Since the closure of the College, how have students been able to continue their studies?
Under these difficult times, we have switched to online learning via our Moodle platform. This is an online collection of tools and resources that the College uses for submitting assignments, posting worksheets and to upload PowerPoints used in lectures. We are also utilising another online learning system in a similar way to Moodle, called OneFile.
How can staff and students access Moodle?
A link to Moodle is highlighted on the College website and staff and students can use their normal login details to access it. Staff were given additional training in teams once it became clear that learning was to be switched online. E-stream enables staff and students to record videos to demonstrate practical skills and record evidence of assignments. Some staff have used this to build playlists for students to watch lessons online.
How have you assisted students who have no access to IT outside of College?
We encouraged students to complete an online survey to identify those who have limited, or no access to any form of IT outside of College. The IT and Student Services teams are now working tirelessly to ensure that we are supporting all of those identified students.
What has the transition period been like?
The transition has shown some challenges in being able to track all activities, but it has gone relatively smoothly given the circumstances. We needed to increase the number of servers we had in College to support Moodle due to high demand. Our fantastic IT team were able to do this swiftly to prevent any lag. However, there are still support needs amongst staff and students, but our Moodle help desks ensure that we respond to enquiries as quickly as possible.
Have staff adapted to this new way of teaching?
We have a fantastic team of Teaching and Learning Mentors in the College that are still delivering training and user guides to staff members so that we can deliver online lessons. The online tool is something that the College has been using for a long time and is a great platform to make the transition on.
How many people are currently using the system?
Everyone in the organisation is now using this system. We have in the region of 5000 students and almost 300 members of staff across the two campuses that are using Moodle.
What school has had the highest number of logins so far?
The School of Business, Community and Access, headed by Agnes Joseph has had the highest number of actions with 115,700!
Do you think it’s been a success overall?
Overall this has been an extremely successful transition and it is really heart-warming that every member of Croydon College is striving to support the educational needs of our fantastic students. Our students are at the heart of everything we do and to be able to still support them, even online is great to see.
What are the next steps?
We will continue to develop our online tools and support students that are having IT difficulties. We will continue to plan for next year so that we can get timetables, assessments, resources and enrolments in place for all students.
