One size doesn’t fit all

Centre for Open Learning of Mathematics, Science, Computing and Technology (COLMSCT) Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302).

Val HancockCOLMSCT Associate Teaching Fellowvyh3@tutor.open.ac.uk

Adapting courses for offender learners

What do ALs say?

One of the first shocks was to discover that the prisoner had no

internet access which made things rather challenging on a course that was using the eTMA system, issued

TMAs via a website and required students to take part in FirstClass

discussions for TMAs!

I'm not clear on who provides the student with TMA questions when

they are only available online (I sent a hardcopy of

TMA01 just in case)

There is no alternative to

electronic submission of the ECA and if it can't

be submitted electronically he

will fail the course

I think it is too much to expect either the prison Education Officer

or myself to provide hard

copies of everything they

need

He cannot do any of the iCMA's

Just wonder what colleagues do in this situation?I hopefully can and will see the

students F2F but what about all the online

stuff?

I don’t think he is allowed CD/DVDs

What can’t offender learners do?• Access the course website• Web searches• Access the OU library• Use the eTMA system• Read CDs and/or DVDs• Use USB memory sticks• Have laptops in their cells• Listen to podcasts• iCMAs (eCMAs, OpenMark)• Contact a tutor

• Take part in forum discussions• Update a wiki• Write a blog

What can offender learners do?• Access the course website• Web searches• Access the OU library• Use the eTMA system• Read CDs and/or DVDs• Use USB memory sticks• Have laptops in their cells• Listen to podcasts• iCMAs (eCMAs, OpenMark)• Contact a tutor

What are ALs doing?• Emailing or printing course materials published via the

course website and sending them to the student.

• Summarising and anonymising forum contributions

• Emailing or printing web pages

• Carrying out mediated searches

• Re-inventing the wheel!

What are prisons doing?• Providing internet access for staff in some prisons• HMP Whitemoor – course website & OpenLearn on

generic Moodle• Virtual Campus – limited, supervised internet access for

offender learners

What’s the OU doing?• Offender learning coordinator• Offender learning working groups

– matrix to replace ‘traffic lights– degree & diploma pathways– making the library accessible– improvements/alternatives to eTMAs, eCMAs, iCMAs– improving AL support

• Involvement in Virtual Campus• Raising the profile of offender learning within the OU

What can course teams do?• Centralise support for ALs

– Tutor packs– Identify an AL or course team member to give

guidance• Provide alternatives for students with very limited or no

internet access • Issue CDs with static online versions of web pages• Integrate internet accessibility into course design

procedures

What else can course teams do?• Categorise activities requiring internet access (EDO Framework)

–Essentialstudents will fail the course if the activity cannot be carried

out

–Desirablestudents can pass the course if the activity cannot be carried

out but their overall grade is likely to be affected

–Optionalmany students outside prison will not engage with the

activity

One size doesn’t fit all• What works in one prison will not

work in another prison• What helps one AL won’t help every

AL• Pick & mix to provide appropriate

support for each offender learner

Useful links• Alternative approaches to online activities for prisoners a

nd others without access to the Internet (COLMSCT project)

• Prison Tutor Support wiki (Alternative approaches)• Supporting students in prison booklet (AL Development)• OU Prison Scheme (old site)• Student Services Offender Learning (new site)

• Val Hancock: vyh3@tutor.open.ac.uk