Developing an Online Collaborative Approach to Global Education in Vocational Contexts

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How might learning technology impact on the modern delivery of learning in Scotland?

This document has been prepared following a meeting on 23 June 2010 between Michael Russell, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, and the Association for Learning Technology (ALT), represented by Seb Schmoller, Chief Executive and Dr Linda Creanor, ALT Trustee. The purpose of the document is to highlight areas which are of particular relevance to education in Scotland and to respond to specific questions raised at the meeting in Edinburgh. It has been written by members of the ALT-Scotland group, consisting of institutional ALT representatives from Scottish colleges and universities as well as Scottish-based ALT committee members whose backgrounds encompass all sectors of Scottish education

FDTL voices : drawing from learning and teaching projects

This publication draws on insights and experiences from individuals and teams within learning and teaching development projects in higher education. It considers lessons learnt from the processes, outcomes and tangible outputs of the projects across the spectrum of the FDTL initiative, with the intention that colleagues can draw on and benefit from this experience. The overriding theme at the heart of every FDTL project has been the desire to achieve some form of positive and meaningful change at the level of the individual, institution or discipline. The continuing legacy of the programme has been to create wider community involvement as projects have engaged with the higher education sector on multiple levels - personal, institutional, practice, and policy. This publication has remained throughout a collaborative endeavour, supported by Academy colleagues. It is based around the four themes emerging from the initiative as a whole: • Sectoral/Organisational Change • Conceptual Change • Professional and Personal Development Partnership and • Project Managemen

Outcomes from institutional audit: specialist institutions: second series

Consideration of the 59 audit reports published between December 2004 and August 2006 shows that 15 relate to institutions which define themselves as 'specialist' in their missions. These institutions vary considerably in size, and include institutions which are specialist by function as well as by subject. A small number of the institutions had degree awarding powers in their own right, but most worked with one or more awarding institutions or were constituent colleges of the University of London. The frameworks, structures and procedures which support the management of quality in specialist institutions are not significantly different from those in the rest of the sector. The audit reports indicate that the institutions were making efforts to meet the challenges posed, for example, to effective committee operation, by having only a small number of staff or a distinctive organisational structure. A number of the audit reports discuss the institutions' recognition of the potential for insularity resulting from their specialist nature and the steps taken to counter this. These include ensuring the involvement of external peers in programme design, approval and review, the active involvement of professional practitioners in aspects of teaching and learning and the provision of opportunities for placement and work-based learning within the curriculum. However, in a small number of cases, the audit reports note that institutions had been very slow to engage with elements of the Academic Infrastructure. A collegiate culture and a strong commitment to the professional development of staff is characteristic of specialist institutions. The audit reports also describe a commitment to hearing and responding to the student voice, often associated with the effective use of informal systems for gathering feedback, as a feature common to many of the institutions. This is also reflected in the levels of academic and personal support and guidance available to the students. The distinctive learning experience and environment is often supported by specialist learning resources which reflect the professional and vocational orientation of many of the specialist institutions. The audit reports indicate that on the whole, specialist institutions have appropriate arrangements in place for maintaining academic standards and managing and enhancing the quality of learning opportunities provided for students. The institutions are responding to the challenges posed by their specialist nature and their often small size, as well as capitalising on the opportunities presented by their distinctive nature and ethos