Learning, Teaching and Development: Strategies for Action

This best practice guide to teaching in the Further Education and Skills sector, and professional organisational learning contexts, examines the key concepts underpinning effective teaching and learning and combines this with case studies which demonstrate meaningful connections between theory and practice. Each chapter also contains discussion questions, learning activities and reflective points, allowing you to further engage with key research and relate it to your own teaching. Offering pragmatic advice on learning design, support and delivery, coverage includes:         Identifying learning needs and objectives         Selecting and developing appropriate content         Using technology to enhance learning         Assessment, evaluation and reflection This is an indispensable resource for anyone preparing to teach in Further Education, current Higher Education lecturers and work-based learning trainers in private and public-sector organisations. Lyn Ashmore is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education and Professional Development and Denise Robinson is Director of the Post Compulsory Education & Training Consortium, both are based at the University of Huddersfield.

Table of Contents:
Introduction - Lyn Ashmore & Denise Robinson Identifying Learning needs - Ian Rushton & Martyn Walker Specifying learning objectives - Nena Skrbic & Jane Burrows Selecting appropriate and relevant content - Ian Rushton & Anne Temple Clothier Using Metaphors in teaching, training and learning - Mohammed Karolia Designing learning delivery - Louise Mycroft & Jane Weatherby Preparation and delivery of learning - Wayne Bailey & Mohammed Karolia Evaluating and assessing learning - Glenys Richardson & Alison Iredale Using technology to enhance learning - Cheryl Reynolds & Shailesh Appukuttan Reflective practice and CPD - Kevin Orr, Jane Wormald & Kate Lavender Workforce development and policy issues - Denise Robinson & Lyn Ashmore

About the Author :
Dr Lyn Ashmore is a Senior Lecturer and teacher educator at the University of Huddersfield and is course leader for the MA in Learning and Development Management.   She has a broad range of experience in human resources and learning and development and has provided consultancy services in staff development and facilitated integration of cultural understanding and improved performance in a number of organisations.  Lyn has worked extensively to develop and promote learning and development for socially excluded communities, focusing on empowerment and access in both an educational and employment context.   She has a great passion for equality of opportunities and access to higher education and widening participation and strives to enable students from disadvantaged communities to become confident in challenging and confronting some of the myths that surround high education.  Lyn has co-authored a book on The reflective practitioner in professional education and has also co-written a chapter in J. Avis, R. Fisher and R. Thompson, Teaching in Lifelong Learning: a guide to theory and practice.  Her research interests are learning and development, reflective practice, personal and professional development, strategies for developing staff within organizations and methods for evaluating learning strategies.  She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management. Dr Denise Robinson is the Director of the Post Compulsory Education and Training Consortium FE teacher education partnership and Huddersfield University Distributed Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (HUDCETT).  She works with the 23 partner colleges who deliver the University of Huddersfield’s Certificate in Education and Post Graduate teacher education courses for the FE and skills sector. Denise worked in FE for 25 years before moving into higher education to focus on FE teacher education.  Previously, Denise  taught on a variety of courses including Access, Women’s Taster, A levels, Technician and open learning courses.  In her present role she initiates and develops activities to support the education and training of teachers in the sector, as well as the teacher educators themselves.  Denise is the editor of the Journal, Teaching in Lifelong Learning (http://consortium.hud.ac.uk/journal/).  She is also on the editorial board of Research in Post Compulsory Education Journal.  Denise has co-written a number of chapters in J. Avis, R. Fisher and R. Thompson, Teaching in Lifelong Learning: a guide to theory and practice as well as co-authoring the chapter Professional and Personal Development in  FDTL Voices: Drawing from Learning and Teaching Projects. Denise has worked for LLUK and Ofsted; she is a National Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Review :
′This book provides a current, engaging, well-researched and comprehensive overview of key practices and principles in the FE sector. Written by professionals for professionals it includes many ideas, case studies, activities, and examples of best practice. It makes a fresh contribution to the field which will be extremely valuable for new and experienced teachers alike.′ This is an accessible and useful addition to the literature to support practitioners in further education, skills and organizational learning contexts. The combination of historical critique, theoretical discussion and the use of case studies as reflective prompts offers the reader the opportunity to’ dip in’ to subjects or to consider issues in depth.  The technology chapter is thoughtful and supportive and is a good starting point for practitioners wishing to explore technology enhanced learning. I feel that this book  not only fulfils the brief of bringing together concepts, theories and contexts, it provides an invaluable handbook  for new and experienced practitioners and also delivers new material adding to the body of knowledge in this field... As such I would recommend it to anyone embarking on a development pathway in the post-compulsory sector. 1.      I found the structure very accessible, providing a clear and progressive introduction to the chapters which follow. An excellent companion guide to  for exploring change as a ′context′ in learning and development, moving easily between the individual and organisational levels and effectively describing the elasticity of the threads which pass between them. 2.      Establishing the culture and nature of change and responses to that change the work delivers a well-supported analysis of the creation of structures within the sector as recognisable responses to policy frameworks. 3.      The book sets out to offer ′real solutions to problems in [your] teaching and training practice′ and achieves this from the first pages, achieving its aim to be ′practical and dynamic′ in the way that this kind of book, at its best, is capable of producing through the live interactions of those of us who will use it with successive cohorts of trainee trainers, educators and developers. 4.      The book achieves an optimum balance between socio-historical exploration of policy and strategy and the individual practical guide  for the individual reflective practitioner. As such it broadens both its appeal and application. 5.      From the first few pages the book explores some of the truly current, live concepts in education establishments, such as  ′talent management′ as an organisational development priority for establishments struggling to survive external change and those policy triggers which challenge structure and strategy. 6.      Likewise the clear line of sight to ′flex′ as means to ensure continued employability. 7.      The book is highly effective in summarising key milestones of policy and theory as they have contributed to shaping the current operating contexts and with and easy transition which is not jarring, it introduces forward looking applications such as the use of metaphor and reflection. 8.      The section on assessment offers a fresher look at some of the tenets of developmental assessment practice and draws some affirming links between facilitation and leadership, rounding off the link between change, challenge, learning and growth as both a response to change and change itself. 9.      I feel that this book  not only fulfils the brief of bringing together concepts, theories and contexts, it provides an invaluable handbook  for new and experienced practitioners and also delivers new material adding to the body of knowledge in this field. 10.     The book delivers on all three levels - and as such I would recommend it to anyone  embarking on a development pathway in the post-compulsory sector.