Treacl Project

TreaclProject - Exciting New Free Training Courses for Voluntary Sector

The Courses

As part of the AES Treacl Project, free courses are being offered to local tutors, support workers and volunteers in using a learning management system (LMS).

The AES Treacl Project

The AES Treacl Project, funded through NIACE, aims to support local learning providers, particularly those in the voluntary sector, to develop the skills to introduce e-learning into their provision. By providing free training to those in local agencies, the project aims to improve the ability of local providers to take advantage of developments in e-learning.

But what is e-learning?

E-learning –or electronic learning- is broadly making use of the developments in ICT and other communication technologies to help people learn. Although this includes a wide range of devices and technologies – the Internet, mobile phones, digital photography and video etc – the AES project will focus on developing the skills to use a learning management system (LMS) to help learners.

More about the LMS

A learning management system (LMS) is a technology that uses the Internet to create an online environment with various tools and facilities that can be applied to help people learn. More than just “a website”, an LMS (sometimes called a VLS, CMS or “learning portal”) has the facility for students to communicate with each other in various different ways and for tutors to create resources and interactive assignments. More importantly this can be done so in a way that provides a safe online environment that allows tutors to monitor and document the progress of learners. An LMS can be used alone as “online learning” where learners have no contact other than through the online system or, usually more effectively, as “blended learning” where it is used as an adjunct to more traditional face-to-face learning.

The AES Treacl Project & the LMS it uses

The AES Treacl project will focus on giving local tutors and practitioners the skills to use an LMS as a learning tool for the subjects they already teach. In other words, it is not ONLY for those teaching ICT. This project will use an LMS called Moodle, which is currently regarded as one of the most flexible, effective and easy-to-use of systems available. If you would like to learn more about Moodle, why not check out www.moodle.org

The Moodle set up for this project will be made available to the voluntrary sector providers attending this training free of charge for use with their learners.

Uses of Moodle outside of formal learning

Because of its flexibility and focus on operating as an “online community”, Moodle has uses beyond its application as a learning tool for formal learning. It is particularly useful in helping groups of people who share a common interest or goal learn from each other. Thus, it is a useful tool for:
· Enthusiasts, clubs and societies with a common interest in learning about a particular subject
· Capacity building networks
· Other networks of people or practitioners who need to learn through peer-to-peer expertise; for example, a network of practitioners involved in developing quality in local childcare, creative groups or groups lobbying for better services for people affected by a particular condition.

So who are these free courses for?

These courses are freely available to anyone involved in the local delivery or support of learning, particularly those in voluntary sector agencies and groups. For example you might be a:

Tutor or teacher
Trainer
Mentor
Learning support worker
Community of development worker
Involved in capacity building or skills development
A member of a local club or society

What courses are available?

There are two cycles of courses. The first, run in November 2005, are the introductory courses. The second cycle run early in 2006 will be more advanced. In order to attend the more advanced courses, you will need to attend one of the introductory courses.

The November Courses

You can attend either:

Day	Dates	Time	Location	No. of sessions
Thursdays	17 & 24 Nov& 1 Dec 2005	13:30 – 16:30	Media Café	3 x 3 hr
Tuesdays	15, 22. 29 Nov 2005	09:30 – 12:30	Dawes Centre	3 x 3 hr

Details of these venues can be found directly here or by visiting www.courseinfo.co.uk and clicking on “venue details”.

In addition to the 3 x 3 hour classroom sessions, you will need to undertake 1 to 1.5 hour online working in your own time over the duration of the course.

By the end of the course participants will:

Better understand what a learning management system (LMS) is, how it works, it’s main uses and its limitations.
Have had an opportunity to use all of the key functions of an LMS as a learner and to collaborate with other learners and tutors in using the system
Had an opportunity to reflect on the experience of using an LMS as a learner and guided support in understanding how this might be applied to those they teach/train/support
Be supported in identifying ways in which they could apply an LMS effectively within the subject area/s they teach and some opportunity to examine examples of how this is being done by other providers
Have some introductory skills in preparing materials for use on an LMS with learners.

To book your free place on the course or ask any questions…

· Email ken.pratt@lbhf.gov.uk to request an email booking form
· Contact either Ken Pratt or Fiona Daly on 0207 386 4062

Requirements

In order to benefit from the course you will need to have some existing ICT skills. These are:

The ability to enter text using a word processor (such as MS Word) and undertake basic formatting (bold, change fonts etc)
The ability to use an email package to send and receive emails, including sending emails with attachments.
The ability to use an Internet browser (such as Internet Explorer) to view websites; experience of using search engines to find websites on the Internet

You do not need to be “expert” at undertaking these tasks, but there will not be time on the course to teach people these ICT skills at an introductory level. If you are unable to carry out the activities outlined above, perhaps it would be useful for you to contact Media Café on 0208 740 5848 for advice on local access to introductory ICT skills.

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