Learning

Partners in Learning accredited course for teaching assistants

Summary: BTEC for teaching assistants, support staff and early years practitioners working with young people with sight problems.

• Overview
• Course philosophy
• Learning outcomes
• Benefits
• Accreditation
• Learning pathways
• Course structure
• Support and guidance
• Entry requirements
• Feedback from managers and participants
• Jane’s success story
• Course availability
• Fee
• Application details
• Contact us
• Terms and conditions
• Related information

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Overview

Vision is most children’s main channel for communication and understanding. Learning with little or no sight therefore presents significant challenges to established ways of teaching.

As a teaching assistant, support worker or early years practitioner, you fulfil a crucial role in enabling educational settings to understand and meet the needs of children and young people with visual impairment.

Our new Partners in Learning is a modular course developed between RNIB and the Open University, using a blended learning approach of face-to-face training with online study and discussion activities. The course is designed to increase your understanding of visual impairment and its impact on learning. It encourages you to identify key factors in effective support and to reflect on how to promote these in the educational context in which you work.

The course is designed to be studied mainly online with two training days. However, a face-to-face version involving six training days and no online component is also available on a contract basis only.

Course philosophy

Partners in Learning seeks to challenge you to consider your current practice, share and develop this with others in the field, and apply your new understanding to your working situation. You are asked to actively use your learning in a variety of practical ways and to implement your developing knowledge of best practice with colleagues and learners in your own setting.

Learning outcomes

Specific intended learning outcomes which you should achieve include:

• understanding visual impairment and its implications for the educational and social development of young people
• applying a range of skills which can be used regularly in support situations
• demonstrating a commitment to effective team work and to encouraging positive attitudes among staff and pupils
• developing a positive working relationship with learners which promotes their independence and engages them in planning and decision making.

Benefits

Benefits of the new blended learning course are:

• flexible online access
• learners have frequent online discussions with fellow students
• regular online / face-to-face contact with experienced tutor
• fewer training days involving less travel.

Accreditation

Partners in Learning leads to a customised BTEC Level 3 Advanced Certificate entitled “Working with learners with visual impairment in educational settings”.

At our most recent validation, EdExcel (our awarding body) validated the standards and quality of the assessment process and administrative systems for this course. We’re delighted to announce that it was given an A grading and has been kite marked as being of a very high standard!

The course is mapped against relevant elements of the underpinning knowledge and understanding in the National Occupational Standards for teaching assistants.

Students may wish to use this course as a stepping stone to level 4 qualifications. They may also be able to gain recognition of the qualification by their employers for career development purposes.

Learning pathways

The course is modular in structure and allows you to register for one of the following pathways:

Visual impairment: principal disability

This pathway is suitable for those working with children and young people whose visual impairment is their main or only disability, usually in a mainstream school or setting.

Visual impairment: multiple disability

This pathway is suitable for those working with children and young people with significant additional needs as well as visual impairment, usually in a special school or setting.

Visual impairment: early years

This pathway is suitable for those working with children aged 0-3 in early years settings, with or without additional needs.

Course structure

There are two training days for the course, one at the start and the other half way through. Training days are held at a regional location within reach of all students.

The new blended course runs over three terms and is divided into six units as follows:

1. provision, roles and responsibilities

2. vision and visual impairment

3. effective practice

4. curriculum access

5. communication skills in a learning environment

6. independence and social inclusion.

Each unit includes the following elements:

• online self study activities assessed by an online multiple choice test
• online group discussion activities which enable you to engage and share your learning with other students
• short written assignments encouraging you to apply your learning from the unit to your own situation.

For groups of 10 or more students we are also able to offer a contract version of the course which involves six training days and no online component. Please contact us to discuss this.

Training days

As well as providing course content, the two training days include general information and guidance about studying the forthcoming module as well as an opportunity to meet your tutor and fellow students.

Guided online materials

These set out information and ideas for the work to be covered in each unit and include self-study questions and online activities. Materials can be printed off as hard copy if required.

Assessment tasks

Assessment activities include tests of factual knowledge, online group discussions of key issues and written assignments showing how students have applied the learning from the unit to their own work.

Support and guidance

The course is managed by an experienced RNIB tutor who will lead the training days and provide ongoing guidance and support for the online activities. Students are also encouraged to identify a local mentor, who will normally be a member of their school / service staff.

Technical support on accessing and completing the online activities will be provided by an Open University facilitator.

Entry requirements

To be accepted onto the course you should be able to meet the following requirements:

• Education to GCSE standard, NVQ Level 2 or equivalent experience or qualifications. The course leads to a level 3 qualification and students therefore need to be confident that they have the necessary skills to undertake it, including the ability to write about their work.
• Working with one or more learners with visual impairment on a regular basis (though not necessarily full time). To meet the course requirements you need to be able to show evidence that you work directly with the learner(s) concerned.
• Employer support for the period of your training. We encourage employers to provide students with time and resources to carry out their studies. You may also need access to information about learners to complete some parts of the course, as well as support and advice from a local mentor on completing your assignments.
• Regular access to internet and email facilities (preferably broadband) either at home or work. Students depending on computers at work need to be confident that they can gain access to these on a regular basis.

Feedback from managers and participants

Read the feedback from the field and feedback from participants who have successfully completed Partners in Learning.

Jane’s success story

Jane Lynch was able to use ideas from Partners in Learning to significantly improve her pupils’ learning experience. Read Jane’s article, Inspiring Changes, published in Insight magazine, issue 13.

Course availability

Two blended online courses started in January 2009 and will run until December 2009. The next blended online courses will start in January 2010.

A face-to-face version of the course, involving six training days and no online component, is also available on a contract basis only. Contact us to discuss your needs.

Fee

The fee is £650 per participant. This includes BTEC registration, training days, all course materials and access to online activities.

Please contact us to discuss costs of contract courses.

Application details

Download the Partners in Learning application form (MS Word) and email it to children@rnib.org.uk or send it by fax or post to the address below. We will be in touch with you to acknowledge receipt and to advise on next steps.

The course leaflet with application form is also available free of charge from our online shop.

Contact us

Sona Molnarova
RNIB Children's Services
58-72 John Bright St
Birmingham
B1 1BN

Telephone 0121 665 4235
Fax: 0121 665 4201
Email children@rnib.org.uk

Terms and conditions

• All courses are subject to viable numbers.
• Tea and coffee is provided on training days. Lunch is not provided.
• Please pay on receipt of invoice.
• RNIB reserves the right to charge for places cancelled two months or less before the commencement date, and in situations where students withdraw after commencement of the course.
• Organisations wishing to purchase a contract course are responsible for providing the venue.

Related information

• Conferences: All Aboard - How teaching assistants can promote the learning and participation of blind and partially sighted children
• Other courses and training
• Curriculum Clipboard
• Children with complex needs

Content author: children@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 14/05/2009 18:35