Molenet - Working Mens College

Year 3: The ESOL MoleMentor Project 2009/2010

Working Men's College logo Westminster Kingsway College Logo City Literary Institute Logo Camden ACL Logo

Project Description

Project to involve college based and community based learners, with the opportunity for learners from different organisations to communicate with one another as part of the project, ('bridging' Camden). MoleMentors (younger learners) to be trained to assist older/less confident learners (1 mentor for every 3 mentees) and share their learning experiences with each other. It will provide London based learner’s broader networking and social learning opportunities using rural and urban context with learners from North Herts College. A group of trainee teachers will trial particular devices in their practice to assess the potential of mobile devices with adult learners.

Aims

The MoleMentor project will develop sustainable model for effectively using mobile technology through an informal approach. Supported by their teachers more confident students mentor small groups (1 mentor, 3 mentees) of less confident learners, enjoying exciting collaborative learning experiences and exploring the use of different tools. It will create and deliver 320 MoleMentor/MoleMentee 'toolkits' through 4 Camden providers. Each toolkit consists of: a MoleMentor, 3 MoleMentees, 4 devices (e.g. Netbook/PDA), 4 digital sound recorders, collaborative learning training, technical training, access to MoleMentor network, support and delivery content, targets for teaching and learning outcomes, 1 MoleTeacher per 3-4 MoleMentor/MoleMentee sets.

Objectives

The project will develop a learner led personalised learning model in which more confident learners teach less confident learners the use of technology, supervised by their teachers, they collaboratively develop their English language skills. M-learning devices will enable more learners to access resources and personalise their own learning. It will create an environment where the use of devices will address different learning styles and improve learner engagement, encouraging learner autonomy:
Project start

Install, configure infrastructure and equipment

Prepare toolkits, install software and learning content

Selection of participating groups (20) and recruitment of MoleMentors (80), MoleMentees (240) and MoleTeachers (20) by consortium partners to include college and community based classes, family learning groups

Induction and Mentoring Training for MoleMentors, MoleMentees and MoleTeachers

Project launch Conference -
Briefing for MoleMentors, MoleMentees and MoleTeachers
320 MoleMentors and MoleMentees receive toolkits
MoleTeachers receive M-learning devices (1 Netbook, Digital recorder per
MoleTeacher)
Training workshops for MoleMentors, MoleMentees and MoleTeachers from Working
Men's College, Westminster Kingsway College, Camden ACL, City Lit

Develop mobile learning content to support mentoring process

Develop networks of learners from London Colleges and North Herts College (NHC is willing to share their experience and good practice developed through Phase 1 MoleNet project and offer their learners the opportunity to develop their language skills through network approaches, engage about 20 learner ), a non-funded partner, to explore the use of different devices to develop communication skills and exchange information.

Ongoing support for MoleMentors, MoleMentees and MoleTeachers - collaborative system (Coordinators or/and e/M-learning Champions, technical support)

Collate and review feedback from MoleMentors, MoleMentees, MoleTeachers, Middle Managers and Senior Managers

Practitioner research relating to pedagogical practice and learning experience

Opportunities for reflection, gathering and using feedback in applying learning by making necessary changes

Pilot the implementation of 'Generator Tool' in at least two participating organisations

Evaluation phase
Write report with feedback on experience, lessons learned - Working Men's College, Westminster Kingsway College, Camden ACL, City Lit
Sharing good practice event involving funded and non-funded partners

Target audience:

Main and secondary

Adult ESOL learners who have poor English language skills improving language skills to enable themselves to get jobs so that they can be integrated into local community. They either attend onsite or community based classes as their first step into learning. The groups are mixed in terms of gender, ethnicity and cultural diversity. Most of the community based groups include women who also need to develop their confidence alongside their English language skills.

Partners

Westminster Kingsway College, Camden ACL and the City Literary Institute