Unit 6 Curriculum Development For Inclusive Practice
Unit 6 Curriculum Development for Inclusive Practise
‘Curriculum refers to the means and materials with which students will interact for the purpose of achieving identified educational outcomes.’
(www.education.com)
A curriculum can vary depending on the type of course you are teaching and the resources that you have to teach with; with what I believe all leads to a similar ending; a qualification for your learners. Through this I am going to analyse my own teaching context with another type.
Context 1
I am currently teaching at East Berkshire College; a further education college. It is a large establishment with two main campuses; one in Windsor and one in Langley offering over 800 part time and full time students with a wide range of …show more content…
vocational and academic subjects on offer. The mission statement for the college is ‘to provide opportunities for all our learners to thrive and achieve in life and work.’ (East Berkshire College 2014)
I myself teach a vocational subject travel and tourism.
I teach at all levels that we offer on the City and Guilds qualification; diplomas in Level 1, 2 and 3. The courses vary in length depending on the level of the course; level 1 and 2 being 1 year and the extended level 3 diploma being 2 years long. Depending on the level of course the number of units and credits that the learner must achieve will vary. I am going to focus on the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Travel and Tourism.
The extended diploma is a 105 credit award and has 949 guided learning hours. The qualification has 2 mandatory units plus a number of optional units to provide a combined total of 105 credits. This allows for us as staff to choose units that are best suited to their experience and knowledge as well as the unit’s best suited to prepare students for employment and the facilities that we have to teach in.
The units can be covered at any time during the 2 year course. We tend to begin with the more basic units in year 1 and build on this in year 2; whereby the units require more depth and knowledge. This is known as the spiral curriculum. In the first year of study learners will begin with more basic customer service units and Worldwide travel related units; this will then lead into year 2 where students focus more the marketing and creation of a travel and tourism organisation and the more technical features such as running an event and air cabin …show more content…
crew.
Bruner supported the spiral curriculum and states that:
‘Any topic can be taught to any learner provided that it is presented as a conceptual level appropriate to the learner’s present stage of intellectual development.’ (Bruner, 1971 cited in Neary (2002)
Assignments are designed and written by the staff delivering them. This enables them to be adapted to the staff member and the learner. This also means that we can sometimes integrate a number of units into one. It often helps when creating real life situations that can occur in the travel and tourism industry.
The units and assignments do not have to be taught in a particular order; this can be dependent on a number of things. It will be very much based on the ability of the learners and what skills/knowledge that they bring to the course. But also will be dependent on the type of assessment that is taking place. Some of our assessments will take place in actual industry environments; such as British Airways customer service centre and Virgin Atlantics training centre. Units would need to be taught around this; and other units may be needed before the learners can take part or complete the activities. For example in the level 3 aviation unit involves both theory and practical assessment; however I feel that it is important for the learners to understand and have knowledge of the theory before we assess the practical side. It is therefore important that I have completed the check in procedures and communication procedures before their assessments can take place at British Airways. In some aspects this represents the linear curriculum; which means the subjects and units are presented in a sequence according to psychological and logical requirements.
The freedom of teaching units in any order also means that the staff and students timetables can be organised in a way that makes them as practical as possible.
Aside from studying the main travel and tourism programme all our learners attend either functional skills lessons or GCSE Maths and English and also additional subjects such as Aviation on the ground. It is important that the learners feel that they are getting the most out of their college day.
I feel that the course presents a variety of curriculum models and theories in order to run as it does. There is a mixture of theory and practical assignments throughout; therefore some units are much more tutor led where as others are more learner centred. For the extended diploma I would say that there is an aspect of behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic teaching styles; depending on the unit being
taught.
I can see an aspect of all 2 curriculum models in the extended diploma; with maybe a slight representation on the praxis model. There is a strong inclusion of the product model. For example the unit Worldwide Travel destinations is an exam based unit that is very structured and has clear objectives; the learners are expected to complete an exam at the end of the unit. The subject is very tutor led; with clear objectives and a specified selection of content. An example in this lesson would be the completion of the workbook on specific parts of the world to aid them on the end assessment which is an online exam. However; there are also many aspects of the course that are much more student focused and take a humanistic approach. Whereby learners are expected to take part in practical role play activities which have been created and written by themselves. On the extended diploma they are expected to create and run a conference or an event. This in the past has been a mock recruitment day for a lower level group. I as the lecturer have had a little input in this with answering questions and given advice through my own experience in the aviation industry; I have facilitated the lessons and allowed it to be very student focussed and led. There is a slight aspect of praxis model in 2 of the units that are taught; first of all in developing people the learners are expected to evaluate their own team building after doing thorough research on key thinkers in tem work and then in the second year the learners are expected to reflect on their actions and participation in planning and running of the event. They may also choose to keep a diary of events in the lead up and also minutes of any meetings.
This is mainly coursework based course; with only 2 of the units having a summative exam at the end of the year. The only other form of test that takes place would be the initial assessments that learners complete when they attend an interview for the course. All final grades are based on a points system whereby the student can achieve Pass, Merit or Distinction. The grades given will be dependent on various criteria’s outlined by the awarding body; City and Guilds.
An important factor for the curriculum is that it must be inclusive. This means that venues, timetabling course content and entry criteria are suitable for all learners and also do not create any barriers when accessing the curriculum. To establish whether we have an inclusive curriculum here at East Berkshire College I have looked at the legislation in place surrounding Equality and Diversity.
