Extending opportunities for life-long learning in a digital age Peter Chatterton Eta De Cicco Neil Whitt Andrew Comrie Institutional approaches to mainstreaming new flexible and cost-effective practices and technologies

Workshop format Overview of JISC Guide Case study 1 Exploring APEL Case study 2 Building Partnerships Plenary Feedback from Groups JISC Guide resources Objectives & “ice-breaker” Short presentations + Discussions on issues and implications for developing and mainstreaming new practices and technologies in different institutional contexts The workshop will explore how institutions are meeting the needs of lifelong learners by developing and mainstreaming cost-effective, scalable and efficient new practices and technologies. The University of Plymouth Colleges regional partnership of Further Education College’s PINEAPPLE project adopts technology solutions to make the APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) process more efficient and cost- effective (Neil Whitt) Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh’s Telford College have worked in partnership with Edinburgh City Council to design and deliver a new suite of programmes that provide seamless articulation pathways and alternative work- based routes to degree study where technology is used extensively to provide cost-effective and flexible delivery (Andrew Comrie)

Ice-breaker Identify your top challenges: ….associated with implementing new practices and technologies for Lifelong Learning (including work-based learning):  Institutional  Programme design & delivery  Staff / cultural  Student / employer  Technology

New JISC Guide Learning in a Digital Age Extending higher education opportunities for Lifelong Learning Explores how institutions are developing and mainstreaming new lifelong learning practices and the technologies they are using.  Support for lifelong learners  Responsive curricula design  Flexible curriculum delivery  Assessment, feedback and accreditation  Stakeholder engagement and sustainable partnerships + 11 case studies Forms part of the successful Effective Practice series.

Table summary Support for lifelong learners Some learners, particularly non- mainstream learners, may experience difficulties managing the social and academic aspects of HE Learners can lack a sense of belonging to an HE community within an FE environment Responsive curriculum design More responsive curriculum development depends on participation from those individuals that have a stake in the outcome The absence of shared vocabulary and employers’ unfamiliarity with HE level descriptors can form barriers to sustainable employer-centred provision

Table summary Flexible curriculum delivery University admissions and other support processes cannot always adapt rapidly to the needs of diverse learners Employers and learners want smaller and shorter learning experiences Not all learners perceive their interactions with HE as a holistic experience Assessment, feedback and accreditation The need to capture staff CPD activities in a manner that respects the concept of the reflective practitioner whilst meeting the requirements of an award Finding ways of embedding feedback activities in the online delivery of learning to remote learners Mainstream application processes do not easily recognise and accredit the prior experiences of non-traditional learners

Table summary Stakeholder engagement and sustainable partnerships A lack of standardisation of terminology to describe data, across key stakeholders such as information providers can prevent effective re-use and blending of data from different sources Difficulties for course teams and careers guidance and information professionals to access accurate, at-a-glance labour market information Provision of work-based programmes depends on collaborative partnership working

Workshop format Overview of JISC Guide Case study 1 Exploring APEL Case study 2 Building Partnerships Plenary Feedback from Groups JISC Guide resources Objectives & “ice-breaker” Short presentations + Discussions on issues and implications for developing and mainstreaming new practices and technologies in different institutional contexts The workshop will explore how institutions are meeting the needs of lifelong learners by developing and mainstreaming cost-effective, scalable and efficient new practices and technologies. The University of Plymouth Colleges regional partnership of Further Education College’s PINEAPPLE project adopts technology solutions to make the APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) process more efficient and cost- effective (Neil Whitt) Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh’s Telford College have worked in partnership with Edinburgh City Council to design and deliver a new suite of programmes that provide seamless articulation pathways and alternative work- based routes to degree study where technology is used extensively to provide cost-effective and flexible delivery (Andrew Comrie)

Online resources Learning in a Digital Age Extending higher education opportunities for Lifelong Learning Online supplementary resources Work-based learning maturity toolkit