This page was updated on 20/08/2021
We’re sharing brief insights into how adult learning in the community partnerships are supporting their learners and community in response to the difficult circumstances due to COVID-19.
Adult learning in the community provides education for people of 25+, primarily in literacy, numeracy, digital skills, English as a Second Language (ESOL) and Welsh, and secondly in interest courses, such as cookery, art, photography and crafts. A diverse group of learners take courses provided by adult in the community partnerships; the partnerships seek to be inclusive and to reach those in society who are furthest away from education to help them overcome barriers to learning. In normal circumstances, classes take place in venues in the local community.
These approaches were written following an engagement call and reflect the situation at that time.
Adult learning in the community partnerships may be able to adapt these to their own context.
These insights show how adult learning in the community partnerships supported their learners during the pandemic. Find out about their non-digital support and how their online adult learning courses have attracted interest from across the world.
Staff commitment to engaging learners
Throughout the lockdown period, adult learning in the community tutors have put the wellbeing of the learners first and they have committed to keep classes running by using a wide range of different strategies to engage with learners. Tutors have explored and learned how to use a range of digital tools suitable to their subject area to connect with those learners who are able to work online. However, many more vulnerable and hard-to-reach learners have not always been able to use digital hardware or software, either to lack of equipment or connection problems. Tutors have gone out of their way to keep track of and support these learners. In many cases, tutors have posted or delivered hard copy materials to learners’ homes, sometimes along with food parcels. This has helped them to be reassured about the learners’ circumstances and to signpost learners to any of the support facilities they might need. In a few cases, the tutor is the only person with whom learners have spoken in the week. Learners very much appreciate that tutors have taken these extra steps to support them in a difficult situation.
Supporting those learners without digital connection
Chairs of adult learning in the community partnerships acted swiftly at the start of lockdown to ensure that adult learning in the community could continue. Many chairs of partnership are employees of the local authority who in normal circumstances often have several roles to fulfil within the local authority. However, during this period, many have had to assume additional roles in the local authority, such as overseeing ‘track and trace’ arrangements, overseeing the recruitment and deployment of volunteers or co-ordinating the work of youth workers and youth volunteers to maintain contact and provide help to the socially isolated. In many cases, this has facilitated a joined-up approach with other local authority departments and adult learning in the community partners to have a clear focus on supporting the most deprived and socially isolated adult learners in the community, both in terms of wellbeing and learning. Leaders have sought additional technological hardware from various sources, including the local authority, to set up lending facilities for those learners who do not have such equipment. Where local authorities have loaned pupils digital equipment, this has helped a few adult learners, as they are able to share the equipment with their children.
Wales without borders
An unexpected outcome of providing adult learning in the community courses online is that in many cases the numbers of learners registering for and attending classes has increased. For many learners this is because they find it easier to schedule the time into their commitments and they free up time to do other things, as they do not have to travel to class. In many cases, ESOL learners have taken part in online classes and quizzes with members of their families to learn language together. Several partnerships have experimented with putting ‘interest’ courses online using a range of strategies, such as online streaming or tutor recorded videos. These courses have recruited learners successfully. ‘Coffee’ and ‘afternoon tea’ clubs also allow learners to keep in social contact. Additionally, putting courses online has attracted a growing number of learners from other UK countries, and as far away as Sydney and Moscow, to register for courses. As a result, a public service in England has asked one partnership to provide an online British Sign Language course for its employees. The inclusion of learners from around the world has broadened the points of view expressed in sessions and has enlivened discussions. The accessibility of adult learning in the community courses online is helping to heighten the profile of Wales around the world.
Assuring the quality of accredited blended learning
At the point when the government imposed lockdown, many learners were in the process of completing accredited courses. Adult learning in the community leaders liaised with the awarding bodies, and together they agreed ways in which leaders could monitor, standardise and verify learners’ work remotely, and thereby confidently allow learners to achieve their qualifications and progress to different courses in the coming academic year. To monitor teaching and learning, leaders agreed with tutors and learners that they would ‘attend’ the class, so that they could have direct experience of the teaching and learning. Leaders set up an appropriate etiquette so that all parties were aware of how leaders would carry out the monitoring. By doing this, leaders were also able to engage with learners and ask them directly about their experiences of the course in general and of online learning in particular. This information will help leaders and tutors to refine blended learning provision in the future. To undertake standardisation meetings, leaders organised online meetings with tutors with clear agendas and protocols using digital technology, which allowed them to share relevant items on screen.
