Moving on from the celebrations of Adult Learners' Week, we look at how technology is a key enabler for adult education.
As part of the celebrations for Adult Learners' Week Becta, working with NIACE, sponsored the Adult Learners' Week National Awards Ceremony, which took place on Friday 15 May. Chief Executive, Stephen Crowne, took to the platform at the ceremony to present an award, and there were opportunities to meet Becta representatives exhibiting at the event.
Becta supports the Government’s aim to raise adult skills. The current economic climate puts a greater demand than ever on improving training provision and skills development, but with the challenge of doing so in a cost effective and timely way.
Our work in FE and Skills embraces the whole sector, whether it's Train to Gain programmes to help businesses upskill, vocational courses for adults who want or need new skills, young people who are preparing to enter the world of work, adults who want to learn informally for pleasure, or those for whom informal learning offers a second chance. Technology can have an impact on all of these.
This is especially true when adults and businesses have to find the time to fit learning in around everything else that life has to throw at us. Technology enables adults to learn when they want, where they want and how they want. It provides access to informal learning opportunities that individuals can fit in around their busy lives, and offers employers a mechanism to boost skills and save money. For example, The Dental Channel, winner of an e-learning award in 2008, estimates that they are saving £250,000 across the dental profession, by offering flexible delivery, through interactive webinars. You can read a case study about their experience and many others on the Towards Maturity website.
Technology is bringing learning opportunities to individuals too. Since its launch in 2000, over 2.4 million individuals have enrolled on a learndirect course, and you can read some of their stories on the learndirect website.
Technology and social media also empower learners to become not just content receivers, but content creators in their own right. Now, anyone can produce their own learning materials to support their own development and share with others. This is why we are supporting the DIUS online discussion, 'All Together Now' to debate with those in the FE and skills sector how digital media is impacting on the vision for education for 2020.
We know that when it’s used properly, technology can improve motivation, progress and outcomes. Learners are keener, they work through their courses faster and they get better results. Technology is well worth the investment.
Becta was one of the first organisations to sign up to the government’s Informal Adult Learning pledge, outlined in the white paper 'The Learning Revolution'. We are:
- working to develop ways to help people find out about free informal learning opportunities and resources
- exploring learning opportunities through red-button technology
- improving technology training for teachers and leaders in informal adult learning
- looking at how disadvantaged adults could be supported to learn through our Home Access programme and the linked Adult Access to Technology Proof of Concept project currently running in Oldham.
We have launched a discussion in our online collaboration space for you to share your experiences of how technology is creating new opportunities and benefits for adult learning. Please come and join the conversation.
Published: 13 May 2009
http://news.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=40329
