Evidencing e-learning hours in maths and English

Evidencing e-learning hours

One part of the e-learning conversation is the percentage of time that learners can/should/do spend using on-line learning.  This is a subject that has been raised by Feltag who recommended (October 2013) that a portion of funding is allocated according to the amount of e-learning content in publically funded programmes.

At For Skills/Guroo, we've been doing quite a lot of research on behalf of customers into e-learning use for English and maths we've come up with some interesting stats.

• For Skills and Guroo customers collectively recorded 3 million hours of e-learning
• The marginal cost of e-learning delivery is significantly less than £1 per learner hour
• "Upper quartile" users of e-learning in maths and English target 5 hours in assessment/review with an additional 15 hours for e-learning resource use

SkillsPortfolio - the UK's best regarded and most cost effective "full service" e-portfolio solution - is perfect for tracking e-learning usage across all qualifications, not just English and maths.  

Functional Skills - stability is the watchword

Functional Skills - stability seems to be the watchword

After all the announcements, stability seems to be returning to English and maths provision now. Glenys Stacey (Ofqual Chief) has responded to Nick Boles (Skills Minister) and her message is that, whilst there is always some areas for improvement, stability is equally important and Functional Skills is viewed positively.

On a similar theme, Charlotte Bosworth (Director of skills & employment at OCR) also writing in FE Week, makes a convincing argument for Functional Skills over GCSE, again saying the case for re-branding is not clear.   

Our own findings relating to the name are below! 

And just a reminder that although we've already had nearly 200 responses to the 2014 Functional Skills Annual Survey - if you haven't done yours yet - please do it now.

What's in a name (re-brand)

With more than 100 responses making this survey result "significant" in statistical terms, the winner of the "choose a new name for Functional Skills" survey is:

1st   Functional Skills

2nd  Skills for Life

3rd   Essential Skills

4th   Skills for Work

Functional Skills was well out in front too, also rans in the name stakes in order of popularity were Everyday (Skills), Working, Vocational, Work, Practical, Crucial, Useful and Relevant with some votes also cast for Fun (Skills), Applied, Enabling, Living, Foundation, Core and Progression.

We also asked whether we should refer to Functional Skills as maths and English or something else and an overwhelming 80% chose English/maths over Literacy/Numeracy and numbers/words.

Nick Boles support for Functional Skills

2.5 minute video clip of Nick Boles talking about maths and English.

Good to know that Functional Skills and GCSE are the ONLY two routes for maths and English quals - For more, consult the ForSkills and Guroo websites.