Chris Perry, Head of ICT, Newhall Green High School
Ray Isaacs, IT Diploma Consortium Lead, South Holland
Mary Reeves, Cook in Charge, South Holland Post-16 Centre
Nigel Akers, IT Diploma Co-ordinator, Nottingham City
Chris Perry, Head of ICT, Newhall Green High School: I think in any new course actually checking that it’s working and that the students are doing the right sort of things is very important. So, I was very keen that we had some way of reviewing what the students were doing every week, and also what they thought about the course.
So we’ve starting doing what we call a reflective journal every week, where the students enter in what they’ve have done that day, how they’ve felt about it, what they’ve enjoyed doing, what they‘ve been successful at. And also things that they either didn’t like, or thought they didn’t do very well, and things that they need to improve on.
Learner 1: It’s private, so anything we say the teachers can only read to hear so it’s like they know how we feel about what we’ve done and they know whether stuff went well and what to do next time.
Learner 2: It helps us reflect on what we did in that thing. It helps us remember what we did so if we come to an exam or something we can just quickly look at it.
Learner 1: It’s good when you look back and then I can see like the first week, second week, stuff like that, and know what I’ve done. It’s good to catch up.
Chris Perry: As we get into doing some of the other units which are more project-based, I’m hoping that as well as the students reviewing what they’ve done, and me making a comment on what they’ve done that the employers will give them good feedback about the things they’ve produced for the employer to see.
I think the students are going to be probably a lot more interested in what the employers are going to say than what I’m going to say.
Learner 3: Well, the employer would probably have a much wider range of ideas about what the actual product could improve on.
Learner 1: I’m doing the work for somebody, and then I’m getting the feedback from that person. So I know whether it’s good or not and what I need to work on, so, I’m getting good honest answers.
Learner 4: I’m getting an insight as to what employers really want, instead of just sat there thinking, ‘Oh God, what do they think of it?’ It’s better to have their opinion.
Learner 5: Because we’re obviously doing that project for them, so that’s what they want, not what our teacher wants.
Learner 6: Because then you’ve not got just one person’s opinion on your work, you’ve got quite a few, which is quite good.
Ray Isaacs, IT Diploma Consortium Lead, South Holland: Mary, who came to us to look after the cafeteria, had no IT skills whatsoever. She wanted a stock control programme and she wanted a way of keeping finances. Two of the learners volunteered to help, so Mary set out the terms of reference, exactly what she wanted, and the learners went away and they've devised something of their own. They will keep reporting to her on progress that’s been made with the programme she wants. They will give her some training on using it as it’s being developed. So, Mary’s role will be actually ensuring that what is produced is useful and fit for purpose.
Mary Reeves, Cook in Charge, South Holland Post-16 Centre: At the moment we’ve just been going through a stock sheet and they’ve done a great job. I’ve just had a look at it. They’re very keen and really helpful and nothing’s too big a problem. I think if they need any extra help they’ve got their teachers to go and ask, which is great.
Ray Isaacs: Employers are looking at that... they’ve got to make money, they’ve got to run their business, so they will be looking at a review from whether the student is helping their business and not necessarily experts in the learning process. So that is where school staff mentoring, going out to employers and going through and helping them, giving them advice, would be very beneficial.
Anisa Ali, Entrepreneur / Sole Trader: You guys think that a 10% student discount is a good thing?
Nigel Akers, IT Diploma Co-ordinator, Nottingham City: That whole side of employers feeding back on progress is important to the youngsters. From the youngsters' perspective, getting that accolade or that thanks from the employer for a job well done probably means far more to them. In the background, yes, I’ve got to tick off the units and all the learning outcomes and all that stuff, but I’ve found from the pilot that I did last year, from the work I’ve done so far this year, that that response from the employer, the support, the encouragement that they give to the youngsters is invaluable.
Ray Isaacs: The value to learners of employers feeding back gives the learners a great sense of value of what they are doing is being valued, it’s worthwhile, it’s not just a simple exercise set in school to pass an exam, it something that will be used. It’s something that they can see being a benefit to the employer, and thus it increases their self-esteem. That much has been obvious, so far, in what has been happening.
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