Testing an inhouse resource aimed at supporting ESOL and lower-level English learners to develop their knowledge and confidence in the application of Essential Digital Skills (EDS).
This project road-tested a powerful, in-house PowerPoint resource aimed at supporting ESOL and lower-level English learners to develop their knowledge and confidence in the application of Essential Digital Skills (EDS).
Islington Adult Community Learning (ACL) sought to address the Essential Digital Skills deficit of learners in the Borough by utilising a multi-layered, bespoke PowerPoint resource to introduce a step-by-step guide to a range of highly relevant digital skills in an accessible, visual and practical way. This resource was the product of ACL engaging in a previous OTLA project with the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). Tutors involved in this project commented positively on the impact this research has had on their teaching, learning and assessment activities.
OTLA 8
9. Critically review and apply your knowledge of educational research, pedagogy, and assessment to develop evidence-informed practice - Within the organisation the project supported cross curriculum collaboration and an extension of this project is to encourage other curriculum colleagues to develop and share their own EDS resources. Action research and evidenced-based research within ACL is increasingly being seen as having a role to play in meeting objectives like closing the digital skills gap among local residents, raising standards of teaching and learning and promoting professional collaboration to the benefit of the service.
10. Share and update knowledge of effective practice with colleagues, networks and/or research communities to support improvement - Tutors took part in bi-weekly meetings with the whole project team to discuss their own practice and share how it had impacted on their learners. Tutors were encouraged to engage learners to speak openly about participating in the research and the impact it had on their learning. This provided a useful triangulation for assessing the overall impact of the project.
16. Select and use digital technologies safely and effectively to promote learning - The project focused on developing online resources that would give learners the underpinning knowledge and skills to support their own online learning. The team noticed that the digital skills acquired fed into students personal online activities with social media as well as enhanced confidence in accessing online resources for independent learning.