Blog posts for tags:Technology, FELTAG, distance learning

How important is technology to learning, and how can you maximise the digital devices you already have and upskill staff so they can incorporate them into lesson delivery? The use of technology in education has been in and out of the news since the release of the Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (FELTAG) report which recommended that all publicly-funded courses should have 10% of the content delivered solely online by this academic year. Many saw this as an unrealistic target, arguing educational institutions wouldn’t be able to meet this milestone or the additional target of 50% online delivery by 2017-2018.

As some centres report that the number of learners taking their A Levels online has increased, are we finally accepting distance learning as a viable learning option? Interhigh Sixth Form College’s Director of Development, Jacqueline Daniell, has said that they offer A Level courses online because of funding cuts to sixth forms. The centre has actually increased its subject offering; “the supply has become less but the demand is just the same. We are looking to help those students out really,” stated Daniell.

The power of social media in today’s world cannot be underestimated. Social media is a tool used by people of all ages, but it’s something that young people especially have adopted and use day-to-day, around the clock.

Earlier this year, the Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (FELTAG), made a number of ambitious recommendations to then Skills Minister Matthew Hancock and the sector more broadly regarding the effective use of digital technology in learning, teaching and assessment in Further Education and Skills. At NCFE, we support new technology within education and believe that digital methods can provide a more flexible, learner-centric approach to education, helping us to fit learning to individual needs. What’s more, it can support and empower staff to further strengthen their teaching.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is encouraging businesses across the UK to invest in workplace training after their Workforce Survey 2014 highlighted that 92% of businesses acknowledged a skills gap in at least one critical area of the organisation. The most common skill shortages include leadership and management, organisation and planning, and computer literacy. By upskilling staff in these key areas, organisations can make their workforce more efficient and productive.

Further Education is an option for people at any point in their life. For some, it’s a natural progression from school; for others it’s an option later in life should they choose to pursue a different career path, upskill, or simply learn something new. Vocational education can come in the form of a 2-year Apprenticeship, a college course, or a part-time course that can be studied in the learners’ spare time and allow them to fit it around their other commitments. Yet in comparison to Higher Education and schools, it’s not as widely researched and as a result, it could be seen as an easy target for funding cuts. We have iterated numerous times how important the Further Education sector is to both personal and professional development, and the nature in which qualifications are rated according to importance, with specialised subjects more likely to lose funding in the education sector. Earlier this year the government announced they were to cut funding for 5000 adult vocational courses and highlighted particularly niche and ‘low value’ courses such as self-tanning and balloon artistry, which appeared to support the notion that many of these courses were invaluable and a waste of taxpayers’ money, when in fact many other valuable courses that weren’t mentioned also faced the axe.

Here’s your weekly round-up summarising the top education stories from the sector’s press including FE Week and the TES. FE Week 16 June

It’s a well-known fact that the landscape of the education sector is growing ever more digital, with the recent Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (FELTAG) report advocating the use of technology in education, and the credibility and viability of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Vocational Open Online Courses (VOOCs) growing. Alongside this, social media is gaining ground across all areas and professions. No longer just a channel for personal updates and anecdotes, large brands and corporations such as Tesco, politicians including the leaders of the three major parties in the UK, and a plethora of educational institutions are taking to platforms such as Twitter to reach their audience, both current and new, in a different and engaging fashion.

The use of technology in education and distance learning are the hot topics on everyone’s lips at the moment. With outcomes of the recent Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (FELTAG) report insisting 10% of the content of all publically funded courses should be solely online by the 2015/16, digital methods of teaching and learning have never looked more appealing. Opinion on the delivery of qualifications via digital means is divided, however. Some have suggested that distance learning opens doors to learners who don’t have the financial means or physical ability to attend courses at educational institutions, such as Ruth Womak, a learner with physical and mental conditions that made it difficult to take on a full educational course without additional help.

Each week I’ll be sharing my summary of what’s been reported in the education media (looking at publications such as FE Week and the TES). Would very much welcome your thoughts and comments on any of the news stories mentioned! Traineeship figures ‘deeply disappointing’