Leadership in technology (LIT) grant based intervention

Closing date: Friday 17th September 2010 12:00pm

LSIS is inviting bids from learning providers, across FE and Skills, for project grants of £6000 for technology based improvement interventions. The grant is designed to support providers who identify a particular improvement need that can be tackled through the innovative use of technology and organisational development. This should enable organisations to use technology to achieve measurable and/or clearly identifiable benefits. The scheme aims to use sector expertise and best practice through mentoring, coupled with support from targeted LSIS Leadership of elearning programme activity.

Successful bids will also be eligible to bid for a capital grant the amount of which is yet to be determined.  The details of this will be finalised early in the autumn term and successful bids will automatically qualify for the fund.

Full details:  LSIS website

Every learning and skills provider funded through the LSC/Skills Funding Agency is now able to benefit from a new LSIS Account.

An LSIS Account gives providers an amount of virtual credit that can be used to buy improvement services from LSIS. Each time you use the LSIS Account to pay for an LSIS event the cost is deducted from the virtual credit in your LSIS Account.

From August 2010, in response to feedback from the sector, LSIS accounts are available to all organisations that provide education and training in the learning and skills sector.

Providers who do not have an LSIS account can apply for one by completing the online registration form.

For more information about LSIS Accounts, read the frequently asked questions on the LSIS website. If you can’t find the answer to your query here, call the LSIS helpline on 02476 627953.

The Department for BusinesInnovation and Skills (BIS) has two consultations underway that will help inform FE and Skills policy.

Skills for Sustainable Growth will inform a strategy on skills which will be published in the autumn after the Spending Review. The strategy will outline the Government’s principles for the skills system and a framework for policy for the next five years.

This is complemented by the consultation FE and Skills Funding System and Methodology for further education colleges and training organisations, following an independent review by Chris Banks, CBE.  This consultation examines ways in which the funding to support the development of skills can best be allocated and used, and includes in its reach funding policy and budgetary arrangements for colleges and training organisations, the funding formula, allocations, procurement and contracting and performance management.

The documents invite employers, individuals, colleges and training organisations to share their ideas on how they would like skills policy to be set out in the future.

• Read the skills consultation at the BIS website.
• Read FE and Skills Funding System and Methodology at the BIS website.

JISC Legal has announce the release of its guidance on the Digital Economy Act 2010.  This guidance examines the Act in detail and explores its implications for colleges and universities.

The guidance can be found at: www.jisclegal.ac.uk/DEA

Additionally, Kirsty McLaughlin, the author, recorded a podcast about the DEA with JISC.  The podcast can be found here: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2010/07/podcast109digitaleconomyact.aspx

At City and Islington College last week, members of the college e-learning, ICT, Learning Centre and teaching teams shared effective practice and support through the exchange of experiences, knowledge and practical know-how to speed up the effective use of technology by colleges across all aspects of their business to the ultimate benefit of the learner.

Participants from across the region benefited from workshops on the technology behind sharepoint, finding and using top class digital resources for teaching and learning online, as well as the College’s experience in moving to Moodle.

See more details at

http://www.candi.ac.uk/about_us/news/2009-10/jul16-becta.aspx

Sheron Burton, Head of Learning Centres at City and Islington College commented: “We want the best for our students; we want them to achieve their potential and succeed in life. Technology delivers and supports those aims by enabling learning styles that grab the imagination of our learners and help them achieve their potential.”

RSC London advisers were in attendance, having been cheerleaders for this approach since its inception.

Andrew Williams of Kingston College was impressed with City and Islington’s innovative use of SharePoint. He said: “City and Islington College is leading the way in the implementation of SharePoint technology, they are ahead of the game in the sector in the use of future technologies.”   Earlier in the year, Andrew hosted a similar showcase of college systems, organised by RSC London, that recognised the rapid growth of joined up college systems to benefit staff and learners.    See what was demonstrated at

http://www.rsc-london.ac.uk/1382/

Frank McLoughlin, Principal of City and Islington College and Chair of the influential 157 Group of Colleges has long been a champion for technology in  the FE and skills sector.

