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YOU'RE INVITED!

 

We’re thrilled to invite you to our Winter Summit on TUESDAY 10 DECEMBER
2024 FROM 9:00 AM TO 5:30 PM GMT. Whether you are early in your career,
about to step into a new leadership role, or already making waves as a
senior leader, the day will be packed with insights to help you develop
your skills as a Future Leader. [...]

We are thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the ALT Winter Summit 2024. This year's theme is ‘Future Leadership in Learning Technology’.

Want to learn more about the Digital Learning Design Apprenticeship? This webinar is for anyone who wants to find out more whether you are an employer, learner, or would just like to learn more!

We will welcome Hazel Cray and Matt Bishop from Crosby Training, and Sarah Harris and Frazer Worthington from LDN Apprenticeships, just two of the providers who are currently offering this programme. They will delve into what the DLD apprenticeship is, how it benefits learners and employers, and how you can get involved. We will also hear from some current DLD learners and find out more about their experience so far. 

What is the Digital Learning Design Apprenticeship?

Launched in September 2023, this Level 5 apprenticeship is designed to equip learners with the skills and knowledge needed to become successful digital learning designers. Digital learning design is a rapidly evolving field, with new trends and technologies emerging all the time. ACMALT is mapped to the standard and all apprentices who successfully complete the endpoint assessment will automatically be eligible to become an Associate Certified Member.  

To celebrate Trustee’s Week, 4-8 November, we are kicking off our new profile series by interviewing one of our trustees, Puiyin Wong. ALT’s Board of Trustees are responsible for ALT’s strategy, governance, and overall performance of the Association. The Trustees are an integral part of ALT. 

Puiyin Wong has been an ALT Trustee since 2022. She is currently Head of Digital Education at the University of Birmingham, as well as a PhD candidate with the Educational Research Department at Lancaster University.

Puiyin and Patch

Puiyin, you have been a trustee for over two years now. How did you decide to become a trustee and what have you learned that you have taken into your day to day job?

It was actually a happy coincidence! I had encountered an issue with my session proposal for the ALT Annual Conference 2022, so I asked Maren Deepwell (ALT’s previous CEO) if we could have a quick chat about it. At the end of our conversation, Maren asked if I was aware of an upcoming Trustee election and whether I might be interested in standing. I replied with a surprised “No”, I didn’t even know Trustees existed! Maren and I then had an open discussion about the commitment and responsibilities involved, and I was convinced in a heartbeat. That same afternoon, I wrote my election statement, ran a shameless campaign in the following weeks, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Since becoming a Trustee, I have valued every opportunity that has come my way. Each Board meeting offers a chance to learn, especially during strategic decision-making discussions. My first few meetings were truly eye-opening; at the time, I was still a learning technologist, so being in the same room with fellow Trustees, many of whom are senior leaders in higher education, felt like a master class in leadership and management. Watching them in action has been an incredible learning experience.

How has ALT been important to your career?

Massively! I have only worked directly in learning technology for about 5 years. Before that, I didn’t even know ALT existed! Over the past five years, I have progressed from a junior learning technologist to Head of Digital Education at a Russell Group university; something I would never have dared to dream of. Before discovering ALT, my goal was simply a mid-level, full-time role in education. ALT and its incredible community of people have taught me to dream big, to pursue my ambitions without holding back. All you need is the willingness to try, to persevere, to ask for help, and sometimes to take a leap of faith. The generosity I have received from so many ALT members and the friendships we have built along the way has been the most important thing for me.

In addition, the opportunities I have gained through ALT have directly contributed to my career progression. Attending and presenting at its conferences and events, earning my CMALT and now SCMALT accreditation, serving as an assessor, participating in Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and contributing to various committees have all been invaluable CPD experiences. These opportunities have exposed me to new insights and experiences that I wouldn’t have encountered in my day-to-day role.