‘We promise that equality and diversity- all different, all equal- will be at the heart of the College.
There is no aspect of our business that is more important than our mission statement:
“To provide high quality education so that our learners, whatever their ability, reach their potential.”
We will ensure that we will break down barriers and combat unfairness wherever we find it. We will continue to tackle discrimination directly and to sustain a culture that does not tolerate it in any form so that all our learners and staff can participate, aspire and achieve.
We will promote equality and diversity and create an environment where everyone feels valued.’
(East Berkshire College Single Equality scheme)
Through their single equality the scheme the college try to ensure that all barriers are broken and every single student is given the opportunity to fulfil their potential; study and pass their course. This whole scheme is centred around 10 strands; race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, values, beliefs and faith, socio economic background, transgender/gender re-assignment, marriage/civil partnerships and pregnancy and maternity. It is set out to ensure that regardless of the individual they are equal to everyone else in the college and given the same opportunities.
We try to take this into account in all aspects of the learner’s journey. The first thing we have taken into consideration when planning lessons is the timings. A lot of our learners use public transport to attend college and some of them have children that need to be dropped to school. We therefore try to ensure that lessons do not begin until after 9.30; which allows them time to get here on time. We do have one learner that is in a wheelchair; it is therefore also important to consider location of the classroom and also it layout to make it accessible for her. It is therefore more accessible for her to have classrooms based on the ground floor; as she would not be able to attend classes should the lift be out of order. With regards to entry requirements we offer 3 levels of courses. This means that it gives someone with lower entry grades the opportunity to work their way through the levels and up to level 3; we are also able to give the learners guidance on how they can reach and complete the highest level. This year we have introduce what is called a individual learner programme; which is mean to allow is to personalise learner for the individual. An example of this would be with one our level 3 learners who was not able to complete the course last year due to medical circumstances. Because of this we have this year tailored a programme specifically for him; enabling him to complete any missed units from last year and complete the course. It also allows him as an individual to complete distance learning if necessary. The college also has on-site support in the terms of the learning and development department. Although at level 3 learners are not entitled to a learning support in the lessons they are entitled to a 1-1 session with one of the team outside of their lessons to help them with assignments and homework. We as tutors also ensure inclusion with learners by not printing black text on white paper. For learners that suffer with dyslexia it can make it very hard to read; so I would always ensure hand outs are on blue or yellow.
Context 2
In comparison with my own teaching on the City and Guilds qualification I am going to look at the curriculum for a level 3 Diploma in Creative and Digital media apprenticeship. There are many similarities in both courses but also many differences.
This course is taught over 15 months; with the bulk of the training done through observations and coursework. The main difference is the fact that this qualification is mainly observed whilst the learner is out on a placement. Whilst on the course the learners will complete 3 placements in television or radio; they will also be required to complete theory aspects; whereby they will attend lectures at either BBC facilities or Westminster Kingsway College. Placements can be completed all over the UK; therefore the lecturers can be required to travel a lot to make sure assessments are completed. Although they do have different modules to complete there is no end of year/course exams.
I feel that all 3 learning theories feature in this apprenticeship. I do feel that it is mainly process based; the fact that student must have an active role throughout their placements; using ideas and concepts to progress and in many ways taking a cognitive approach with using information that they already have to build and learn new facts. However there is also some strong aspects of the product model; in the fact that whilst learners are studying the theory side of the course there are very clear and strong objectives and a structured curriculum to complete; whilst the majority of their programme is spent out on a placement there is a small aspect spent in the college environment. The college/theory aspect of the course is a mixture of product and praxis model. The theory is extremely tutor led with the learners given clear objectives to meet the end of the course and very structured in the way the content is taught and assessed upon competence. However with the assessment it is the learner’s choice as to whether they research TV, Radio, Web media or printed media as long as it meets the criteria given by Edexcel. I also believe the praxis model comes in once learners are completing their placements; learners are required to reflect and evaluate what has been completed.
The course is delivered over a number of environments; it begins with a four week stretch at either the BBC academy at Elstree studios or Westminster Kingway College followed by a placement of 3 months which could take place anywhere in the country. Once this is complete learners are required to return to the academy or college for a further 2-3 weeks before beginning 2 more placements. The course is partly funded by the government; but the BBC fund all the placements; at present there are 32 learners. The BBC also offer a scholarship programme as there are often many mature students; who struggle to be able to afford the payments.
I feel that the scholarship programme enables the course to be much more inclusive; giving some students an opportunity to be able to complete the programme. However; there are also many aspects that make it less inclusive. The learning must take place at Westminster Kingsway or Elstree studios; the BBC does not offer the course anywhere else in the country. This has meant that some of the learners have had to travel to London and find and pay for their own accommodation whilst here. It is clear that the lecturers have attempted to make the course inclusive with their timetabling; having 10.30 am starts to allow extra travelling time for the learners. You are also not able to complete the apprenticeship if you have already completed a degree. On speaking with lecturers delivering the theory that could not identify aspects of being inclusive in the delivering lessons. Until I had mentioned ways that we try to be inclusive with ensuring hand outs are on coloured paper it was not something considered.
There are many similarities between this apprenticeship and the travel and tourism course that I teach. Both I feel are preparing learners for employment; with similar ideologies. This apprenticeship is strongly instrumentalist; it is preparing the learners for a career in creative media; whilst also featuring progressivism with the fact that there is a lot of problem solving and making decisions for themselves whilst on placement.
