C_&_G_7407

C&G 7404 Stage 2 Assignment 113 Contents Introduction 1 Background 1 The VLE 2 Communication 3 Conclusion 5 References 7 Bibliography 8 Introduction Some learners may have difficulties accessing training and educational opportunities, and education providers need to be flexible in their approach to delivering their programmes (Minton 2003). Dally’s College runs a wide variety of courses and offer these in a variety of options: full time, part time and now distance learning. Distance learning can be delivered in varying ways and may be a mix of one or more methods. Some of the patterns of study include: • Attendance at college at regular intervals • Non-attendance at college • Sessions on other premises • There may be blocks of time when groups of students can come together (Minton 2003) I am course manager for a distance learning programme in canine behaviour and training, which at first sounds a rather bizarre course to run via a distance learning approach. However, various strategies are employed to ensure that both the theoretical and practical aspects of the course are delivered effectively. One of the most valuable and flexible tools that I employ is the college’s Virtual Learning environment (VLE) which allows me to communicate much more effectively with my learners. The VLE is not my only source of contact with my learners; they do attend college for induction days, weekend sessions and block weeks. However only the block weeks are compulsory, which does cause some difficulties as some learners choose not to attend the weekend sessions and we do not get to meet them face to face until they attend the block week at the end of their first year. This has meant that the course team have had to develop a range of ways of communicating with our learners and this is further complicated by the fact the only part of the cohort of learners studies by distance, the other part of the cohort attends college one evening a week. The major hurdle that has to be overcome is making sure that all learners are all included within the learning environment. Integration of the learners is further complicated by the wide range of ages of the learners (from 18 to 69 years young) and their varying degrees of IT literacy. This can be a barrier to effective learning as learners with poor IT skills will have more difficulty with using the learning resources provided and with accessing support, and this is an area that we address during induction evenings and weekends as well as providing telephone support for (basically our learners can use the course assistance as an IT helpdesk). Background In order to understand more fully the issues that may affect the learners, it will be beneficial to understand how the college administrates the learning programme. Each week there is a lecture and practical session at college for those learners that wish to attend. These learners are provided with lectures notes and additional handouts. These learning materials are then dispatched on a weekly basis to the distance learners. The same learning materials are also placed onto the VLE, as are additional resources that have been used. These may include: PowerPoint presentations, digital audio recordings of the session, video footage, digital images and additional notes that were taken in the session by a nominated person. The VLE The VLE is an important electronic resource that aids in the delivery of this distance learning package. Briefly it is separated into several areas. Each year of the distance learning course has its own dedicated ‘area’. This area contains sections for each module and all of the resources that have been ‘uploaded’ for it. These are arranged in weekly ‘lecture slots’. Also within this dedicated area are sections for web links as well as forums for each module and a general ‘chat forum’. A chat room is included in each area as well, which enables the learners to ‘talk’ to each other in real time rather than waiting for responses to their posts on the forums. A recent addition to the course resources is an area where both years of the course can ‘talk’ to each other. It was felt that it would be beneficial for the first years to be able to chat to the second years as they can share experiences, and offer support to each other. All of the areas are ‘moderated’ in a loose fashion by the course team, but to be honest we have never yet had to remove an offensive post, or to tell another learner off for insulting another learner. The forums are very pleasant environments in which to communicate with each other, and as the course team are always polite when posting on there, it has fostered an atmosphere of trust between the tutors and learners with the learners knowing that they are not going to be ridiculed or insulted if they post. This atmosphere of trust is important in order to foster an effective learning environment which is of course particularly important for the distance earning students that don’t have the benefit of talking to the leaner face to face. The VLE has other features that are useful to the course tutors. We can very quickly check which learners are using the VLE, when they last logged on, how many resources they have accessed and how often they are logging on. Those learners that haven’t logged on for a while get a phone call or email asking if things are ok. The VLE also enables us to design quizzes to assess the learners’ understanding of the topics and these can be simple multiple choice quizzes or ones requiring more detail replies. Quizzes can be set up for multiple attempts to enable the learner to identify their errors and to correct them after further study or as single attempt quizzes. In a multiple attempt option, the VLE records all attempts and scores and the teacher can access all of this information. The VLE also has an events calendar into which all the assignment hand-n dates are entered. These are set up with reminders so that the learners get a weeks warning that an assignment is due in. There is also a news forum which is configured so that instead of the learners having to log in to the VLE to access these notices, they are delivered to the learner’s inbox as an email, which should hopefully ensure that they read them when they download their email. Communication Having given you some background on the course itself and the VLE, we can now look at the way that we communicate with these groups of