Glasgow Clyde College is one of Scotland’s largest colleges, employing more than 1000 staff and with 17,000 enrolled students. The College has three campuses in Anniesland, Cardonald and Langside and also offers a range of community-based, adult learning courses in local venues, including community centres, schools and libraries across south and north-west Glasgow.
During a year which has proven to be like no other, Glasgow Clyde College Community Learning & Development (CLD) team has continued to use the SCQF to support community learners in making positive changes to their lives and to recognise wider achievement, as well as increasing the College’s work with regional partners such as schools, communities and training providers, to support successful learner journeys.
In response to the current exceptional circumstances created by the COVID pandemic, it was recognised that people required to look to different means to access their educational, work and personal needs.
To meet this need, Alan Milson, CLD Officer, developed a new unit introducing learners to Video Conferencing. The Introduction to Video Conferencing: assisting online meets for learning, work and family (SCQF Level 3 with 2 credit points) was approved by the College in January 2021.
This new 20-hour unit is designed to provide accreditation and support to new and existing learners who wish to understand the basics of video conferencing in order to undertake activities such as online learning, interviewing for jobs, supporting their children’s learning and engaging in family and social activity through apps such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meets. Or simply to use this medium to continue to virtually meet and communicate in their everyday life to reduce the isolation experienced during lockdown.
The unit aims to provide practical IT skills from the downloading of the app to the setting up and hosting of online meets. It allows learners to assess which video conferencing app would most suit their needs in differing situations. It also allows them to engage with a variety of different video conferencing apps, when selected by others.
Sheila White, Community Learning and Development Manager, said:
“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the CLD team recognised the value in creating a unit around video conferencing platforms for our use within the college/community environment. Colleagues from both the voluntary and statutory sectors identified that there is a real need and demand for people in the community to be more confident and competent in the use of video conferencing platforms.”
There are no other accredited community focused IT qualifications like this available or delivered at this level. On successful completion of this unit, learners can progress onto other SQA or other SCQF credit rated qualifications.
Some comments from current students:
“This video conferencing course has helped me have a deeper insight on zoom. Am now able to do my dissertation interviews with ease.”
“I really enjoyed the course. It gave me the confidence to apply for a volunteering position – working with people with learning difficulties online. When the organisation heard I was doing this course they were very excited and accepted me as a volunteer immediately.”
“Doing this course had made me realise I am not alone in needing to learn more about new technology – my confidence has grown along with my skills to use different video conferencing platforms.”
“I really liked that the course focused on practice. By being asked to do things like taking control of the videoconferencing meet, I moved from being just a guest on a call to taking a real active part.”
“I know so much more about what Zoom and Teams are capable of doing by being part of the course.”
For more information on courses available at Glasgow Clyde College, visit the website
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