The Work-based Learning Maturity Toolkithttp://tinyurl.com/wbl-toolkit

Welcome

Dr Myszka GuzkowskaPro Vice Chancellor

University of Westminster

Agenda10.00 - 10.30 Registration and coffee.

10.30 – 10.40 Welcome by Dr Myszka Guzkowska, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Westminster.

10.40 – 11.10 Overview of the Work-based learning maturity toolkit.

11.10 – 11.40 Initial group exercises based on CAMEL groups.

11.40 – 12.45 Short introduction to the pilots: The University of Bradford Craven College University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) The University of Westminster ELRAH / Edinburgh Napier University / Edinburgh’s Telford College

12.45 – 13.15 Panel session: Q&A with pilots.

13.15 - 14.15 Lunch.

14.15 – 15.00 Table/CAMEL discussions: Identify “barriers” and “enablers” for adopting the toolkit in your institutions.

15.00 – 15.30 Table/CAMEL group meetings – discuss plans for adopting the toolkit.

15.30 – 16.00 Plenary: identify individual plans.

16.00 Departure.

Overview of the WBL Maturity Toolkit

Background

• JISC Lifelong Learning & Workforce Development programme– Projects developing and implementing the use of appropriate

technologies and processes to enable HE-level learning services that meet the needs of learners in the workplace, and of their employers.

• Support, Synthesis and Benefits Realisation:– Universities of Bradford, Westminster and UWIC.– Craven College– ELRAH (Edinburgh, Lothians , Fife and Borders Regional

Articulation Hub) / Edinburgh Napier University & Edinburgh’s Telford College

The toolkit helps users/institutions to:

• Assess current performance in work-based learning.

• Identify a vision for WBL and the “enablers” and “barriers” for reaching it.

• Recommend future actions

• Plan their change management.

Why is it needed?• Increasing numbers of students are opting to learn in the work-place

- WBL is therefore becoming more strategically important.

• Good practice is slowly emerging but not widespread in e.g.– pedagogic models – progression– use of ICT– partnership working – how best for institutions to “prepare for work-based learning”

• Institutions need to assess their performance against what the sector perceives as “mature” - in order to inform policies/plans.

Has this approach been used successfully before?

The Higher Education Academy/JISC national e-learning benchmarking programme (2006-2008)

“Maturity” toolkits:

• Pick&Mix• eMM• ELTI• MIT90s

What does the toolkit contain?

• Criteria and statements of “mature” performance

• Self-assessment guidelines – to support assessing performance against what the

sector currently judges as “mature”

• A recommended methodology for using it.

The recommended process

Two key options:

1. Use within an institution– (option for an internal CAMEL group)

2. Collaboration with other institutions– using a CAMEL group

Planning

Evidence Collection &

synthesis

Levelling Workshop

Actions Workshop

• Decide upon focus (e.g. whole institution or faculty or programme)• Identify and co-opt stakeholders• Identify initiatives to align with (e.g. development of a WBL strategy)• Agree the timescale and project plan, including defined roles (e.g. PM)

• Meeting/workshop with all stakeholders to explain process and build commitment

• Select relevant criteria from the toolkit & customise as appropriate

• Identify evidence needed to decide on “level of maturity” for each criterion• Identify methods for gathering evidence• Collect evidence• Synthesis evidence and produce a concise/usable report

• Review evidence report in “levelling” workshop with all stakeholders• Assess your current performance against criteria/level statements • Ensure that all stakeholders agree on:

• Vision & “enablers” / “barriers” for reaching this vision• Recommendations for change

Commitment &

Customisation

• Convene workshop with group who are identified to take forward the changes• Develop action plan – and define measures of success• Identify institutional structures, systems & champions which can take forward

the changes

CAMELMeeting

CAMELMeeting

CAMELMeeting

“Levelling” workshop

For each criterion:

• Collectively, undertake “levelling” – assessing performance against criteria/level statements

– Not developed: • No developed plans and little or no consistent practice

– Some development: • Plans in development and little or no consistent practice

– Emerging practice: • Plans in development (or developed) and emerging consistent practice

– Consistent Practice: • Developed plans and consistent practice

What are the areas of focus?

1. Institutional readiness2. Faculty/school/department readiness3. Programme design4. Programme delivery and assessment5. Partnership engagement6. The learner experience 7. Effective, usable, accessible technologies

What are the criteria?1. Institutional readiness

• WBL strategy & plans• Organisation, resourcing and support for WBL• Innovation management• WBL Customer focus• External marketing and communications• Processes and procedures for staffing WBL programmes• Staff development, recognition and reward• WBL procedures and processes for programme validation• QA for WBL• Systems to support WBL• Systems and processes to support registration and enrolment• Business, commercial and financial approaches • Cross institutional communication and collaboration

What are the criteria?

2. Faculty/school/department readiness

• WBL strategy & implementation plan• Partnership working• Business and commercial approaches• Training and support for external staff and employers• Evaluation and review of programme and pedagogic research

What are the criteria?

3. Programme design

• Alignment with employer and employee needs• Qualifications, pathways and credit• Development & planning for validation• Alignment with professional standards• Curriculum design (structure)• Curriculum design (implications)• Integration of ICT/e-learning into curriculum design• Learning outcomes and progression• Commercial/business case• Learning materials and resources

What are the criteria?

4. Programme delivery and assessment

• Transition and induction• Delivery• Assessment and progressive achievement• Student training and support• Pedagogic research

What are the criteria?

5. Partnership engagement

• Long-term sustainable and strategic partnerships• Strategic sector initiatives• Business-oriented ways of working• Understanding employer and employee needs and readiness• Appropriate resourcing for forming partnerships• Co-ordinated approach to marketing and communications

What are the criteria?

