Learning, Employment & Training Services “Teaching +Technology = Impact” in the context of social inclusion Irina Matthews ILT Coordinator (LETS) [email protected]

Learning, Employment & Training Services

“Teaching +Technology = Impact” in the context of social inclusion

Irina Matthews

ILT Coordinator (LETS)

[email protected]

30 March 2011


Background: Institutional

Learning, Employment and Training Services (LETS) is part of Shropshire Council (SC) - it includes:

• The branded services of County Training (CT)•Work-based learning, Foundation Learning•Employability Training

• Adult and Community Learning (ACL), Family Learning• Social Care and Health Training• Employment Services• Enable


Background: socio-economicThe service delivers training and employability programmes across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Shropshire is a predominantly rural and sparsely populated county with a small micro business culture.

The economic geography is complex with economic flows operating towards Telford & Wrekin and the West Midlands. Telford & Wrekin is ranked in the top 30% of the most deprived districts in the West Midlands and in

the top 40% most deprived nationally.

There are challenges around the increasing proportion of older people (higher than national trends), lack of transport in rural areas (with resultant problems in accessing services), and a low wage economy, especially care workers and women.

Implications in terms of digital inclusion:

The latest ONS data suggests that 9.2m adults in the UK have never used the internet.

The data suggests the key groups of non-users are:

Older people–60% of over 65s have not used the internet.

Socially excluded – often through unemployment, living in social housing, having low incomes or being single parents.

The latest data suggest 31% of those on very low incomes are non users.

Those with few or no qualifications -65% of those with no qualifications are non-users.

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/iahi0810.pdf


Questions to answer

What do we mean by impact?

Where is the evidence?

How to measure the impact?

How to enhance the impact?

Role of the ILT Co-ordinator is to apply cohesive and planned approach to the use of technology for business and educational needs.

Following organisational restructuring and changes in political and economic

landscape it was important to undertake critical review of ILT Development strategy and attempt to answer (among others) the following questions (in relation to using technology for teaching and learning):


What do we mean by impact?

Impact for success: •Attendance•Retention•Achievement

Impact for teaching and learning

•Removing barriers to learning•Enhancing effects of learning•Opening up opportunities for further learning

Impact for learners Social and personal well-being

Different stakeholders – different expectations of value, interpretation of impact.


Is there an evidence?

Until now there has been no consistent or comprehensive mechanism (within the organisation) for evaluation of effectiveness of technology for teaching and learning. It does not mean that evidence cannot be found, e.g.

•MIS •Registers to check achievement•Learners/Tutors’ Comments in Records of progress and Individual learning Plans


Collecting evidence

Student: 35029

AssertivenessMeditation (Intro)New You: Stress Free You

Taking Charge of your life

Future You

Computers - First StepsComputers - Learn More Student 4467

Public Speaking

Computer EssentialsComputers - Learn MoreDigital Photography – Learn in a dayeBay – How to buy and sell

Student 32024

Looking good, looking great

Yoga – Easy GoingPsychology – IntroComputer – First StepsComputer – Learn MoreInternet, email and text messagingCreating a digital photo albumDigital Photography, etc

Student 14333

AssertivenessYoga – BeginnersYoga – Mixed AbilityComputers – First StepsComputers - Learn More

Student 22928

Keeping up with childrenKUWC Numeracy & accreditationKUWC Literacy @ Harlescott…Alexander TechniqueComputer – First StepsComputer – Learn More

Tracking learner progression using MIS


Further evidenceFrom Individual Learning Plans and Records of Progress

Learners defined their goals as follows:

“To be more confident in using a computer, improve skills or letter and report writing.”“I am hoping to be able to use computer with confidence, especially emails”“Doing things with grandchildren and understand what they are doing”.“Improve computer skills, confidence building”“Get more confidence in moving buttons and then do Twitter and Facebook”.“Rather apprehensive … how quickly things change, want to become more confident”“Using it in real life”“Communicating with other people”

Learners described their achievements as:

“Learning different ways of doing things. Increasing confidence to try things…” “Learnt many things that I was not using”“More confident”“Feeling more confident”“Fellow students and good working climate gave me confidence to develop skills”“Tried previously (web-design) but have more confidence now to re-start…”“More confidence” “ It all came together”…

Next step – learners will:

•Attend college course•Attend another ACL course •Get a job•Look for a part-time job•Create my own site and help friends•My own site – good design•Will help create a web site for a local society


What does the evidence tell us?

• Evidence of the impact becomes “visible” when viewed in the wider (beyond “classroom”) context and in the light of the organisation’s ethos.

• Teaching and technology promote social inclusion.

• Teaching and technology are instrumental in closing the breach created by digital divide.

• “Technology” in this context means the summary of behaviours, actions, perceptions associated with the development of digital skills (rather being directly attributed to a specific type of technology/learning resource).


Managing the impact(Lessons learnt)

To manage and measure impact of technology for teaching and learning:

•View impact in the a wider context: socio-economic, institutional ethos

•Optimise learning environment and teaching practice

•Demonstrate value – “measure what you can, when you can, as seamlessly as

possible” http://www.towardsmaturity.org/article/2008/10/28/hints-and-tips-demonstrating-value/

Adopt “joining the dots” approach = comprehensive and consistent organisation-wide approach at both strategical and operational levels integrating change management


Optimising learning•Adoption of critical perspective and Re-define learning in the view of increasingly ubiquitous use of technology.• It is the quality of the action or process that defines the outcomes (QA vs. QI)• Development of “hybrid skills” for learning professionals (technology related, knowledge and skills development, business knowledge and skills)• Defining the framework for assessment of the impact

1. In what context was the “…” used? 2. What practical issue and/or pedagogic concern prompted its

use?

3. What did you do?

4. What, if anything, changed for the better as a result of its introduction? (As best as you can separate out impact on teaching; learning; performance; attitudes; and so on,.)

5. What issues were associated with the change? 6. What evidence do you have that substantiates these claims

about benefits and issues? 7. What are the implications of this work for others?


Measuring impactOne of the reasons why e-learning projects fail is failure to demonstrate value. http://www.towardsmaturity.org/article/2010/03/30/33-reasons-why-elearning-projects-fail/

Solution:

To review data collection/collation processes with the aim of unlocking tacit knowledge

that has gone undiscovered so far by means of:

• Choose the channel of discovery (MIS, learners’ feedback, registers, success stories, employers’ feedback, social media – look beyond the obvious).

• Investigate opportunity for interoperability between learning and data management systems.

•Work closely with MIS team to explore opportunities for data analysis using “traditional” tools (crosstab analysis, customised reports, viewing results in aggregate) as well as more advanced technologies, e.g. Activity Streams whereby data is collected from unrelated systems and “wrapped” within the common context (provided by Oracle -http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E17904_01/webcenter.1111/e10149/activity_stream.htm#CHDJBIIH)


Impact???Is there an impact?

What does impact mean?

Is there supporting evidence?

Can impact be measured?

How to maximise the impact?


What next?

Just do it!

And a little bit of luck …

Thank you.

Documents

Learning, Employment & Training Services “Teaching +Technology = Impact” in the context of social inclusion Irina Matthews ILT Coordinator (LETS) [email protected]