1. SMART Blended Learning: a college’s response to FELTAG Vision West Nottinghamshire College Richard Brook Head of IT and Learning Resources

2. In this workshop: Why develop Blended Learning?
What are we doing at VWNC?
Project Plan
How?
SOLA Packs explained
What makes it all work?
Recognised roles
Staff training and support
Training and support
IT Infrastructure
What’s SMART about the Heart of Worcestershire College model of Blended Learning? VLE
Questions?

3. Background information
Worked in FE for 31 years 
28 years at KC
Almost 1 year at West Notts
Worked at Uni of Hudds for 12 years, Specialist Conference
Close links between Colleges
Good links with Peter Kilcoyne at HoW College - 14 years
Google the HoW Conference

4. Why Blended Learning?

5. Why Blended Learning?
Create new opportunities to engage learners through technology
Develop independent learning skills
Deliver the curriculum more flexibly and efficiently

6. Why Blended Learning? Heart of Worcestershire College success:
Now delivering 10 to 20% of all FT L2 and L3 courses online
4 years’ experience
Increased success rates by 12%
AoC Beacon Award for Blended Learning - "Effective use of technology in FE"
Well done Peter Kilcoyne and the team.

7. Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (FELTAG):
Department of Business, Innovation and Skills:
‘During 2014/15 the Skills Funding Agency will support ‘online-only trailblazers’ which will start us moving towards the 10% standard minimum.’
West Notts involved in the tailblazers project
– delivering wholly online AAT levels 2 and 3 with Home Learning College

8. What are we doing at VWNC?

9. Blended Learning Pilot at VWNC

10. Blended Learning Pilot at VWNC

11. How are we developing blended learning at VWNC?

12. Vision West Nottinghamshire College
SOLA, what does it mean?
Scheduled
Online
Learning
and
Assessment
Vision West Nottinghamshire College

13. SOLA Pack Sample
Let’s take a look… VWNC Staff Moodle SOLA Pack Template in Moodle

14. Key features of a SOLA Pack
A SOLA pack is a short learning and assessment activity created in and delivered from VWNC Moodle.
Typically, a pack will contain:
Clear instructions and structure (templates)
Clear learning outcomes
Range of learning resources, text, interactive and video.
e.g. ClickView, YouTube, Open Educational Resources etc.
Learning activities through Moodle tools
e.g. forums, glossaries, journals, databases etc.
Assessment through Moodle quiz and assignment tools

15. What makes SOLA pack blended learning work?

16. What makes it work? Clear Roles

17. What makes it work?
Commitment of SOLA specialist, teaching teams and managers
Clear message to all that SOLA learning has same value as face to face learning
Clear links between SOLA and class based learning
Interesting well-structured content and activities
Regular assessment and monitoring
On-going training and support

18. What makes it work? Training Sessions
For teachers:
Introduction to SOLA (90 mins)
Finding and using Open Educational Resources (60 mins)
Moodle assessment tools (60 mins)
Moodle collaborative tools (60 mins)
Monitoring SOLA learner activity in Moodle (30 mins)

19. What makes it work? Good planning - Discussion points for Curriculum Teams
Identify:
Elements of your curriculum that can be delivered through the SOLA packs as independent learning
Any specific support or CPD requirements for individuals or the team

20. What makes it work? SOLA packs – well organised in the College VLE
BTEC Level 3 Dip in Electrical/Electronic Engineering SOLA packs
SOLA Packs
SOLA pack 1 (Topic 1)
SOLA pack 2 (Topic 2)
BTEC Level 3 Dip in Electrical/Electronic Engineering
Home course
Unit 1 – Health and Safe
Unit 2 - Comms
Unit 3 – Eng. Project
Each box is a course in the College VLE
Sources of best practice: conversations with Peter Kilcoyne and Neil Spaxman

21. What makes it work? Good IT Infrastructure
Fast, reliable VLE with ample storage
Robust, accessible WiFi
Learning spaces
Adequate bookable open access IT facilities
Variety of learning spaces
IT Support
Access to free software for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) learners
Troubleshooting support for BYOD learners

22. What’s SMART about the Heart of Worcestershire College model of Blended Learning?

23. What’s SMART about the HoW model of Blended Learning?
Specific - whole organisation approach to BL
Measurable - all teams use the same structured model
progress and engagement can be measured
Achievable - model uses existing staff skills
with some development and support 
not about creating interactive multimedia
is about using existing free Internet resources in a structured way
Realistic/Relevant
Tutors identify the most appropriate curriculum for development
Timely
learning packages are deployed and attract learner engagement in a timely manner within the academic year 
Specific - whole organisation approach to BL.  It might not be appropriate for every level or every aspect of the curriculum, however, everyone in the organisation will be doing the same thing.
Measurable - because all BL is developed and delivered using the same structured model, progress and engagement can be measured.
Achievable - This model uses existing staff skills - albeit with some development and support.  This is not about creating interactive multimedia, this is about using existing free Internet resources in a structured way.
Realistic/Relevant - Tutors identify the most appropriate curriculum for focus on and use for the development of BL
Timely - learning packages need to be created, deployed and attract learner engagement within the academic year.  Each year, tutors will update and build on the work done in the past year - resources only need to be created once.

24. Head of IT and Learning Resources
Questions?
Richard Brook
Head of IT and Learning Resources
Twitter and Linked In