Transcript 'One size doesn't fit all' presentation at Making Connections conference, Milton Keynes 2009

One size doesn’t fit all
Adapting courses for offender learners
Val Hancock
COLMSCT Associate Teaching Fellow
[email protected]
Centre for Open Learning of Mathematics, Science, Computing and Technology (COLMSCT)
Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302).
He cannot do any of
the iCMA's
I don’t think he is
allowed CD/DVDs
What do ALs say?
I'm not clear on who
provides the
student with TMA
questions when
they are only
available online (I
sent a hardcopy of
TMA01 just in case)
There is no
alternative to
electronic
submission of the
ECA and if it can't
be submitted
electronically he
will fail the course
Just wonder what
colleagues do in this
situation?I hopefully can
and will see the students
F2F but what about all
the online stuff?
I think it is too
much to expect
either the prison
Education Officer
or myself to
provide hard
copies of
everything they
need
One of the first shocks was to discover
that the prisoner had no internet access
which made things rather challenging on a
course that was using the eTMA system,
issued TMAs via a website and required
students to take part in FirstClass
discussions for TMAs!
What can’t offender learners do?
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Access the course website
Web searches
Access the OU library
Use the eTMA system
Read CDs and/or DVDs
Use USB memory sticks
Have laptops in their cells
Listen to podcasts
iCMAs (eCMAs, OpenMark)
Contact a tutor
• Take part in forum discussions
• Update a wiki
• Write a blog
What can offender learners do?
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Access the course website
Web searches
Access the OU library
Use the eTMA system
Read CDs and/or DVDs
Use USB memory sticks
Have laptops in their cells
Listen to podcasts
iCMAs (eCMAs, OpenMark)
Contact a tutor
What are ALs doing?
• Emailing or printing course materials published via the
course website and sending them to the student.
• Summarising and anonymising forum contributions
• Emailing or printing web pages
• Carrying out mediated searches
• Re-inventing the wheel!
What are prisons doing?
• Providing internet access for staff in some prisons
• HMP Whitemoor – course website & OpenLearn on
generic Moodle
• Virtual Campus – limited, supervised internet access for
offender learners
What’s the OU doing?
• Offender learning coordinator
• Offender learning working groups
– matrix to replace ‘traffic lights
– degree & diploma pathways
– making the library accessible
– improvements/alternatives to eTMAs, eCMAs, iCMAs
– improving AL support
• Involvement in Virtual Campus
• Raising the profile of offender learning within the OU
What can course teams do?
• Centralise support for ALs
– Tutor packs
– Identify an AL or course team member to give
guidance
• Provide alternatives for students with very limited or no
internet access
• Issue CDs with static online versions of web pages
• Integrate internet accessibility into course design
procedures
What else can course teams do?
• Categorise activities requiring internet access (EDO Framework)
–Essential
students will fail the course if the activity cannot be carried
out
–Desirable
students can pass the course if the activity cannot be carried
out but their overall grade is likely to be affected
–Optional
many students outside prison will not engage with the
activity
One size doesn’t fit all
• What works in one prison will not
work in another prison
• What helps one AL won’t help every
AL
• Pick & mix to provide appropriate
support for each offender learner
Useful links
• Alternative approaches to online activities for prisoners
and others without access to the Internet (COLMSCT
project)
• Prison Tutor Support wiki (Alternative approaches)
• Supporting students in prison booklet (AL Development)
• OU Prison Scheme (old site)
• Student Services Offender Learning (new site)
• Val Hancock: [email protected]