Northampton College

Experience:

Northampton College has been a partner involved in both MoLeNET 2 and 3.

MoLeNET2: “Open Access Key Skills”
• A successful consortium bid across 3 Northamptonshire colleges to purchase mobile devices (smartphones, mobile gaming devices, UMPCs, digital cameras, student voting systems) for use in the delivery of Key/Functional skills.
• Northampton College’s involvement researched across 4 curriculum areas - E2E, Catering, Electrical Installations and the cross-college Level 1 Introductory Diploma.
• Smartphones were loaned to learners, who accessed key skills materials on them, both in and out of class. The phones were also used for video evidence gathering, communicating with learners via text and e mail and any other educational uses as decided by the practitioners. The gaming devices, PSP or Nintendo DS were used in class sets to support Skills for Life development, and as a tool to focus students to prepare them for learning. SENTEO voting systems were used for multiple-choice type assessment. Over 200 learners were involved in the project.
• 3 questions were researched
1) What types of teaching materials do the learners find most effective when delivered via a mobile devise?
2) Does the use of mobile devises improve retention, achievement and success rates in key skills?
3) Does the use of mobile devises bring about attitudinal changes in the learners?

MoLeNET3: “IT is in Teaching”
• A successful consortium capital bid for £99,000 to influence tomorrow’s teachers today. The primary objective is to incorporate the ITQ2009 Level 2 (New QCF based NVQ in IT) into the DTTLS programme. The mobile learning model for the ITQ will be followed so that the maximum benefit will be achieved in providing educators with the skills to embed mobile device activities into their own subjects and curricula.
• To increase student IT skills by first improving the skills of teachers and then supporting them to embed mobile learning solutions into their learning
• To build on the lessons and successes learnt in MoLeNET2 project, where early adopters/enthusiasts highlighted what was possible, by showcasing that mobile learning can engage learners
• To build and share knowledge from MoLeNET2 in pod/vodcasting and incorporate this into the delivery of the ITQ2009
• To embed the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into the curriculum
• The LSC list both Teacher Education and the ITQ as priority development in the East Midlands
• 2 research questions:
1) What benefits does embedding the ITQ2009 into DTTLS Teacher Training have on the curriculum?
2) Does running the ITQ2009 Mobile Learning qualification within the Teacher Training course improve the utilisation and embedding of e-learning, and m-learning in particular?

Areas of Success:

Teachers/Teaching Practice
• Teachers found incorporating mobile learning into the curriculum offered significant benefits for teaching practice. The ability to enhance the engagement of potentially disaffected learners made their Key Skills sessions more enjoyable and productive for everyone.
• Different devices offered different opportunities, and as confidence in their use grew, the potential to provide new learning opportunities also grew. In class based activities games extended into worthwhile assessment opportunities, and techniques demonstrated in the classroom, could be seen over again, and thus be reinforced and revised outside the classroom
Learners/Learning Opportunities
• On-line – learners commented that they benefitted most when they used mobile devices to access learning materials outside the classroom environment. Evidence showed that students were willing to access materials when travelling to and from college when enabled to do so, and staff and students were able to see the potential benefits of this technology. Students also commented that they found the VLE useful for accessing learning materials, particularly vodcasts for reinforcing lessons taught in the classroom, hence enabling the students to become more independent learners.
• In the classroom – Staff and students identified the ability of both the Nintendo DS and the Senteo voting system to enhance student engagement with learning and to maintain levels of concentration and performance. This was particularly noticeable with entry level 3 and Level 1 students where the tendency to drift ‘off task’ and become disruptive is more common.
• In assessment - Senteo systems were particularly successful for practicing multiple-choice assessment, leading to increased achievement in the electrical installation exam. Tutors could identify individuals who needed additional support quickly and could provide feedback instantly. Staff and students were quick to see the potential of the smart phones for capturing images and recording video as invaluable evidence for assessment processes such as assignments, portfolios and coursework.
• Support – the VLE and forums were particularly helpful to learners who preferred to work during ‘unsocial hours’. Moodle enabled access to relevant information, whilst the ability to benefit from access to staff and peers through forums enabled students to maintain the positive momentum of learning when they wanted to, rather than experience the negativities of ‘getting stuck’.