Task 2
The Extended Diploma in Travel and Tourism has a very broad syllabus which covers a large range of subjects within the industry. Over the 2 years learners will learn customer service, leadership skills, tourist destinations, aviation on the ground and in the air, reservations and ticketing, as well as marketing in the industry, rural and adventure tourism and are also required to run an event themselves. I feel that it is good that we cover such a vast range of subjects as many learners come to the course either not knowing what they would like to do or thinking that want to be cabin crew as they feel that it is an easy job. Through giving them an overview of many different aspects they are able to gain a better understanding and provide them with better opportunities to fulfil their potential. All the units that are taught are taught by a lecturer with experience in that industry. We also feel that it is important to invite employees from the industry into the college to hold discussions and sometimes assessments with the learners; which I feel encourages learners to prepare for their assessments a lot more and can also receive constructive feedback from industry professionals.
I do feel that the negative to the course is the time frame that we are given to deliver the course in. This is the first year that we have had to semestarise units; meaning that we have had a lot less time to deliver what needs to be completed and therefore often could be seen as spoon feeding the learners the information to ensure that they pass. This can then cause difficulties for learners when they want to progress onto a higher course or university. Although the guided learning hours from City and Guilds are the same the hours we are given within the individual course programme have been cut quite extensively. For a level 3 programme we are given 400 hours from the college. Whilst semestarising units has had a slight positive impact on learners being able to see that they have completed units and are a step closer to the end result I do not feel as tutors we have been able to facilitate learner. Instead we have spoon fed information and pretty much had to give the learners the answers. I do feel that this then means that a learner’s work does not always reflect what they have learnt or understood; but what they have been taught. Because of this I have felt it important to viva a learner on information they have included in an assessment to show their understanding of the content. The aviation course that I teach to the level 3’s is very technical and does require a lot of explaining; because of this I feel it is important to add extra aspects into the assessment criteria to ensure that they are showing a full understanding of what they are writing and also give them critical and useful feedback on this.
I feel that we make the course quite inclusive; anyone can apply for the course irrelevant of age, gender, race, experience and GCSE grades. If a learner does not have the grades for the level 3 course we may offer them a place on our level 1 or 2 travel and tourism qualification; with the prospects of moving up through the levels.
During my time teaching on the course I have seen a large age range of students; from 16 through to 37.We have also had a learner that is in a wheelchair, learners with Asperger’s and autism, dyslexia and learners from various cultures. All of these learners have been treated equally and have been able to achieve to their full potential whilst on the course; in some ways this has meant extra support in class has been offered or outside of the class. There have been slight changes this year to the time tables due to staff changes; we have had to take into consideration our learner who relies on the community transport to get to and from college. Changing the timings of her day do need prior planning and advanced warning for them and sometimes they are unable to drop her off or collect her at the needed times. It is also important when making these changes so that our learner with aspergers is given enough time to grasp the new time table and feel comfortable with the changes. I have also learnt that it is also important to take into consideration that although I may teach the same subject to two different groups of learners they will not learn in the same way. For example on the level 3 group one group will be very focussed regardless of whether it is a research task in groups or individual whereas the second group need a lot more encouragement to complete tasks and kept on track; I therefore find that my approach with each group is very different. I find that I need to ensure that the second group needs a much more interactive lesson to ensure we meet and complete the expected goals of the lesson. On the level 3 course at present there is a mix in races and ethnicities; which I feel is good. It enables learners to share views, beliefs and also experiences that are very relevant to the course; especially in subjects such as World wide travel destinations. As part of this unit learners must gain an understanding of different cuisines; so as part of this task I allow learners to bring any traditional dishes to the lesson for others to try. Cultural differences and beliefs have in the past been something that has aroused disagreements in lessons. Some of the content that is taught in my aviation unit is based around security and prevents events such as 9/11 are discussed. In the past this has then included comments regarding religion and beliefs which have then offended learners. It is therefore important for me to facilitate these discussions and ensure that learners have a full awareness and understanding; whilst also considering what is appropriate and not appropriate to be discussed. Another issue that could be impacted is my method of grouping. Male and female pairing could also become an issue; female learners from a strong Islamic background may not feel comfortable working with only a male; so prior grouping and planning is extremely important.
Our current curriculum does include a number of trips; however due to costing of these none are residential or overseas. We feel that it is important for all learners to be able to participate in these and therefore try to keep costing to a minimum. The college does support learners with financial difficulties; providing them with support for payments on trips and also transport to and from college as well as paying for any necessary resources; which means that all students have the opportunity to participate on the trips; some which are necessary for completing the unit or an assessment.
The course is very female dominated; both in teaching and learning roles. We have only recently employed a male lecturer; but up until this point there had only been female lecturers. This again mirrors the learners; around 80% of learners are female; however I feel more and more male learners are now coming to study travel and tourism with working in the industry becoming more common for both genders.
It is also extremely important that learners are inclusive towards each other. In the passed we have had incidents on the course of friendship groups clashing and issues of bullying appearing; whereby disciplinary action has had to take place. Because of this incident some of our learners were reluctant to continue on the course; fortunately we were able to turn this around and see them continue with the course. It is important to remove any discrimination immediately; another incident that has occurred in the passed is when looking at airline terror incidents; comments have been made in the classroom that could cause serious offence to others; I therefore feel that it is important to discuss religious beliefs and these incidents without any discrimination being made. In this event the situation was addressed immediately. I feel that I was in a fortunate position to know a lot about the religion that was being discriminated and explain this to the learner; whilst also defend the learner that has strong Islamic beliefs. It was discussed further in the class as a whole but also a 1-1 feedback was provided to the learners who offended the other learners and also went through the equality and diversity statement from the college. It was noted in our department what had been said and feedback given; with a verbal warning that repeat behaviour could lead to disciplinary action with the head of school.
