University of Wales, Bangor

1. Learning and Business: Supporting Lifelong Learning and the Knowledge Worker through the Design of Quality Learning Systems

2. University of Wales, Bangor

3. 3 Inter-linked Research Projects • Improving Training Quality (ITQ) - funded by ESF/ADAPT - monitoring training needs and promoting training effectiveness • Quality Learning - funded by the National Assembly for Wales - development of quality standards for computer based learning materials • Learning and Business (LaB) - funded by ESF/ADAPT - promoting innovative learning techniques within businesses

4. Improving Training Quality (ITQ) • Software system for assessing skill development needs then evaluating training • Target audience - employees of Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (fewer than 250) • Extensive research background

5. Project Development • Collaboration with European project partners in Denmark (Samso), Italy (ILO, Formazione Oggi) and France (AFPA, APP) • 3 stages of development: • Stage 1 (Skills Development Profiling System) • Stage 2 (Training Evaluation System) • Stage 3 (Combined package) Evaluated within SMEs and revised at each stage

6. Final Package ITQ consists of a series of software questionnaires:

7. What are the advantages of ITQ? Both for individuals and for the company, ITQ: • Identifies training needs • Gives information about how best to implement the training • Evaluates the training provided • Provides immediate feedback at each stage

8. Quality Learning • Provides a web-based tool to enable users, producers and brokers of online training material to judge its pedagogical quality • Extensive literature search to identify quality criteria for learning materials, with emphasis on computer-based • Focus on SME context

9. Project Development • Quality criteria identified from research literature • Criteria tested on subject experts, and learners’ judgements compared with measured learning outcomes i.e. if learners thought the material was good, did they learn a lot? • Tools revised accordingly so that only those criteria corresponding to learner outcomes are included in the final version

10. Sample Learner Questions Which quality criteria correlated strongly with measured learning outcome? (Each criterion was rated on a 1-5 Likert scale) • The course increased my confidence in the subject matter • The course materials were adequate for my learning needs • The course was interactive

11. Sample Trainer Questions This tool is more in-depth and was evaluated by subject experts (Rated on a 1-5 Likert scale) • The readability level is consistent with the target audience • Learners can bypass sections relevant to knowledge they already possess • Font-size makes reading the material easy

12. Advantages of QL System • Provides an objective means of judging the quality of computer-based learning material • Accessible via a Web browser • Immediate feedback for users, and trainees can choose whether or not to make their results available to the trainer/manager • Provided with a guide to the use of the system, and an online learning references database

13. Learning and Business (LaB) • Enhance the creative thinking and problem solving skills of managers within SMEs with the use of IT tools • Collaborative software (Virtual Learning Environments) • Innovative computer-based puzzles • Web site of classified business links

14. Development of Project SME managers have limited time and money to spend on vital training, and rarely have the means to distribute training materials or business information. • Project research base: • How can creativity be assessed and what types of games may enhance it? • How are the features of collaborative software used by learners and how would they be used in a business environment?

15. Initial Piloting • Creativity is multifaceted and very difficult to measure. A number of Basadur’s scales and the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) have been piloted within businesses • Demo versions of VLEs and a list of desirable collaborative features are now being taken out to SMEs • A collection of business links are being collected

16. Final Aim An integrated software package which will allow SME managers to assess and develop their business problem solving abilities. This will include access to information about virtual learning environments and and large collection of business-relevant WWW links.

17. Contact Details Improving Training Quality m.e.a.holmes@bangor.ac.uk http://www.bangor.ac.uk/cldt/site/projects/itq.shtml Quality Learning a.bristol@bangor.ac.uk http://www.bangor.ac.uk/cldt/site/projects/page16.shtml Learning and Business m.e.a.holmes@bangor.ac.uk http://www.bangor.ac.uk/cldt/site/projects/lab.shtml