A strong presence in the ALT community is also something that employers value, as standing in front of peers represents not only yourself but also your employer. After all, who wouldn’t want their organisation represented in a positive light? Whilst I cannot quantify exactly how much this has boosted my career, I know that as my reach and visibility have grown, so has my confidence. This is particularly true in how I conduct myself publicly and presentation skills, which are essential for most roles in learning technology, especially at senior levels. 

What do you find exciting about working with learning technology?

The most exciting part is seeing people who are genuinely enthusiastic about using learning technology in their teaching. Their eagerness to innovate and their drive to make learning more engaging for students through technology is truly inspiring.

Many people resist using learning technology, viewing it as too technical and a hindrance to their teaching. I understand this perspective; many colleagues are under pressure to work more, teach larger cohorts, and manage increasing responsibilities. Why would they want to learn yet another piece of technology? That’s why I find it most exciting when I can convince them that learning technology is not about the technology itself. Instead, it is in response to their existing pedagogical practices, enhancing their teaching to make it more effective, innovative, and engaging.

What was the last thing you read or watched?

Some trashy Chinese TV drama. I go through phases of wanting to watch a lot of Chinese movies and TV shows. I guess they remind me of home in Hong Kong, which has not really been my home for over 20 years now, but a root is a root. It will never change.

If you were on a deserted island, what is the one thing you would take?

PATCH!  I think anyone who knows anything about me would know the answer to this! I cannot imagine life without her now, she is the most important, loving and loyal companion in my life. I adopted Patch from Battersea Dogs and Cats home in summer 2013. Not long before that, she’d become a young mother of 3 kittens. It has been a regret of mine that I never got a chance to meet her babies, otherwise, I would have taken the whole family home with me! Fast forward to 11 years later, Patch is now enjoying her well-earned retirement in our new home away from busy London. Some fortunate people have had the pleasure of befriending her through our online meetings, including some fellow ALT Trustees.

We hope you enjoyed hearing from one of our trustees. If Puiyin has inspired you to investigate becoming a trustee, there will be vacancies coming up in 2025. We’ll be in touch with information about trustee roles and how to get involved next year.

Future profiles will feature colleagues involved with Special Interest and Members Groups, CMALT holders and assessors, apprentices and ALT staff. 

If you are a current member of ALT and would be interested in featuring in an upcoming post or want to recommend someone members would be interested in hearing from, please contact us at blog@alt.ac.uk.

Join AmplifyFE on 13 December from 12.00 - 12.30 for their next webinar: Alternatives to Twitter - BlueSky, LinkedIn, Threads find out how to make the most of these platforms. More details to be announced shortly. 

 

Subheading: 

We are delighted to share the AmplifyFE Communities of Practice Sector Audit Report following the launch at the Association for Learning Technology’s Annual Conference 2024. 

Join us for an engaging M25 Winter Meeting, which will focus on UX/UI design. We will learn how research drives the design process, techniques to identify genuine user needs and dispel assumptions, and how to benchmark and improve your systems. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills, follow up on discussions with participants, connect, and collaborate.

We're excited to invite you to our next meeting, taking place on May 22nd at Edge Hill University. This meeting is set to be a dynamic and informative session, with talks on a variety of topics.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s on the agenda:
1. Digital Assessments: Innovations and Challenges
• Discuss the challenges and best practices for implementing digital assessments in educational settings and learn from case studies.
• Interactive Q&A session with experts in the field.

2. Creating Custom GPT Models: An Educator’s Guide
• Introduction to Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) and their potential in education.
• Step-by-step guide on creating custom GPT models tailored for educational purposes.

3. Networking Sessions
• Opportunity to connect with fellow educators and technology enthusiasts.
• Share experiences, collaborate on projects, and discuss innovative ideas.
• A mix of structured and informal networking activities to maximize engagement.

This meeting promises to be a great platform for learning, sharing, and networking. We look forward to seeing you there and engaging in these exciting topics together!