learners, but in particular the distance learner cohort. Gary et al (2001) states that is common, with distance learning students to communicate with them electronically. This is an important way of disseminating important information such as assignment hand-in dates but is also an important form of teaching and learning sessions (Gray et al 2001). As I have already mentioned, the distance learners receive their information via the postal service and via the VLE, as well as additional activities being available via the VLE only. In-college learners also have access to the VLE and are encouraged to interact with the distance learners to foster an atmosphere of inclusiveness. Electronic communication may be one to one in a tutorial type format or it may be a forum in which a tutor and a potentially limitless number of learners can exchange ideas and information (Gray et al 2001). Learners may access tutor support via email, telephone or via the VLE forums. For personal matters, the learners generally contact me by email or phone and have a tutorial session. All emails from learners requesting advice or support are retained as are the replies. Phone conversations are recorded via notes on a tutorial form or a record of conversation form, which ensures that there is no ambiguity and that proof of any decisions is there for quality assurance purposes as well as academic regulations. However, the downfall with one to one electronic communication is that it is important to realise that many key features of human communication as missing and this can cause problems for both the tutor and the learner as the written word has to convey the entire message’s meaning (Gray et al 2001). In face to face communication, we use different tones and intonations of the voice, we use different body language to help convey a point and to give feedback to the learner, we can use humour to lighten a moment, and we can share emotions and empathise with our learners (Gray et al 2001). These techniques are not available to us via an electronic format which means that misinterpretations can occur and an electronic message may not convey the message that its writer intended. Emails and forum messages need to be clearly written, avoiding ambiguities and subtle attempts at humour as these may be misinterpreted resulting in upset, and the recipient feeling ridiculed or belittled which then puts barriers into place. Effective learning requires that the communication is a two way process, but this is no easy matter in practise as a number of barriers present themselves which prevent or inhibit effective communication (Petty 2001) being aware of and doing your best to remove these barriers becomes even more important when your learners are not even in the classroom with you and you can not talk to them face to face! (Petty 2001). The use of emoticons can help to convey the intended essence of an electronic message and the common ones can be understood by all. The addition of a simply smilie face can change the whole tone of a message and instead of it causing offence, the recipient then understands the intended ‘tone’ of the message. Motivation and reward are also important aspects of the communication process. Distance learners are often a long way from their tutor and cannot just ‘drop by’ to see you and discuss any issues they are having. It is important to keep them motivated remembering of course Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and to reward them when they do make a contribution, no matter how small. This reward may be a ‘well done’, ‘good point raised’ or just simply by replying to their email message. Reinforcement should be positive and criticism constructive not negative (Reece and Walker 2003). Another important aspect is the speed of response to queries, concerns etc and the maximum acceptable time for a response. The issue/question being raised by the learner is often very important to them and they want an immediate response. This is not always possible and it is made clear to the learners at the start of the course that I have other teaching commitments which mean that I am not always in the office to answer phone calls or emails and that I will endeavour to deal with them within a 24 hour window. In practice most emails and phone calls are dealt with within 5 hours. To help the learners access me when they need me, I have allocated time that is timetabled, when I will be in the office to deal with telephone calls. This is basically a tutorial slot for the distance learners but the in-college learners may also use these allocated sessions. The learners are also informed that although I do have other teaching commitments, that they can phone at other times and if I am free I will talk to them, but if I am busy I will arrange to call them back. If I’m not in the office they can either leave a message and I’ll get back to them or they can talk to my assistant whose role it is to support the distance learners in the studies. Part of my role and that of my assistant is to encourage the learners to communicate with each other. This is done by setting assignments that require them to seek the opinions of other dog trainers/behaviourists, and by starting off discussion threads on relevant topics. Learners that begin topics themselves are encouraged and rewarded by means of a prompt enthusiastic reply by either myself or my assistant. Queries raised about specific cases or problems encountered during training receive some suggestions, but may also be responded to with more questions in an attempt to get the learner to think around the problem more or to clarify their original post if the issue was too vague. The first weekend sessions are early on in the course and are open to both in-college and distance learning students. Although the in-college learners will be more comfortable with the staff, each other and the facilities, this familiarity can be used to assist the ‘bonding’ process of the two cohorts by getting the in-college learners to show the distance learners around. We do ensure that the learners don’t get too territorial by mixing and matching the in-college and distance learners when we split the group into two to make a more manageable group size for practical sessions. Interestingly, once the learners are out of the classroom and have their dogs with them, they feel more comfortable and are able to relax and get to know each