BCoT is one of the only colleges in the UK to run a Blended Learning programme.

What is Blended Learning?

Blended Learning is an hour session every week, where students come in to complete tasks and research that will develop their independent, collaborative and professional skills.
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  • They use Google Classroom as a tool that allows them access to weekly tasks where they can upload/add and turn in work - this is then marked digitally by the course owner.
  • Learning Facilitators run the sessions in order to keep students focused on the task, as well offering support when using new digital tools.
  • Tasks are set by the course owner, and should reflect the learning that has been taught in vocational sessions with their lecturer.  
  • Tasks and activities are set for Blended Learning so that more teaching can be accomplished in class - these tasks usually should be able to be accomplished independently or in groups.
  • Tasks will aim to use prominently ICT skills, as well as English and Maths, to embed research and professional skills.

Industry has a rapid demand for more digital skills so Blended Learning aims to help develop those skills. Blended Learning is led by staff expertise and the pedagogy, so the team works with staff to create a plan that suits them and the students.

'Not enough learners are confident in their ability to create a positive online profile, judge online content reliably, or change privacy settings and manage passwords.'

So why do we use Blended Learning?

In Feb 2015 - The Digital Skills Committee published a report due to the fact that 12.6 million UK adults lack basic digital skills. It found that:

  • At least 35% of  jobs are at risk of becoming automated in the next 20 years, so there is a higher need for digital engineers.
  • We need to improve our collaboration skills in order to increase connectivity. This  gives us inclusion in world events.
  • ​FE Education has no formal digital teaching, so plan to make it a core learning component. “We must equip the next generation not just with the skills that we know industry needs today but also with the skills they will need for a future not yet imagined.”
  • If the workforce is to be future-proofed, education systems in the UK must be designed to equip everyone with not only strong literacy and numeracy skills, but also information literacy and a mind-set that is flexible, creative and adaptive.

Jisc Survey Results:
  • 63% of FE learners feel that digital skills will be important in their chosen career
  • 60% feel that use of digital technology on their course results in better understanding and allows them to fit learning into their lives more easily.

In students personal learning they said that they used digital tools or apps to:
  • 64.4% to make notes or recordings
  • 68.8% look for extra resources
  • 60.7% manage links and references
  • 81.6% access notes or recorded lectures
  • 40.2% use social media to discuss learning

Did you know?
  • The UK will need 745,000 additional workers with digital skills to meet rising employer demands - 90% of new jobs require digital skills to some degree.
  • Employers are demanding skills such as cyber-security, cloud/mobile computing & data analytics - 72% of employers are unwilling to interview those without basic IT skills.
  • Those equipped with digital knowledge/tools earn a higher wage - 40% of business are choosing to hire digitally literate young people rather than train existing staff.

Therefore Blended Learning was created.

So what can students do in Blended Learning?

Unreal Engine

The college offers a variety of software for the students to use. For a Blended Learning session, the hospital room shown to the left has been created by our Learning Facilitator/Technologist, ​Will,​ using Unreal Engine, which was used to demonstrate health and safety in a hospital room for our Health and Social Care students. The students can use this software to move objects around to create their own hospital rooms and attach annotations to what they have achieved and created within the lesson. 

Facebook Live

As a team, we think integrating social media into education is the way forward. Especially when it comes to guests who can't quite make it in person - the Level 3 Media Film + TV students were able to communicate and interact live with Gary Roberts who directed the short film, The Problemless Anonymous.

i-GVS

Our Automotive, Motor Sport and Construction students use i-GVS in their Blended Learning sessions. The i-GVS software is filled with pre-made courses learners can use to achieve criteria in their assignments. Learners engage with i-GVS as it offers self-marking assessments and means they are able to visualise their learning in Blended Learning.