The resources on this page have been developed by Kendal College, Furness College, Lakes College, Carlisle College and Newton Rigg College as part of the College Collaboration Fund (CCF) project.
The aim of the project is to establish cost-effective online delivery practices by developing the resources, capacity and capability of partner organisations and their staff, as well as establishing a process that will be used by all of the colleges throughout Cumbria to monitor, ensure and maintain the quality of online learning.
The objectives of the CCF project across Cumbria are to:
- procure and install resources and staff and student training to allow colleges to develop online content as well as switch to the use of online content in full or in part
- look into learner experience and build in control mechanisms via quality assurance systems to support improvement in teaching, learning and assessment using remote technologies
- develop a quality improvement and assurance framework to assess the quality of online content and delivery
Project proposals and outline
The CCF project took a two-phased approach across the county of Cumbria:
- A Cumbria wide quality improvement/assurance project about observing TLA in blended learning – all colleges have trialled this approach in the year, and the outcome will be a quality assurance process and case studies.
- Across Cumbria, five separate institutions looked at a project unique to their institution, but with common threads across the county. A brief synopsis of each project is below:
Carlisle College
IT tech buddies created to support staff and students; outcomes improved participation, content, and teaching, learning and assessment.
Contact: vjohnston@carlisle.ac.uk
Newton Rigg College
Have established a staff confidence project in using digital technologies, teaching, learning and assessment; outcomes better staff engagement and content creation.
Contact: suzanne.horner@newtonrigg.ac.uk or joanne.tate@newtonrigg.ac.uk
Lakes College
Have set up a digital vulnerabilities’ project using VLOGs. Outcomes improvement in staff confidence improved take-up of blended learning.
Contact: graces@lcwc.ac.uk or danielb@lcwc.ac.uk
Kendal College
5 mini projects carried out:
- Greenroom creation to better enhance video content
- Research into the impact and choice of a network platform
- Introduction of a coding club developing higher-level skills
- Research into the accessibility of blended learning for supported learners
- Staff development training programme
Contact: kelvin.nash@kendal.ac.uk or tamara.breeze@kendal.ac.uk
Furness College
Developed a college-wide IT strategy – focussing on design, implementation, and the impact of a number of IT systems.
Contact: mark.preston@furness.ac.uk
All the Cumbrian CCF projects focussed on a different aspect of IT and blended learning, which when put together could form a package of activity to produce a whole college strategic approach to implementing blended learning.
Each colleges’ project involved the appointment of digital champions in each institution, responsible for developing and implementing staff and student activities in digital technologies to aid participation and delivery of lessons online. The videos and information contained within this page are designed to support digital upskilling amongst staff and students, with the resources being shared amongst the Cumbrian college's partnership as well as being distributed to the wider FE sector through the national CCF project website.
