Meetings
The Improving Student Learning Symposium is to take place 9-11 September in Edinburgh. Now in its 9th year, the theme will be "Improving Student LearningUsing Learning Technologies". Details from Nina Woods on 01865 484610
or nawoods@brookes.ac.uk
.
The 9th Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning has the theme "Supporting the student in ODL", and is in Cambridge 7-10 October. Contact Penny Stuart: 01223 364721 (ext.66162) or
p.a.stuart@open.ac.uk
Organizations
- The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) seeks your views on its corporate plan.
Available on www.lsc.gov.uk, it shows how the LSC propose to:
- Raise participation in, and demand for learning,
- Raise skill levels,
- Improve the quality of provision,
- Improve access to learning,
The LSC will benefit from £40 million pounds of "legacy funding", left over from the Training and Enterprise Councils (TEC) that they replaced. A further £127 million has been earmarked for Individual Learning Accounts (ILA).
The millionth person has opened an ILA account, allowing the government to reach its March 2002 target early. However, concern has been expressed in two national newspapers about the quality of provision being funded.
DfEE funded research has concluded that learndirect is unique; particularly in its commitment to universal national access, attempts to tackle skills shortages, and focus on 'non-traditional' learners.
The authors, however, admit that the research was conducted over a short time, and did not even look at course materials. In addition, it has been pointed out that the other "top learning providers" (with which learndirect was compared) were all
virtual universities.
The DfEE have produced a guide to Career Development Loans; explaining how they work, and who is eligible. To download a copy, go to www.dfee.gov.uk.
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