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Joe McConnell, Aston Media,
John Perks, Matthew Boulton College |
A multi-media solution
Teachers don’t do business… And business people don’t teach but each can help the other by doing what they do well and supporting the other.
Read on-line or download a copy here. View more at |
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The Business and Learning Connections Project is finding a growing audience for business led learning material, produced through collaboration with Colleges, using real world regionally based companies to bring their expertise to the academic table via multi media tools. Time will tell just how important and integral to teaching and learning multi media tools become but the signs are they are growing in significance in a number of ways and in particular through contributing to the establishment of well resourced and imaginatively used virtual learning environments. The experience of the Project is revealing a number of interesting outcomes from the production of expert input from businesses to lecturers and students who have fewer opportunities to engage directly with businesses. The video product, whilst being essentially teaching and learning through listening to the expert in the context set by the lecturer, also has a visual dimension with general images from the business being used. This helps present a sense of the atmosphere of being in a business and on occasion a close up view of production processes and operations that would be difficult for a student or lecturer to view. A number of the lecturers who have participated to date have found value in an albeit brief encounter with the business used and can take the learning from their conversations back into their teaching. A further unanticipated, but now looked for outcome, is through the careers information the video material can provide. Students may sometimes have a distorted or incomplete view of the industry in which they have an interest. Even a limited glimpse of the real industrial or business context is helpful. Another angle not originally considered but, in response to demand, one which will feature increasingly into the future is the production of material dedicated to use on a particular qualification. The original intention had been to produce generically useful material and whilst this remains the main product we are now looking to lecturers to identify businesses which could contribute expertise to a particular course. So why would a lecturer bother to participate in the Project and what does the business gain? There are now over 20 colleges lining up the Projects material for use in teaching via their Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or web based platform during the coming academic year and the material they are using has been produced in collaboration with seven different colleges (and two Universities). Hopefully lecturers will find teaching easier and students more ready to engage, where they can show a real world application. The nine businesses which have helped so far have given their time and expertise - and access to their facilities – mainly alongside a public relations or corporate social responsibility banner but definitely also as they believe in the benefit of adding value to the teaching of potential future employees. Here too unexpected outcomes have been achieved. One company has decided to create further (non Project funded) internally focussed multi media teaching material for its own staff and has made the learning video produced through the Project for colleges, a part of the company’s Induction process to new staff. In addition they are promoting their involvement in the Project to their industry trade body to show good practice. So why isn’t everybody already doing it? Well lecturers are already very busy and they receive no more money for using multi media products than traditional material. There is also a wide range of levels of understanding and ability to make the best use of VLEs. This is further complicated by the range of different ways Colleges deal with this facility. The centre for responsibility varies from the ILT or IT Support section, through Staff and Students support to E Learning Manager etc. Support to grow the information technology needs of the lecturing cohort is also varied by the nature of what is a relatively recent arrival on the teaching scene and adoption of this tool is understandably patchy. So during this period of potential and actual change in teaching methods their will necessarily and understandably be a wide variety of levels of interest and adoption. A major factor not referred to here is that of the student expectation. The Project will be conducting research in the first part of next year to gain qualitative feedback from lecturers using the material and will also try and gain good information directly and indirectly from students offered this material as part of the teaching in the period up to and beyond Christmas and the New Year. During the current period of the Project (which will continue until July 2008) there is an opportunity to work with lecturers and experiment with mainly video based multi media, to establish how best this Project and these tools can enhance teaching into the future. The Project is grateful to the help of a number of contributing partners, none more so than Matthew Boulton College where John Perks input continues to be invaluable. The Project is funded by Advantage West Midlands and is based within Aston University. If you want to explore some of the material produced this is available in sample video clip formats through the Project web site at www.businessandlearningconnections.co.uk. If you want to know how to work with the Project get in touch. Colleges with which the Project has or is working to date-
Video material available now or within 4-6 weeks-
Marketing, the re-launch of a brand Cadbury Trebor Bassett Logistics and general business Aspray Transport Recruitment and Selection Randstad Project Management Terraquest Introduction to Business Lasan Restaurant Journalism Birmingham Post Entrepreneurship Bravissimo Accommodation booking Seligo
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