 

The meeting will be in the Business School (Building 16, ref E4 on the map), room B005 (ground floor). Further information on travelling to campus can be found here, including free bus from Ormskirk Centre next to the train station. https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/locations/

https://bit.ly/3UjzzqX

 

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[Association for Learning Technology: improving practice, promoting
research and influencing policy.] [2]

WEEKLY NEWS DIGEST - ISSUE 773, 21 OCTOBER 2024

WELCOME TO YOUR WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE FROM THE LEADING PROFESSIONAL BODY FOR
LEARNING TECHNOLOGY IN THE UK. We support a collaborative community for
individuals and organisations from all sectors and provide professional
recognition and development. Each week we will update you on the latest
news and publications, events, jobs, and calls for proposals from across
the learning technology community. [...]

By Deb Millar, Executive Director of Digital Transformation, Hull College

“This has been the most powerful, most emotive project that I’ve ever worked on. Learners that I don’t teach approach me in the corridor and ‘High 5’ me. They tell me about their lives, how and where they’ve travelled to reach the UK. They can now tell us their stories.”

Deb Millar, Executive Director of Digital Transformation, Hull College

Put yourself in the position of someone arriving in the UK, perhaps separated from your friends and family. You’re seeking a home and employment with minimal knowledge of English and little awareness of norms in society, the workplace or education. Hull College’s ‘AI Translate’ project, led by Deb Millar, set out to provide that perspective, not just for teachers working directly with those learners, but for all staff across the whole campus.

At Hull College, around 20% of learners don’t have English as a first language. This has led to a growing demand for ESOL education, a trend mirrored across the UK. ESOL classes often comprise over 20 learners with more than a dozen different languages typically spoken in one group making it a challenging learning environment.

AI Translate began as a talk-teach CPD session for ESOL teachers which introduced some AI-powered translation tools including Microsoft’s Immersive Reader, PowerPoint Live, Translator and Reading Coach. The following day 2 ESOL teachers rushed over to Deb as she walked across campus, eager to stop her and tell her important news. They’d used the translation tools immediately in a challenging learning space where there was frequent disruptive behaviour and lack of focus. The result was a ‘silent classroom’, all learners totally engaged, a hugely significant change in behaviour. Learners worked quietly on tasks and contributed far more deeply to the session than they had in the past. 

The translation tools made an immediate, transformative impact, helping learners access and use College resources and facilities. They were able to have debates on topics such as British Values, expressing themselves freely in their own language. 

An ESOL learner uses MS Translator: Image courtesy of Jisc

The removal of the language barrier stopped their academic performance from being affected and also ensured that essential information about wider topics such as safeguarding and wellbeing were clearly understood. Many ESOL educators reported going home and teaching friends and family members how to use the translation tools. Deb comments that you have ‘hit the right mark’ in learning when a colleague leaves a session and then voluntarily teaches someone else. This ripple effect of the learning spreading to the wider community was profound and powerful. 

Students viewing a live translation of a lecture: Image Courtesy of Ufi

One learner who was repeating the year was disengaged and could exhibit challenging behaviours. He had never been able to find the words to express his frustration that he was not literate in his first language. He had never used a computer and had missed a significant amount of school time while travelling for 3 years to find a country in which he felt safe and welcome. His entire attitude to learning changed when he could use the translation tools to express himself, tell the story of his journey and his challenges and be understood.

Deb quickly realised that the impacts of AI Translate ESOL sessions were so important that the CPD programme needed to be expanded to all college staff. An initial pilot included over 50 Customer service colleagues working around a big office round table with 6 or 7 people per session. By using resources such as cafe menus in Italian or Spanish they were put into the situation of being outside the UK and unable to complete common challenges such as reading a menu or understanding directions or medication instructions. They were ‘in the shoes’ of ESOL learners. What if you need medication? What if you don’t know how to ask for assistance to buy food or find the place you’re going to?

Vocational case study: 

Microsoft’s Immersive Reader was used with ESOL Motor Vehicle learners to assist in the preparation for their exams. Use of the Reader helped them in learning, understanding and using specialist industry terms fluently.

Tutors also made a glossary of common industry specialist terms and used Microsoft Translate to provide translations for ESOL learners in their first language before the exam to doubly ensure that they were confident in their meaning and use.