6. The Learner experience

• Pre-Entry• Programme Induction• Programme Design, Review and Quality Enhancement• Programme Delivery and Support• Assessment and Progressive Achievement• Transition and Progression

What are the criteria?

7. Effective, usable, accessible technologies

• Systems to support employer engagement• Tools to allow evidence collection, learner reflection and

related dialogue• Assessment and feedback tools• Tools to support communication and knowledge-sharing• Management and monitoring of work-based learner data• Finance systems• Exchange of data between systems• Access to information, support, training and guidance

Example:Area of focus

1 Institutional readiness

Criterion 1-2 Organisation, resourcing and support for WBL

Main statement 

Organisational structures and mechanisms are in place to resource, support and co-ordinate the WBL strategy/business plan and activities across faculties, schools and departments, though ensuring local ownership.

Self assessment guidelines 

• The institution’s committee structure through to SMT/executive level has been reviewed so that agenda’s and reporting channels are designed to ensure that WBL development and progress receives appropriate scrutiny.

• An institutional WBL business plan is in place and provides a framework within which School/Faculty plans are developed and monitored.

• There could be a central unit to coordinate WBL activity across the faculties, schools and departments and to lead WBL research, innovation, developments and implementation of effective practice throughout the institution.

• Mechanisms are in place to resource, support and co-ordinate WBL activities across faculties, schools and departments, though ensuring local ownership.

• Mechanisms are in place to avoid duplication of effort in WBL through use of cross school/faculty modules and development of generic WBL modules that each faculty/school/department can incorporate into their programmes.

• A business model and costing policy is in place which encompasses the provision of other WBL services such as the development of bespoke programmes and APEL and recognises the different resourcing model deployed when learning takes place on employer’s premises with WB mentor support.

Example:Area of focus

2 Faculty/school/department readiness

Criterion 2-2 Partnership working

Main statement 

Strategic "smart partnerships" are in place - designed to be sustainable and win-win in nature with professional ways of working and involving all key sector stakeholders.

Self assessment guidelines 

• Sustainable, strategic partnerships with employers and other providers/bodies are in place that align with each partner's strategic objectives, business plans and career progression.

• Clear roles and responsibilities are identified for each partner and signed up to.• A tripartite model exists between employer, employee and providers in order to

create a “win-win” situation for all, where each partner plays to their strengths and recognises each others’ motivations - though accepting the need to be demand-driven.

• Sector-based partnerships are in place which align with UK, national, regional objectives, regulatory requirements, employer consortia needs and professional standards and involve the appropriate sector, regional and national agencies or initiatives e.g. SSCs, professional bodies, employer consortia.

• Effective leadership and business-like ways of working are in place where there are mechanisms/structures in place to effect regular dialogue between all partners e.g. via advisory or development groups.

• Employers are involved in all stages including programme design and delivery.• Learners and past learners are involved in the partnership dialogue.• Long-term holistic approaches with employers are in place that focus on the

employer’s “intellectual capital”.

Example:Area of focus

6 The Learner experience

Criterion 6-2 Programme induction

Main statement 

Induction to the programme is pre-planned and tailored for work-based learning. It takes into account personalised development plans and its design recognises that learners may be remote from tutors and other programme participants.

Self assessment guidelines 

• A tailored programme induction that can be delivered and accessed flexibly throughout the year in accordance with individual start dates on the programme.

• A demand led Induction, designed around and informed by Personal development Plans (PDPs) and learner agreements.

• Opportunities to participate in Programme Induction remotely using online tools and resources.

• Activities that build learner confidence and relationships with other participants, tutors, peer/work-based mentors and assessors.

• Programme literature and materials (accessible online) setting out the course content, structure and setting out requirements and expectations.

• Introduction to support offered to learners including key contacts such as programme tutors, assessors, mentors, administrators, ICT Technical Help/Support

• Introduction to course documentation, online environments, tools and resources.• Opportunities and mechanisms for learners to request further information,

clarification and personal support.

Outcomes of using the toolkit

• An assessment of current performance in work-based learning.

• A vision for WBL - and barriers and enablers for reaching it.

• An action plan for change - aligned with institutional structures, systems & initiatives.

Capacity Building

• Pilots 1 (April – July)– Univ Bradford – Craven College– UWIC – Univ Westminster – ELRAH / Edinburgh Napier University / Edinburgh’s Telford College

• Dissemination event – 28 June 2011• Pilot 2 (invitations open)• A sustainable approach:

– e.g. peer support– continuous improvement– alignment with other initiatives

http://tinyurl.com/wbl-toolkithttp://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/2182

Initial group exercises

Pilots

• University of Bradford• Craven College• University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC)• University of Westminster• Edinburgh Napier University/Edinburgh’s

Telford College/ELRAH (Edinburgh, Lothians , Fife and Borders Regional Articulation Hub)

Panel Session – Q&A

• Panel– Andrew Haldane (UWIC)– Loretta Newman-Ford (UWIC)– Andrew Comrie (ELRAH/Edinburgh Napier)– Rob Gale (Craven College)– Peter Hartley (University of Bradford)– Sibyl Coldham (University of Westminster)– Gunter Saunders (University of Westminster)

Lunch

Table/CAMEL Discussions (1)

• Identify “barriers” and “enablers” for adopting the toolkit in your oganisation

Table/CAMEL Discussions (2)

• Plans for adopting the toolkit

Plenary

• Identify individual plans

(use the pro-formas)

http://tinyurl.com/wbl-toolkithttp://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/2182