Further education for engineering diploma

The new 14-19 diplomas are leading the agenda for FE-related software and systems at Bett. Subjects from business administration and finance to construction, engineering and health and beauty get extensive resources in the form of interactive courseware and project software.

LJ Create is showing a virtual teaching resource designed to deliver the engineering diploma. The learning materials encourage teamworking and self-paced learning. Awarding body Education Development International (EDI) is launching the Project and the Extended Project - two qualifications aimed at 14-19-year-olds and designed to boost personal, learning and thinking skills by giving learners a framework within which to carry out independent, self-directed research. These study programmes are a compulsory part of the new diploma and run from levels 1 to 3.

The educational superhighway provider, Janet, has come up with Collaborate, a weblink that puts colleges, libraries and museums wanting to videoconference in touch with each other. Collaborate went live in April 2008 and is a resource bound to appeal to vocationally based diploma students.

Meanwhile, two college projects have been grabbing attention. Motor vehicle and construction apprentices at Chichester college in West Sussex have been using POV1 head-mounted digital cameras made by Action Cameras to gather evidence for their portfolios and to replay workshop techniques. And at East Berkshire college, students in engineering, construction, motor vehicle care and hairdressing have raised success rates after being issued with Sony Ericsson K770i phones and AsusMinibook laptops to record evidence of their work. Students used PhotoDJ picture editing software that came with the Sony Ericsson phones and presentation-making software that came as part of the laptops' Linux operating system. These are two of more than 30 Learning and Skills Council-sponsored projects being run in colleges across England by the Mobile Learning Network (MoLeNET) - visit its Bett seminar on January 17 (12-12.45pm).


http://ljcreate.com/engineeringdiploma