Bridgwater College

Year 2: Use Moletec to better respond to employers and engage with learners 2008/2009

Bridgwater College is a large rural college with a wide catchment area. The opportunities for the use of mobile technologies in improving employer engagement, widening participation and improvements in teaching and learning are potentially large.

Mobile technologies will be used to provide resources and assessment for work based learning, by allowing flexible delivery and assessment. It will enhance our ability to engage with a wider range of employers / employees.

Mobile devices will also be used with 14-19 year olds allowing learning resources to be delivered to suit specific learning styles.

Project Aim

This project aims to provide learning resources and assessment through a mobile device. This will allow work based learners to have a flexible and quality learning resource with opportunities for assessment. In addition it will aim to engage employers that, due to location, have found it difficult or hard to engage in work based learning.

Students will use mobile devices in the differentiation of ability within a session to reinforce learning.

Project Objectives

The aim to provide learning resources will be delivered through the production of materials that can allow students to access materials in an employment setting. The resources for learning will be given to the learner on Personal Digital Assistants (PDA). The PDA will contain personalised learning and assessment resources specific to their area of employment. There will be a knowledge based element to ensure that the learners have access to the information and then an assessment opportunity. On completion of this, the assessment can be sent wirelessly to the assessor. Feedback can also be provided from a distance, overcoming some of the rural and distance barriers.

Opportunities for assessment can be more suited to the needs of the learner. They can demonstrate and record evidence as part of their work. This should improve success rates as learners can provide evidence at times that are convenient.

The use of mobile technologies in the class room can be used to provide differentiation for abilities, improve engagement, widening participation and communication. The learners can be given small specific tasks, such as gaining video / photograph evidence of something that has recently been learnt.

The use of text based communication allows two way communication that can allow ease of communication for learners in the work place. Assessment, reinforcement and access to assessor feedback are quick and convenient.