Designing responsive and cost-effective curricula for work-based learners –

effective practice in a digital age

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting education and research

Peter Chatterton, Eta De Cicco, Alison Felce, Emma Purnell

The workshop

Aims

Provide overview of key needs and

demands of employers and

employees

Promote discussion around the enablers

and barriers for designing and

delivering cost-effective and

responsive curricula

Demonstrate what is

happening within other institutions.

Illustrate how technology can help meet the needs of

work-based learners

Key needs and demands of employers

Do we know what employers want… and do they know what they want?

There is no simple answer

Sector differences

Corporate / SME

differences

Differences in employer “maturity”

Differences in employer

“readiness” for WBL

• Partnership working (design, development & delivery)

• Learner support mechanisms• Alignment with CPD, career

progression, NOS & employer strategic goals

• Alignment with working practices & operational contexts

• Understanding of educational needs –v- vocational needs

• Understanding of transition opportunities• Acting as a learning organisation• Understanding of benefits/impact of

education programmes• Understanding of benefits of partnership

working• Ability to align central services (e.g. HR)

with “local” needs.

• Each sectors’ needs are unique and complex.

• Differences in bodies e.g. sector bodies, professional bodies

• Differences in national and regional initiatives.

Differences in employer

motivations

• Workforce skills development• Skills utilisation• Acquiring/retaining staff• Promoting entrepreneurship & innovation• Meeting regulatory demands

Sustainability framework for responsive and cost-effective curricula

Alignment

• Employer strategic goals• CPD programmes & staff career

progression.• Employer appraisal systems. • Legislative/standards compliance e.g. NOS • Working practices & operational contexts• Employee and employee needs• Mobility of qualifications e.g. cross-border

Partnership approaches

• Structures and processes to support partnership working (design and delivery).

• Demand-driven.• Sector approaches.• Breaking down cultural &

communication barriers• Common terminology/language• Measurement of impact & costs-

benefits.

Models of responsive curricula

Delivery

• Learning contracts (3-way) / personalised learning / PDPs

• Flexible, blended approaches.• APL• Adaptability to suit different learning styles• Support for learners e.g. trained work-based

mentors and assessors, e-induction/e-support• Appropriate use of technology tools e.g.

• e-portfolios• web-conferencing• Admin/management/enrolment• Networks/communities of learning• Multimedia • e-assessment/feedback/• e-APEL• Mobile learning/assessment

Design

• Generic educational frameworks that can be customised (e.g. Shell frameworks)

• Agile design (ICT supported).• Key focus on learning outcomes• Flexible qualifications and pathways• More emphasis on “process” curricula,

experiential/self-directed learning, evidence-based assessment.

• Balancing “competence” and “capability” approaches

• Transition e.g. from VQs to degree study• Cost-effective & efficient design/delivery

(minimising loss of working time)

www.tinyurl.com/wbl-toolkit

The publication

Forms part of the successful Effective Practice series.

Explores ways institutions can respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by LL.

One dimension of LL today – learning in the workplace

Variety of technologies being used to support and deliver lifelong learning.

The last column on the far-right of the table summarises the types of technologies used by case studies.

Cogent

Focus of Nexus is to achieve sustainable, employer-centred provision that can deliver more flexible higher education programmes to employees predominantly in the Glouc region.

Nexus has been using two tools to support its work: the Gloucestershire Framework for Personal and Professional Development and the online Co-generative Toolkit (Co-genT).

Gloucestershire Framework

Gloucestershire Framework

Co-generative Toolkit (Co-genT) is an online package of resources to support planning, design, implementation and assessment of curricula in HE.

Nexus used Co-genT to assist in negotiating bespoke programmes and courses.

http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/cogent

Co-genT

Using tools to streamline the curriculum negotiation process with employers supports a shared understanding.

Engaging employers may require changes to internal processes to accommodate work-based learning (precise costing provision; more rapid programme/course design and approval; employer-focused information; flexible delivery).

Key points

Questions?