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Where there was awareness of the
e-learning agenda, resources and mechanisms were not yet sufficiently mature
within ACL to take e-learning forward. |
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A lack of senior management
understanding, often at levels of leadership outside the ACL providers’
management structure, was considered a major barrier in progressing e-learning
beyond pockets of practice. |
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There were some comments on the
difficulty of accessing regular funding for ILT developments, and that once
funding sources were found, the amount of time taken up with writing bids to
try and access them. |
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The use of IT and ICT remained
predominantly within the ICT curriculum, and where learning centres were well
equipped, the resources were devoted mainly to this subject area. |
|
Working in outreach situations
added another layer of complexity with regard to infrastructure and resources
in that the resources were not always owned or controlled by the tutors’
employer. This made it difficult for tutors to know what was available, where
it was located, how to gain access to it and how to use it. |
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The non-ownership of resources also
contributed to difficulties with regard to tutors a) having access to
consistent IT support, b) ensuring the security of equipment, and c) logging
on to computer networks and the internet. |
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Systems for monitoring use of
resources and good practice in e-learning within ACL provision are still in
their infancy and need to be refined if progress and impact are to be
evaluated. |
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In order to encourage senior
management to ‘buy in’ and raise awareness and understanding of e-learning
issues, a named individual within the ACL senior management team should lead
on the organisation’s ILT/e-learning Strategy development and implementation. |
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An ACL ILT/e-Learning Strategy
group or development team should be set up by each local authority ACL service
and LSC directly funded organisation to oversee the implementation of ILT/e-Learning
activities, which in turn could feed into the organisation’s development plan,
any local authority wide ILT/e-Learning Strategy initiative and into relevant
regional initiatives. |
|
Local Learning and Skills Councils
should consider having a named contact who would take a lead in ILT/e-Learning
activities and initiatives within the area. |
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Some aspects of the funding for
adult, at least in the short-term until ILT/e-Learning is more established
with ACL, should include a budget for ILT/e-Learning Developments linked to
the organisation’s ILT/e-Learning Strategy outcomes. |
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ACL providers should be encouraged
to offer staff development training in ILT/e-Learning either during paid
working hours or there should be payment for the individuals to attend
training if it takes place in their own time. |
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There should be requirement for all
newly appointed ACL tutors to become ILT/e-Learning competent within a fixed
period after engagement, with the financial support of the organisation. |
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An appropriate level of immediate
technical support, at all the main venues used for adult learning delivery,
should be agreed with providers and a clear process instigated for the
reporting and repair of faulty equipment, both fixed and mobile. |