Successful bids for FE innovation funding set to enhance UK learning and teaching
32 projects are to receive funding to develop new learning resources, practical approaches and open up opportunities for post-16 learning across the UK.
The successful projects are funded by Jisc and managed by Jisc Advance. These will run throughout 2012-13 and will focus on four key areas:
- Innovative uses of technology
- Improving the learner experience
- Improving efficiencies
- Making better use of existing resources.
The 32 bids represent all countries of the UK and aspects of the UK further education (FE) and skills sector including work-based learning, adult and community learning, colleges and specialist providers. They also involve 90 partners drawn from across the sector and numerous local links and partnerships.
John Edmonstone, E-Learning Development Officer at Cardonald College, Glasgow said: "We’re delighted that the Moodle2Go project has been chosen to receive part of this funding to provide a range of mobile revision and reinforcement materials for learners. As a consortium of future partner colleges this is the ideal way for us to kickstart the partnership process."
Ian Southwell, Online Technologies and Accessibility Development Manager at the West of England College for Young People with Little or No Sight, said: “We are elated to receive the Jisc funding which will help us to make online resources more readily available for our learners. This will help to improve their experience of working with technology. Our aim is to simplify access to technology as much as possible to assist this group of learners. We are also delighted that our work will be shared with other educational organisations to assist people across the UK.”
Susan Easton, Lead for Digital Learning at The National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE), said: “This funding is fantastic news for NIACE. We have long advocated the ongoing development of digital capabilities for adult learners. With our partners, including the Workers Education Association, (WEA), Coleg Gwent and Bolton Metropolitan College, we see this funding as a real boost to our work, bringing real benefits to the FE and skills sector as a whole.”
The FE and Skills Development and Resources programme was launched earlier this year in response to the Government initiatives to improve learning across the UK – notably the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ ‘New Challenges, New Chances’ report. There is a total of £1.4m to fund the projects.
Guy Lambert, Managing Director of Jisc Advance commented: “We received an unprecedented number of bids which demonstrates how important technology is for the future of post-16 teaching and learning. Jisc Advance is delighted to be leading this essential piece of work, making a significant impact to the FE and Skills sector.”
The FE and Skills Development and Resources programme is managed by Jisc Advance. This programme is funded by Jisc from its UK-wide FE funders as part of their core financial contributions - the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), Scottish Funding Council, Department for Education and Skills Wales and Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland.