The establishment which i currently work within is a Large FE College where we also deliver HE and WBL programmes within the engineering sectors (Mechanical and Electrical). I currently deliver programmes to level 3 full time learners and Apprentices within the Electrical discipline and have the responsibility for the Apprentice provision and its structure for the curriculum delivery. The age... more

The establishment which i currently work within is a Large FE College where we also deliver HE and WBL programmes within the engineering sectors (Mechanical and Electrical). I currently deliver programmes to level 3 full time learners and Apprentices within the Electrical discipline and have the responsibility for the Apprentice provision and its structure for the curriculum delivery. The age of the learners ranges from school leavers aged 16 through to learners in the 40 + age range, the different age ranges bring their own individual teaching needs and this is when differentiated and accessible sessions are key factors. My background is based in the electrical industry and I have used this to enhance the taught sessions throughout the contextualisation of sessions. less

Following the completion of the modules online i gathered the information and created my own 'To do' list as the training had raised my awareness of how the current curriculum and the resources could be adapted to increase accessibility by the learners. The existing resources were reviewed critically to determine if and if so how they could be adapted to ensure that they were suitable... more

Following the completion of the modules online i gathered the information and created my own 'To do' list as the training had raised my awareness of how the current curriculum and the resources could be adapted to increase accessibility by the learners. The existing resources were reviewed critically to determine if and if so how they could be adapted to ensure that they were suitable for all learners including those with specific educational and/or learning disabilities. As the resources are predominately paper based this was an ideal opportunity to expand the resource availability by making them available both digitally including Visual and Audible Recordings, digital online cloud based resources and making the resources available in other languages. This last point was quite prominent as within the local area the demographic and the percentage of learners whom English is not their first language has increased. To ensure that all learners are engaged and the course is accessible by all learners these resources have been adapted to meet their needs whilst maintaining the quality of the curriculum. less

When any learner enrolls at the college they are asked to declare any learning disabilities or special educational needs. Where in the majority this system works there has been occasions when a learning need has became apparent which was not stated at the outset. Regardless of when the additional need is identified I have worked with both the Individual and the colleges learning support to... more

When any learner enrolls at the college they are asked to declare any learning disabilities or special educational needs. Where in the majority this system works there has been occasions when a learning need has became apparent which was not stated at the outset. Regardless of when the additional need is identified I have worked with both the Individual and the colleges learning support to adapt resources and session activities to ensure that all learners are able to participate.

Digital Learning
Developing and delivering sessions using a mixture of 'face to face' sessions alongside digital recordings (Audio & Visual) of sessions so that learners can review sessions at their own pace for revision and recall. This has been useful as some learners have previously found it difficult to recall some of the technical information from written work but being able to listen to the information with contextualisation has been of great benefit.

Adapted Resources
Due to the manner in which learners attend their study programmes giving learners access to resources and learning material which can be viewed in a manner that suits their needs has been introduced. This has included things such as the ability to adapt font size, colour of backgrounds and in some cases translation into other languages.

Also all learners have been provided with access to 'Read Write Gold' which offers them the ability to have the PC read the information to them in their chosen language should this be required.

QR Codes
Within workshop sessions I have also adopted the use of QR codes which have been created so that learners can scan the code giving them access to online resources or classroom resources via a cloud based system.

The key was to ensure inclusion of all learners without making individuals feel like they were being singled out less

New approaches that have been trialed following the completion of these modules are as follows:

1. QR Codes for learner access to online resources and assessment tasks
2. Learner feedback to determine what barriers they felt were effecting their studies
3. Learning everywhere which has encouraged the learners to use their own devices to access the virtual classroom... more

New approaches that have been trialed following the completion of these modules are as follows:

1. QR Codes for learner access to online resources and assessment tasks
2. Learner feedback to determine what barriers they felt were effecting their studies
3. Learning everywhere which has encouraged the learners to use their own devices to access the virtual classroom created for each course. less

The uptake and enthusiasm of the learners involved was an excellent indicator of the positive impact of the ideas introduced especially with the implementation of the virtual classroom. However one issue was that some learners initially had difficulty in accessing the online platform but this was resolved in time.

If I were to start this project again with what I have learned... more

The uptake and enthusiasm of the learners involved was an excellent indicator of the positive impact of the ideas introduced especially with the implementation of the virtual classroom. However one issue was that some learners initially had difficulty in accessing the online platform but this was resolved in time.

If I were to start this project again with what I have learned now there are some areas that i would approach in a different manner, this would include collaborating with other staff from the outset so that other peoples view points and ideas could be discussed at the outset. Also rather than making an assumption that all learners would have access to equipment capable of accessing the platform i would in hindsight conduct a survey with the respective groups to determine if additional resources or equipment would be required. less

The information which was gained completing the modules gave me the opportunity to reflect upon my own delivery practice and review my own approach to accessibility in terms of teaching. Overall there has been a positive impact on the learning experience as the approaches have been directed towards enhancing resources for their benefit which has in the majority been well received. Although... more

The information which was gained completing the modules gave me the opportunity to reflect upon my own delivery practice and review my own approach to accessibility in terms of teaching. Overall there has been a positive impact on the learning experience as the approaches have been directed towards enhancing resources for their benefit which has in the majority been well received. Although additional time was required to develop and adapt the resources etc. there has been no negative impact on the learning experience. less

As part of the departments strategic focus I have been working on the development and implementation of digital resources within the curriculum, the initial intention was to encourage the use of digital devices within the classroom but this was expanded to include remote online delivery. Due to the current pandemic this has been an excellent opportunity to initiate a change beginning at peer... more

As part of the departments strategic focus I have been working on the development and implementation of digital resources within the curriculum, the initial intention was to encourage the use of digital devices within the classroom but this was expanded to include remote online delivery. Due to the current pandemic this has been an excellent opportunity to initiate a change beginning at peer and departmental level with the view that this will be introduced as an organisational approach.

As a means of ensuring that the quality of delivery is not only maintained but also improved accessibility has been a key focus, virtually all learners now need to be able to access the information remotely incase of a second lockdown. This has been an ideal opportunity to review the resources and how these can be adapted to meet the needs of learners with specific learning disabilities. Alongside this i have worked with colleagues in the department to discuss how we can use this at a departmental level after demonstrating the success within my own sessions. The Teaching and Learning team within the college have also been invited to see the results and the new approaches to see for themselves the positive impact that this has had on the learners and staff. The intention is that the Teaching and Learning team have the authority and capability to discuss this potential approach with senior management and then this could be an organisational strategy. less