eLearning
eLearning is something which we are keep to support, develop and ultimately provide to learners across the whole of North Lincolnshire and potentially beyond. For those of you are unsure what eLearning is, you will seek little comfort in us telling you that there isn't one true all-encompassing definition of it. However, our interpretation of eLearning is a way for learners to be able to access and interact with online resources; the beauty of which is available anywhere and at any time.
We currently work with two “third-party” solutions and are developing a third solution of our own with the LEA:
Fast Tomato
In late September 2004, Study United became the training venue for users of Fast Tomato. Fast Tomato is an exciting new development in the world of careers, education, guidance and Connexions youth support work, produced by The Morrisby Organisation and supported by Prospects Services.
A fully interactive, web-based guidance system, Fast Tomato offers a solution to the delivery and management of careers and education choices over the Internet, which is both unique and innovative as well as being fun and easy to use.
Fast Tomato provides young people with personal insights and all the relevant information they need to plan and develop their future in terms of jobs, education and careers.
The site is aimed at young people aged 13-19 and ideally suited for use within individual schools, colleges and Connexions centres as well as through local networks and Connexions partnerships.
SAM Learning
Early January 2005 saw North Lincolnshire LEA's purchase of 750 licenses for SAM Learning. Funded by the 14-19 Pathfinder project, SAM Learning has been rolled out to 10 educational establishments from schools, to colleges, to adult education centres across the authority.
For students, SAM Learning appears as a web based service accessible from any internet enabled device at anytime. They can tackle a choice of revision, using drag and drop and test practice which essentially means that students do and mark their own work. In exam practice, every single mark is identified by the examiners who wrote the question so we see time and time again that students benefit from improving their technique, their confidence and as a result their results.
Each establishment involved receives monthly detailed usage statistics which can be broken down to reveal an individual's learning pattern and the amount of time spent on each subject/topic/module.
The administrative work is handled by Study United and has become the North Lincolnshire base for SAM Learning. We have opened up the Centre at exam time for revision sessions using the resources, and have provided incentives and prizes for the most improved learner across the authority. Many thanks go to Connect-Up LTD for their kind donation of an Ipod.
North Lincolnshire Virtual School
Study United is assisting with the development of the North Lincolnshire Virtual School. A portal will be set up to support the learning of a number of discrete groups of students who are not receiving their education via the traditional school route. These include excluded students, hospital and home tutored students and those being educated in the ´Educated Otherwise´ scheme.
Funding has been made available from the vulnerable children Standards Fund to create a teaching post for looked after children and a Content Development Manager / ICT Technician. Both these posts are part of the Study United team based at Glanford Park. Content for the virtual school is expected to come from a range of sources including schools, S.E.N.S.S. and Study United FC.
