Learner Voice and Technology

A developing theme or a gentle meander through the journey of one large FE college in developing and implementing Learner Voice and using technology to enhance the experience.

Aims of Session

• Appreciate the context

• Share practice – some of it good

• Exchange ideas with each other

• Take away one thing to implement

Background

Learner Involvement StrategyLearner Communication Strategy

• Northampton College believes that the effective involvement of learners in the college’s activities will have a positive impact on its quality improvement processes.

• By bringing together existing college feedback forums, various student bodies and establishing new activities,

 • By developing a calendar of learner focused events, designed to help the college find out

what its learners think. •  • By Working with the college management team to grow the idea and embed the structure

ensured that the primary focus centred on several key areas/initiatives:

L2L

• Curriculum area forums• School forums• L2L events• Conference• Course reps• Governors

Where does Technology come in?

• Learner conference:– Voting in workshops on aspects of college life– Flick Video Room

• Learner Views– Surveys using on line tools and also Txttools short codes– E- Mail buttons – direct to SMT

• Information Sharing– eILP for learners to get and share information about attendance/ progress/ support/

discipline

ACTIVITY

• Talk to 2/3 people sat near you and come up with one idea between you that you can take away and implement – share this idea with others in the group

Why bother?

“Meeting and talking to our learners in a way that I have not done for a number of years, and certainly not since I was a personal tutor 5 years ago, has been a very humbling experience for me. It has reminded me that all the strategies in the world will have no real impact until we sit and really listen to what our learners are telling us. Even more important is then to actually do something about that.”

Technology is a means to an end we know that learners and in particular younger learners, use technology intuitively – we have to learn to harness that power and use it to improve the lot of learners.

Future

• Twitter – Facebook• On line surveys• Instant feedback – smiley face/voting at enrolment• Bluetooth

Challenges

• Cyber Bullying• Cost• Infrastructure• Resistance from conservative staff• Value of information being received