BRITE in BriefBRITE in Brief

‘‘Staffing, Learners and Staffing, Learners and Learning Environments’Learning Environments’

12 January 2006 12 January 2006

Today’s objectives?Today’s objectives?

• To offer a brief explanation of BRITE’s To offer a brief explanation of BRITE’s role and to give a summary of the current role and to give a summary of the current ‘state of play’ vis-à-vis BRITE’s links with ‘state of play’ vis-à-vis BRITE’s links with colleges colleges

• To highlight current and future work To highlight current and future work relating to Inclusiveness and Accessibilityrelating to Inclusiveness and Accessibility

• To take questionsTo take questions

What’s on offer through BRITE?What’s on offer through BRITE?

• Staff development Staff development programmeprogramme

• Virtual StaffroomVirtual Staffroom

• Seminar programmeSeminar programme

• Information/supportInformation/support

• Loan BankLoan Bank

• Resource CentreResource Centre

• Advice on teaching Advice on teaching and learning strategies and learning strategies (including, (including, but notbut not only only assistive technologies) assistive technologies)

• WebsiteWebsite

The BRITE role in Professional The BRITE role in Professional DevelopmentDevelopment

• Accrediting expertiseAccrediting expertise• Promoting good Promoting good

practicepractice• Creating links between Creating links between

practitioners /collegespractitioners /colleges• Raising standardsRaising standards

Modelling Modelling Inclusiveness &Inclusiveness &

• Designing and Designing and delivering trainingdelivering training

• Sharing informationSharing information

• Giving adviceGiving advice

• Supplying resourcesSupplying resources

Building capacityBuilding capacity

Implementing InclusivenessImplementing Inclusiveness

BRITE aims:BRITE aims:1.1. To make a significant and To make a significant and

distinct contribution to the distinct contribution to the ‘collective effectiveness’ of ‘collective effectiveness’ of colleges as inclusive colleges as inclusive organisations.organisations.

2.2. To extend the skills and To extend the skills and build the confidence of build the confidence of individual staff to be individual staff to be inclusiveness practitioners inclusiveness practitioners and agents of change.and agents of change.

Realising PotentialRealising Potential

BRITE aims:BRITE aims:To develop, and add value to, To develop, and add value to, partnerships with other partnerships with other stakeholders in the pursuit of stakeholders in the pursuit of effective transitions and cross-effective transitions and cross-sectoral collaboration to meet sectoral collaboration to meet students’ needs.students’ needs.To research, design and To research, design and demonstrate strategies that lead demonstrate strategies that lead to the creation of learning to the creation of learning environments in which environments in which individuals achieve their individuals achieve their potential.potential.

Facts and figuresFacts and figures

• All Scottish Colleges have All Scottish Colleges have put at least one member of put at least one member of staff through full BRITE staff through full BRITE trainingtraining

• There are 150 BRITE links There are 150 BRITE links registered in the BRITE registered in the BRITE Virtual StaffroomVirtual Staffroom

• 81 individuals have 81 individuals have reached Unit 4 stage reached Unit 4 stage (January 2006)(January 2006)

Facts and figuresFacts and figures

• Next intake (June 2006) Next intake (June 2006) for the 4-unit training for the 4-unit training programme is fully programme is fully subscribed alreadysubscribed already

• Applications received for Applications received for December 2006 intakeDecember 2006 intake

• The BRITE website The BRITE website contains a searchable contains a searchable list of all BRITE links list of all BRITE links with contact detailswith contact details

Facts and figuresFacts and figures

• An average of 200 ‘other’ An average of 200 ‘other’ staff attend BRITE training staff attend BRITE training seminars each year seminars each year

• BRITE handles over 2,500 BRITE handles over 2,500 enquiries per year relating to enquiries per year relating to aspects of Inclusiveness, aspects of Inclusiveness, access and technologyaccess and technology

• 55% of colleges borrowed 55% of colleges borrowed equipment in 2004/5equipment in 2004/5

The continuing role for BRITEThe continuing role for BRITE

• To work with colleges and To work with colleges and support BRITE links, in support BRITE links, in partnership with other partnership with other agencies, to turn aspirations agencies, to turn aspirations of Inclusiveness into realityof Inclusiveness into reality

• How?How?

