Online delivery of Core Skills Online delivery of Core Skills to enhance employability:to enhance employability:

HN conference 20th April HN conference 20th April 20072007

Marriott Hotel GlasgowMarriott Hotel Glasgow

Jewel & Esk Valley College and SQA in partnershipJewel & Esk Valley College and SQA in partnership

Aim of the projectAim of the project

• Enhancing Core Skills provision at HN Enhancing Core Skills provision at HN level through online delivery, support and level through online delivery, support and assessment of Personal Development assessment of Personal Development Planning Unit: a partnership project Planning Unit: a partnership project between Jewel & Esk Valley College and between Jewel & Esk Valley College and SQASQA

Four components of the Four components of the partnershippartnership

JEVC students

JEVC Core Skills team and technical support

SQA Core Skills team

SQA Computer Assisted Assessment (CAA) team

SQA Core Skills’ team role in SQA Core Skills’ team role in the projectthe project

• Developed and piloted contextualised Developed and piloted contextualised resources to support Core Skills within HN resources to support Core Skills within HN programmesprogrammes

• Constructed and tested an online quality Constructed and tested an online quality assurance modelassurance model

• Explored how an online model would allow Explored how an online model would allow personal learning from a range of sources to personal learning from a range of sources to be recognised and would support the delivery be recognised and would support the delivery of Core Skillsof Core Skills

SQA CAA team role in the SQA CAA team role in the projectproject

• CAA ongoing aim is to pilot models of CAA ongoing aim is to pilot models of online assessmentonline assessment

• CAA also provide guidance and training CAA also provide guidance and training through the Understanding Standards through the Understanding Standards website and the SQA Academy.website and the SQA Academy.– SQA Academy uses Moodle a VLE built on the SQA Academy uses Moodle a VLE built on the

social constructivist model. It is open source, social constructivist model. It is open source, free and accessible 24/7free and accessible 24/7

• CAA assisted JEVC to develop a similar CAA assisted JEVC to develop a similar modelmodel

JEVC: JEVC: Who are the Core Skills team?Who are the Core Skills team?

• A dedicated team covering all 5 Core A dedicated team covering all 5 Core Skills’ areas. The fact that Learning Skills’ areas. The fact that Learning Support is part of the same faculty has Support is part of the same faculty has been significant.been significant.

• To realise the idea of delivering Core To realise the idea of delivering Core Skills online considerable technical Skills online considerable technical support was required.support was required.

JEVC: JEVC: What the Core Skills team didWhat the Core Skills team did

• Identified the problem: HN students often Identified the problem: HN students often lack the necessary Core Skills for their lack the necessary Core Skills for their chosen areachosen area

• Attended the launch of the Personal Attended the launch of the Personal Development Planning unit and opened a Development Planning unit and opened a dialogue with SQAdialogue with SQA

• With colleagues in other faculties drew up a With colleagues in other faculties drew up a matrix to show how Core Skills (could be) matrix to show how Core Skills (could be) integratedintegrated

JEVC: JEVC: What the Core Skills team did nextWhat the Core Skills team did next

• Set up 4 pilots, one in each faculty: Set up 4 pilots, one in each faculty: Social Care, Social Care, Multi Media, Electrical Engineering, Working with Multi Media, Electrical Engineering, Working with CommunitiesCommunities

• Ring fenced time to develop the learning Ring fenced time to develop the learning materialsmaterialsand to support vocational staffand to support vocational staff

• Made time and resources to set up the website Made time and resources to set up the website using the SQA Academy, Moodle model.using the SQA Academy, Moodle model.

• Invited the Principal to make a short video to Invited the Principal to make a short video to reflect his personal commitment to Core Skillsreflect his personal commitment to Core Skills

Impact on studentsImpact on students There was a good level of attendance in all four pilot There was a good level of attendance in all four pilot

groups. groups. Students were very positive about the Moodle learning Students were very positive about the Moodle learning

approach.approach. The student feedback was particularly positive about the The student feedback was particularly positive about the

individual interviews and the focus on their priorities for individual interviews and the focus on their priorities for learning.learning.

The students enjoyed the workshop format of Core Skills The students enjoyed the workshop format of Core Skills delivery.delivery.

Other learning needs have been identified which include Other learning needs have been identified which include Study Skills and Maths.Study Skills and Maths.

Overall, the students have not been as ready to work Overall, the students have not been as ready to work independently and take responsibility for their own independently and take responsibility for their own learning as we'd hoped.learning as we'd hoped.

Students have varying degrees of expertise on computers Students have varying degrees of expertise on computers and not surprisingly this has been significantand not surprisingly this has been significant

5 things we have learned so far5 things we have learned so far

1.1. You need to let go if you are offering PDP - You need to let go if you are offering PDP - students follow their own interestsstudents follow their own interests

2.2. Moodle works. Students can create their own PDP Moodle works. Students can create their own PDP independently and individualised choices can be independently and individualised choices can be followedfollowed

3.3. The virtual ‘cupboard’ can house more attractive The virtual ‘cupboard’ can house more attractive resources. Eg video and audio clips which can be resources. Eg video and audio clips which can be used 24/7used 24/7

4.4. Core Skills workshops using Moodle allowed Core Skills workshops using Moodle allowed students to work at what they wanted to work atstudents to work at what they wanted to work at

5.5. Contextualised resources can be developed for Contextualised resources can be developed for each frameworkeach framework

What we intend to do nextWhat we intend to do next

• Keep it and use it again!Keep it and use it again!• Disseminate to other collegesDisseminate to other colleges• Build on it for ILPs and employabilityBuild on it for ILPs and employability• Develop clusters of learning resourcesDevelop clusters of learning resources• Consider the same approach for NQ and Consider the same approach for NQ and

progressionprogression

How to access the siteHow to access the site

• Go to Go to www.sqaacademy.org.ukwww.sqaacademy.org.uk• Login to the website (choose a login from Login to the website (choose a login from

the 6 below)the 6 below)1.1. Username: Username: JEVC1 JEVC1 Password: Password: 1234561234562.2. Username: Username: JEVC2 JEVC2 Password: Password: 1234561234563.3. Username: Username: JEVC3 JEVC3 Password: Password: 1234561234564.4. Username: Username: JEVC4 JEVC4 Password: Password: 1234561234565.5. Username: Username: JEVC5 JEVC5 Password: Password: 1234561234566.6. Username: Username: JEVC6 JEVC6 Password: Password: 123456123456

Thank you for taking partThank you for taking part

Contact informationContact information

SQA CAASQA CAA• Alan Paton (alan.paton@sqa.org.uk)Alan Paton (alan.paton@sqa.org.uk)• Brendan Tierney Brendan Tierney

(brendan.tierney@sqa.org.uk)(brendan.tierney@sqa.org.uk)SQA Core SkillsSQA Core Skills• Margaret Tierney Margaret Tierney

(margaret.tierney@sqa.org.uk)(margaret.tierney@sqa.org.uk)JEVCJEVC• Diane Lauder (dlauder@jevc.ac.uk)Diane Lauder (dlauder@jevc.ac.uk)• Lennie Lawson (llawson@jevc.ac.uk)Lennie Lawson (llawson@jevc.ac.uk)• Ruth Hendery (rhendery@jevc.ac.uk)Ruth Hendery (rhendery@jevc.ac.uk)