Funding from Ufi VocTech Trust allowed AI Translate to expand significantly with supporting resources being put in place on how to use the tools. All Customer Service colleagues in the organisation were trained in the use of MS Translator then given at least 1 device with the tool plus training on how to use it as many were not confident users of technology.

What made the key impact was taking a whole organisation approach to this important training, supported and championed by College leaders. All staff could now assist learners wherever they found themselves on campus needing help or advice.

Staff and students communicate using MS Translator Image courtesy of Jisc

Staff were encouraged to have the confidence to ask learners to help them use the tools (e.g. finding the correct language to translate into) and work together to achieve a result which proved very powerful in building relationships. Students really appreciated the staff trying to help them wherever they were.

Statistics charting the success of the AI Translate initiative: Image courtesy of Hull College. Overall Project Impacts

Attendance for ESOL classes is up from 65% to over 91%

ESOL achievement is up from 77% to 90%

20% of ESOL learners report receiving a pay rise as a result of success in their courses

55% of ESOL learners have moved into paid work

80% reported improved skills performance and 92% improved social skills

94% saw improvements in their physical or mental health.

Some ESOL learners had moved through over 15 different countries seeking work and a safe place to live but had been unsuccessful due to not speaking the language. Translation tools empowered them to talk about their experiences in ways which they would never have been able to express before. Deb explains that they are using storytelling to purge their tragedy and trauma. They can not only excel academically, they can express themselves and heal themselves, as talking is a cathartic, healing process.

The learners’ narratives have been useful in helping the college community understand what a refugee or an asylum seeker may be going through and has already been through before coming to College. Deb holds that an important part of our role in education is to counter prejudice and enable all learners to succeed and feel welcome in the College, to become whatever they want to be.

‘It [use of the language tool] has not just helped me at College and at home. I feel much less isolated and alone.’
‘Esam’, an ESOL learner at Hull College

Learners’ improved communication skills have had a much wider impact than just enabling fluent conversation. An art exhibition documenting the journeys they have taken called ‘Silent Voices, Vivid Stories’ is now in development. Each piece of art will have a QR code linked to a video in which the learner speaks about their journey, their family, what they miss most from home. This has only been possible due to their increased confidence. 

So what’s next for this important project? Deb’s view is if you can extend the project’s impact why would you not do this? “What leader would not encourage it? You already have the tools, they’re free, or in use already and easy to use”. Something this impactful locally has the possibility to be extended nationally and even internationally in scope via an ESOL hub. Resources are in place to enable teachers and support staff to easily use the translation tools in their own context and these can be made freely available to share across the FE and Skills sector and beyond.

Thanks for reading this AmplifyFE post! AmplifyFE is a strategic partnership between ALT and the Ufi VocTech Trust. AmplifyFE connects over 3000 professionals in Further Education and Vocational Education, providing a strong networking community to share, collaborate and learn. We connect innovators, industry and educators, therefore, AmplifyFE posts may include contributions with a commercial focus. AmplifyFE’s posts are included on the #altc blog to support networking, collaboration and sharing. For more information, please check AmplifyFE’s dedicated submission guidelines.

The #altc blog submission guidelines detail who can post and the type of posts accepted to this blog.

With traditional assessment coming under increasing scrutiny in reliably measuring genuine student understanding and competency, this event shares approaches for utilising learning technologies to: - encourage students to apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts through real-world tasks and problem-solving, - develop essential competencies to prepare them for the complexities of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

https://go.alt.ac.uk/406m4Pn

 

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[Association for Learning Technology: improving practice, promoting
research and influencing policy.] [2]

WEEKLY NEWS DIGEST - ISSUE 772, 14 OCTOBER 2024

WELCOME TO YOUR WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE FROM THE LEADING PROFESSIONAL BODY FOR
LEARNING TECHNOLOGY IN THE UK. We support a collaborative community for
individuals and organisations from all sectors and provide professional
recognition and development. Each week we will update you on the latest
news and publications, events, jobs, and calls for proposals from across
the learning technology community. [...]