In a key discussion paper, Frank has outlined how technology is changing not just business processes, but also the power relationship, where the teacher is no longer the expert dispensing knowledge, under pressure from learners, employers, and as a result of a revolution in the information environment including Google, wifi, open content, new broadcasting models and user-generated content.

_towards_a_future_vision_for_the_innovative_use_of_technology_in_fe_colleges.pdf

RSC London will continue to play its part in bringing learning providers together and supporting these significant developments.

‘Sparks’, Bexley College’s Moodle-based virtual learning environment (VLE), was not a popular platform by September 2008 and was underused by both lecturers and learners. John Jackson, e-Learning and VLE Professional Tutor, and Dave Byrne, ILT Training and Development Co-ordinator, set out to discover what could be done to turn this situation around and start to embed e-learning across the College.

Over 60 staff and 1,750 learners, representing a wide range of programmes from basic education, access to higher education, Business, ICT, Beauty, ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages), Art and Design and Construction, were involved in the drive to extend and enliven e-learning at Bexley College.

Read how they fired-up ‘Sparks’ in this new case study for the Excellence Gateway.

Bob Powell

Delegates from colleges, training organisations and partner agencies from all across London came together to focus on how to face the future.

From discussion groups across the event the message was clear:

Learning  provider organisations must do more than just survive, but aim to thrive through adapting and collaborating.

Read the full event report: http://www.rsc-london.ac.uk/1436/

Link to: Renewal Grant and Enhanced Renewal Grant Application Guidance

from the ministerial statement
The  Skills Funding Agency are writing to 153 eligible further education colleges to confirm that they will each receive a share of a £30 million renewal grant. This support  is aimed at the 153 colleges across the country that have yet to benefit from significant capital funds. Each will receive approximately £225,000.

A further £20 million will be made available to colleges through an enhanced renewal grant. Approximately 20 colleges will have the opportunity to add to their renewal grant, by bidding to build their total allocation to £1 million.

Applications for the enhanced renewal grant will be assessed using key criteria, including

• condition of the college and its facilities
• the benefits to learners
• adding to regeneration of local communities

Projects will be expected to meet exacting design standards, ensuring a built legacy of which all concerned can be proud.

The Skills Funding Agency and an expert panel will assess and prioritise all applications, with a view to announcing successful bids by the end of this summer. Projects will have to be completed in time for learners to benefit from the new facilities by the start of the 2011-12 academic year.

Renewal Grant and Enhanced Renewal Grant Application Guidance

In addition to the centrally-purchased E-Books for FE Collection colleges can now supplement their collection by purchasing additional titles. There are 100 titles specially selected by JISC Collections and FE colleges to form the e-Select Top 100 Collection. Titles were selected for their relevance to qualifications taken in FE, and provide demonstrable discounts for FE colleges.

All titles included in the e-Select Top 100 Collection offer unlimited, simultaneous user access (any number of users can access the same title at the same time). They are purchased in perpetuity and access to these titles, through the e-books for FE license, will be available to 31st August 2014. After this date, purchased e-books will remain available, though a small access fee may apply.

More information:

e-books for FE website

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/eselecttitles

The School of Arts at Barnet College covers a range of subjects including Multimedia Design, Graphics, Music, Photography, Fashion, Creative and Performing Arts. The School has been leading the way in exploring the use of blogs for students working at Entry Level through to those on Foundation Degree courses. Recognising the wide range of prior experience with online tools amongst teachers and learners, Barnet’s approach is exploratory and experimental with experience shared across the College as new staff members are encouraged to introduce blogs as part of their own practice.

This RSC London case study for the Excellence Gateway describes how teachers at Barnet College are using blogs in a variety of ways with their learners, and how their learners are responding to the experience in different ways.

Read the full case study on the Excellence Gateway: http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=288577