The College of North West London, which has centres in Willesden, Kilburn and Wembley Park, has been accepted for the second year running as a member of the prestigious Technology Exemplar Network – a national group of further education colleges and skills training bodies which promotes and shares innovative and excellent use of technology.

 

Being appointed to the network is a huge achievement, as only 61 out of more than 220 applicants across the country were selected. As a member of the Network, CNWL will also contribute effective practice and its positive experiences to other colleges and training groups, locally, regionally and nationally.

 

The Technology Exemplar Network was launched in 2008 to help colleges and other learning and training organisations use technology more effectively by sharing best practice. It is led by Becta – the government’s educational technology agency – and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

 

The initiative gained a major boost earlier this month (January 2010) when Lord Mandelson, the government’s Business Secretary, speaking at the World Forum for Learning and Technology in London, announced a doubling in the size of the operation.

 

The network now has 113 members led by 16 ‘Exemplars’, each working with a mini-network of 8-9 members including colleges, work-based learning providers, adult and community learning and the Offenders' Learning and Skills Service (OLASS).

 

CNWL’s Head of Business & Computing and ILT Grethe Woodward recently outlined some of the College’s ‘excellent electronic solutions’ which had been a major part of staff and student life for a number of years, during a visit to the College by delegates from the World Forum.

 

She highlighted the fact that the College had the latest IT infrastructure through regular upgrading in classrooms and learning resource centres, interactive whiteboards and teacher’s computers in every classroom and two sites (Willesden and Kilburn) with wireless network.

 

Led by e-learning staff, the College offered a Virtual Learning Environment or student intranet called Moodle featuring online teaching resources and an individual learning plan for each student. The College also operated a range of in-house information systems.  

 

More recently the College has set up its own property within the virtual web world Second Life, where its gas, heating and ventilation students can access learning and research materials, visit a virtual heating system and join an online class.   

 

Research from Becta shows that 35% of colleges, 37% of work-based learning providers and 31% of adult and community learning providers are now mature in their use of technology (up from 25%, 35% and 20% in 2007).

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