Current Projects

SWEET

e-Car project

SWEET Project overview

SWEET Project overview

Workbased learning has inherent difficulties associated with 1) limited access to direct tutor support; 2) efficiency of delivery for small numbers of learners; and 3) the quality of the learning experience for isolated students.

The SWEET Project will develop and evaluate a course delivery methodology which addresses these issues using synchronous web conferencing with workbased learners within the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector. BigBlueButton is an open source application which incorporates a variety of media to give employees an interactive, remote learning experience: desktop sharing, VOIP, presentation, webcam, shared whiteboard and text chat. The project will integrate BigBlueButton with Moodle to create and evaluate a workbased learning environment which brings the qualities of simultaneous classroom delivery to cohorts of isolated learners.

Background information

College perspective

The Further and Higher Education Sector is faced with the dilemma of delivering its programmes in the face of substantial financial cuts, while at the same time maintaining and continuing to develop the quality of its education and training programmes. In this context, the procurement costs of commercial VLE and other interactive applications may prevent smaller institutions from acquiring the hardware and commercial software required to establish and maintain an online learning capability. Open source online learning applications offer an attractive alternative as there are no procurement or licencing costs associated with the products – which explains why Moodle has firmly established itself in the FE/HE sector with an expanding institutional user base.

Jewel and Esk College was an early adopter of Moodle and is now one of many colleges within the UK Moodle community. The SWEET Project aims to further develop Moodle’s standard VLE functions by integrating BigBlueButton, an open source application which supports synchronous audio-visual interaction and shared online desktop between tutors, mentors and learners within a controlled learning and communication environment.

Employer perspective

The continuous development of vocational knowledge and skills in the UK workforce is crucial for business and industry to remain competitive in an increasingly global marketplace. Employers, however, may be unable or reluctant to release employees to attend traditional classroom-based courses. Open and flexible learning, enhanced by VLE delivery and tutor support, provides employees with access to training opportunities in the workplace or at home; but the dropout rates for this form of learning are considerably higher due to problems associated with social isolation and lack of immediate direct interaction with tutors and fellow students in the course of learning. The integration of a synchronous collaborative learning into an already well-established and affordable VLE will introduce proven benefits of face to face education and training (ie the motivation to continue and succeed associated with real-time tutor-student and student-student interaction) to workplace-based, community-based and remote learners. Reducing the amount of travel for training also contributes to the sustainability agenda.