Business lecturer uses Alan Sugar to inspire students

Congratulations to Jay Glover for receiving a BECTA Award...

The BECTA Next Generation Learning Awards: Technology Excellence in FE & Skills rewards all types of learning provider in the further education and skills sector and identifies those who are fully confident in the use of technology. The winning learning providers were announced on Monday, 8 March 2010, at an evening awards ceremony at The International Convention Centre (ICC), Birmingham.

Jay, who was inspired by the BBC Alan Sugar Apprentice programme, said " I was delighted to receive the award from among so many nominees nationally and at such a prestigious event. It is really nice to be recognised for the innovative approach we have adopted to learning in the college - especially when the nomination came from learners themselves. The fact that they are so clearly engaged by this approach to teaching and learning with technology is an inspiration to continue to develop in this direction".

The BECTA awards comes after our College was awarded MOLENET Academy status for our commitment to the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. We are the only college in London to have received this national accolade.
Speaking about receiving his award, Jay said "Our College Apprentice project was the result of a brainstorm on how to make our HE courses exciting and deliver a common platform of skills so that students can hit the ground running. The project involves students working in teams to research and develop new business ideas for a range of business sectors. The Apprentice project begins immediately the students enrol for their business programmes and has upward of 140 student participants. It is conducted entirely on a managed learning environment (MLE) in the form of a networking site, with students using Google Groups and other web 2.0 applications for conference meetings, file-sharing and showcasing their business product. Students can therefore "meet" anytime and anywhere through the online project site with all their activity guided by online staff mentors. The skills learned on the programme form the basis for student success on their chosen business programmes which begin immediately after the College Apprentice programme.

"Our team is committed to ensuring students have access to well resourced online schemes of work; a willingness to experiment with delivery models; dedicated and creative staff who have learnt how best to use technology to support learners. Ultimately, we get a consistency of approach from all of our students and they get the experiences they need to impress employers in interviews. Already, one student has received a job offer in direct relation to the skills she learnt on the College Apprentice project."

To find out more about the BECTA Awards click on the link.

http://awards.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=42073