Leeds College of Technology - Print Media Skills Centre

							 Leeds College of Technology
On-Line Collaborative Learning
  with Print Media Learners


Steve Reid and Pam Horncastle
         7 July 2006
Centre of Vocational Excellence




     http://www.printcollege.co.uk
    Why did the college offer
     Print Media On- Line?

•   Not many colleges offer Print
    Courses
•   Would be able to deliver Print
    Courses to companies all over the
     country
        Print Media On-Line


The programme committed to improving
  access to training for the print and
packaging industry, with long term goals
   of addressing skill shortages and
     maintaining regional / national
    competitiveness across the UK
     Leeds College of Technology’s
     Print Media On-Line programme
     created a blended learning environment

   Full on-line support by a personal tutor
    through the use of the bulletin board and
    e mail
   Tracking of the trainees progress and
    regular reporting of progress to the
    trainees in company mentor
   Trainees attending college for ‘thin mini
    blocks’ of practical training
Collaboration……

      …….with flexibility
    The Print Media On-Line
    programme is also delivered:-

• Totally On-Line with no face-to-face contact
  at all during the whole programme – learners
  do not attend college
• The learners have a personal tutor who supports
  them online in the same way as the blended
  learners are supported – by bulletin board,
  email, phone calls
• Tracking of learners’ progress and regular
  reporting of learners’ progress to their companies
How does On-Line Collaborative
Learning help a company?

   Offers greater flexibility in delivery
   Requires that the learners attend
    college in person less frequently
   Creates a learning environment within
    the company
    Why did a large multi-national company
    choose On-Line Collaborative Learning?


   They had a desire for a more flexible
    delivery mode for learners
   They wanted to spend their training
    budget across the whole of the
    company
   There was still a belief within the
    company that learners should attend
    a college
What was the initial outcome?


 We found that learners were
    getting achieving their
   qualifications faster and
 companies liked the greater
     flexibility it offered
Where it would once take a year
to obtain the qualification


  Some learners are achieving in
       less than 6 months
The On-line Learning Leads to
Nationally recognised print
Qualifications
City & Guilds Qualifications
  New courses are being
 continually developed…….


….and made bespoke to both
company and individual needs
      On-line learning has been
      developed into other areas

   Heath & Safety Executive Print
    Inspectors courses
   IMPRESS Part-time Print
    Management Degree
   On Machine Measurement NPL & Dti
   Print Champions Group
   Schools Vocational GCSE programme
   Print Out Your Future
          Issues for Learners
   Adequate IT skills of the Learners
   Access to the internet
   Study time – working around shifts
   Motivation – self study
   Time off work for exams
   Travel distance to Leeds College for
    exams
        Issues for the College
   Cost and Development of Quality On-
    Line materials
   Qualified and Experienced On-Line
    Tutors
   Work loading of On-Line Tutors
   On-Line MIS systems
   Auditing of Guided Learning Hours