Details will shortly be announced for our Annual Winter Summit, which will take place on Tuesday 10 December 2024. Save the date now to make sure you don't miss out on this full day online event.
 

At this year's ALT Annual Conference, we announced the winners of the 2024 ALT Awards.

Every week there is another mind blowing innovation in AI capabilities with applications in education. The trick is not to think about each new shiny thing as a solution, looking for a problem. Join Ioannis Glinavos in this presentation, where we will discuss how to use AI enhanced applications to solve our existing problems, and explore how AI tools can help us make our work easier and expand the quality of educational content we provide to our students. We focus on two concrete examples, streaming avatars and AI assistants.

We are excited to invite you to an exclusive online event, Harnessing AI in Further Education: Case Studies and Future Perspectives, on 28 October from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM GMT.

Written by Matt Cornock, Julie Voce, Puiyin Wong and Jade Kimberley

In this blog, Matt Cornock, Julie Voce, Puiyin Wong and Jade Kimberley share reasons why they became CMALT assessors and their advice for those starting out as new assessors reviewing their first portfolios. This post captures some points from our panel discussion on being a CMALT assessor, at the ALT Annual Conference in Manchester, 3-5 September 2024. CMALT (Certified Membership of the Association for Learning Technology) is the industry recognised accreditation for professionals within learning technology and digital education. CMALT candidates submit a portfolio showcasing their individual professional practice, which is reviewed by two peer Assessors. Assessors are CMALT holders who review against set criteria, providing feedback to support the development of candidates.

“I find it inspiring to read about the commitment and passion candidates have about the work they do.” – Jade

Why did we become assessors?

We all agree that being a CMALT assessor allows us to keep up to date with what is happening in digital education in the broadest sense and to find out about other learning technology professionals’ practice. CMALT portfolios cover a very wide range of roles across many educational and training sectors and this exposure to different contexts and experiences beyond those we work in is incredibly valuable. 

“There are so many sectors out there, higher education, further education, schools, adult learning, private sector. You can assess portfolios from any of them and so it’s very interesting to see the range of roles, take lessons learned and, where things are openly available, share good practice with colleagues.” – Julie 

Assessing portfolios enables reflection on our own practice, prompted by comparison to other institutions and examples of innovation demonstrated by CMALT candidates. Many of us have similar challenges and being able to draw upon the use of learning technology and leadership of digital education demonstrated by others helps to find solutions in our own contexts. Through reviewing CMALT portfolios, there have been many occasions where we have come across something new and have been able to follow that up in our own work or suggested to our colleagues where they may find new resources. Of course, portfolios are treated confidentially by assessors, but many candidates openly share their practice online via blogs, articles, conferences and video.

“For me it’s about giving back to the community.” – Puiyin

As CMALT is assessed by volunteer peer assessors, we appreciate the time that peers spent reviewing our own portfolios and so it’s one way that we can give back to the community and ensure that others have the same opportunity that we had.

Development for candidates and assessors

We each have the values of CMALT at the heart of our professional practice, so being able to contribute to the ALT community and the professional growth of individual members is important to us.

CMALT is for reflection and professional development as much as for accreditation, so it is not uncommon to ask candidates to rework sections. Our approach to giving feedback for development is a key reason for our ongoing engagement as assessors, particularly when we see candidates’ depth of reflection and appreciation of their impact improve when they resubmit. There’s a real sense that as an assessor you are leading on professional standards and developing individuals in their career. 

The process of assessment also allows us to practise our feedback skills. Each of us support colleagues in our own teams and through other leadership responsibilities. If you are looking to complete Fellowship of AdvanceHE or Fellowship of SEDA, being an assessor allows you to evidence engagement with assessment and feedback processes and opportunities to reflect on your practice of developing others. Both Julie and Jade drew on their experience as an assessor for PFHEA and SFSEDA respectively.