To change the culture from…..To change the culture from…..

• Extra or ‘special’ Extra or ‘special’ arrangements arrangements being made to try being made to try and facilitate and facilitate access to learningaccess to learning

To a collective mindset where…To a collective mindset where…

• College facilities College facilities and learning and learning environments are environments are designed to avoid designed to avoid excluding any excluding any individual or group individual or group

Some BRITE examples!Some BRITE examples!

Emerging from Merger Emerging from Merger

-- Customised training

- team building

- change management

- action planning

- solution focus

Inclusive DesignInclusive Design- Handbook- factors in ‘learning

space’ design: use of colour/ergonomics acoustics/lighting, etc

- refurbishmt planning- accessibility focus

Some BRITE examples!Some BRITE examples!

Unit 4 OA assignment Unit 4 OA assignment -- CPD activity - organisational analysis

focused on answering the question -

- How Inclusive is My College?

- yielding a wealth of data and a ‘rich seam’ of ideas

‘ ‘Lead by example’Lead by example’- Seminars- open to all staff in all

colleges - staff see/try/apply learning

technologies in live situations

- Equipment Loan users build confidence and expertise – and then share experience via Virtual Staffroom

The challenge for all of us…..The challenge for all of us…..

To create To create learning opportunitieslearning opportunities that are that are consistently:consistently:

• AccessibleAccessible, , aspirationalaspirational,, challenging challenging and and relevantrelevant

• forfor Individuals Individuals with with differentdifferent backgrounds, backgrounds, learning styles, abilities and expectations learning styles, abilities and expectations in in

• Widely variedWidely varied contextscontexts, media, modes, , media, modes, locations and environmentslocations and environments

How effectively How effectively do colleges do colleges utilise the utilise the expertise of their expertise of their BRITE links?BRITE links?

Example 1Example 1

• Are BRITE links Are BRITE links involved in policy involved in policy development development and/or review; on and/or review; on estates/facilities estates/facilities upgrading issues; upgrading issues; on marketing and on marketing and publicity matters?publicity matters?

Example 2Example 2

• Are the ‘Unit 4’ Are the ‘Unit 4’ Organisational Organisational Analysis reports Analysis reports authored by BRITE authored by BRITE links valued in links valued in colleges – and the colleges – and the findings and/or findings and/or recommendations recommendations utilised?utilised?

How effectively How effectively does the does the ‘Inclusiveness’ ‘Inclusiveness’ message message penetrate the penetrate the curriculum?curriculum?

Example 1Example 1

• Do students on Do students on multimedia and multimedia and web design web design courses learn courses learn about the about the importance of importance of website website accessibility, and accessibility, and how to achieve it?how to achieve it?

Example 2Example 2

• Do trainee chefs Do trainee chefs find out about nut find out about nut allergies or Halal allergies or Halal food or dietary food or dietary restrictions for restrictions for people with people with diabetes?diabetes?

Example 3Example 3

• Are students of Are students of landscape design landscape design encouraged to encouraged to consider sensory consider sensory planting or path planting or path gradients or non-gradients or non-slip surfaces?slip surfaces?

Example 4Example 4

• How many sports How many sports coaching students coaching students ever have a ever have a placement where placement where they’re asked to they’re asked to referee a referee a wheelchair wheelchair basketball match?basketball match?

Example 5Example 5

• Do beauty Do beauty therapy students therapy students become skilled in become skilled in the application of the application of cosmetics on cosmetics on African or Asian African or Asian skin?skin?

What else is needed What else is needed to achieve to achieve articulation between articulation between BRITE training, TQFE BRITE training, TQFE and CPD?and CPD?