The steps to take in setting up a secondary learning platform
Contributing authors : Brian Coates and Nick Jeans

Module Overview - Content of the Module:

Prerequisites:
  Access to a school/college LP.
  Suitable hardware available at home & work. (Preferred )
  At least one colleague in the same school undertaking the same module
Without access to a school Learning Platform (LP), the study of this module becomes theoretical at best, whereas the purpose of the exercise is to bring improvements to pupils’ learning through expansion of a teacher’s repertoire. It therefore seemed helpful to state these assumptions explicitly at the outset. There also seemed to be a benefit to be derived from staff in the same school/college being able to share their newly-acquired expertise and understanding – whilst not essential, we felt that this again should be noted as a preference.

Module 0: Self-assessment:
Intended Outcome: A clear idea of the teacher’s own current status in terms of knowledge about, and ability to benefit from the use of, their school’s Learning Platform.
Given that each individual undertaking this module may have a different level of prior knowledge & experience of LPs, this stage is intended to assess what they already know and guide them to an entry point consistent with their current level of expertise. (The red arrows in the model denote routes through the steps. Black arrows denote resources and tools contributing to the achievement of the step to which they point.)

Module 1: What is a Learning Platform?:
Intended Outcome: The teacher will have accessed the school’s LP. They will have developed an appreciation of facilities available and how the school’s preferred LP matches up to the Becta definition. They will have started to consider how their own teaching repertoire might take advantage of the LP facilities.
This step is intended as an introduction to the concept and pedagogy of LPs in general, together with offering teachers the opportunity to “dip their toe in the water”. We hope that the eventual publication of the Becta definition of a LP will inform this material; nevertheless, it is obvious that the wide range of LP options available to schools will produce a diverse selection of tools available to teachers. It’s intended that a general text be included which discusses the appropriate and inappropriate uses of LPs, the range of tools that may be available to the teacher concerned, the benefits to be derived from making use of a LP and the connections to be made with the concept of “Transformed Learning” would establish a benchmark understanding for newcomers to the concept.
Second, a generic checklist of LP tools would be provided and teachers encouraged to enter their own LP and identify which are available to them. This also provided the opportunity and incentive for them to enter the LP, perhaps for the first time, and explore the environment with a framework for doing so.

Module 2: Pedagogy of working with a LP:
Intended Outcome: Teachers will begin to plan for learning experiences that are more adapted to the needs of the individual pupil and in which the LP makes a positive contribution. They will be able to evaluate their planning through sharing ideas and feedback with a peer group.

At this stage, teachers are being encouraged to model their own use of the LP and offer their ideas to their peers and their CPD facilitator for constructive criticism. Some teachers may be quite restrained in their ambitions for using the LP, others may be more innovative in their thinking and the former group may well be encouraged by the latter to progress further. Because the facilitator is involved in this discussion, there is also an element of “expert advice” so that, through skilful development of teachers’ initial ideas, their perception of the LP’s capabilities can be extended & developed. The inclusion of case studies of experienced practitioners is intended to stimulate new ideas and encourage greater experimentation on the part of the participants. We have not yet developed this resource to the point of identifying potential sources of case studies or producers of the materials themselves (video, audio, etc).

Module 3: Explore what is available:
Intended Outcome: A progressive refining of delivery of learning opportunities with the use of the LP becoming increasingly effective. A developing ability to evaluate the contribution made by the materials used to the desired outcomes and a growing appreciation of what makes good learning content.

We assume that any available LP will already be populated with a range of assets, probably of varying quality and sophistication. Although some participants will prefer to begin with Module 4 and produce their own materials, this module is intended to offer an opportunity to “have a go” using what’s already there. Some potential sources of learning resource are suggested (TeacherNet, the wider Web) but the source is less important than the practice at this stage. Note that there is scope for teachers to decide how many pupils they will work with at any time during this step – they may choose a specific group of pupils, individual pupils or a whole class. Whatever the outcome of the exercise, teachers will be required to evaluate their own and their pupils’ reaction to the material and to the new delivery method with a view to refining their practice iteratively. The facility to discuss their experiences will be essential to this step.

It may be that teachers cycle through this step several times before progressing to Module 4, depending on the degree of success they encounter and their own confidence.

Module 4: Create a resource of your own:
Intended Outcome: Progressive refining of content. Increasing confidence with the use of the LP and an understanding of the opportunities offered by and limitations of distance learning facilitated by a LP.

It has been assumed that teachers undertaking this module will already have the skills required to produce “e-learning resources” of their own. Many will have already developed a selection of resources they use regularly in class or for homework. This step allows them the opportunity to deliver these same resources in a different manner, based on the experience they have gained in Module 3. Again, evaluation of the success of the exercise is required with a view to refining the participant’s understanding.

Module 5: Evaluation of experience so far:
Included here but this activity could happen at any time during the previous two steps. We feel that it’s important for teachers to take a step back and see how far they have come. They also need a specific forum in which to share their successes and failures and to learn from their colleagues.

Module 6: Use one of the tools for interactivity:
Intended Outcome: Understand the benefits & limitations of on-line interactivity

So far, participants have been encouraged to use the LP only as a device to deliver materials one-way. However, one of the great benefits of a LP is the ability for two-way communication. This step encourages teachers to make use of whatever options are available to them to interact with pupils on-line.

Module 7: Investigate and use pupil tracking, monitoring & assessment tools:
Intended Outcome: Understand how the available tools for tracking, monitoring & assessment can bring positive gains for teachers and pupils in planning for future learning.

(not available in all LPs as far as we know, but we expect these tools to become more common as time progresses and we feel that the module should at least express an intention to include them. This is about as far as we got in the time available and we recognise that there is much scope for further development of these initial thoughts and ideas)
Delivery Model:

We were uncertain as to how this module might be delivered, so left open the scope for NAACE members to develop it into some sort of school-based INSET, to provide distance-learning opportunities, for schools to implement the module internally or for it to become a supported self-study module. It seems self-evident that any CPD aimed at developing teachers’ expertise and understanding of LPs should itself incorporate many of the delivery features of a LP. In this way, teachers gain the experience that their pupils would be expected to have.

We have therefore assumed a range of on-line resources. Virtual discussion forums, video case studies to be downloaded by learners and, perhaps, a series of what we have called “podcasts” (for want of a more generic description) feature throughout the module. The benefits of being able to keep these resources up-to-date are self-evident in the context of this module. The model proposed goes some way to emphasising the advantages of an on-line learning experience.

However, the delivery of Steps 1, 2 and, perhaps, 5 may best be effected in a face-to-face situation; experience from the NOF training programme emphasised the value learners place on having met and established a relationship with a trainer early in any programme and we would recommend this to providers. But this approach may not be appropriate for all cases and we have tried to ensure that delivery is a flexible as possible. It does not seem likely that teachers would be able to complete this module independent from any support structure whatsoever and we think the effectiveness would be severely compromised by attempting to do so.