So the question is, how did I get here? I have been working in the training department of the Scout Association for nearly three years now. Learning for us is not just about the need to know, but about personal development. Scouting has been learning by doing for over a hundred years. Over the past few years we have found that many trainers are stuck in a rut. They either fit in the category of fantastic or dire. So upskilling trainers is a priority. However more than that, volunteers want different methods to engage in. Every year the research from those who have completed their learning tells us that they want to have more online support available.
We know that people have less time, need more focussed learning packages that they tap into outside of the traditional course setting. One of the principles of the training scheme is having more than one method for completing the learning, which we fall short of in many instances. I have traditional shied away from technology, proclaiming myself to 'hate it'. However the realisation has slowly dawned on me recently that I don't hate technology at all, but that I get frustrated with the fact that we don't use it to our advantage. That said I think that I made up my mind to tackle the beast. And of course to do that, I need to immerse myself into the online world more.
The 'elearning' we provide our volunteers tends to be off the shelf, bespoke packages. They do the job, but personally I don't find them inspiring. The biggest barrier is the amount of time we spend getting whichever company wins the tender to understand the association. And then of course, in five years time, the information is out of date again.
I want to start a revolution. I have already starting sowing the seeds. I want people to think differently about how we view training across the association. At a headquarters level there is no training budget. We bid for projects as they come along. This means that often we create resources that are online and free to the user. My goal is to get a budget - £1 for every adult member. With over a 100,000 adults......
Over the last 2 years I have been engaging with research and keeping up to date with the theory behind learning technology. However often what I see isn't new or innovative, and often I don't get a real chance to engage in this form of learning, so have no way to really assess the impact. I am hoping that this course gives me a chance to explore further. I want to question what innovation is, and whether it really supports learning. Even in traditional training methods, I often experience the method taking over the objectives, so to me innovations are to take those objectives and deliver them in a new way. For me at the moment, innovation is about taking all the raw materials and using it in a creative and useful way, allowing learners of different styles to engage with what they are learning in new and positive ways.
We know that people have less time, need more focussed learning packages that they tap into outside of the traditional course setting. One of the principles of the training scheme is having more than one method for completing the learning, which we fall short of in many instances. I have traditional shied away from technology, proclaiming myself to 'hate it'. However the realisation has slowly dawned on me recently that I don't hate technology at all, but that I get frustrated with the fact that we don't use it to our advantage. That said I think that I made up my mind to tackle the beast. And of course to do that, I need to immerse myself into the online world more.
The 'elearning' we provide our volunteers tends to be off the shelf, bespoke packages. They do the job, but personally I don't find them inspiring. The biggest barrier is the amount of time we spend getting whichever company wins the tender to understand the association. And then of course, in five years time, the information is out of date again.
I want to start a revolution. I have already starting sowing the seeds. I want people to think differently about how we view training across the association. At a headquarters level there is no training budget. We bid for projects as they come along. This means that often we create resources that are online and free to the user. My goal is to get a budget - £1 for every adult member. With over a 100,000 adults......
Over the last 2 years I have been engaging with research and keeping up to date with the theory behind learning technology. However often what I see isn't new or innovative, and often I don't get a real chance to engage in this form of learning, so have no way to really assess the impact. I am hoping that this course gives me a chance to explore further. I want to question what innovation is, and whether it really supports learning. Even in traditional training methods, I often experience the method taking over the objectives, so to me innovations are to take those objectives and deliver them in a new way. For me at the moment, innovation is about taking all the raw materials and using it in a creative and useful way, allowing learners of different styles to engage with what they are learning in new and positive ways.
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