I feel that the structure of the course can sometimes affect our learners and has seen some of them want to leave because they feel there is too much pressure on them. Some of the units that are taught can be pitched at quite a high level; which can be quite overwhelming. I believe that this has affected our achievement levels on the course and also meant that learners have given up. Because of this we are introducing a new course as of September 2014. The current course will be a 1 year qualification; whereby the learners will complete a Level 3 diploma in Travel and Tourism and a level 2 qualification called Aviation on the Ground. Once they have completed this they will then have the opportunity to go on and complete a Level 3 Customer service and Leadership skills with Cabin Crew. This will also give learners the option of just studying for a year as some only want to study aviation on the ground whilst others want to study cabin crew. For the academic year 2012-2013 our achievement rates on the Extended Diploma were only 47% which is half of the expected average. Again this year our retention levels on the same course are 62% at the moment. A number of learners left after completing a year on the course; as they would have enough credits to gain a diploma and either changed course or gone out to work. It meant that as a course our figures have been well below the national average and the ability to continue with the course by senior management in the college has been questioned; we have therefore had to offer and other options that would ensure a higher success and achievement rates. When discussing with the learners that we would be dropping the second year of the course there was a lot of disappointment amongst them as they wanted to study cabin crew. The cabin crew course is very popular and something that a lot of our learners wish to progress onto as a career.
Task 3
Preparing our learners for employment in travel and tourism is extremely important. A lot of learners are extremely surprised when discussions involve the expectations of personal presentation and also attitude. We believe that it is important to set high standards from the beginning; although we do not have a dress code set out by the college we will not teach in casual clothing; and constantly make an effort with our own personal presentation.
I think the course could benefit from better facilities; throughout the course we are constantly implementing role plays which are done in the classroom. However; having a mock up aircraft or even just aircraft seats could make situations seem much more real life for the learners. Unfortunately due space and costing restrictions we have been unable to do this. Other colleges have been fortunate enough to run a franchise of a travel agent; this again would be another beneficial idea for the college; not only could it bring additional income but would also enable our learners to gain work experience whilst completing the course.
I feel that we are able to adapt the curriculum for the sake of our learners whilst also adhering to what is set out by City and Guilds. Because of the range of back grounds that we as a team have we are able to put together an exciting and inclusive course for our learners.
My own experience comes from the 3 ½ years at Etihad and also my on going work with Heathrow Travel Care. It is important to use this experience to help prepare my learners; for example I currently teach on the level 1 and 2 aviation courses. Something that someone with hospitality experience would not be able to teach.
A downfall on the course is that the aviation qualifications are written by an RAF pilot; which is something extremely different to commercial aviation. A lot of the assessments included are either not very relevant to the course or incorrect. It has been suggested that as a college we write our own qualification and provide a certificate from East Berkshire College; that is written and going to be of more benefit to the learners. At present there are 25 assessments to complete for this qualification; which is quite a lot for a level 1 qualification. Feedback from learners last year has suggested that the course is too detailed and not anything that they feel relevant; especially when studying the same at level 2; which is more detailed but also more relevant. I am therefore going work towards producing our own resources pack and course to run as of next year. With doing this I feel that I will need a lot of support from colleagues; not only from the pure pressures of writing a course; but also for advice and guidance of resources that could be used and improvements to the content. It has been proposed that I could work alongside a member of staff from Uxbridge College; we would then be able to work together to put a resource pack together and share ideas of ways it could be taught and what could be included. We have done this in the passed having standardisation meetings with the Travel department at Uxbridge; discussing methods of teaching units and also sharing resources. My own continual professional development at the airport will also be able to influence content of the course; experiences that I feel the learners need to build and learn about and skills that I feel are important for working in the aviation industry; I will also therefore be asking for advise from ex colleagues at Etihad and Heathrow Travel care.
I am planning on developing my own teaching ability by taking full advantage of the teaching squares and staff conference lessons on teaching outstanding lessons. I feel that I personally will benefit from including more paperless features of a lesson; possibly more training on the I pads and available technology to make my own lessons more interesting. Since I have completed my A1 assessor award I have also shared an interest in continuing on to complete my V1 assessor award.
In conclusion I believe that when comparing the 2 contexts there are many similarities. Both courses are vocational and designed to prepare the learners for employment. As stated above there are a few things that I believe could improve our own curriculum; some of these which are planned to be put in place in the next academic year; but at the same time there are things that do work well and we plan to keep in place. Hopefully once the new course has been put together it will provide the learners with a much more relevant course; and something that they can go on and use in their professional careers.
