice. It should allow users to drill down to any level of detail and evidence about that good practice, and provide access to live advice and guidance in the community of practice.

For sustainability and embedding the WBL Maturity Toolkit needs a business model made viable and maintained by the community of practice because of its clear added value.

5