Skills for Life Improvement Programme Embedding Literacy, Language and Numeracy through a Whole Organisation Approach Development Adviser Briefing – Day

Skills for LifeImprovement Programme

Embedding Literacy, Language and Numeracy through a Whole Organisation Approach

Development Adviser Briefing – Day 2

Reading

14 October 2008


Aims

To provide a range of information, support materials and guidance that will enable you to:

• Develop a shared understanding of the changed context and model of support for 2008/09

• Continue to work effectively with providers.

The Skills for Life Improvement Programme is delivered on behalf of the Quality Improvement Agency by CfBT Education Trust and partners


Objectives

For Day 2, these are to: • Brief you on your own role in PDP when working

with providers• Focus on ways of integrating numeracy in all

aspects of your work with providers • Have an overview of the SfLIP flexible delivery

models• Explore integrating Move On approaches into your

work



Professional development planning


• Information and guidance at peer working groups

• Support for individual providers

• Role for development advisers


Integrating Numeracy

• QIA requirement linked to government policy/targets

• Expectations – use and support of specialists

• Upskilling: strategy development and embedding



Workforce Development Strand


Strengthen integrated programmes through :

• Regional professional exchange networks

• Focus on numeracy to enhance capacity and

expertise of teacher education teams


Models of flexible delivery

• QIA SfLIP 2008 activity – led by NRDC • Arose from “Stick with it” research/development• Learners with complicated lives need personalised and responsive learning - traditional delivery patterns not suitable • Innovative development work on some form of flexibility (26 providers funded up to £8k )• Investigated scope for flexibility in relation to cost effectiveness



Research questions

What needs did flexibility meet ? What models of flexibility developed ? Scope of models – which learners, levels, subject ? Pedagogy – what developed, how developed ? Resource implications – teachers and CPD,

materials including ICT, QA ? Funding implications ? Impact on learners and organisation ?



Variety of flexible models

• Majority flexed pattern of attendance (time, place, frequency, duration) OR materials• Blended learning – majority looked at combination of face to face and distance or self-access learning (1:1, group, self-study, workshops, e-learning)• Majority who developed blended learning developed L1/2 resources

“Amount of face to face needs to vary according to learner’s level of confidence and aptitude”


Examples of developments

• Moodle site developed, accessible to college teachers and learners

• Resourced Learning Centre on employers’ premise offering flexible access• On-line and paper-based materials for those unable

to attend regularly• On-line ESOL IA tool for use in Train to Gain• On-line numeracy learning materials for Primary• School teaching assistants


Examples of developments

• IT-based blended learning materials for ACL hard to

reach learners in community class• Whole college menu of different ways to learn,

building on joint expertise of ESOL and Key Skills teachers

• Blended learning course embedded into employer’s training programme on problem-solving


Issues relevant to DA work

Majority developed literacy; only 3 specifically numeracy • some thought it harder to embed numeracy because

most qualifications covered only small part of numeracy• some said employers didn’t recognise their employees’

numeracy skills needs in their workplace

Hard to develop speaking and listening in distance learning

Said to be particularly difficult to deliver ESOL in employer-facing contexts • funding constraints • need E2 ESOL for Work assessment developing


Blended learning issues

• Only meets the needs of some learners • Most providers recommend a combination of face to face + distance learning • Move On, BBC Skillswise + providers’ resources on VLE thought better than some commercial products • Structurally complex to develop a Moodle site to

reflect individualised learning goals + spiky profiles• Time and cost constraints - blended learning is not a cheap option


Train to Gain issues

Tensions between what employer and employees want and what fundable

• providers looking to maximise “time on task” by developing distance learning approaches

• particular issue re E1/E2 learners in workplaceMany providers looking to embed LLN• some employees demanding contextualised

resourcesAssessor roles extended• some delivering initial assessment + signposting to

SfL• issues round assessors’ role, pay, training


Integrating Move on approaches into your work as a DA


Next steps

• Allocation of providers

• Contracting

• Day 3 training

Documents

Skills for Life Improvement Programme Embedding Literacy, Language and Numeracy through a Whole Organisation Approach Development Adviser Briefing – Day