tutors guide to blended learning resources · in order to facilitate this and to support colleges...

Tutors Guide to Blended

Learning Resources

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Tutors Guide to Blended Learning Resources

Introduction Welcome to this guide on using the Blended Learning Consortium (BLC) online resources. Included

in the guide is a short history of how the consortium was formed, how content is designed and

options for how tutors in member colleges may wish to utilise the resources.

Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 2

History of the Blended Learning Consortium ...................................................................................................... 3

Overview .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

How the Consortium works ............................................................................................................................. 3

Development Design ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Rationale of sessions ....................................................................................................................................... 4

Options for usage ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Accessing content ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Using Moodle ...................................................................................................................................................... 6

Feedback .............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Topic List .............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Designed and created within the BLC ............................................................................................................. 8

Additional Resources ....................................................................................................................................... 9


History of the Blended Learning Consortium

Overview

The BLC was formed by Heart of Worcestershire College in August 2015 and currently boasts a

membership of over 19% of all UK Colleges. It is made up of a group of colleges working together to

share costs of developing high quality interactive learning resources, built for the FE sector by the

FE sector.

Heart of Worcestershire College has found over the last four years of delivering a cross college

blended learning curriculum that one of the main challenges is sourcing good quality learning

resources that have specifically been developed for the FE curriculum. Our experience from

working on a number of partnership models is that the most effective way to do this is through a

co-development process where costs and expertise are shared across the partnership.

In order to facilitate this and to support colleges in moving forward to both meet the FELTAG

agenda improving the learning experience using technology, Heart of Worcestershire College

formed the Blended Learning Consortium.

The colleges are working together to improve the FE sector through the creation of high quality

online interactive resources for students, sharing of good practice and continuous professional

development for staff, and other member benefits for colleges.

How the Consortium works

Organisations pay an annual membership fee

Member colleges are asked to suggest learning objects they would like to see developed

Member colleges rate suggestions and the most popular learning objects go forward to be developed

Money is used to pay staff in member colleges to write, edit and develop learning objects

Content will be created to an agreed specification and standard

Completed content can be edited by member colleges to ensure it complies with their curriculum and schemes of work


Development Design

Rationale of sessions

The aim of the BLC is to encourage a balanced mix of face-to-face and online learning. This allows

tutors full flexibility to integrate them into their lessons in a way that will most benefit the needs of

their learners. The sessions are designed to allow learners to be able to work independently online

or as part of a face-to-face session.

When topic content is confirmed, research is carried out across a range of exam boards,

consideration is also given to mandatory topics. It is hoped that using this approach means there

should be something in there for everyone.

30 sessions per topic will be available. Tutors can use the sessions in a blended learning

approach (ie: one per week throughout the academic year). Some smaller topics may have

less than 30 sessions due to the nature of the topic area.

Sessions are timed to take approximately 40-45 minutes. The timing allows the tutor the

opportunity to add extra information on their own VLE, such as an introduction to the topic

or an assessment task at the end. This allows the overall session time to be increased to one

hour (or more if required).

Sessions are standalone. All the sessions are written and developed independently allowing

the tutor to select only the topics they are interested in, and in any order.

Resources can be edited. If a session is available but doesn’t quite fit the curriculum or

scheme of work being followed, then there is the option of editing the resources. ILT staff

within member colleges can download and make these changes for tutors.

Options for usage

One of the aims of the BLC is to allow tutors to have the flexibility to utilise these resources

however they need, in line with what they are delivering, and what suites the needs of the group,

or individual learners.

Ideas for utilising the resources:

In class with learners as part of a session

Homework task

Extension task

Revision aide

Embedding a topic into your subject area (ie embedding English or Maths)

Remember, you can use these sessions in any order, utilising a complete set or just a few.


Accessing content

Go to the BLC Moodle page: http://blc.howcollege.ac.uk

If this is your first time there you will be presented with the logon / create account screen.

You will be prompted to enter your email address and add in a password. Once in, you will

have a list of available topics to select from:

To create a new account:

1. Fill out the New Account form with your details.

2. An email will be immediately sent to your email address. 3. Read your email, and click on the web link it contains.

4. Your account will be confirmed and you will be logged in. 5. You can now access all the courses. From now on you will only need to enter your personal

username and password (in the form on this page) to log in and access any course you have enrolled in.

Please ensure you use the organisational email address as this is how Moodle recognises you as

being allowed to sign up.

If there are any problems with enrolling then please email [email protected].

http://blc.howcollege.ac.uk/

http://blc.howcollege.ac.uk/login/signup.php



Using Moodle

Once you have logged on, you will be able to see all the courses that are available and under

development. The courses can be viewed by anyone, although some may be restricted whilst they

are under development.

Key:

Purple icons

BLC specific resources Blue icons

OER resources Green icons

SOLA resources Orange icons

Documentation


Clicking on a course will take you to the resources for that particular subject area. Please remember

the resources are standalone and therefore in no particular order. Clicking on a link will take you to

that particular resource.

Once you have found something you like then you need to contact the assigned Moodle

Downloader for your organisation (found on the front page of this document).

If you have any problems please email [email protected].



Feedback

As the majority of these resources are new, we would value your opinion, or that of your learners

when you use them with a group or individual learners.

To give feedback on the resources please email [email protected].

Topic List

Designed and created within the BLC

Beauty (L3)

British Values / Prevent

Business Studies (L3)

Digital Literacy (L2)

Employability (L2 & L3)

Engineering (L2 & L3)

English (L2)

Enterprise (L2)

E-safety - Anti Bullying

Health and Safety in Social Care (L2)

Health and Social Care (L3)

Sports (L2 & L3)

Travel and Tourism (L2) These new topics have been selected for the next phase of development:

Business (L2)

Early Years Childcare (L3)

Hair and Beauty (L2)

Health and Care (L2)

Hospitality (L2 & L3)

Interview Preparation

Maths (L1)

Maths contextualised for vocational areas

Public Services (L2)

Study Skills

Travel and Tourism (L3)



Additional Resources

Construction – Health and Safety

English GCSE (SOLA)

E-safety

GCSE Revision English (Bi-lingual in Welsh)

GCSE Revision Maths (Bi-lingual in Welsh)

Governance

Introduction to professional cookery (SOLA)

Maths GCSE (SOLA)

Performing Arts (SOLA)

Psychology AS/A2 (Bi-lingual in Welsh)

Last updated: 26th September 2016

tutors guide to blended learning resources · in order to facilitate this and to support colleges...

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