The Institution
• All partners benefitted from the increased engagement of learners and the alignment of provision against student expectation through the implementation of mobile devices. This, and ‘The Learner Voice’ which told us that students found sessions more interesting and enjoyable when mobile devices were embedded, should inevitably lead to increases in student retention and achievement.
• Within the short time-span of the project, both E2E and Level 2 learners showed improvements in their key skills, and there was an improvement in achievement rates of the electrical installations exam following the significant practice afforded by the SENTEO voting system.
• The exit strategy employed by the project will build on findings and influence future developments (including the support for students’ own devices on the wireless networks, and the new build at Northampton College). These facilities will be promoted at recruitment events.

Milestone, Impact and Success:

Milestone
• 25 Nov 09: First meeting with microprojects
• 1 Dec 2009: Identification of all staff to be on the Project Team, and on the Steering Committee. Monthly meeting schedule for both Committees issued
• Dec 2009 date tbc: Submission of Project Plan to LSN
• Mid Dec 2009: Agreed purchase of mobile equipment and commence procurement process
• Mid Dec 2010: Marketing Team – first planning meeting for Academy Launch
• End Dec 2009: Identification of training needs of microprojects
• End Dec 2009: College HR Team prepared updated CPD Plan for internal college staff to undertake training
• Mid Jan 2010: Support programme and bespoke training schedule drawn up for microprojects
• End Jan 2010: Majority of mobile equipment delivered
• End Jan 2010: First wave of marketing/publicity completed
• Mid Feb 2010: Mobile devices set up and working
• Mid Feb 2010: Academy launch
• Mid March 2010: Second wave of marketing and publicity completed
• May 2010: Interim Evaluation report to LSN
• End Nov 2010: Project Plan completed to schedule
• Final Evaluation Report to LSN

Indicators of impact and success:
• Project Plan delivered to LSN on time and agreed
• Equipment delivered and set up prior to the Launch event
• Successful launch, excellent attendance, significant media coverage
• Meeting all targets set in Project Plan – numbers of participants, numbers of courses and conferences and ambassador activity
• Excellent feedback received on all activity – exceeding expectations
• Statistical evidence of the uptake of mobile technologies by other institutions and employers (for work based learning)
• Statistical evidence of improved KPIs
• Successful microprojects whose evaluation recognises the impact of, and satisfaction with, Academy support
• Statistical evidence of sustainability strategies in place, and indications of future success
• Final report showing that all aims of Project have been met, and evidence to show the effectiveness and impact on mobile technologies on teaching and learning. Report also showing how issues and challenges have been addressed and evidence that good practice has been identified and shared

Added value to other sectors:

The College has existing first class learning conference accommodation (Centre of Vocational Excellence standard) in Daventry. Therefore, in setting up the Academy the total capital grant will be invested on mobile technologies. This would provide outstanding value to the Region, sector and LSN

By 2012 first class, brand new learning accommodation will also be available in Northampton, supported by leading edge mobile technologies purchased from re-investing income made by a sustainable Academy.

The College has developed its own a particularly effective electronic Individual Learning Plan (e-ILP) system, which is now in a tried and tested format. This aspect of supporting the pastoral or tutorial side of the learner journey through mobile technologies has been particularly beneficial to the College. The added value we can bring to the Academy is to share out experience of the development of the system, assist others in avoiding pitfalls, and demonstrate how the system has helped the College raise its KPIs in attendance and retention and therefore success.

In running training courses through the Academy, the presenters/workshop leaders will not only be ILT staff - but also curriculum staff and managers. We believe it is the added value of including front line staff in training sessions which can make a difference in selling new ideas. Managers, in particular, often need persuading of the real benefits before they make investment decisions, and enthusiastic managers can often have more impact than enthusiastic teaching staff! To be able to influence Senior Managers will really provide added value.

The College is recognised by Ofsted in working well with employers. The reputation of the College extends across and beyond the county (aided by the 2 Centres of Vocational Excellence, both of which are in East Midlands priority areas – health/social care and childcare, and logistics). As an Ambassador, we can therefore add value to the whole region, by providing employers with demonstrations of the significant advantages which mobile technologies can bring to training their employees.