The Transformative Power of Innovative Learning Spaces

Sir Mark Grundy, Executive Principal, Shireland Collegiate Academy

Quite inspirational talk about creating a Learning Gateway, where there is a Family Portal as well as one for learning. The Gateway is content rich and a team of developers create learning materials in consultation with staff & students.
Students were asked how do you get people to do things they don't necessarily want to, they said create a league table. Spelling quizzes were developed reporting to a league table and students competed to be top of the league.
They have incorporated problem pages etc.
Developed with Sharepoint platform and now they support 127 other schools.

Jayne Bacon - e-learning manager Colchester Institute
We've been using sharepoint 2003 for some time , its been very successful especially with collaborating across college with the use of team sites. The strategy will be to migrate to sharepoint 2007 early 2008 allowing all staff & learners to have their personal space.
The College has a remit for single source of data & sharepoint will facilitate sharing all organisational data in one place.

I have been impressed in the amount of Sharepoint solutions Sir Mark Grundy's inspiring presentation has re-inforced my thinking that Sharepoint is the correct choice.

Technology Strategy - does it matter?

Jane Williams from BECTA spoke about the strategy paper.
Some themes:
base development round pedegogy
build technology into the heart of learning methodologies
technology improves student satisfaction, allows fast tracking through subjects, improves retention & acheivement

successful use of technology is when technology not that visible, a learner engages with learning provider before walking into the physical building

the key is look at teaching practice NOT focus exclusively on the technology, a partnership, which works

There is a need to change contracts for employment for staff - undertaking a contractual element for building IT skills
We need to train teachers on-line - people who come from industry & re-train to becomme teachers automatically use technology , as they are used to using it for business processes.

student e-mentors

Been chatting to students from Oaklands College ( Carrie, Natalie and James) who are part of an e-mentor scheme.
In their lessons, they help staff if they can't get the white board to work, or connect up a data projector or access the VLE. They are not paid, but get HMV vouchers to attend meetings & of course put it on their CV. There are about 100 e-mentors at the College.

Chatted to Mavlin Fletcher Curriculum leader ICT / ILT at CoNEL.

She has been interested in the virtual learning spaces such as second life and others and is inspired by the way an on-line environment can encourage self assessment, and active, independant learning.

She is impressed with Mark Grundy's Learning Gateway, and will recommend that her own institution investigates using sharepoint as their learning portal to enhance & personalise their learner's experience. CoNel currently uses Moodle.

James Mortlock - MIT Manager Salford College

Our College has come a long way with Sharepoint & reporting services, this has enabled personalisation, coming here has allowed us to see whether we can take this to the next level. We may possibly merge and the learning spaces in relation to IT is of interest to me. The topics have been more relevant this year and we have had more discussion that is appropriate for the problems we currently face.

Mandy Hindley - IT Manager at Wigan and Leigh College
Polarised the opinion that we need to look at employer gateways in a different ways, not necessarily using our own web sites for employers but using tailored solutions.
The solution needs to include the functions of tracking, availability, access & information, not just a marketing tool, but allows employers to communicate with each other.
We have learnt from talking to collegues.