Word Count: 3125 Bibliography http://www.education.com/reference/article/curriculum-definition/ (accessed on 04/12/13) http://sharepoint/EBCHome/EBC%20Documents/New%20Mission_2012_A2.pdf (accessed 4/12/13) http://www.eastberks.ac.uk/images/documents/Equality-Diversity_/Single_Equality_Scheme_2010_revised_March_2011.pdf (accessed 20/12/13)
Bruner, 1971a cited in Neary (2002)
Reece, I & Walker, S (2006) Teaching, Training and learning a practical guide, Sixth addition, Sunderland, British Education Publishers
Powell, S & Tummons J (2011) Inclusive Practise in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Exeter, Learning Matters
Gravells, A & Simpson, S (2012) Equality and Diversity in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Second edition, London, SAGE publications http://blogs.ubc.ca/ewayne/files/2009/02/tyler_001.pdf (accessed 23/01/14) http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy (accessed 23/01/14) http://www.westking.ac.uk/about-us/student-support-learner-experience/ (accessed 23/01/14)
‘Curriculum refers to the means and materials with which students will interact for the purpose of achieving identified educational outcomes.’
(www.education.com)
A curriculum can vary depending on the type of course you are teaching and the resources that you have to teach with; with what I believe all leads to a similar ending; a qualification for your learners. Through this I am going to analyse my own teaching context with another type.
Context 1
I am currently teaching at East Berkshire College; a further education college. It is a large establishment with two main campuses; one in Windsor and one in Langley offering over 800 part time and full time students with a wide range of …show more content…
vocational and academic subjects on offer. The mission statement for the college is ‘to provide opportunities for all our learners to thrive and achieve in life and work.’ (East Berkshire College 2014)
I myself teach a vocational subject travel and tourism.
I teach at all levels that we offer on the City and Guilds qualification; diplomas in Level 1, 2 and 3. The courses vary in length depending on the level of the course; level 1 and 2 being 1 year and the extended level 3 diploma being 2 years long. Depending on the level of course the number of units and credits that the learner must achieve will vary. I am going to focus on the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Travel and Tourism.
The extended diploma is a 105 credit award and has 949 guided learning hours. The qualification has 2 mandatory units plus a number of optional units to provide a combined total of 105 credits. This allows for us as staff to choose units that are best suited to their experience and knowledge as well as the unit’s best suited to prepare students for employment and the facilities that we have to teach in.
The units can be covered at any time during the 2 year course. We tend to begin with the more basic units in year 1 and build on this in year 2; whereby the units require more depth and knowledge. This is known as the spiral curriculum. In the first year of study learners will begin with more basic customer service units and Worldwide travel related units; this will then lead into year 2 where students focus more the marketing and creation of a travel and tourism organisation and the more technical features such as running an event and air cabin …show more content…
crew.
Bruner supported the spiral curriculum and states that:
‘Any topic can be taught to any learner provided that it is presented as a conceptual level appropriate to the learner’s present stage of intellectual development.’ (Bruner, 1971 cited in Neary (2002)
Assignments are designed and written by the staff delivering them. This enables them to be adapted to the staff member and the learner. This also means that we can sometimes integrate a number of units into one. It often helps when creating real life situations that can occur in the travel and tourism industry.
The units and assignments do not have to be taught in a particular order; this can be dependent on a number of things. It will be very much based on the ability of the learners and what skills/knowledge that they bring to the course. But also will be dependent on the type of assessment that is taking place. Some of our assessments will take place in actual industry environments; such as British Airways customer service centre and Virgin Atlantics training centre. Units would need to be taught around this; and other units may be needed before the learners can take part or complete the activities. For example in the level 3 aviation unit involves both theory and practical assessment; however I feel that it is important for the learners to understand and have knowledge of the theory before we assess the practical side. It is therefore important that I have completed the check in procedures and communication procedures before their assessments can take place at British Airways. In some aspects this represents the linear curriculum; which means the subjects and units are presented in a sequence according to psychological and logical requirements.
The freedom of teaching units in any order also means that the staff and students timetables can be organised in a way that makes them as practical as possible.
Aside from studying the main travel and tourism programme all our learners attend either functional skills lessons or GCSE Maths and English and also additional subjects such as Aviation on the ground. It is important that the learners feel that they are getting the most out of their college day.
I feel that the course presents a variety of curriculum models and theories in order to run as it does. There is a mixture of theory and practical assignments throughout; therefore some units are much more tutor led where as others are more learner centred. For the extended diploma I would say that there is an aspect of behaviourist, cognitive and humanistic teaching styles; depending on the unit being
taught.
I can see an aspect of all 2 curriculum models in the extended diploma; with maybe a slight representation on the praxis model. There is a strong inclusion of the product model. For example the unit Worldwide Travel destinations is an exam based unit that is very structured and has clear objectives; the learners are expected to complete an exam at the end of the unit. The subject is very tutor led; with clear objectives and a specified selection of content. An example in this lesson would be the completion of the workbook on specific parts of the world to aid them on the end assessment which is an online exam. However; there are also many aspects of the course that are much more student focused and take a humanistic approach. Whereby learners are expected to take part in practical role play activities which have been created and written by themselves. On the extended diploma they are expected to create and run a conference or an event. This in the past has been a mock recruitment day for a lower level group. I as the lecturer have had a little input in this with answering questions and given advice through my own experience in the aviation industry; I have facilitated the lessons and allowed it to be very student focussed and led. There is a slight aspect of praxis model in 2 of the units that are taught; first of all in developing people the learners are expected to evaluate their own team building after doing thorough research on key thinkers in tem work and then in the second year the learners are expected to reflect on their actions and participation in planning and running of the event. They may also choose to keep a diary of events in the lead up and also minutes of any meetings.
