Embracing E-Learning
Aims and objectives
Embracing E-Learning aimed to bring together teachers, trainers and learners who had some experience in e-learning, to participate in a ‘pilot’ project’ to test the potential for e-learning and m-learning to engage adult learners more fully in Lifelong Learning.
Activities and lessons learnt
Staff and students met in workshops to experiment with different pedagogic approaches to e-learning; share good practice with partners; and explore the potential for mobile learning to stimulate adult learners’ demand for learning.
Achievements
All partners were active participants and collectively we tested e-learning modules each partner had designed. As a result all partners are now using e-learning with adults to some extent. Our key achievement has been in developing ‘bite sized’ chunks of mobile learning and exploring the very promising options posed by ‘active’ mobile learning.
Materials produced
The project developed materials online to pilot e-learning and mobile learning. The web site hosted on our Virtual Learning Environment demonstrates the project’s progress. Details of this can be found at: www.embracing-elearning.co.uk
Partnership organisations/ countries
Austria, E-BFI Telelearning; Trained unemployed people IT and E-Business.
Czech Republic, Czech Technical University in Prague.
Portugal, Rodrigues Freitas Secondary School: A public school catering in part to adult learners.
Italy, Uni.TS: A private non governmental training organisation operating all over Italy.
UK, Middlesbrough College: one of the largest further education colleges in the North East.
Learner involvement
Learners participated before, during and after meetings in Gras in Austria, Prague in the Czech Republic and Porto in Portugal, testing the e-learning modules, and providing feedback on their use of mobile devices. The learners also tested usability and accessibility and designed some simple language ‘tasters’ for online mobile learning.
Impact
On our organisation
Our organisation has expanded its use of e-learning to include all full
time courses and 30% of part time courses. Following the introduction of
mobile learning, the college is currently vigorously debating the using of
mobile technologies in teaching and learning.
On our staff
Our staff are now engaged with e-learning and some are engaging with
mobile technologies. Workshops are being arranged to demonstratethe benefits
of mobile learning in helping to engage ‘hard to reach’ students and to
promote ‘active’ learning through the use of mobile phones, particularly for
assessment opportunities.
On adult learners
Many of our adult learners now have e-learning opportunities. Students
from ‘Access to HE’ courses participated in the project and they are
consistently using and benefiting from e-learning to support their learning
and match their needs as working adults, particularly those with childcare
responsibilities
On external bodies
Our leaflets have been disseminated widely to external bodies, through
raising the project on agenda items at regional e-learning committees and
through workshops and presentations.
For example;
 | JISC organised ‘Mobile Learning: Tools, Tips and Technologies’ 15th March |
| Blackboard E-Learning Seminar for FE, Newcastle 26th April- Middlesbrough College - presentation. |
| BlackboardWorld Europe Presentation – 9th May, Edinburgh “From Desktop to Mobile”. |
Contact details
Name, organisation and address:Alastair Smith
Middlesbrough College,
Marton Road,
Middlesbrough
TS4 3RZ
Email: a.smith@mbro.ac.uk
Classification data
Project focus
| Active citizenship | |
| Essential skills | |
| Inter-generational learning | |
| Cultural/multi-cultural | |
| ICT and learning | X |
| Foreign languages | |
| Other* |
Project Type: Grundtvig 2 (learning partnerships)
UK Project base
| East Midlands | |
| East of England | |
| London | |
| North East | X |
| Northern Ireland | |
| North West | |
| Scotland | |
| South East | |
| South West | |
| Wales | |
| West Midlands | |
| Yorkshire and the Humber |
