Our Work

Centre for Excellence in Work Based Learning for Education Professionals

Description

The WLE Centre for Excellence aimed to transform the current models of work-based learning to respond to the diversity of professional learning needs emerging in many areas.

Contact: Carla Cretan Excellence Centre Manager

Email: c.cretan@ioe.ac.uk

Telephone: 020 7612 6381

The Centre for Excellence in Work-Based Learning for Education Professionals (WLE Centre) at the Institute of Education (a specialist single-faculty institution within the federal University of London) aimed to build on innovative practice in teaching, learning and assessment through e-learning and digital video. The Centre incorporated the concepts of work experience and experiential learning and developed new approaches in work-based learning: as work-related (taking place away from work) and work-located (taking place at work).

Acitivity:

E-Learning

• Virtual Learning environments.
• Digital Video Production & Use.
• Impact of Technology-Enhanced Learning.

Experiential Learning

• Articulation of work based learning with institutional structures and systems.

Work Based Learning

• Teachers perceptions of work based learning.
• Perceptions of technology-enhanced learning.
• Knowledge, Networks and Work Based Learning.
• Experiences of education professionals.
• Assessment of work related courses.
• Multi-media in work based learning.
• Evaluation in work-related learning.

Case study Research

• Case study materials for MBA in HE Management.

Teaching Excellence

• MTeach project – the Leading Learning Module.
  Teaching Excellence Award 2005.

Centre for Distance Education Awards

• Teachers as Media Producers in Virtual Classrooms.
• E-Learning and Teaching: Activity Templates – Phase 1.
• E-Learning Pedagogies.

What is being offered to the wider teaching/subject community:

The findings and outcomes from Centre’s research and development work were disseminated to higher education institutions, employers and other public sector organisations, both within the UK and internationally.
The WLE Centre worked towards ensuring that Institute policies and practices align explicitly with work-based learning, for example through the development of innovative accreditation and assessment frameworks, technology-supported pedagogies or the development of a policy and guidelines on AP(E)L.
Apart from regular teaching and research activities, the Centre offered a range of services relating to students, staff and outside bookings. The range of services were considerable and included the provision of training in the use of specific software for such purposes as digital editing or recording.
The Centre provided, by appointment, instruction for and guidance to eligible users in relation to the usage of editing software, digital cameras and digital sound recording and editing. There was also the opportunity for students to book themselves into designated slots for computer usage in the allocated areas of the Centre.
A longer term aim was to make the studio and recording facilities available for outside bookings for professional purposes.
The Centre also planned and produced, in collaboration with Institute academic staff, educational and other materials which demonstrate an evolving awareness of appropriate pedagogies for the digital age, and met the general and specific aims and objectives of the Centre.
Events:

There was a rolling programme of events concerned with utilising digital and other media in specific curriculum or pedagogic contexts for specialised work such as editing or image manipulation.
The Centre also offered, by arrangement, day courses for groups of interested staff in order to encourage skills in production in relation to the shared development of appropriate pedagogies.

Organisations / Institutions

Institute of Education

Related documents/URLs

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