Open and technology-based learning

Ward Educational Consulting has a knowledge of the issues involved in developing and implementing open and technology-based learning in the post-16 education sector, with experience of evaluation of projects and matching materials to qualifications.

Examples of projects undertaken:

• Evaluation of e-learning provision for higher education courses in Information Technology developed in the GENIUS project, 2002/03 (project funded by the European Commission and managed by Reading University)

And (during employment with Guildford Educational Services Ltd):

• As sub-contractor to LSDA (Learning and Skills Development Agency), monitoring of colleges involved in a project to embed learndirect materials into college programmes (LSDA for LSC and Ufi/learndirect, 2002)
• Contributor to research and report-writing for a survey of ICT learning centres (Technologies for Training Ltd for DfEE, July-August 1999), with follow up work to research the information needs of ICT learning centres
• Other work for Technologies for Training (TfT) consortium, especially as editor of TfT Briefings (1996-2000)
• Matching learning materials to standards of competence in Business Administration, Secretarial Work and Caring; support and training for contractors embarking on similar projects for other subject areas (Training Agency and Employment Department-TEED, 1989-90)
• Development, with awarding bodies, of scheme to certify competences of staff employed in Open Learning (for the Open College); subsequent evaluation of the first year of the pilot scheme (Training Agency, 1989) and support and training for assessors, including measures to improve consistency of assessment (NCVQ, 1989)