The following improvement services support organisations in improving teaching and learning.
Apprenticeships: embedding functional skills
This strand will support all providers delivering apprenticeship programmes in the planning and delivering of functional skills. CPD events will be offered to help providers embed language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) and ICT skills into vocational programmes, develop approaches to summative assessment, improve initial and diagnostic assessment and develop flexible delivery models for workplace programmes.
Improving the quality of provision
This strand will support providers to improve the quality of their literacy, language and numeracy (LLN) provision. Aimed at all organisations that are new to delivering LLN programmes and providers with unsatisfactory provision, support will be offered by lead providers with proven expertise in delivering high quality LLN. It will be customised to organisational priorities, with an emphasis on a whole organisation approach and may be offered through consultancy, continuing professional development, webinars, study visits or peer working groups.
Practitioner attitudes to technology
This strand will focus on the use and implementation of technology to address quality improvement, effective practice, and improvements in management and efficiency.
This area of work utilises Generator, the technology improvement tool for further education and skills. Using Generator enables providers to improve their organisation's strategic deployment of technology for the benefit of learners. LSIS is moving Generator toward a suite of tools for organisational development, through sector participation in national survey work, to monitor technology use and implementation. This LSIS research will create a research instrument for use by sector providers within the Generator tool.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): regional support
This strand will support the national STEM agenda with a focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, through specific training, support and development enabling providers to raise the profile of STEM at strategic and organisational level and improve standards of recruitment, retention and achievement.
Teaching and Learning Excellence
The strand aims to create a vibrant community of effective practice in teaching and learning through peer coaching, networking, resource development and grants. This will be achieved through regional teaching and learning fairs which offer opportunities for change agents and their managers to network together and access LSIS resources.
Technology to support learners with
learning difficulties and/or disabilities
This strand will address the need for practitioners and organisations to access appropriate ‘accessibility and assistive resources’ for learners with disabilities or specific needs to improve their autonomy (and consequently improve work, living and learning outcomes) through sustainable assistive and enabling technology support. This work will populate a database of resources which will be made available on the Excellence Gateway. It will also involve some testing with practitioners and learners in provider settings.