better. Usually by lunchtime on the first day, the learners are all happily talking away to each other. We do monitor the situation and try to include everyone in the conversation over lunch, coffee breaks etc. If we spot an individual that is on their own, we make our way over there to start a conversation and then call other people over to join in; leaving them to get to know each other once the ice has been broken. Occasionally we get a very dominant member of the group who tries to take over the sessions and the conversation and we tactfully allow them to have their say before stopping the conversation and moving back onto topic. This can be done by directing a question to someone else or in some instances by having to be a little blunt and say that we’ll come back to that point later if we have sufficient time. The weekend sessions enable us to get to know the distance learners better and I also schedule formal and informal tutorials during this time so that the learners can gain feedback on their progress. During breaks I’ll mingle with the learners asking them how they are getting on and how they are finding the course. This gives me chance to talk to all the learners either in small groups or as individuals, and I find that they are more willing to talk to me if I approach it this way, especially on the first weekend that they attend college. By later sessions, we have all got to know each other better and the learners are more forthcoming. There is usually a flurry of emails, phone calls and postings on the VLE after a weekend session which shows the benefits that it has in helping the learners to communicate to each other. Conclusion Berne (1968) postulated that personality is made up of thee egos; Parent, Child and Adult, and that at any given time, one ego state tends to dominate (Reece and Walker 2003). It is possible to change from one state to another very quickly even though we don’t tend to be aware of which state we are in (Reece and Walker 2003). The parent state is often concerned with teaching ‘how to’ do something as well as protecting and nurturing, the adult is often concerned with the acquisition of data, choice of alternatives and decision-making processes, the child in us relates to frustration and fear amongst other things and is connected to curiosity and the desire to explore (Reece and Walker 2003). The nurturing parent supports, helps by reassuring and is protective, sympathetic and understanding (Reece and Walker 2003). According to this theory, we can use communication as a means of ‘switching’ a person between states. The use of negative feedback and comments will switch a person into their child ego, whereas the use of positive means (feedback, constructive criticism) can switch the person out of the child ego and into their adult self so that they can start learning once again. I see my role as a facilitator in the learning process, guiding and encouraging the learner to seek answers to their questions and to never be afraid to ask for advice and support. In this case I am trying to act as the ‘parent’. By fostering an atmosphere of trust and by leading by example, I felt that we are encouraging our learners to communicate effectively and to act in a professional manner. I try to foster a safe environment where they know they will not be ridiculed if they answer a question incorrectly, but will be encouraged to try again. All learning materials are free from discrimination and bias, and can be made available in different formats if a learner is having problems. It was partly because that we felt that the distance learners were disadvantaged because they don’t attend college so frequently, that we decided to utilise the VLE so heavily. By providing the audio tapes and PowerPoint presentations as well as the lecture notes the learning can watch the presentation whilst listening to the ‘lecture’ and follow by reading the handouts and by making their own notes. This addresses all of the learning domains, and brings the distance learner into the classroom so that they feel included and part of the group. In this way, we feel that the distance learners benefit from being included, and several of their barriers to learning are removed and their motivation is kept high. References Berne (1968) cited in Reece I and Walker S (2003) Teaching, Training and Learning. A Practical Guide. Sunderland, UK. Business Education Publishers Ltd. Gray D, Griffin C and Nasta T (2001) Training to Teach in Further and Adult Education. Cheltenham, UK. Nelson Thornes Ltd. Huddleston P and Unwin L (2003) Teaching and Learning in Further Education. London, UK. RoutledgeFalmer Minton D (1991) Teaching Skills in Further Education. Hampshire, UK. MacMillan Press Ltd. Petty G (2001) Teaching Today Cheltenham, UK. Nelson Thornes Ltd. Reece I and Walker S (2003) Teaching, Training and Learning. A Practical Guide. Sunderland, UK. Business Education Publishers Ltd. Wallace S (2001) Teaching and Supporting Learning in Further Education. Exeter, UK. Learning Matters Ltd. Bibliography Armitage A, Bryant B, Dunnill R, Renwick M, Hayes D, Hudson A, Kent J and Lawes S. (2003) Teaching in Post-Compulsory Education. Philadelphia, USA. Open University Press Edexcel (2003) Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals In Animal Management Issue 2 Nottingham, UK. Edexcel Publications FENTO (1999) Standards for Teaching and Supported Learning in Further Education in England and Wales. London, UK. Association of Colleges FENTO (2001) Delivering Learning to Promote Social Inclusion. London, UK. FENTO Gray D, Griffin C and Nasta T (2001) Training to Teach in Further and Adult Education. Cheltenham, UK. Nelson Thornes Ltd. Huddleston P and Unwin L (2003) Teaching and Learning in Further Education. London, UK. RoutledgeFalmer Minton D (1991) Teaching Skills in Further Education. Hampshire, UK. MacMillan Press Ltd. Petty G (2001) Teaching Today Cheltenham, UK. Nelson Thornes Ltd. Race P (2002) The Lecturer’s Toolkit London, UK. Kogan Page Ltd. Reece I and Walker S (2003) Teaching, Training and Learning. A Practical Guide. Sunderland, UK. Business Education Publishers Ltd. Rogers A (2003) Teaching Adults Philadelphia, USA. Open University Press Sotto E (2003) When Teaching Becomes Learning. A Theory and Practice of Teaching. London, UK. Continuum Wallace S (2001) Teaching and Supporting Learning in Further Education. Exeter, UK. Learning Matters Ltd.