SOUTH Eastern Regional College(SERC) has received a Beacon Award for a project which helps students gain essential skills in using technology.
The awards celebrate colleges which demonstrate excellent teaching and innovative thinking in the further education sector in creating positive opportunities for both staff and students.
The award for Effective Use of Technology in FE, sponsored by Jisc, was given for the BLADES programme, which helps students to gain literacy and numeracy skills as well as support in learning how to use computers and other technology in their studies. The college also uses online hubs where students can access assignments and course information, and a mentoring scheme to help students use the technology.
Commenting on the accolade, SERC director of curriculum and information services Dr Michael Malone said: “The college is delighted that the pedagogy mentoring programme (which has been completed by 400 staff) has been recognised with such a prestigious award. The benefits for Essential Skills tutors and their learners is evident with achievement rates increasing by 13% and last year there were over four million Moodle hits.
This peer mentoring programme has been successfully rolled out across all professional and technical areas in SERC since 2008.
“SERC has been able to implement this approach both nationally and internationally by working with their sister colleges in Singapore and Japan.” Pete Scott, director of Jisc group customer services, said: “Even in the three years that we’ve been a sponsor for this award, there’s been a marked growth in the prominence of technology in the further education sector.
“I’m pleased to see the conversation is moving beyond technology as simply an enhancer of learning — although it certainly does this — to it being a strategic enabler delivering sustainable and effective business outcomes.
“That technology has been identified by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills as key to leveraging successful outcomes for all in this field, and we look forward to supporting the optimisation of technology into the future.”
He concluded: “We were again astounded by the standard of entries. All shortlisted applicants should be applauded for their efforts to deliver truly creative and innovative experiences, but special recognition of course goes to South Eastern Regional College.”