Lowestoft College

Year 1: Widening participation through mobile learning 2007/2008

The Widening Participation through Mobile Learning project set out to introduce and trial different learning approaches using mobile technologies. The aim was to evaluate the impact on both learners and teachers. Learners and tutors from the Prince’s Trust, Preparing for Employment (PfE), English for speakers or other languages (ESOL), pre-vocational and work-based learning (WBL) and Apprenticeship areas were involved in the research. The research also included a group of pre-16 learners from local schools, completing a motor vehicle course at the Halesworth Skills Centre which is run by the college with the schools for learners who want to follow a vocational study route. As an additional element to the project a group of trainee tutors from a range of vocational backgrounds, studying on Year 1 of the Cert Ed (Diploma for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, DTLLS) course, were asked to identify opportunities for using mobile learning with their own groups of learners.

Project Background

This project targeted Skills for Life to build confidence and encourage users to improve their basic skills and progress onto longer programmes. Users were encouraged to work both in groups and individually. As well as learning to use mobile technology as a learning aid the project sought to improve users’ communication skills.

This project sought to break down some of the main barriers that stop the target groups entering learning and staying the course, such as: initial low levels of literacy and numeracy, lack of confidence, location and timing of education and training, lack of social skills and low income. It focused on key skills, personalising the learning experience, providing mobile devices at no cost, enabling and encouraging self-study with high levels of support and guidance, relating outputs to areas of interest to students.

The groups involved in the retention and motivation element of the research were learners and tutors from ESOL, Prince’s Trust and Preparing for Employment courses and a group of pre-16 motor vehicle learners who attend the Skills Centre run by the college and local schools. When entering the programmes of study many of the learners in the Prince’s Trust and PFE groups have poor levels of literacy and numeracy; they are used to failure, having had no prior achievement, and consequently lack self-esteem and motivation. Behaviour in these groups can often be challenging, learners may display a lack of social skills and many have learning difficulties.

ESOL learners present their own challenges in that their lack of understanding of the English language makes learning difficult. Most of them have travelled to the UK from EEC countries to seek work. The main source of employment is in local food factories and fruit farms. Retention can be a problem as the need to earn an income puts pressure on this group of learners to take whatever work is offered, when it is offered. This often means moving around different areas of the county or working unsociable hours that prevent learners attending classes on a regular basis.

The pre-16 learners who attend college on vocational courses of study often lack motivation. Some do not have the skills required to follow an academic course, preferring to follow a vocational route. Many have little or no experience of success at school. Often these learners are persistent truants from school and their behaviour can be challenging. They see the vocational route as an easier option, requiring little use of literacy or numeracy skills; they often become de-motivated when introduced to theoretical elements of the courses.

Project aims

To investigate the use of mobile technology
To widen participation
To increase accessibility
To improve retention and achievement among under-represented groups
To improve the learner experience
To increase progression.

Key objectives

Investigation into the best type of device for our students, with emphasis on sustainability
Investigation into integration with SharePoint
Improved retention and achievement in the Prince’s Trust and under- represented groups
Provide channels for submitting evidence from the workplace
Increase participation from the the group of those not in employment, education and training (NEET)
Encourage improved and increased progression of 14–16 year olds
Increase participation of the wider community and ethnic minorities
Improve skills and evidence from students with specific learning difficulties
Improve the self-confidence and motivation of disaffected youngsters.

Benefits

Benefits for learners, across all learner groups

Learners gained:

easy capturing of data and evidence for portfolios
increased awareness and confidence of ILT
ability to reinforce their learning through self tests, at their own pace
Iinstant communication
web access any time anywhere
the ability to capture video and voice recordings.

Benefits for staff

Staff gained:

increased awareness and confidence of ILT
instant communication with students and peers
increased engagement of students.

Benefits for the lead college

The lead college gained:

improved success rates
improved retention
improved attendance
improved progression
262 mobile devices for future use
vastly improved wireless network
office communication server available for all staff and students.

Lessons learned

Involvement in the project has been effective in improving teachers’ practice within the organisation. Although teachers involved in the project were already considered to be ‘good’ teachers, the project has provided opportunities to develop an understanding of the benefits of using mobile technology within the classroom, not only for learners but for the teachers themselves. Some of the teachers involved in the project could be described as ‘technophobes’ and would not naturally consider using technology in their classroom. They have embraced the project with enthusiasm and developed new skills as part of the process.

For the teacher training group there is no doubt that involvement in this project has improved their practice in the classroom. This is supported by the evidence from the research and from observation of their teaching by both course tutors and inspectors during the Ofsted inspection of initial teacher training. Writing assignments for the Cert. Ed course has enabled them to reflect on their experiences and consider areas for further development.

For those involved in the project there has been a change in culture in their perception of the use of mobile technology within the classroom and a recognition that there are genuine educational uses for this technology. This needs to be extended across college. Lowestoft plans to leave the mobile devices with the work-based learner groups and continue research with this group, perhaps involve employers more.

There will be further analysis of how other colleges have used devices, particularly SMS quizzes and use of text facility. Other groups within the college will be invited to get involved. If the changes made to the MyLearning Author software are successful the lead practitioner will work on the development of new activities. The Cert Ed group will be encouraged to develop resources for use with their own learners groups.

Dissemination of findings from project should be shared with a wider college audience and curriculum teams interested in getting involved will be encouraged to identify opportunities for using mobile technology within their schemes of work. Careful consideration will need to be given as to how the mobile devices are distributed, it would seem sensible to hold some devices back for tutors who wish to experiment with the use of mobile technology within particular elements of the course; these could be held by the learning resource centre and booked out as required. Tutors involved in this project who have been particularly proactive in using mobile technology with their learners will be encouraged to continue the work and share experiences with others.