1

Open University Post Graduate Certificate on Online and Distance Education

Module H808 The eLearning Professional

Nigel Smellie

2

Background 

1. I'm an Army officer approaching end of his time serving Queen and country.  For the last 4 years I have been serving the Defence College of Logistics and Personnel Administration based in Camberley, Surrey.  Over this time I have completed my PGCE (FE & HE) at Farnborough Tech College and 2 years (out of 3) of an on-line MA in Applied Educational Leadership and Management (AELM) at the University of London (UoL) at their Institute of Education.  When I finish this e-learning course I intend to finish my MA by completing my dissertation.

2. In September I formally changed jobs within the college to become the leader of a small department within the college HQ that leads on training policy and development plus quality assurance and improvement.

Why E-Learning?

3. Essentially there are four reasons:

a. I feel I know too little about it - certainly not enough to discriminate between those who seem to be overly keen "sellers" of the concept (ie "the answer to modern training is e-learning - what's the question again?" and those who totally discount it in a reactionary sense.

b.  The college is starting a major change programme and it is envisaged that e-learning will be a major enabler to reduce time spent by students away from their units/jobs and families.  I need to intelligently comment on the potential to expand e-learning as part of the quality improvement process.

c.  Knowing more about e-learning will make me more employable when I leave the Army in 2010.

d.  I enjoy learning - and having spent 2 years doing an on-line course with the UoL I thought I'd see how the OU approach compares. In addition the e-learning angle may broaden the potential subject areas for my MA dissertation at for my AELM MA.

3

IntroducingThe Defence College

of Logistics and Personnel Administration

(DCLPA)

4

DCLPA Mission

To deliver integrated logistic and

personnel administration training in

order to meet the Statement of Trained

Requirement (SOTR) in support of the

operational requirements of Defence

5

(Trainee Places (TP))

Army

RAF

RN/RM

Oth

er

27% Phase 2 (initial job skills) & 73% Phase 3 (advanced training)

DCLPA Annual Trainee Volume

Service TP (No/%)

RN/RM 4,913 (10%)

Army 34,392 (70%)

RAF 7,861 (16%)

Other 1,965 (4%)

Total 49,131 (100%)

6

Revised DCLPA StructureHQ

Explosives, Munitions &

Search

25 Training Regiment

Transport Personnel Administration

Food Services

Logistics & Supply

Defence Maritime Logistics School

OF4 Torpoint

OF5 Deepcut

OF5 (Col) Kineton

OF6 (Brig) Deepcut

OF5 Worthy Down

OF5 WorthyDown

Apr 08 Jan 09

OF5 Leconfield

7

6 schools on 15 sites

LECONFIELD

CRANWELL

BRIZE NORTON

TORPOINTWEST MOORS

DEEPCUT

CHATHAM

-RN Sup, Catand Admin

- Jt EOD and Search

- Def Fuels

- Jt / Army Logs, Sup and Mov

HALTON

KINETON

ALDERSHOT

- RAF / RN Movs

- Def Munitions

- Def Tpt

- RAF Sup and Cat

- Army Cat

- RAF / Jt Sup

BICESTER

- Army Rail

MARCHWOOD

- Jt / Army Port & Mar

ASHCHURCH

-Army Vehicles

WORTHY DOWN and

SOUTHWICK PARK

- Army / RAF Admin

8

The Scale

• 49,131 trainee places a year.

• Over 550 course types.

• Around 750, 000 man training days per year

(average 15 days per student).

• 2,277 staff: 1,037 military & 1,240 civilian.

• 15 sites (a lodger on 11 sites).

9

DCLPA Vision

“To be the true centre of excellence for

the delivery of integrated logistic and

personnel administration training.”

10

DCLPA Transformation “Intent”

DCLPA is to effectively and efficiently train skilled leaders, managers and deliverers of defence logistics and personnel administration capability in the quantities demanded by College customers.

It is to be proactive and dynamic (acting as an intelligent supplier of training) in turning out the right people, with the right skills, at the right time, to meet evolving operational needs. Training best practice must be identified and delivered within a more coherent College structure enabled by the DTR fallback plan estates rationalization.

11

Summary: DCLPA Characteristics

• DCLPA size, geography & diversity – demands a strong

mission command approach.

• Output focused with a dynamic training requirement –

increased joint processes and urgent operational

requirements (UORs).

• Strong customer focus & relationships – but some weakness

in process.

• Seeks to act as “intelligent” supplier of training.

12http://www2.army.mod.uk/dclpa/index.htm