Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) explain below why one hour of Blended Learning is embedded in all courses to build digital skills in ALL students
In November 2015 the college allowed Media Teacher Scott Hayden to use one day a week to train up eight students as Digital Leaders. The Digital Leaders helped staff in staff-rooms, classrooms, and on Inset Days. They changed the mindset and culture of the college in relation to Digital Learning. By having students work alongside staff in a proactive problem-solving approach, they created resources and supported staff on-demand at their desks in 1-1’s and in their course team meetings. The culture started to shift. The Digital Leaders – all chosen for their emotional intelligence first and technological competence second – helped staff at a speed they were comfortable with. Empathy and kindness and above all else patience was given by senior managers to support all staff to up-skill.
In 16/17 the college built on this base by rethinking the Library team and two underused spaces, to create a Digital Team of Facilitators and Apprentice Technologists. The Digital Team’s manifesto was to be led by the pedagogy of our Teachers and to co-design with them meaningful and relevant Digital Learning experiences that best prepared ALL learners for the jobs of the future in their industry.
In November 2018 the college is in its 3rd year of having 1 hour of timetabled ‘Blended Learning’ embedded in to every single full-time subject at BCoT. Every single full-time learner has time in a Learning Zone with a Facilitator to develop independent digital skills that prepare them for the realities of their respective specialism. Travel and Tourism are using Google Earth and maps; Sports are learning about heart-rates and biology with virtual and augmented reality; and Beauty students are building blogs with photography and video of their latest make-up designs.
In the past year Basingstoke College of Technology won the TES FE Award for Outstanding use of Technology to improve Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, was named in the EdTech 50, and shared best practice nationally with other colleges.