Greg Walker outlines key drivers for the iTunes U project in Welsh colleges including learners' expectations, accessibility of resources, and government priorities. The Welsh government's Digital Learning Program includes the National Digital Learning Council and Hwb learning platform. The project aims to provide initial teacher training (ITT) and continuing professional development (CPD) materials on iTunes U to increase collaboration, cataloging of resources, and confidence in digital content across colleges. Challenges include ensuring quantity and quality of content, copyright compliance, and cloud storage. The project will proceed through inception, development, assessment, and closure stages to establish a sustainable model for digital learning in FE colleges in Wales.

1. Dr Greg Walker
greg.walker@collegeswales.ac.uk
Skype: walkergreg
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/drgwalker
@CollegesWales_G
JISCEL12 CollegesWales - iTunes U project November 2012

2. Context - key drivers
Learners’ expectations and demand
Increased accessibility of resources
Desire from FE Principals to be ahead of curve
Inspectorate priority (ESTYN)
Policy / political drivers from government

3. Minister leading way

4. Our Digital Minister

5. ‘Learning in Digital Wales’

6. National Digital Learning Prog
•
National Digital Learning Council
•
Digital Leader Team (seconded)
•
National Digital Content Repository
•
All Wales Learning Platform (Hwb) – up to 19yrs
•
Hwb - iTunes U gateway via Learning Possibilities cloud facilities

7. 'Hwb' & 'Hwb+' (live Dec '12)

8. Why iTunes U?
Public site since March 2012 – works with Chromebooks and smartphones now
iTunes U high public profile – HE usage, helps progression, ITT/CPD joint HE/FE cooperation
Our Learning Technologists requested it!

9. Challenges - the ‘8 c’s’
Collaboration: sharing of resources between colleges – value added
Cataloguing: processes important and complex
Confidence: getting lecturers to value their own work
Consonance: with Moodle and other platforms

10. The ‘8 C’s’
Content: quantity, quality control, Welsh medium resources
Copyright: citing material, logos etc.
Cloud: (i.e. storage)
Compliance: (e-safety)

11. Core project board
Project Owner & Project Manager
RSC Wales
College ITT provider(s)
Learntech Group
Welsh Government (DfES)
University of Glamorgan

12. Project phases
1. Project inception stage
2. Collation and Development of ITT & CPD
Materials
3. Initial Assessment Stage
4. Learner Outcome Assessment
5. Project Closure – RSC Wales
dissemination

13. Legacy & sustainability
Wider use of iTunes U beyond ITT/CPD...?
Embedding collaborative content as a norm
Spin off sub projects: Welsh language?
FE colleges on or ahead of the digital learning curve

14. ...because if not

15. Dr Greg Walker
greg.walker@collegeswales.ac.uk
Skype: walkergreg
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/drgwalker
@CollegesWales_G
JISCEL12 Diolch yn fawr – Thank you