Entry-level immersive technology has reached a price and complexity point where it is now accessible to the average classroom, but how can teachers effectively integrate immersive technologies into their lessons? It's this question that a partnership of Sussex training providers sought to answer in 2018 through the Outstanding Teaching, Learning and Assessment programme (OTLA 3).
This Placing Soft Skills at the Heart of Community Learning 2017/18 Outstanding Teaching, Learning and Assessment (OTLA 3) project involved five of the unitary Berkshire authorities; West Berkshire, Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham and Slough (including Windsor and Maidenhead). They designed and piloted an impact tool to measure learners' development of soft skills at the start, mid-point and end of accredited and non-accredited adult and community learning courses. The tool was produced in visual and linear formats to meet the needs of different learners.
This 2017/19 GBMET Outstanding Teaching, Learning and Assessment (OTLA 3) project used digital technology to improve teaching and learning by generating greater awareness of the use of Google tools for education and of digital technologies. Through the project, they created resources and services, including instructional videos, a study skills site and drop-in sessions for students, as well as staff templates and face-to-face training and a G+ Community.
This outstanding teaching, learning and assessment project in 2017/19 sought to prevent students new to vocational FE from developing self-limiting attitudes in the first few weeks of their courses because teachers knew that once established they often shaped students' experiences for the whole year. An important aspect of this was the lack of confidence and low expectations they frequently saw in students when they found out they needed to study maths and English again.
A booklet containing a summary and evaluation of the work undertaken by the North East and Cumbria team as part of OTLA Digital. Five projects were awarded funding with the aim to develop outstanding teaching, learning and assessment within a variety of contexts in the further education and training sector.
This Outstanding Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (OTLA 3) project, led by Newcastle College working with Community First North East, from 2017 to 2019, was initially designed to encourage collaboration and research among practitioners working in alternative education. It gave practitioners opportunities to explore the ingredients to create truly ‘alternative’ education programmes for young people not in education, employment or training. Early findings revealed the potential the alternative curriculum also had for improving most programmes targeting 16-19-year-olds.
In their Outstanding Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (OTLA 3) project in 2017/18 Kendal College and HMP Haverigg built on a previous Education and Training Foundation (ETF) project piloting the 'Effective Practice Guidelines' (EPGs) for assessment and tracking. They tested EPG-recommended approaches, such as ‘limiting assessment to what is necessary’ and ‘assessing for self-belief and motivation’. They focused on GCSE maths progress (or lack of it) at a microscopic level to enable learners to recognise, record and ‘own’ their progress.
A project aiming to improve attendance, retention and progression of any learners who have challenging lives and to provide learners with a range of coping mechanisms that enable them to focus on a positive future. It also aimed to improve tutors' resilience in ways that help them to deal with and recover from challenging situations with learners.
Using action research to promote more effective partnerships between teachers and student support assistants.
This action research project, which trialled new exemplar Functional Skills maths and English activities, was part of the ETF Phase 3 Outstanding Teaching, Learning and Assessment programme in 2017/18. The aim was to investigate the newly created activities, to evaluate their effectiveness, and to identify training other teachers might need before using them. The project found that an experienced subject specialist teacher would be able to use the activities but an inexperienced teacher would struggle without guidance.
