A case study, along with research resources, exploring a project that aimed to bring together training providers and employers to revisit the current construction curriculum and develop it further to meet the specific skills needs and gaps of local employers.
In response to the new 9-1 grade English GCSE, this Outstanding Teaching, Learning and assessment (OTLA 3) project in 2017/19, Greater Brighton Metropolitan College (GBMET) wanted to raise standards in post-16 English. They wanted responsibility for developing English skills to be shared across curriculum areas by making a core group of staff confident of improving students' reading, research, planning and assignment writing skills.
Digital badges offer a way of accrediting skills often unrecognised by formal qualifications; skills essential to success at college and beyond. The aim of this 2017/19 digital recording of English and maths (DREAM) outstanding teaching, learning and assessment (OTLA 3) project by Eastleigh and East Sussex colleges was to see if using digital badges towards Functional Skills and GCSE qualifications in maths and English improves learner motivation, achievement and employability. By the end of the project, nearly 400 learners across the two colleges enrolled with the Open Badge Academy.
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.
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.
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.
This Outstanding Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (OTLA) project aimed to change student attitudes to maths and English by providing exciting and engaging challenges, set by real employers and based on real-world scenarios. Students created a set of 11 career-specific online videos with accompanying task sheets. Local employers collaborated. When the videos were used with students there was a 7% increase in the number who agreed with the statement “Everyone needs to get a maths qualification” and a 2% increase in the number agreeing "Everyone needs to get an English qualification”.
A case study of a project to develop an innovative, industry-led learning model focused on the development of technical skills for vocational learners in the hospitality industry.
This outstanding, teaching, learning, and assessment (OTLA 3) project in 2017/18, was led by North Tyneside Council Adult Learning Alliance (NTCALA). The aim was to identify and develop assessment for learning methodologies to promote learners’ self-belief and their capacity to be successful in mandated Department for Work and Pensions programmes. The project focused on assessing and tracking the communication skills of learners on two employability programmes.
