Online distance learning in FE

1
Online distance learning in FE

• What are the critical success factors?
• (using the Learning To Teach On-Line course -
  LeTTOL - as the exemplar)
• Seb Schmoller
• The Sheffield College

2
Summary

• About LeTTOL
• Main features
• Successes
• Management and organisation
• Content and technology
• Tutoring
• Conclusions

3
About LeTTOL

• 1996 South Yorkshire FE Consortium initiative to
  train own staff in e-learning
• Now delivered very widely
• gt 600 learners per year
• 20 tutors in the team (1 in Au and 1 in Ca)
• Adapted by CIPD as its COL course
• Identified by Ufi, TUC, Scottish Enterprise, as
  suitable training for online tutors

4
Main features

• Wholly online no face to face not blended
• 120 study hours over 20 weeks
• Thin, flat content, asynchronous conferencing -
  not run in VLE
• Collaborative in tone and content
• Challenging
• Accredited (only!) at Level 3

5
Successes

• 80 of learners obtain the qualification
• External Moderation reports consistently positive
• 42 of completers active in e-learning
• 24 of completers attribute employment changes to
  LeTTOL
• gt15 of learners referred by friend or colleague
• gt15 referred by their employer

6
Management and organisation

• Strong senior management commitment right from
  the start
• Dedicated and trained administrative support
• Cohorts and learning sets
• Deadlines!
• Pre-course assessment process
• Learner and tutor guides

7
Content and technology

• Simple, quick to load, cheap and quick to update
• Easy to navigate
• Challenging to the learners not our own or the
  learners infrastructure!
• Content regularly updated and improved
• Content owned and maintained by the tutor-team

8
Tutoring

• Active and committed tutors adequately paid in
  time or money
• Tutors focused on individual and learning-set
  progress
• Team managed/led with extensive support for
• new tutors
• the tutor team
• Tracking tools to enable efficient handover
  between tutors

9
Conclusions

• Separation of content creation from delivery is
  risky (but commonly advocated)
• VLEs with good learner tracking tools will
  succeed
• Learning at a time yes, place yes, and pace
  NO! to suit you
• Thin flat content vs. media rich content
  community and communication are more important
  than slick presentation
• Managers (who have not experienced online
  learning) may have trouble getting to grips with
  it

10
References and contact details

• seb.schmoller_at_sheffcol.ac.uk / 0114 2602686
• http//www.sheffcol.ac.uk/lettol/
• JISC Effective Online Tutoring Guidelines by
  Julia Duggleby, Joanna Howard, Kate Butler,
  Les Williams, Martin Cooke,
  Carol Cotton, Seb Schmoller.
• The University of Southampton's evaluation of the
  LeTTOL course, published in February 2001.
• (Interim Evaluation Report by University of
  Sheffield School of Education on the GCSE English
  Online Course, Sheffield College - February 2002)