Final Report for Professional Development Activity

Rationale for the professional development activity

The need was identified from the School development Plan which required investigation into providing more vocational type courses suitable for Post 16 and also ‘E’ learning courses which would broaden the curriculum, promote independent learning and allow for flexibility in timetabling. I wanted to research Vocational and E Learning courses which would be suitable for implementing in a grammar school.

Professional Development Activity

The activities I carried out were;

1)Visit to an “ET Sharing Good Practice” winner and a school already providing a broad range of Vocational courses.

2)Visit to Local Further Education College to explore vocational courses and which may be suitable for delivery by video conferencing / ‘E’ learning.

3) Investigate ‘E’ learning scheme called currently being piloted by HeriotWattUniversity called “Scholar” and visit a school to see this program in action.

Outcomes and Dissemination

I have become more knowledgeable on the range of Vocational and ‘E’ learning courses available and their providers and presented this to the SMT in school.

I have acquired sufficient knowledge and skills to enable the school implement the successful delivery of suitable new courses identified. I am able to outline the benefits of using E Learning for the delivery of some of these courses.

The identification of these courses will broaden the school curriculum inline with Costello.

Benefits to Staff

  • enhancing the curriculum and developing pedagogy.
  • acting as a catalyst for change.
  • improving E Learning awareness.

Benefits to pupils:

  • learn independently with a much broader range of subjects to choose from.
  • adding value to the student experience with different learning methods.
  • removing barriers to effective learning and understanding.
  • Promoting innovation, and potential, to accommodate need in a new way.

Evidence to Evaluate Improvements

Evidence of improvements are that suitable Vocational and ‘E’ learning courses are identified with some courses being planned for delivery. Further evidence would be the successful delivery of the courses with a viable uptake by the pupils.

Sharing of Experiences

This has been achieved by providing a report to SMT and relevant departments on the result of my findings and also through publishing this report.

Value and Effectiveness

This professional development activity has been very valuable, being able to spend time with other teachers from different types of schools in order to learn from their experiences. The range of course available and the good practice being carried out in the schools visited can be implemented in my own school.

The visits to other schools and institutions provided the opportunity to see:

i)the environment where good practice takes place

ii)good practice being implemented by the teachers

iii)effective learning taking place by the pupils

The following courses have been identified for post 16:

1)Vocational Courses:

  1. Applied Single Award ICT
  2. Applied Single Award Health and Social Care
  3. Applied Double Award Health and Social Care
  4. Applied Single Award Leisure Studies
  5. Applied Single Award Engineering

EDEXCEL

  1. Applied Single Award Business
  2. Applied Double Award Business
  3. Applied Single Award Science

AQA

  1. BTEC Sport ( National Certificate)
  2. BTEC Construction ( National Award)

EDEXCEL ( No Exams – all assignments)

  1. Applied ICT
  2. Applied Business

(CCEA)

2)E Learning:

  1. The School visited has used Scholar program from HerriotWattUniversity for teaching Science. Teachers found the program most useful to pupils when used for revision and for catching up on work due to absence. Instant feedback to pupils when tests were attempted helped to improve learning. About 90% of the material on Scholar program is useful for CCEA A Level Physics and Chemistryalthough some terms used can be different from CCEA specification. The Program was expensive at around £30 per pupil.

Teachers at this school are making use of WIKIspaces and BLOGs for teaching Applied ICT

Most subjects are introducing tests which are carried out and marked on computer. This is used for 15 – 30% of exam results.

  1. ECDL on line course provided by Advance Learning. This course is accessed online and pupils can work independently through the relevant modules in preparation for the tests. This course requires no teaching as all modules are fully explained online. It does however require some administration time to log pupils onto the course and provide enrolment keys for them. The administrator can monitor when the pupils have logged onto the system and how they are progressing in the sample assignments provided. The tests can also be carried out online but the school would have to become an accredited centre for ECDL. The easy option is to do the tests in collaboration with the local Further Education College and use the school as one of their pilot examination centres.

3)Courses provided by Further EducationCollege

AS Engineering

AS Applied ICT

AS GCE Applied Health and Social Care

City and Guilds AutoCAD

ECDL

Future Plans

Further investigation into the E Learning courses which are available and into the design of our own in house E Learning courses using the LNI Environment.