After having successfully completed Sheffield College's LeTTOL (Learning to Teach Online) course in 2006 Business & Management tutor, Val Pallister realised that online learning through a VLE was an ideal way to support her OCR Higher Diploma in Administrative Procedures (HDAP) students. So, early in 2007 Val attended a short staff development session and started Moodling and in March the HDAP resource was launched in our Virtual Campus.

HDAP students are adult learners with ages ranging from 18 to 45, all with good levels of IT literacy. Part time students on the evening course are mostly employed as admin staff, PAs, senior administrators (with the remainder aspiring to post).

Various types of resources are available through the Virtual Campus including essential course administration documents such as the course standards, evidence recording sheets, checklists, etc.

Helen Cheers, an HDAP Student, said

"You can see exactly what is needed for each individual unit, and having the standards of the course available is a great help."

In addition to admin documents Val has added...

• a wide range of learning relevant resources including handouts,
  
• preparatory reading and links to websites for preparation or extension activities,
  
• interactive quizzes and activities,
  
• NLN (National Learning Network) materials,
  
• working examples of cash flows, spreadsheets, etc.

HDAP Student, Claire Murray commented on how useful she found Virtual Campus;

"I had used the Virtual Campus for my Unit 2 - Diary Management. My tutor, Val had put on an exercise in scheduling a diary. 2 weeks after completing this I had a job interview in which I had to schedule a diary within a time limit. I felt that the exercise on the Virtual Campus had really helped and I scored 100% in the interview, and got the job as a Diary Scheduler."

Val says

"The resource has only been on 3 months but has been a great success! Having Virtual Campus enhances my students' learning by making it so much more flexible - students who work full-time and have to attend 2 nights a week are often absent for work reasons (e.g. working away, evening events, meetings, etc.) The Virtual Campus gives them the chance to catch up before the next session which takes a lot of pressure off them.

It also helps my teaching as all my resources are in one place and I can use the interactive whiteboard/RM Tutor for demonstrations, as a base for discussion, step-by-step guides, show web sites, etc. Students are able to access the resources and the various activities in their own time and at their own pace which supports differentiation, and is flexible enough to accommodate their different learning styles, e.g. theorists and reflectors can go back and look again, or more deeply, at the subject."

The plan for next year is to develop the resource further to include communication facilities such as online discussion forums so that students can keep-in touch and support each other whilst outside college. Val can use it to support students, answer questions and set group activities and assignments. This will provide additional flexibility meaning that evening students only need attend college one night a week. Val also would also like to be able to include access to the e-portfolio facility planned for next year.

There are also plans to set up two new areas on Virtual Campus for the NVQ Level 2 & 3 Administration courses.

Val says

"The EV was shown the work in progress and mentioned it in his report as fantastic! It will be used to enable students to complete the underpinning knowledge and understanding for their units by taking part in activities and quizzes. A forum would also be good to enable them to keep in contact whilst on their long work placements."

Jonathan Day, from the RSC Northwest says

"Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are a fantastic tool for providing students with additional help and support and this is clearly demonstrated by this innovative use of Moodle at Wirral Metropolitan College. It is clear to see that the technology is being used effectively to provide extended support to part-time learners where it can be difficult to maintain the participation of all students due to external pressures such as work. It is heartening to see how there is a clear identification of the “E-learning advantage” and ideas for how the VLE can be further utilized to enhance the learner experience. Well done and keep up the excellent work."