Using JobMatch...

...is a requirement for most of my learners who are Job Seekers, it's one of the reasons they find themselves having to become ICT users. Many are completely new ICT users.

There are a significant number of ICT hurdles to negotiate in order to set up a GOV.UK account which is excellent for learning ...usernames, passwords (more than one!!!), form filling, emailing, clicking links to activate accounts, web browsing, navigating a website, word processing & much more… Many problem solving opportunities!! - V good practice for becoming confident operators of the digital environment. 

My learners create CVs in Google Docs which they store on their Drive & can attach to emails - all within their Google account. They can copy & paste their CVs from Google Docs into the CV tool on the JobMatch site. Most importantly, this means, it is possible to achieve everything necessary without the expense of owning a computer. No downloading/uploading documents...

Final thoughts on the Toolbox

Final thoughts on the Toolbox 

Great idea, some very useful resources, some resources that we will keep on using past the project deadline such as Jobmatch, Animoto and Blogger. Some resources we have “bought into” because we can see the benefits that they will bring, but one of the primary reasons for purchasing has been the relatively cheap cost.  A prime consideration for most third sector providers. Some of the tools are visually exciting, and could make a real impact on learners’, and some of the tools are perfunctory.

Unfortunately a lot of duplication of the tools within the steps of the learner journey, and a number of the tools require purchasing to get any real benefit from.  Personally I would have liked a tool in the “Reviewing learners’ progress” step that measured the before, the in-between and the after portions of a learner’s journey. For me, a tool like that would be really meaningful, and of benefit to our organisation.

Everyone from our organisation has enjoyed taking part in this project, it has proved to be a really distraction from the front-end of delivering. We all welcome the prospect of tools and resources to enhance our delivery, especially if that come at very little cost. Having the chance to do things differently, or to innovate our induction process, or to roll out a really useful resource such as jobmatch makes the job that little bit more bearable.

Terry McHale  -  28^th March 2013

Ongoing use of tools

Ongoing development of resources using Quizlet has been very successful. We have developed resources linked to employability and currently a tutor is designing a resource for learners to help them with the new universal jobmatch.
Although I had used Youtube before for personal use I had never used it with a view of including it within a teaching capacity. I have been surprised by the amount of valuable material that can be located there.

Have also viewed morguefile and have shared this site with all tutors, a good collection of photos that can be added to Powerpoints and learning materials

Humber Learning Consortium Review: QR Codes

QR codes are an increasingly familiar feature in daily life – small square patterns of irregular blocks found on letters, and promotional materials etc. Up until now none of us at HLC had really considered their potential application in recruiting learners, the role that they can play in the learning experience, or simply promoting our organisation.

The concept is actually pretty simple. The QR code is scanned by a smartphone (the scanning apps are free, we used “i-nigma”) and this provides a link to a website, telephone number, Google map location, Facebook page, Twitter feed, in fact a whole host of information you might want to convey to a learner / customer.

You need 2 things to make it work – access to the internet to generate the QR code on a QR website
(www.qrstuff.com) and a smart phone that can read the QR code (and link it to a website, telephone number etc.)

Positives

• If you / your learners have internet access and a smart phone, this is a really quick and simple application to use
• It could be used in a wide variety of ways e.g. providing a link to further information about a course, sending directions, or encouraging learners to visit a specific website as part of their learning experience
• The QR code can be embedded in learning materials, sent in an email, or hosted on a website making the learning experience potentially more interactive

Negatives

• Learner needs a smart phone to access the information within the QR code, which is a major limitation
• QR codes could be seen a gimmicky

Overall

We liked QR codes and could really see their application in a variety of settings. We need to be mindful that their reliance on the learner / customer having a smart phone with an app that can read the QR code could limit their accessibility and usage. We therefore feel that their use needs to be carefully thought out and alternative ways of accessing information considered for those without a smart phone