Interview with Kevin Dunbar Carpentry Lecturer

Kevin teaches level 4 Certificate in Carpentry, student are aged between 18 and 24 years and predominantly male. The course is project based learning with three intakes of twenty five students, two tutors to each group with each group building a house.

Five dimensions of flexible learning

Time:

The course is conducted over forty weeks with eight of the weeks allocated to work experience; mornings are used to conduct course theory with the afternoons dedicated to practical work. Fridays afternoons are provided for assessment resits.

Delivery and Logistics:

Theory classes utilise Utube to demonstrate product manufacture, power points to illustrate available materials and usage and instructions and demonstrations on building techniques. Guest lecturers are invited for specific instructions e.g. roofing, plumbing etc. Theory delivery is in-line with practical workshop were possible.

Class rooms with Emedia. Construction areas are required to build the houses with stringent Health and Safety guide lines (Site Safe), building barn for small projects and pre-assembly work, joinery shop and machine shop. Students are required to source work experience.

Entry:

Open entry with a minimum of four years (Year 12) secondary education with 8 NCEA level 2 credits in English and 8 NCEA level 1 credits in mathematics, unit standards in elementary construction skills or equivalent knowledge or experience is preferred. Interviews are also carried out.

Content and instructional approaches:

Content; the programme is project based learning in-line with unit standards supplied by Building and Construction industry Training Organisation (BCITO). 50% of the course is written assessment of 40 unit Standards and 50% practical assessment by observation.

Instructions; classroom Elearning tutorials, demonstrations of best practice are conducted, instructions to critique process, students work in pairs of equal ability and peer tutor each other, guest lecturers provided specialised product lecturers.

Resources:

Classrooms with Emedia, Unit Standards study material, large construction site, building barn, joinery shop, machine shop, material storage, local suppliers, and student tool kits. Students supply their own personal protection equipment (PPE).

Conclusion:

Kevin felt Unit Standards t didn’t offer a lot in flexible delivery however discussions on alternative ways to deliver the theory may change this.

Fred

Interview with Hannah Joynt on designs flexible delivery

Who are your student’s.

Hannah’s teaches creative studies (level 6). Creative studies have an intake of 60 students which is split into 3 groups, gender is generally mixed. Students range from school leavers to mature students who may or may not have achieved year 13 at school. Students generally have a creative background from school who have found themselves out of place when away from the creative hub, their course helps them find like minded people to associate with however they seem to be unaware of the scope of the course.

Entry Level.

Students undergo an interview process and are require to produce a portfolio of their work.

Five dimensions of flexible learning.

Time:    

Students have 48 hours contact time and 102 self directed hours, facilities are available in the weekend and extra tuition in special circumstances is available by appointment. There are 8 certificate papers in total; they can be split into part time study. Attendance is required    for students to keep up.

Delivery and Logistics:

Students have a classroom, computer suite and studio work area, content is delivered by lecturers, handouts, power points, videos, computer, Utube, and demonstrations. Students go on field trips to galleries and around the town where they observe course criteria, they work in pairs or groups of varying numbers. Student’s inspiration is sourced by observations on walk about and guest lecturers. Tools include Computers, whiteboards, portfolios and items already mentioned, students present their work through display’s and exhibitions.

Content and Instructional approaches:

Content; students have mix of learner choice based on guide lines but with some fixed content, there is also instructional content. Subject matter is very flexible. Students have a fixed assessment based on 60% participation and 40% journal entries. Journals reflect writings, drawings, research, documentation and brain storming. There is flexibility in assessment delivery through readings or video.

Instructional; generally one on one interaction, students engage in peer tutoring, learner centred learning approach is encouraged due to a studio cultured environment. Students have directives to follow but also use reflective listening and discussion /questioning groups.

Resources:

These range from whiteboards, computers, video, digital electronics and the use of Moodle. Light workshops and artistic environments. There is a human resource and Hannah provides an extensive personal book collection.

I found the interview quite informative and look forward to adopting some of Hannah’s resources into my own teachings. It was also apparent that in looking at the five dimensions that they would overlap requiring focus on the question at hand.

Fred Cross

Great to be aboard

Hi all,
Starting a little late but great to be aboard, I teach basic Mechanical and Engineering Trade skills (BMETS) level 2 at Otago poly 'A' block with a little bit of Electrical cert, Diploma in mechanical Engineering, apprentice blockcourses and intorducing adult literacy and numeracy into programs. I look forward to catching up with the ones who are involved with the workshop as this is my preference for learning, its not that I have anything agains blogging or eluminate but I like a face to a name and the social discussion/interaction that worksops provide. I will try to make an elluminate sesion to catch up with those not at the work shop.
Bye for now
Fred

Teaching Unit Standards

To me flexible learning is not always about the media we use to deliver content, my first attempt to find a new way for my students to learn was to change the enviroment that they lean in, Im sure you, as I did sat in rank and file faced the blackboard at the front and listened to the teacher, how many of us still do this. Unit standards is about delivering a lot of text material the best and most interesting way we can inline with the course criteria. So the norm, (or old way) sit down, face the font, open your books, read. Yea. Okay the easy changes, move the furniture, create groups or cells, allow them to interact, Prior knowledge, promote  one on one or group discussion with each other. Give the student the whiteboard let them write down what they know, each could write what they know or could expand on a fellow students prior knowledge there by building a bigger picture.
And what am I doing? I'm facilitating isn't that what we are supposed to do. Teaching, No thats not flexible 
Resources;
Spare wall space, contact campus services for unused whiteboards, fill that space and provide more oppertunities.
Have you seen the Robertson Libruary yet, book one of their study rooms, change the enviroment.
Enjoy Fred