Presentation delivered by Robin McGregor, Director of Learning Enhancement at North East Scotland College, at the Scottish Learning Technology Network meeting on the 16th of March, 2018.
4. Two key NESCol priorities
To develop staff engagement
and skills in relation to digital
practice and innovative learning,
teaching and assessment
strategies.
Reform the curriculum to give
learners the cognitive and
interpersonal skills they need to
thrive in the future.
5.
6. The Evolution of BYOD at
NESCol
• Launched in August 2013
• Phased implementation over 5 years
• 700 to c. 4300 full time students.
• Roughly 50/50 split FE to HE.
• Courses with specialist IT requirement
out with scope.
• Students supported to procure a device
via non-advanced bursary and student
loan.
7. Original
Drivers for
BYOD
• Exceed student digital expectations.
• Enable staff to be innovative and creative.
• Improve accessibility and flexibility.
• Develop staff and student digital capabilities.
• Improve learning environment.
• Reduce managed IT estate.
• Enable efficiencies in key business processes.
8. Many Lessons Learned Relating To…
WiFi
connectivity.
Technical
Support
Infrastructure
Device
procurement
Access to
resources
Staff training
Internal and
external
communication
9. Associated benefits of BYOD
High levels of staff and student satisfaction.
Improved attainment.
Improved learning environment via device reduction
Huge investment in wireless access at all campuses.
Improved access to learning materials.
C. 40% reduction in print volume (9m in 2015 to projected sub 4m in 2018) .
Introduction of student IT HelpZone – 14,000 calls during 16/17 & 700 PAT tests.
11. Persistent issues
Staff confidence supporting learners to use their devices.
Student digital capability at entry – myth of the “Digital Native”
Classroom management
Managing assessment on BYOD devices
Traditional pedagogies still persisting.
Teaching staff “don’t know what they don’t know”
Perceived lack of time to invest in CPD and curriculum redesign
12. NESCol’s
Current
Position
We are a good but “average” college.
Despite successful adoption of BYOD
Learning, Teaching and Assessment has not
been transformed.
Many staff still lacking confidence,
knowledge and skills in relation to digital
practice and contemporary pedagogies.
Pockets of excellence of innovative practice
but not College-wide.
So what is the solution?
13. So what is the solution?
• Three Year Project (2017 – 2020).
• Draws heavily on the Jisc Digital Capability
Framework
• Emphasis on developing digital capabilities of
teaching and support staff to:
• Embed the use of digital technologies and
21st century skills in day-to-day learning,
teaching and assessment to develop
capabilities of learners.
• Exploit the power of digital to drive
improvements in business and student
support processes.
• Engage in meaningful and supported
personal development and curriculum
planning activities.
14. Project
Workstreams
NESCol Digital Skills Framework and Training Pathway
Digital Toolkit
Staff & Student Benchmarking
Blackboard Baselines
Assessment, Grading & Feedback
Digital Learning Advisors
Learning Materials Guidelines
Digital Futures Mentors
Student Engagement Activities
Digital Futures/Enterprise Hub (name tbc)
20. Digital Futures
Mentors
Secondment opportunity for
experienced teaching staff.
Based on SERC model.
10 to be recruited.
½ a day commitment per week.
Each Mentor to recruit three
mentees per block.
21. The HIVE –
Innovation and
Enterprise Space
• In the style of a Google War Room.
• Managed/bookable space.
• Will be used for:
• Training
• Workshops
• Meetings
• Planning
• Seminars
• Commercial lets
• Etc.
22. Digital
Assessment,
Grading and
Feedback
Use of digital tools for formative assessment is widespread
NESCol already does a lot of digital summative assessment
and grading:
In 2016 – 2017:
1833 assessments delivered via SQA SOLAR
55,264 individual submissions via Turnitin (58% increase)
82,475 similarity reports (147% increase)
10,5451 Turnitin Quickmarks (113% increase)
c. 1000 assessments delivered via QMP
70,292 individual Blackboard assignments (36% increase)
3000+ ECDL, City & Guilds, CITB etc. assessments too.
Not consistent across all faculty areas.
Still too much reliance on paper-based assessment & manual
marking and feedback.
23. Digital
Assessment
Development
Plan
Strategic target for all summative
assessment, grading and feedback to be
fully digital (where appropriate) by 2020.
Use of College committee structure and
QA processes to drive development.
Redesign of whole assessment approach
is key…more authentic
Assessment a major focus of Digital
Futures phase 2
Challenges, habits and misconceptions to
overcome….
24. Digital Futures Driven by Strong Leadership
Project approved and fully supported by the Regional Board.
Aligned with ambitions of key partner institution (RGU).
Assessment and curriculum redesign - supported via Curriculum Advisory Panel.
Embedded within iCon Performance Review process.
Integral part of Corporate Plan and key College Strategies
25. Digital Futures
Impact on
wider College
strategy
• New Digital Strategy
• Behavioural plan that unifies and aligns effective use
of digital technologies across all teaching, support
and business functions.
• Revised Learning & Teaching strategy that defines:
• The capabilities that learners must develop to thrive
in an ever-changing, digitally, economically and
politically disrupted world.
• The characteristics of excellent learning, teaching
and assessment and the enablers of each criteria.
• Why NESCol is a genuine first-choice destination, and
what is excellent and unique about our product.
26. The Next
Phase…Focus on:
Battling barriers
Contemporary pedagogies
Instructional design
Mobile learning
Synchronous digital collaboration
High quality teaching & Assessment
materials
VLE Futures
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