3A: How to achieve success in meeting the needs and interests of learners

 

Successful e-learning that forms part of literacy, numeracy and ESOL programmes makes sure that learning opportunities are relevant to learners, and that they are provided at a time and in a context acceptable to learners.

Many Skills for Life learners will be not be familiar with using ICT and may not immediately see its relevance. However, it can be used as a motivator to encourage literacy, numeracy and language learning when learners see how the skills they are acquiring can be used in other contexts, such as personal management, music, design etc.

It is important that e-learning, whether it takes place in a learning or resource centre or in the classroom, is seen to be relevant to the learners’ needs and interests. This can be at a personal level or in a work or community context. Providers need to ask themselves the following questions:

• do learners have access to a wide range of e-learning opportunities in a wide range of venues?
• are these opportunities are easily accessible and inclusive?
• is e-learning included in course plans and design?
• are forms of e-learning identified in the learner’s ILP?
• are e-learning courses and resources matched to the literacy, numeracy and ESOL curricula?
• do learners understand the relevance and importance of acquiring ICT skills?

Multimedia resources are designed to appeal to a wide range of interests.

learndirect has produced a range of multimedia courses for learners which are designed to appeal to a range of needs and interests. For example, there are work-related packages such as Getting a Job, Skills City: Retail and Essential Skills for Work.

There are also lifestyle packages such as Fishing Challenge and life skills courses such as Helping your Child. There are also games designed to motivate people who are reluctant to learn.

 

So that teachers can have access to information in order to make a judgement about the appropriateness of each course for the needs and interests of individual learners, the Ufi has created a mapping database which not only contains information about the Skills for Life portfolio but also shows how the courses are matched to the core curricula for adult literacy and numeracy.