Our Remote Education Offer
Supporting Learners & Employers Through Distance Learning
This document aims to ensure that learners (and parents of learners if aged under 18) know what to expect of Exalt-Training if they need to self-isolate or if national / local restrictions require them to remain at home. It is a requirement that this information be made available to all learners through publication on our website.
Rationale
As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent national / local lockdowns, there has been a need for Exalt-Training to provide “remote education”. This is teaching and learning where the person delivering and learner are separated by time and distance, and therefore does not occur in a usual classroom or face-to-face environment.
Remote education has had to evolve considerably since March 2020, because it cannot be considered as only a short-term solution or stopgap until learning “returns to normal”. The remote education provided must be meaningful and wherever possible be in line with the required curriculum. The remote learning offer must be flexible enough to be used on a scaled basis where under normal circumstances it is used as a component of a blended delivery model, and as a contingency, where it is used for the majority of delivery during an enforced lockdown.
A range of learning and communication methods is available to meet the individual needs of learners, including those with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP), SEND or where other barriers to learning are present.
Challenges for Learners (including Parents / Carers / Home Circumstances)
When considering our Remote Education Offer it was important to recognise some of the significant challenges faced by learners and where applicable their parents / carers and home circumstances Challenges such as;
•Family life, siblings, parents working from home • Access to technology – devices, connectivity, competing demands with others in household • Lack of resources to support learning that would normally be in the classroom • Cultural and /or language barriers • Some learners may need additional support to access technology or for the learning itself • Anxieties (inc. family, friends, financial, lockdown and the future) • The support of Parents / carers cannot be counted upon for all learners. Parents / Carers are not generally trained education professionals like teachers and support staff and education methods different to when parents / carers were at school themselves
How To Access Training
As mentioned above “Remote Education does not always mean Digital Learning”. It cannot be assumed that all learners will have access to the same technology and doing so would exclude some learners from being able to participate. This is clearly not inclusive. Therefore, the Exalt-Training Remote Education Offer includes:
• Telephone Calls • Emails • Emailing work for learners to complete • Social Media Messaging • Online platform such as Microsoft Teams / Zoom • Online Virtual Learning Environment / ePortfolio such as Open-eLMS • Posting paperwork-books / resources / projects to learner
Use of Online Learning Platforms
There are many different online learning platforms / virtual learning environments available. For apprenticeship learners, Exalt-Training uses the Open eLMS Learning Management System. Apprentices and employers are allocated their own login for Open-eLMS and can receive targets / submit work and interact with Exalt-Training through this platform. As well as Open-eLMS, apprentices are contacted using a variety of communication methods including phone, email, messaging service, social media as well as online meeting tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
For our learners there is no single prescribed communication method. This is due to our learners tending to have more diverse learning need and therefore needing a wide variety of different communication methods to suit their individual needs. The communication needs of the learner may change from week to week, again depending on individual requirements.
Where classroom working is no longer possible, learners are encouraged to participate in remote group meetings through conference call or Microsoft Teams to encourage communication and team working between learners. Where this is not possible or learners are reluctant to participate, one-on-one meetings will be used.
Wherever possible Exalt-Training will keep communication and information sharing as simple as possible and use the most common formats and widely accessible communication methods to ensure that all learners can access remote education.
It cannot be assumed that document formats like Microsoft Word and Excel are accessible to all. Therefore, the use of the pdf format for documents is more likely to be accessible to most devices without further app download.
Frequency of Communication
How often a learner is contacted is based on the individual needs of the learner and their learning programme. For apprenticeship learners then communication is likely to be in line with face-to face visits, such as every 4 to 6 weeks, but can be more frequent based on the individual need. It is important to note that communication with all learners is a two-way process and Exalt-Training staff are available for learners to contact them as much or as little as required (within working hours).
Timetabling
Every learner has been set a remote delivery calendar and work schedule. At any point during remote education each learner will know exactly what is required of them and when their next appointment for contact will take place.
Expectations of learners
The required expectations of each learner are explained during induction at the start of the learning programme. This includes the requirement for learners to complete all the objectives set for them. A detailed code of conduct is in place for all learners and specific reference is made to behaviour during online / remote education. This includes guidance for behaviour during Microsoft Teams / Zoom meetings, such as dress code, location, and appropriate language.
Learners on programmes that require specialist equipment or facilities
Remote education is not fully compatible with all learning programmes and sectors. There are some significant limitations to remote education on certain learning programmes and in sectors where specialised assessments and resources are required. On these programmes there is the expectation that some face-to-face delivery and assessment will still be required in the workplace / training centre. In the worst cases, where the required face-to-face delivery cannot take place there must be recognition that delivery will be heavily compromised and may not be able to fully meet the requirement of the curriculum.
Below are some programmes and sectors where remote education may not be fully effective.
Early Years (Childcare) – Observations of learners working with children are a mandatory requirement of Childcare apprenticeships. These would usually be conducted face-to-face in the workplace. In most childcare settings there are stringent restrictions on the use of camera-based technology such as mobile phones / Microsoft Teams / Zoom because of child protection. In these situations, some assessments (but not all) are conducted over the phone, or alternative evidence such as witness testimonies are used where allowed.
Apprenticeships in NHS settings – These programmes can be limited by both the learner (lack of device / internet / suitable application) and the employer, where they have stringent network protection protocols which prohibit the use of many applications.
Differentiation
There is no standardised “one size fits all approach” to remote education and Exalt-Training will always consider the circumstances of the learner, their parents, their family circumstances, and its staff.
Loan Equipment
It may be possible for IT equipment to be acquired for learners if they are eligible for a bursary or alternatively through the “Access2Apprenticeships” fund.
Students with SEND
Students that have been identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable have been and will be supported remotely with appropriate supportive learning resources. Some learners who are unable to attend face to face learning for considerable amounts of time have been or will be allocated a Learning Mentor who will work with the student on a regular individual basis.
Exalt-Training Remote Delivery
As a Exalt-Training apprentice/learner if you need to self-isolate or national/local restrictions require you to remain at home, Exalt-Training will offer remote learning as follows:
Remote delivery consists of various methods including:
You will be expected to complete work allocated to you within set timeframes and meet deadline dates. For all practical skills work this will be delivered at TTE when you are able to re-commence face-to-face training.
If you have any questions, comments or feedback about this remote delivery approach, please don’t hesitate to contact your tutor or another member of the team. You can call 01202 612365 or email enquiries@exalt-training.com Last updated: 16th January 2021