E-learning in Offender Learning and Skills

The Learning and Skills Council are funding a progressive programme to support and encourage the use of e-learning in England. This began in Further Education Colleges and was extended to Adult and Community Learning and Specialist Colleges. In 2006/07 the LSC have decided to extend the programme to Work Based Learning and Offender Learning and Skills.

During 2006/07 NIACE will be carrying out a mapping and evaluation exercise to gather as much evidence as possible of existing and previous e-learning work carried out with offenders, ex-offenders and those at risk of offending. If you have any experience in this area NIACE would be interested to hear from you. Please contact sarah.perry@niace.org.uk

Useful resources and additional information...
CHIPS Newsletter - Special Edition: Offender Learning and Skills - [PDF file]

'The Offenders Leaning Journey - Learning and Skills provision for adult offenders in England' www.dfes.gov.uk/offenderlearning/uploads/documents/adult_OLJ_V0.5a.doc

'Harnessing Technology - Download Page'
www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/e-strategy/

Work Based eGuides Training Programme

This programme is a partnership between NIACE, the Association of Learning Providers (ALP), and the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) and is funded by The Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

Background
The E-Guides training programme aims to support learning provider staff in the use of e-learning and in exploring how learning technologies can be used to improve the learner experience and increase motivation, retention and achievement. The programme aims to train E-Guides who are e-learning champions who cascade their e-learning skills and knowledge to colleagues which will support e-learning activities across the whole organisation.

E-learning is learning supported or enhanced by the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (E-learning Standards Lifelong Learning UK/Fento, LSDA 2005). E-learning builds on ICT skills and explores how these can be used to make learning opportunities more accessible and effective. E-learning applies across the occupational areas as identified by the LSC.

WBL provider staff will have the opportunity to attend the pilot training programme which will be delivered from September 2006 to March 2007. There is no fee payable in attending the training, however learning providers will need to commit to releasing their staff for the three day off-site training, and to cascade their newly acquired e-learning skills and knowledge to their colleagues. NIACE recommends that each participating organisation nominates 2-4 members of their staff to train as E-Guides.

Learning providers that complete the Work-based learning E-Guides, and ConnecT training will be able to apply for a £2,000 grant for e-learning equipment. (More details are available on http://www.niace.org.uk/Conferences/TrainingCourses/wbleguides.htm or http://www.elearningproviders.org/pages/link.asp?id=20)

eGuide Training Schedule for Northwest is:-

• Thursday 9th and Friday 10th November followed by the regional Workshop on Wednesday 13th December 2006 or
• Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th November followed by the regional Workshop on Wednesday 13th December 2006

Information can also be found at http://www.aclearn.net/display.cfm?resID=18748

Your views count

In 2005 a consultation exercise was carried out with ACL providers to report on the impact of the 3 year plan implementing e-learning within ACL. Since that consultation, a number of projects have been put in place and NIACE is now carrying out a review of the recommendations inline with these new initiatives.

Your views and feedback are extremely important and there are two ways on contributing to this review:

1. Online survey - You do not have to complete the whole survey just those sections which are applicable to you. http://www.niace.org.uk/survey/TakeSurvey.asp?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=8J0n63MMm685G
   You can access the survey at any time and it will be live until September 22nd 2006.
2. Focus groups - Two focus groups are planned on the following dates from 11.00 – 3.30
   
   • London September 13th
   • Leicester September 19th

If you are interested in attending a focus group then please contact Ian Pettit. Ian.Pettit@niace.org.uk