” is a subject better known through its constituent technologies, such as bar coding, two-dimensional coding, magnetic encoding and electronic coding, including the much vaunted radio frequency identification (RFID)”

The Centre puts these technologies in context by taking visitors through scenarios. Visitors can move unaccompanied through the demonstrations and use the equipment. There are a range of scenarios in which you can use the equipment including a hospital, airport, warehouse, retail outlet, manufacturing plant, town hall and they are planning to create a classroom of the future.

Also feel free to leave comments on this blog.

What delegates said about the event:

• ‘It was good for sharing practice, looking at and getting ideas and resources for implementing e learning.’
• ‘Very informative in all sessions’
• ‘[Good for] information on new types of technology; explanation of bid requirements (LIG3).’
• ‘The RSC team [were good] and the ideas that you were trying to put over and develop. Very good and positive speakers.’
• ‘Presentations helped to gather further ideas to develop e learning.’
• Excellent technology, particularly Amazing.com’
• ‘[It was good] being shown activities of other providers and being able to network.’

Suggestions for future events and RSC support for Y&H Work Based Learning Providers were:

• Undertaking ‘e reviews in WBL’ – recording pastoral support
• Assessor training in the use of ‘E’ collection methods – how to photo/video observations, etc
• Bid writing techniques, including method of scoring/assessing bids
• Sharing information about learners, speaking of their experience.
• Subject specific examples
• Technologies to support learners with learning difficulties
• Hands on workshops

As a result of the feedback from the event and the Work Based Learning support survey, we are planning events and support materials around all delegates’ requests.

Events Planned:

• Bid Writing
• E Guides Forum (with hands on workshops & good practice examples)
• Excellence in Inclusivity
• Excellence in e learning

ConnecT, eQuiP, Realise, FE eXplorer, WBL eXplorer or Leading Change for Digital Dividends.

LSC funded providers will be eligible to claim £2,500 of capital funding when a delegate from their organisation completes an eligible CEL programme. However, in the interests of fairness across providers, each provider will only be able to claim a maximum of £7,500 from CEL (so attendance of up to 3 delegates across eligible programmes), irrespective of how many delegates they send on the eligible CEL programmes. This funding is available up to a maximum of 275 delegates attending on CEL elearning programmes listed above running between 1 November 2007 and 31 August 2008.

How long is the capital grant available for & how can we claim it?

Available up to September 2008

In order to claim the grant, each provider/attendee will need to attend the full programme and submit an action plan describing the capital equipment they are proposing to buy and how this purchase will support them to embed the learning from the programme that they have attended.

For further information please telephone 0870 060 3278 or email:

Lydia for ConnecT, Realise or WBL eXplorer queries:
Lydia.mcdowall@centreforexcellence.org.uk

Lisa for eQuiP, FE eXplorer or Leading Change for Digital Dividends queries:
Lisa.noronha@centreforexcellence.org.uk

E Guides – NIACE

Grants will also be allocated to individuals who complete the NIACE E-Guides training programme and will amount to £2,500 per person up to a maximum of three participants per organisation. To be eligible to receive a grant, an individual must complete the three days training and submit an action plan showing how the funds will benefit their organisation.

Places are limited on the E Guides courses so you are advised to book as soon as possible.

For further information about the E-Guides training programme including dates and a booking form go to
http://www.niace.org.uk/Conferences/TrainingCourses/eguides.htm

Learning to know

Learning to do

Learning to live together

Learning to be.

He said, “For me as an educationalist, involved in HE and Adult Learning …. the capacity for critical thinking is so important”

Derrin Kent, Development Manager, Training for Tomorrow gave a presentation on Free Software for Work-Based Learning. This was interesting as he referred to some open source software that I didn’t know about:

Joomla (content management system)

ubuntu (a linux based operating system which Derrin said Dell are now installing on their cheaper machines. He also said it is resistant to viruses and very robust)

GIMP – (a photoshop equivalent)

Easy Eclipse – (packages together Eclipse and selected open source plugins)

Project Management tools mentioned by Derrin:

Gant Project (like MS Project)

Planner

Alfresco

Sugarcrm (Customer Relationship Management)

Trixbox (VOIP)

OS Commerce (like ebay where you can set up and run your own online shop)

Haven’t had chance to look at any of these in detail yet so will save evaluations for a later posting.

Derrin has also been working with Moodle to create a Virtual Training Centre after having received LIG1 Funding and is seeking to develop e portfolio and individual learning plan modules within Moodle.

Chris Swingler, e-learning Manager, Association of Learning Providers fed back on the LIG funding (see post on LIG) and reported that for the first phase of funding 189 bids worth 7M had been received (with 1.64M being distributed to 105 providers).

LIG2 – those who have been successful will find out today. These bids were more around collaborative partnerships so it will be interesting to see what comes out of them. For LIG2 136 bids were received.

The third phase of LIG is planned for September and again bids will be around collaboration on specific projects around improving retention and achievement.

Dr Alan Clarke, Associate Director ICT and e-learning from NIACE gave some practical tips on realising the benefits of e learning. Mentioned research done on access students by Carol Twigg – need to read up on her.

Workshop

Only had chance to attend one workshop due to the train times. The one I went to was on the e-smart system which has been developed by S&B Automative Academy. S&B Automative Academy is a COVE and private Work Based Learning provider for motor vehicle apprentices. It is a national organisation training for companies like TNT. The company also provides short courses of 2/3 or1 day.

The esmart system tool came out of the need to track learner evidence and the desire for a portable, accessible system rather than the old paper based method. For the presentation a demo was carried out where a learner (delegate) was photographed with a mobile phone carrying out a task through their virtual vehicle resource which has been developed with BMW and then the image was uploaded to the evidence portfolio (a folder linking to the esmart tool). Real diagnostic equipment is linked to the software (I noticed it was a Fluke unit). The former system where large paper based portfolios were transported to a location for the EV was expensive and time consuming. With this method the esmart software is installed on laptops with swivel screens for ease of use in the workshop environment as they can be carried like a clipboard. PDAs were investigated but these were perceived as too small for the task. The tool runs in excel and is a flash based design. Navigation tools (hyperlinks) are positioned across the top of the screen. It seemed like a pretty good tool and the take up has reportedly been good because of its user friendly nature. Video capability is going to be introduced although I can’t really see why this is not possible now.

“An electronic NVQ portfolio that tracks and stores photographic evidence. The tracking system is smart and identifies exactly the outstanding evidence requirements as well as calculating total progress of all units and overall completion. A simple traffic light system sets targets and milestones for accurate learner progress review. The whole package runs from Microsoft Excel.”