This is mainly coursework based course; with only 2 of the units having a summative exam at the end of the year. The only other form of test that takes place would be the initial assessments that learners complete when they attend an interview for the course. All final grades are based on a points system whereby the student can achieve Pass, Merit or Distinction. The grades given will be dependent on various criteria’s outlined by the awarding body; City and Guilds.
An important factor for the curriculum is that it must be inclusive. This means that venues, timetabling course content and entry criteria are suitable for all learners and also do not create any barriers when accessing the curriculum. To establish whether we have an inclusive curriculum here at East Berkshire College I have looked at the legislation in place surrounding Equality and Diversity.
‘We promise that equality and diversity- all different, all equal- will be at the heart of the College.
There is no aspect of our business that is more important than our mission statement:
“To provide high quality education so that our learners, whatever their ability, reach their potential.”
We will ensure that we will break down barriers and combat unfairness wherever we find it. We will continue to tackle discrimination directly and to sustain a culture that does not tolerate it in any form so that all our learners and staff can participate, aspire and achieve.
We will promote equality and diversity and create an environment where everyone feels valued.’
(East Berkshire College Single Equality scheme)
Through their single equality the scheme the college try to ensure that all barriers are broken and every single student is given the opportunity to fulfil their potential; study and pass their course. This whole scheme is centred around 10 strands; race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, values, beliefs and faith, socio economic background, transgender/gender re-assignment, marriage/civil partnerships and pregnancy and maternity. It is set out to ensure that regardless of the individual they are equal to everyone else in the college and given the same opportunities.
We try to take this into account in all aspects of the learner’s journey. The first thing we have taken into consideration when planning lessons is the timings. A lot of our learners use public transport to attend college and some of them have children that need to be dropped to school. We therefore try to ensure that lessons do not begin until after 9.30; which allows them time to get here on time. We do have one learner that is in a wheelchair; it is therefore also important to consider location of the classroom and also it layout to make it accessible for her. It is therefore more accessible for her to have classrooms based on the ground floor; as she would not be able to attend classes should the lift be out of order. With regards to entry requirements we offer 3 levels of courses. This means that it gives someone with lower entry grades the opportunity to work their way through the levels and up to level 3; we are also able to give the learners guidance on how they can reach and complete the highest level. This year we have introduce what is called a individual learner programme; which is mean to allow is to personalise learner for the individual. An example of this would be with one our level 3 learners who was not able to complete the course last year due to medical circumstances. Because of this we have this year tailored a programme specifically for him; enabling him to complete any missed units from last year and complete the course. It also allows him as an individual to complete distance learning if necessary. The college also has on-site support in the terms of the learning and development department. Although at level 3 learners are not entitled to a learning support in the lessons they are entitled to a 1-1 session with one of the team outside of their lessons to help them with assignments and homework. We as tutors also ensure inclusion with learners by not printing black text on white paper. For learners that suffer with dyslexia it can make it very hard to read; so I would always ensure hand outs are on blue or yellow.
Context 2
In comparison with my own teaching on the City and Guilds qualification I am going to look at the curriculum for a level 3 Diploma in Creative and Digital media apprenticeship. There are many similarities in both courses but also many differences.
This course is taught over 15 months; with the bulk of the training done through observations and coursework. The main difference is the fact that this qualification is mainly observed whilst the learner is out on a placement. Whilst on the course the learners will complete 3 placements in television or radio; they will also be required to complete theory aspects; whereby they will attend lectures at either BBC facilities or Westminster Kingsway College. Placements can be completed all over the UK; therefore the lecturers can be required to travel a lot to make sure assessments are completed. Although they do have different modules to complete there is no end of year/course exams.
I feel that all 3 learning theories feature in this apprenticeship. I do feel that it is mainly process based; the fact that student must have an active role throughout their placements; using ideas and concepts to progress and in many ways taking a cognitive approach with using information that they already have to build and learn new facts. However there is also some strong aspects of the product model; in the fact that whilst learners are studying the theory side of the course there are very clear and strong objectives and a structured curriculum to complete; whilst the majority of their programme is spent out on a placement there is a small aspect spent in the college environment. The college/theory aspect of the course is a mixture of product and praxis model. The theory is extremely tutor led with the learners given clear objectives to meet the end of the course and very structured in the way the content is taught and assessed upon competence. However with the assessment it is the learner’s choice as to whether they research TV, Radio, Web media or printed media as long as it meets the criteria given by Edexcel. I also believe the praxis model comes in once learners are completing their placements; learners are required to reflect and evaluate what has been completed.
The course is delivered over a number of environments; it begins with a four week stretch at either the BBC academy at Elstree studios or Westminster Kingway College followed by a placement of 3 months which could take place anywhere in the country. Once this is complete learners are required to return to the academy or college for a further 2-3 weeks before beginning 2 more placements. The course is partly funded by the government; but the BBC fund all the placements; at present there are 32 learners. The BBC also offer a scholarship programme as there are often many mature students; who struggle to be able to afford the payments.
I feel that the scholarship programme enables the course to be much more inclusive; giving some students an opportunity to be able to complete the programme. However; there are also many aspects that make it less inclusive. The learning must take place at Westminster Kingsway or Elstree studios; the BBC does not offer the course anywhere else in the country. This has meant that some of the learners have had to travel to London and find and pay for their own accommodation whilst here. It is clear that the lecturers have attempted to make the course inclusive with their timetabling; having 10.30 am starts to allow extra travelling time for the learners. You are also not able to complete the apprenticeship if you have already completed a degree. On speaking with lecturers delivering the theory that could not identify aspects of being inclusive in the delivering lessons. Until I had mentioned ways that we try to be inclusive with ensuring hand outs are on coloured paper it was not something considered.
