iNet Wales workshop Moodle at Rawlins College

Learning Platforms pedagogy, practice, potential..: 

Learning Platforms pedagogy, practice, potential.. embedding the use of Moodle at Rawlins Community College Ted Walker Assistant Principal (e-learning) personalised learning, politics!

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rationale why? implementation strategy how? examples of use snapshots next steps the future!

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RATIONALE

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Rawlins – the context Leicestershire Upper School 14-18 Specialist Media Arts College 500 per year group (years 10 and 11) disparate site BSF 2013 (at the earliest)

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Comprehensive, mixed intake Large post 16 (500) Mixed profile of staff ages Mixed success with a range of initiatives (eg L2L, Workforce remodelling, college link etc) NOT a school with a meteoric rise in performance! (just a steady one)

The e-confident school: 

The e-confident school High levels of staff confidence, competence and leadership Re-designed teaching, learning and assessment, integrating effective use of ICT Leading and managing distributed and concurrent learning Effective application within organisational and management processes Secure, informed professional judgement Coherent personal learning development, support and access – for all leaders, teaching and non-teaching staff Appropriate resource allocation to ensure sustainable development Availability, access and technical support Pupils/students with high ICT capability School as the lead community learning and information hub. http://www.naace.org/impict/leadership.html

Personalised Learning: 

Personalised Learning Gateways to personalised learning: Student Voice + Assessment For Learning + L2L = deep learning Curriculum + new technologies = deep experience Advice andamp; Guidance + mentoring andamp; coaching = deep support School design andamp; organisation + workforce remodelling = deep leadership (Hargreaves)

What is a learning platform?: 

communication and collaboration tools, secure individual online working space, tools to enable teachers to manage and tailor content to user needs, pupil progress tracking anytime/anywhere access. What is a learning platform? MOODLE = open source software tool = VLE = part of an MLE or learning platform …. !!

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The benefits? Parental involvement Anytime, anywhere learning Personalised learning Better use of teaching time Supply teacher effectiveness Collaboration Cross-institutional working and a more flexible curriculum Supporting an e-portfolio Pupil inclusion Preparing learners for working life http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/2102-2005.pdf

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It is our objective that use of a learning platform is embedded into every school’s working practice … these changes go to the heart of teaching practice. by spring 2008 every pupil should have access to a personalised online learning space with the potential to support an e-portfolio by 2010 every school should have integrated learning and management systems (a comprehensive suite of learning platform technologies). www.becta.org.uk BECTA

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Choose from list of suppliers Open Source can still be used … LAs approach this differently Funding potentially available (SF Grant 121a - £41m) Potential tensions between local / regional approach The BECTA framework http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=lvandamp;catcode=ss_lv_lp_03

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Many of our aims could be achieved through the use of any VLE / learning Platform autonomy of systems / dependency on vendor specific approach and lack of response The choice of an open source solution allowed us to experiment, on our own terms, without being tied in to long term contracts, or having to invest a large sum of money in a product that we did not know for sure would work with our network, our students, our teachers and our community. Why Moodle?

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Moodle – feature rich community of enthusiasts working in a similar world developing a range of add-ons, extras and improvements Compatible choice with partner institutions (c. 60% of FE Colleges now use Moodle) Potential for development pedagogical point of view, that we could really control and tailor to our needs. Why Moodle?

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ease of installation support should the community stop developing (– was it too good to be true?) Same worries with commercial products, and commercial support and hosting is available should we get ourselves into difficulties. Total Cost of ownership? Why Moodle?

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However: We are adopting a Learning Platform because it is an opportunity to make learning better for our students and life easier for staff. If it doesn’t we are wasting our time.

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empowers teachers and students – take ownership! helps us to form networks is an ongoing work in progress is dynamic is innovative / ground breaking is potentially a huge shift in pedagogy OR is just another passing initiative? encourages risk taking / culture change? The Learning Platform:

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IMPLEMENTATION

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Champions Leadership Group Support and establishment of vision Strong expectations individual teachers learning and experimenting Viral implementation Adoption by departments (media, ICT, general studies, languages) Support – technician / trainer Training – individual, ad hoc, whole school twilights (+ selling the vision) Graphics and name Approach to Implementation

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Factors Affecting use Access to computers - At least 1 PC in each classroom + staff laptops Technical issues – same password as e-mail, network etc (LDAP) students editing their screen name? enrolment – timetable turbulence, data inconsistencies Speed / reliability – higher the take up, more demands on the server and band with. Internal / external hosting, backup and recovery procedures? Training of students / staff Devolved ownership

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Embedding VLEs – the challenge A video for an online conference (HE, FE and schools) in October, discussing the progress and challenges at Rawlins 3m 25 – 6m 30 http://srvvideo/View.aspx?ID=26

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EXAMPLES OF USE

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Could this become a virtual staffroom containing information, opportunities for collaboration, discussion and support? Staff

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Staff

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Learning: just a digital filing cabinet .. ?

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Assessment for Learning

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Assessment for Learning

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A range of tools

(e-mentoring) and coaching : 

(e-mentoring) and coaching Use of discussion forums and chatrooms for peer and teacher support SSAT project Transition Literacy Project for boys Training of mentors (post 16) Establishment of alumni network

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external links

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Student Voice

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Online votes / polls Student Voice

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SEF

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24 hours a day, 7 days a week

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Culture Change in General Studies / Post 16?

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Collaboration eg forums / wikis

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Governors

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NEXT STEPS

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Interoperability – link to SIMS Calendars / timetables / assessments linked and accurate Access for parents Use for more online / blended teaching Better understanding of new pedagogic opportunities Cross institutional links – diploma lines, resource sharing, conferencing, minority subjects Virtual staff room culture Governors Family of schools – transfer and transition Graphics / Corporate branding

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Any Questions? twalker@rawlinscollege.org.uk