How we assess

We’re quite methodical about our assessment approach and follow the guidance for the level of CMALT portfolio submitted. For each section we look for description, evidence and reflection. All three need to be present and meet the criteria for the section to be assessed as adequate or strong. We also take a holistic view of the candidate against the core values of CMALT. For Senior CMALT there is the added criteria of leadership and impact to be evidenced and reflected on throughout. 

“The context statements are really useful. As an assessor you’ll be coming to it from your own background, but you need to understand the context of the candidate as a lens through which you view the portfolio. It’s not about whether the candidate is performing at a level you want them to be performing at, but how they’ve implemented practice and reflected on practice in their own context.” – Matt

If you are a new assessor you will normally be paired with an experienced assessor. In Matt’s experience, he has always preferred having a call with his co-assessors, particularly if there is a difference of opinion. This is really important to ensure that both assessors have agreement over how the criteria have been met, or what areas of improvement are to be prioritised for resubmission. This is a great opportunity for professional dialogue with someone else in the sector. Whether you are paired with a more, or less, experienced assessor, both views count. Often the other assessor you work with can spot something you’ve missed or interprets something in a different way. If you have opposite views, it’s definitely worth revisiting the guidelines and section criteria, then discussing your reasons to find a compromise. What’s most important is that the candidates are given clear feedback that is consistent from both assessors.

Writing feedback 

Jade’s approach to feedback is to write a sentence or two on each area highlighting good practice, as well as areas to improve or to consider. This is a good way of not getting lost in the portfolio. At the end, she then writes a general comment to thank the candidate and highlight positive aspects of the portfolio in general. 

If it’s a portfolio requiring resubmission we try to add an encouraging comment so the candidate knows there is light at the end of the tunnel. Portfolios do take an immense amount of effort for candidates to create and as assessors we are very respectful of the commitment shown. Sometimes it can be disconcerting not to pass the first time, so it’s important that the candidate feels supported to re-work and resubmit.

“I tend to write feedback section by section with clear guidance to follow. Feedback that I would want to receive… Critical, fair: This section is missing a bit of reflection, I’d like you to add X, Y and Z, in order to pass this section.” – Puiyin

We also sometimes review portfolios that may need to be resubmitted into a different level, for example a candidate for Senior CMALT who isn’t able to evidence leadership, but otherwise has a strong submission. In that case we liaise with ALT to see if the candidate wants to submit to the standard CMALT. Similarly, we’ve seen excellent portfolios at Associate level recently that we can see candidates rapidly progressing to standard CMALT. Our approach is always to support candidates and encourage recognition for their professional practice.

How to get involved 

As soon as you have successfully completed your CMALT, you’ll be invited to become an assessor. If you have been a CMALT holder for a while or missed the original invitation you can register your interest to be an assessor via the ALT website. 

We highly recommend attending a CMALT Assessors webinar as it gives an opportunity to talk through the process and how to benchmark your assessment. 

Every quarter you will get an email from ALT asking your availability to assess portfolios over the next few months. You can opt in to as many or as few portfolios you have time for. Usually you will also be allocated any resubmitted portfolios that you have reviewed previously, so that the same assessors can review amendments. 

We hope we’ve inspired you to become a CMALT assessor and look forward to welcoming you to the community of assessors soon.

About the authors

Matt Cornock, SCMALT, is Head of Online Learning at the University of Leeds and a Trustee of ALT, and has been an assessor since 2012. 

Dr Julie Voce, SCMALT PFHEA, is Head of Digital Education at City St. George’s, University of London, and has been an assessor since 2016. 

Puiyin Wong, SCMALT SFHEA, is Head of Digital Education (EPS) at the University of Birmingham and a Trustee of ALT, and has been an assessor since 2022. 

Jade Kimberley, SCMALT SFHEA SFSEDA FAHEP, is Learning and Teaching Director, University of Nottingham International College, Kaplan International Pathways, and has been an assessor since 2022.

Did you enjoy reading this? To become a member of our community, see Membership details here https://www.alt.ac.uk/membership