There are many similarities between this apprenticeship and the travel and tourism course that I teach. Both I feel are preparing learners for employment; with similar ideologies. This apprenticeship is strongly instrumentalist; it is preparing the learners for a career in creative media; whilst also featuring progressivism with the fact that there is a lot of problem solving and making decisions for themselves whilst on placement.
Task 2
The Extended Diploma in Travel and Tourism has a very broad syllabus which covers a large range of subjects within the industry. Over the 2 years learners will learn customer service, leadership skills, tourist destinations, aviation on the ground and in the air, reservations and ticketing, as well as marketing in the industry, rural and adventure tourism and are also required to run an event themselves. I feel that it is good that we cover such a vast range of subjects as many learners come to the course either not knowing what they would like to do or thinking that want to be cabin crew as they feel that it is an easy job. Through giving them an overview of many different aspects they are able to gain a better understanding and provide them with better opportunities to fulfil their potential. All the units that are taught are taught by a lecturer with experience in that industry. We also feel that it is important to invite employees from the industry into the college to hold discussions and sometimes assessments with the learners; which I feel encourages learners to prepare for their assessments a lot more and can also receive constructive feedback from industry professionals.
I do feel that the negative to the course is the time frame that we are given to deliver the course in. This is the first year that we have had to semestarise units; meaning that we have had a lot less time to deliver what needs to be completed and therefore often could be seen as spoon feeding the learners the information to ensure that they pass. This can then cause difficulties for learners when they want to progress onto a higher course or university. Although the guided learning hours from City and Guilds are the same the hours we are given within the individual course programme have been cut quite extensively. For a level 3 programme we are given 400 hours from the college. Whilst semestarising units has had a slight positive impact on learners being able to see that they have completed units and are a step closer to the end result I do not feel as tutors we have been able to facilitate learner. Instead we have spoon fed information and pretty much had to give the learners the answers. I do feel that this then means that a learner’s work does not always reflect what they have learnt or understood; but what they have been taught. Because of this I have felt it important to viva a learner on information they have included in an assessment to show their understanding of the content. The aviation course that I teach to the level 3’s is very technical and does require a lot of explaining; because of this I feel it is important to add extra aspects into the assessment criteria to ensure that they are showing a full understanding of what they are writing and also give them critical and useful feedback on this.
I feel that we make the course quite inclusive; anyone can apply for the course irrelevant of age, gender, race, experience and GCSE grades. If a learner does not have the grades for the level 3 course we may offer them a place on our level 1 or 2 travel and tourism qualification; with the prospects of moving up through the levels.
During my time teaching on the course I have seen a large age range of students; from 16 through to 37.We have also had a learner that is in a wheelchair, learners with Asperger’s and autism, dyslexia and learners from various cultures. All of these learners have been treated equally and have been able to achieve to their full potential whilst on the course; in some ways this has meant extra support in class has been offered or outside of the class. There have been slight changes this year to the time tables due to staff changes; we have had to take into consideration our learner who relies on the community transport to get to and from college. Changing the timings of her day do need prior planning and advanced warning for them and sometimes they are unable to drop her off or collect her at the needed times. It is also important when making these changes so that our learner with aspergers is given enough time to grasp the new time table and feel comfortable with the changes. I have also learnt that it is also important to take into consideration that although I may teach the same subject to two different groups of learners they will not learn in the same way. For example on the level 3 group one group will be very focussed regardless of whether it is a research task in groups or individual whereas the second group need a lot more encouragement to complete tasks and kept on track; I therefore find that my approach with each group is very different. I find that I need to ensure that the second group needs a much more interactive lesson to ensure we meet and complete the expected goals of the lesson. On the level 3 course at present there is a mix in races and ethnicities; which I feel is good. It enables learners to share views, beliefs and also experiences that are very relevant to the course; especially in subjects such as World wide travel destinations. As part of this unit learners must gain an understanding of different cuisines; so as part of this task I allow learners to bring any traditional dishes to the lesson for others to try. Cultural differences and beliefs have in the past been something that has aroused disagreements in lessons. Some of the content that is taught in my aviation unit is based around security and prevents events such as 9/11 are discussed. In the past this has then included comments regarding religion and beliefs which have then offended learners. It is therefore important for me to facilitate these discussions and ensure that learners have a full awareness and understanding; whilst also considering what is appropriate and not appropriate to be discussed. Another issue that could be impacted is my method of grouping. Male and female pairing could also become an issue; female learners from a strong Islamic background may not feel comfortable working with only a male; so prior grouping and planning is extremely important.
Our current curriculum does include a number of trips; however due to costing of these none are residential or overseas. We feel that it is important for all learners to be able to participate in these and therefore try to keep costing to a minimum. The college does support learners with financial difficulties; providing them with support for payments on trips and also transport to and from college as well as paying for any necessary resources; which means that all students have the opportunity to participate on the trips; some which are necessary for completing the unit or an assessment.
The course is very female dominated; both in teaching and learning roles. We have only recently employed a male lecturer; but up until this point there had only been female lecturers. This again mirrors the learners; around 80% of learners are female; however I feel more and more male learners are now coming to study travel and tourism with working in the industry becoming more common for both genders.
