Individual Learning Plans and Technology

Project Team

2007-03-01T00:17:00.000Z

In order to deliver this project a number of people were involved in the preparation and delivery of the e-ILP.

Teachers from the Business School at City College Norwich were a key aspect in rolling this programme out to their tutees, selling the benefits of a new system and turning ideas into practical and deliverable practice. Diane Evans, Mat Scott and Tony Maguire are all tutors on the course participating in the project.

As with all IT based projects, IT Services were essential. In this particular case, Thompson Zulu, IT Support Analyst and Blackboard expert was instrumental in getting the technology to work in the ways required by the project. Additionally, Thompson provided a major administrative role in establishing the necessary elements of Blackboard to ensure access to learners and staff. Thompson also provided the training for staff and learners to support quick acquisition of the required skills that underpinned the project.

Finally, the project was coordinated by the Quality Improvement Directorate with Richard Burley taking a lead role in establishing the project and a monitoring and reporting role once the ball got rolling.

Subject area context

2007-03-01T00:16:00.000Z

[to be advised]

Reasons for development

2007-03-01T00:14:00.000Z

The aim of the project was to

Overcome issues relating to physical possession of an ILP –
e-ILP will be stored in an electronic format accessible by the learners, the course tutor and subject teachers

Provide an interactive media within which learners can communicate with their tutor and the teaching team and where the staff can leave comments and feedback about targets, coursework etc

Highlight links to course materials depository and Blackboard site (possibly integrating aspects of Every Child Matters e.g. www.talktofrank.com)

Provide anytime-anyplace communication and access site for all involved in the delivery of the course – with potential to enable access to stakeholders such as parents without the need for additional reports)

Allow learners to take ownership of the process of target setting and have the ability to update/ report on each target as and when they want, not just in a scheduled tutorial

Explore the possibility of other communication media such as SMS/ E-Mail powered by data stored electronically

Why this approach?

2007-03-01T00:12:00.000Z

Personalised Learning has moved to the forefront of educational pedagogies. The notion that learners are engaged in development that goes beyond the learning outcomes of their main study programme is not a new concept, but the title of personalised learning is. The 5 stages of Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement (RARPA) are seamlessly entwined with individual targets and the use of formative and summative assessment.

As a consequence, the ILP moves beyond a administrative hoop to be jumped through and evolves into a key document that supports the development of an autonomous learner based on their own motives, interests, styles of learning, talents and needs. Additionally, the ILP provides evidence of learners performance that can be used motivationally by tutors when discussing progress, developments and outcomes.

Challenges that are common barriers to the effective use of an ILP are issues relating to physical access and ownership. If the ILP is in a filing cabinet and only used in formal tutorials, then the students doesn’t have access. If the ILP is in diary form and in the possession of the learners the tutor is reliant on the learner to bring that document to a 1 to 1 tutorial.

In essence, ILPs need to be simultaneously accessible by the 3 main stakeholders in a learner’s college life:

i) The learner themselves

ii) The personal tutor

iii) The unit teacher

By having this type of access a truly organic commentary on performance can be established overcoming the contrived ‘hoop’ jumping that can result from a mechanistic approach. This process involves a participatory approach enabling frequent feedback from tutors and teachers; reflection on external and internal feedback leading to progress and achievement and a clearer understanding and ownership of targets and performance. The process will also increase the time in which a learner can reflect on their performance and to plan improvements independent of tutors and teachers at opportunities that are convenient to them and that fit round other commitments.

A number of options existed to the team. Commercial providers offer a range of options that possessed the capability to use technology to provide simultaneous and secure access to ILPs. However, it was evident that the existing Blackboard VLE used on the campus could be customised to provide a format that enabled a similar package to be created without the need for and potential problems with interoperability. In short, the use of Blackboard enabled the team to trial an e-ILP approach with minimum risk in terms of finance, time, technological capabilities and training.

Skills Required to Support Project

2007-03-01T00:11:00.000Z

A common theme with all IT based projects is the need for teachers and learners to be able to use the technology. In this context the teachers involved were already proficient users of IT and well experienced in the use of Blackboard. This helped in overcoming a potential barrier to the project of training needs and the time delay that this would potentially contribute to.

To support the learners understanding of how to use the technology as planned a group tutorial session was dedicated to a Blackboard induction. This was hosted by Thompson Zulu and included general issues about using the e-ILP and managing versions of the document to maintain up-to-datedness.

Progress so far / Evaluation of project

2007-03-01T00:09:00.000Z

Diane Evans pointed out that the introduction of the e-ILP had made some unexpected changes to the dynamics of the tutorials.

“The process of tutorials has evolved mainly because of the first students who completed the forms. We were in a small room with 2 computers, so two students were together in the first stage of inputting their personal details, programme modules and targets. When the first student had finished, he was already sitting at the computer so I joined him and sat to one side. It was not planned, but it changed the whole focus of the tutorial with a shift to control by the student rather than me paraphrasing what the student had said in the usual written document. We looked at each of his targets and what he had achieved. We discussed the reasons for any shortfalls or referrals for each module, where applicable, and he recorded the main points in his own words. This naturally generated action points and I was able to prompt him for target dates to make SMART objectives. When we had completed our discussion and he had written notes in his own words, I talked him through the process of uploading his document. I was impressed when he chose to name the first tutorial record as ‘Living Document’. The student had clearly understood the significance of what had happened in the tutorial. It was one of those rare and wonderful moments in teaching when the hairs stood up on the back of my neck.”

Diane also highlighted that the pilot was identifying changes to documentation that we required if discussions were to be as impacting as possible.

“There is a slight hitch at the moment, since we’ve started the e-ILPs just before the end of the first semester; it means that some learners need to have 2 forms completed with targets, and those that have finished need to repeat information for the 2^nd semester modules and targets. I’ve also realised that we need more than one template. The 2^nd semester form should include an area to discuss career objectives and to check on completion of SMART objectives.”

In conclusion, Diane was very positive about the impact of the e-ILP pilot.

“So far I have been very impressed with the quality of discussion during tutorials using e-ILPs as a focus and the fact that students have a sense of ownership of their progress and future objectives. One student, as he was writing that he had to improve his behaviour in class, turned to me and said “I can’t believe that I’m writing this – I’ve always known I needed to do this, but I’ve never admitted it before”. There is no doubt that when the students see on the screen what they had hoped for and what they’ve actually achieved it is a powerful tool for acknowledgement of achievement or recognition that change is required.”

Diane’s comments are echoed by Mat Scott.

“I think that the system has proved more effective that written ILPS, it has allowed the student to take ownership of the process whilst also embracing the preferred method of communication of the modern learner – IT. No longer can the documents be lost or forgotten as a permanent copy remains pasted securely and confidentially on Blackboard.”

Next Step Developments

2007-03-01T00:07:00.000Z

As with all pilots, the intention is to provide an evaluative commentary to other areas within the Business School and across all curriculum areas at City College Norwich.

Establish automatically updating links from EBS on aspects of learner’s performance such as attendance

Integration of Blackboard Gradebook to record progress against targets.

Staff development to support