Elfs and Goblins

1
Elfs and Goblins

• John Bamber
• Higher and Community Education
• University of Edinburgh

2
Elfs and Goblins

• Elf
• small, manlike, mischievous, playful
• teases and disturbs
• Goblin
• small, grotesque, malevolent
• troublesome, vexatious

3
Transitions

• Personal development
• Learning to learn
• Professional Development
• Learning to work
• Widening participation
• Non-traditional students

4
Part time Students in HE

• 28 are 21 to 55
• mostly white Scottish D and E
• 2/3 women, half parents
• Employment f-t, p-time, voluntary
• HNC max plus experience

5
Work-based learning

• Some features (Raelin, 200)
• reflection on work practice
• reviewing and learning from experience
• learning from action and problem-solving
• live projects and challenges
• collective knowledge creation
• new knowledge and meta-competence learning to
  learn

6
Work-based learning 1
7
Assumptions

• One
• the students will cope with the demands of HE
  more readily because they will see the relevance
  of the subject matter to their own professional
  development
• Two
• a specially designed CD based learning
  environment will enable them to learn at a place
  and time of their own choosing

8
Elf or Goblin?

• Two Questions
• Is this type of platform good at revealing the
  emotional, behavioural, existential, contextual
  and collective aspects of learning in the
  practice situation?
• Is this type of course more attuned to the needs
  of non-traditional students than conventional
  modes of delivery?