It is also extremely important that learners are inclusive towards each other. In the passed we have had incidents on the course of friendship groups clashing and issues of bullying appearing; whereby disciplinary action has had to take place. Because of this incident some of our learners were reluctant to continue on the course; fortunately we were able to turn this around and see them continue with the course. It is important to remove any discrimination immediately; another incident that has occurred in the passed is when looking at airline terror incidents; comments have been made in the classroom that could cause serious offence to others; I therefore feel that it is important to discuss religious beliefs and these incidents without any discrimination being made. In this event the situation was addressed immediately. I feel that I was in a fortunate position to know a lot about the religion that was being discriminated and explain this to the learner; whilst also defend the learner that has strong Islamic beliefs. It was discussed further in the class as a whole but also a 1-1 feedback was provided to the learners who offended the other learners and also went through the equality and diversity statement from the college. It was noted in our department what had been said and feedback given; with a verbal warning that repeat behaviour could lead to disciplinary action with the head of school.
I feel that the structure of the course can sometimes affect our learners and has seen some of them want to leave because they feel there is too much pressure on them. Some of the units that are taught can be pitched at quite a high level; which can be quite overwhelming. I believe that this has affected our achievement levels on the course and also meant that learners have given up. Because of this we are introducing a new course as of September 2014. The current course will be a 1 year qualification; whereby the learners will complete a Level 3 diploma in Travel and Tourism and a level 2 qualification called Aviation on the Ground. Once they have completed this they will then have the opportunity to go on and complete a Level 3 Customer service and Leadership skills with Cabin Crew. This will also give learners the option of just studying for a year as some only want to study aviation on the ground whilst others want to study cabin crew. For the academic year 2012-2013 our achievement rates on the Extended Diploma were only 47% which is half of the expected average. Again this year our retention levels on the same course are 62% at the moment. A number of learners left after completing a year on the course; as they would have enough credits to gain a diploma and either changed course or gone out to work. It meant that as a course our figures have been well below the national average and the ability to continue with the course by senior management in the college has been questioned; we have therefore had to offer and other options that would ensure a higher success and achievement rates. When discussing with the learners that we would be dropping the second year of the course there was a lot of disappointment amongst them as they wanted to study cabin crew. The cabin crew course is very popular and something that a lot of our learners wish to progress onto as a career.
Task 3
Preparing our learners for employment in travel and tourism is extremely important. A lot of learners are extremely surprised when discussions involve the expectations of personal presentation and also attitude. We believe that it is important to set high standards from the beginning; although we do not have a dress code set out by the college we will not teach in casual clothing; and constantly make an effort with our own personal presentation.
I think the course could benefit from better facilities; throughout the course we are constantly implementing role plays which are done in the classroom. However; having a mock up aircraft or even just aircraft seats could make situations seem much more real life for the learners. Unfortunately due space and costing restrictions we have been unable to do this. Other colleges have been fortunate enough to run a franchise of a travel agent; this again would be another beneficial idea for the college; not only could it bring additional income but would also enable our learners to gain work experience whilst completing the course.
I feel that we are able to adapt the curriculum for the sake of our learners whilst also adhering to what is set out by City and Guilds. Because of the range of back grounds that we as a team have we are able to put together an exciting and inclusive course for our learners.
My own experience comes from the 3 ½ years at Etihad and also my on going work with Heathrow Travel Care. It is important to use this experience to help prepare my learners; for example I currently teach on the level 1 and 2 aviation courses. Something that someone with hospitality experience would not be able to teach.
A downfall on the course is that the aviation qualifications are written by an RAF pilot; which is something extremely different to commercial aviation. A lot of the assessments included are either not very relevant to the course or incorrect. It has been suggested that as a college we write our own qualification and provide a certificate from East Berkshire College; that is written and going to be of more benefit to the learners. At present there are 25 assessments to complete for this qualification; which is quite a lot for a level 1 qualification. Feedback from learners last year has suggested that the course is too detailed and not anything that they feel relevant; especially when studying the same at level 2; which is more detailed but also more relevant. I am therefore going work towards producing our own resources pack and course to run as of next year. With doing this I feel that I will need a lot of support from colleagues; not only from the pure pressures of writing a course; but also for advice and guidance of resources that could be used and improvements to the content. It has been proposed that I could work alongside a member of staff from Uxbridge College; we would then be able to work together to put a resource pack together and share ideas of ways it could be taught and what could be included. We have done this in the passed having standardisation meetings with the Travel department at Uxbridge; discussing methods of teaching units and also sharing resources. My own continual professional development at the airport will also be able to influence content of the course; experiences that I feel the learners need to build and learn about and skills that I feel are important for working in the aviation industry; I will also therefore be asking for advise from ex colleagues at Etihad and Heathrow Travel care.
I am planning on developing my own teaching ability by taking full advantage of the teaching squares and staff conference lessons on teaching outstanding lessons. I feel that I personally will benefit from including more paperless features of a lesson; possibly more training on the I pads and available technology to make my own lessons more interesting. Since I have completed my A1 assessor award I have also shared an interest in continuing on to complete my V1 assessor award.
In conclusion I believe that when comparing the 2 contexts there are many similarities. Both courses are vocational and designed to prepare the learners for employment. As stated above there are a few things that I believe could improve our own curriculum; some of these which are planned to be put in place in the next academic year; but at the same time there are things that do work well and we plan to keep in place. Hopefully once the new course has been put together it will provide the learners with a much more relevant course; and something that they can go on and use in their professional careers.
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