Moulton College

Year 3: IT is in Teaching at Moulton College 2009/2010

Project Description

The project is based upon a drive to incorporate the Mobile Learning ITQ2009 Qualification into the Teacher Education programmes across the partnership of the three FE Colleges. Embedding the ITQ2009 will enable educators to gain this nationally recognised IT qualification whilst also teaching them how to exploit mobile technologies to benefit the teaching and learning process. The project will explore the use of a wide range of mobile technologies with a specific focus of how to embed them into the educators own lessons whilst providing in class support to ensure this is achieved successfully.

Year 2: Open Access Key Skills at Moulton College 2008/2009

The project is formed from a partnership of the three Northamptonshire colleges and is based upon the "mobile" delivery of Key/Functional skills. We wish to identify the correct formula of materials and devices that when combined with the advanced communication potential of modern technology impacts positively, and measurably, on learner achievement within this subject. With the help of substantial learner and practitioner consultation we will develop a range of resources that can be delivered to mobile devices via VLE. A key element of the project will be the sharing these materials with the sector.

Project Aims

• Using action research, identify learner preferences with regards to electronic materials delivered via mobile devices thus informing practitioners of learner expectation and preference.
• Explore how the enhanced communication opportunities presented by mobile technologies can improve retention and achievement across the range of learning contexts within the 3 Northamptonshire colleges.
• Assess the effectiveness of using mobile devices to enhance learner access to Key/Functional Skills materials including e-assessment. Materials will be developed, and later shared via MoleShare, that specifically support the mobile delivery of this curriculum.
• Dissemination to the sector and e-learning community, via MoleNet Conference RSC.

Project Objectives

The primary objective is to evaluate the efficiency and usability of particular mobile devices within an education environment and the impact of these devices on the learner experience. We are looking to prove that there is a direct link between the embedding of mobile technology into the curriculum and an improvement in an attendance and subsequent retention. Alongside this evaluation we will investigate the relationship between the learning materials presentation type and how the learner engages with each. Through online survey and face to face interview we will capture the learner voice and opinion on the developed materials. For example the formats of the materials may include HTML pages, PowerPoint, Flash, streamed video, podcast and audio variances. Expectation is that the surveys will return a very high rate of submissions giving us a wealth of quantitative data from which to inform the cross sectioned face to face interviews. Once complete we will validate the findings with a sample of the learners, this will be published on MoleShare.

Another of the project aims is to explore the often discussed enhanced benefit to communication between learners and between learner and teacher. We are keen to harness all the advantages that mobile communication devices offer learners both in the classroom and outside. We will do this through prompt electronic communication, with at risk learners and their carers.

It also is intended that some of the advanced functions of the widely available smart-phones will enable us to explore the benefits of video blogging, etc, as a means of evidence gathering with some of the more challenged learners participating in this bid. As the bid is focused around the multi curriculum delivery of Key/Functional skills, we will focus the benefits and appeal that mobile technology brings to the “digital native” learner to improve the learners communication skills. We will do this by utilising the flexibility and adaptability of these mobile devices, when linked with the correct materials, to enhance learner personalisation. The learner’s perception of a tailored curriculum will promote a feeling of worth and self esteem leading to greater success rates.

The bid will utilise Wi-Fi and GSM/3G network technologies, one of the consortia already has an extensive open wireless network to integrate with, the others will use this bid to finance the installation of the same structure by Christmas. The range of devices will be chosen to reflect the individual curriculum areas.

Moulton has a specialised “in-house” materials development team that produces a wide range of learning materials, this team will be an integral part of the materials development.

Northampton College has an experienced Project Researcher who will be tasked to lead the action research elements of the project.
Tresham Institute has an experienced software engineer that will help with any specialist integration required.