RESEARCH


An article in Edtech Review (see link below) at the start of the year looked at how 14- to 30-year-olds were using social media platforms and whether they are appropriate in education. This is an interesting question,


particularly as the world is increasingly reliant on technology, with businesses in every industry requiring a digitally- literate workforce. Digital skills are fundamental to employment, so practitioners in further education and training have a huge role to play. The nature of education is also


impacting on student expectation, with learners of a high digital aptitude expecting effective use of technology in the classroom or on their apprenticeship programme. To meet student expectations we need to ensure that staff can not only use technology effectively in the classroom, but that they are also confident and motivated to do this. And this is where the problem


lies. Research by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) in 2015-16 identified that more than 70 per cent of practitioners in the FE and training sector felt that their digital skills were under-developed and that they weren’t confident in using technology. In particular, many felt nervous about their students knowing more than them. This comes as no surprise when


REFERENCES


To activate the following goo.gl link, log in to SET and access your interactive digital edition of inTuition. • For more information about the courses and support for your digital skills visit goo.gl/dA7Dcd


To activate all one-click web links throughout the magazine please log in to SET and access your interactive digital edition of inTuition.


INTUITION IS ISSUE 31 • SPRING 2017 INTUITION SUE 30 • WINTER 2018 15


Bev Jones is director of operations and digital development at the Career Colleges Trust. The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has funded it to develop four digital CPD courses.


Equipping people with digital slls to teac t conence


To be well geared up for employment, young people need to be tech savvy. But


how can teachers ensure they have the right tools and expertise to prepare them? By Bev Jones


you consider that a 2016 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that 75 per cent of adults in the UK have digital skills at Level 1 and below. The key to ensuring that social media


and learning technologies are used effectively in education lies in providing effective professional development for staff. But, the ETF’s workforce survey, published last summer, reported that 60 per cent of staff in the sector had not undertaken any recent continuing professional development (CPD). So how do we go about supporting the development of the digital skills of the FE and training workforce?


HIGHLY PRACTICAL There are three critical factors here. First, time is an issue for everyone in the sector and it is important to provide short taster programmes to enable staff to engage with the training at a time that suits them. Second, they should model practice, ensuring that the teacher experiences how the student will feel when exposed to technology. And third, CPD should be highly practical, teaching participants how to use technology and then providing them with an opportunity to create and share resources with their colleagues. I have been involved in the development and delivery of the ETF’s


Applying Your Digital Skills programme. The team working with me on this ensured this programme meets the three critical factors described earlier. Each of the seven courses consists


of five guided learning hours, delivered completely online, with opportunities for online collaboration with peers. Online support is also offered through webinars and virtual meetings, while a range of practical tasks ensures that the learning is applied and used in their teaching, learning and assessment. Talking to practitioners in the


sector, I know that many worry about technology taking their jobs. I strongly believe that technology will never replace the teacher. However, the teacher who embraces and develops their skills in using technology will be better placed to deliver inspirational teaching and learning. They will also have better access to career development opportunities. Improving your digital skills will also


give you the power to reinvigorate your teaching. I know this from talking to people who have already taken the Applying your Digital Skills programme. To give one example, a tutor at


Northumberland College who took the social media course said: “It has refreshed and completely reinvigorated my teaching.” Great to hear, and I know others will benefit in the same way.


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