Digital Development Programme for Adult Community Education Providers (Digital ACE)
Introduction
The Digital ACE programme of support was funded to help adult community education providers develop their digital capabilities after HOLEX identified a need at the onset of the pandemic in March 20, when providers had to move their offer online.
A partnership between UFI VocTech Trust and HOLEX was formed and the programme offered Adult Community Education (ACE) institutions, services and centres support in the development of their digital offer to students. Much of the work is now complete, but a legacy will continue to ensure that momentum is sustained and that the resources continue to be embedded.
While Covid–19 meant that many ACE organisations had to adapt rapidly, there was little support available to organisations who needed to develop and refine their online learning programme to students, while still maintaining their learner centred and high-quality approach to adult learning.
Digital ACE supported adult education providers in several key areas as detailed below.
Digital ACE Top Tips
For each of the project strands, we compiled the Top Ten tips from the sector for the sector.
Access a summary of our Top Tips here.
Guidance Materials & Webinars
A set of guidance materials and exploratory webinars was developed to support HOLEX members to develop a online and blended offer.
There is an overview of the guidance materials, including links to downloadable ‘adopt and adapt’ annexes here.
Webinars
Recordings of the webinars are available via the links below. Note that you will need to register to access each recording.
Guidance Materials
The guidance materials can be accessed via the links below:
Policy
Guidance on how to develop a digital policy and the areas which should be considered.
Policy resources available here.
Safeguarding & Prevent
Guidance on what to consider for moving effective Safeguarding and Prevent practice online.
Safeguarding & Prevent resources available here.
Developing Materials & Resources
Guidance to support the training and development of staff in producing and adapting materials, live streaming lessons, use of video and YouTube recordings, online presentations and webinars, use of externally prepared materials, assessment and learner engagement.
Developing Materials resources available here.
Quality Assurance
Guidance around quality assurance for online adult education, including existing externally produced materials and in-house provision.
Quality Assurance resources available here.
Supporting Low Skilled Learners
Guidance on how best to determine an online offer which enables providers to engage and induct learners with low level skills.
Supporting Low Skilled Learners resources available here.
Underpinning Technology
Guidance around the most effective and cost efficient underpinning technological solutions for adult learning, managing a service in this context, connecting and integrating with learners and communicating with staff.
Underpinning Technology resources available here.
YouTube Tutorials
As below, a series of training sessions was developed and run to support providers in developing their digital capability and enhance their offer. The majority of these training sessions were subsequently recorded as YouTube tutorials.
These have been shared on the HOLEX YouTube channel on a Digital ACE playlist and all details are available on our Digital ACE Youtube Tutorial page here.
Digital Blogs
A series of HOLEX blogs on digital issues were reviewed, updated and re-launched. These are available here.
Training sessions
To support providers develop their digital capability and enhance their offer so that it meets the specific contexts of their local provision in line with a national high-quality approach a training programme was organised.
The programme consisted of forty six 1.5-hour sessions on key digital areas. Each session was virtual and was open to any staff working for HOLEX members and their partners and sub-contractors. To ensure group integration each session had no more than 25 participants and was repeated if there was sufficient demand.
Advisory Service
As well as the general training programme, we offered advisory sessions for services (singularly or in groups) on developing service/college/centre digital strategy, setting standards quality and monitoring. The sessions were organised in two parts; evidence gathering to determine issues, followed by a presentation to senior leadership team on action required. 31 advisory sessions were completed.
Baseline survey
HOLEX undertook an initial review of ACE providers to establish a baseline of digital delivery in Spring 2020.
The results of this early review are available here.
Follow on survey
A follow on survey was conducted in late Autumn 2020, to establish how the sector has moved on and to assess the impact of the Digital ACE project. Results have been used to inform HOLEX work.