The Changing Learner
Supporting colleges to rise to the challenge with CDN’s latest programme
Following the successful implementation of CDN’s Trauma-Informed College Programme, which was developed from our series of Pathways from Poverty reports, we are now launching our expanded Changing Learner Programme, which incorporates the next phase of the Trauma-Informed College Programme as one of its ‘four pillars’ and adds three new areas: Promoting Positive Behaviours and Resolving Conflict, Culture and Community, and Staff Wellbeing and Safeguarding.
These new areas have been developed from evidence gathered from CDN’s existing delivery and the findings of the Changing Learner Report, which is being published at the same time as we launch the new programme.
The Research
CDN’s Changing Learner research report looks at the current challenges facing learners in Scotland. The report, based on research conducted with Forth Valley College and Fife College, reveals a trend of lower academic performance, delayed skills development, underdeveloped social skills, increased anxiety, and decreased resilience among students. While the pandemic exacerbated these issues, the report suggests they were already emerging before 2020.
The rise of digital technology is also identified as a key factor influencing learner behaviour. The report explores how increased reliance on digital communication can impact social skills and attention spans, potentially leading to difficulties with engagement and focus in traditional learning environments.
So how can colleges in Scotland best support these ‘changing learners’?
The Programme
CDN’s innovative Four Pillar Offer provides a comprehensive framework for creating a positive, supportive, and inclusive learning environment for all students. The programme, developed in response to the Changing Learner report findings, offers a range of workshops and resources tailored to address the specific challenges outlined in the research.
Here’s how the Four Pillars connect with the Changing Learner report:
- Promoting Positive Behaviours and Resolving Conflict:
- Addresses the report’s findings on underdeveloped social skills and behavioural issues.
- Equipping staff with practical tools and techniques to manage behaviour and resolve conflicts constructively.
- Workshops on topics such as preventative positive behaviour management, the role of emotions in learning, and crisis management.
- The Trauma Informed College:
- Responds directly to the report’s focus on increasing levels of anxiety and mental health challenges.
- Aims to create a trauma-informed culture in colleges, recognizing the prevalence of trauma among learners and its impact on learning.
- Provides training, resources, and interventions to help colleges support learners who have experienced trauma.
- Includes a diagnostic workshop to evaluate existing practices and develop an action plan for embedding a trauma-informed approach.
- Culture and Community:
- Aligns with the report’s emphasis on the need for colleges to adapt to the evolving needs of diverse learner populations.
- Offers EDI-based resources and workshops to support colleges in identifying and responding to the needs of their diverse communities of learners and staff.
- Focuses on embedding inclusive and empathetic policies and practices across all areas of the college.
- Staff Wellbeing and Safeguarding:
- Acknowledges the added pressure on college staff due to the challenges outlined in the ‘Changing Learner’ report.
- Focuses on the health, wellbeing, and safeguarding of all staff within colleges.
- Provides resources and workshops to help staff understand factors affecting mental health and develop effective strategies for self-management and self-care.
CDN’s Four Pillar Offer is a vital resource for colleges seeking to navigate the evolving educational landscape and empower all learners to succeed.
To register your interest in this programme please complete the contact form here.