Kat is a Senior Education and Policy Researcher at the Edge Foundation. At Edge, Kat’s main areas of research are in higher education, vocational education, skills shortages and employability skills. At Edge she runs the Innovative HE Network, bringing together UK and international universities, and key sector bodies. Her current projects including Degree Apprenticeships in England and around New Higher Education Institutions.
Can Online Learning Help VET Students Prepare for a Changing World?
Presentation
Co-presenting with Andrea Laczik
Since the onset of Covid-19, education systems have been disrupted, with much teaching and
learning shifting swiftly online to mitigate any loss of learning. The success of this switch to
remote or online learning varied greatly depending on level, context, and individual learners
(e.g. Green, 2020). In many cases, vocational education and training (VET) has been
disrupted heavily, since VET integrates practical elements that often involve equipment,
hands-on tasks and in-person demonstrations. These are difficult to translate to an online
context. Additionally, VET, especially work-based learning, is characterised by having close
links with the workplace. Consequently, VET was badly affected due to workplace closures
(Avis et al., 2020).
This research seeks to understand the ways in which further education (FE) colleges in island
settings within the British Isles adapted their VET courses to online delivery during
lockdowns due to the pandemic (Dabbous et al., 2022). Some island colleges have been
providing online learning at the higher education level for some time (Plenderleith, 2000;
Simco and Campbell, 2011; Pancrioli et al., 2015) in order to maximise resources for learners
in remote places. However, there is minimal literature on post-16 provisions and particularly
courses delivered by colleges that require practical training or industry experience.
The research includes reflection on pre-Covid VET delivery modes and explores how
teaching and learning have adapted during the pandemic, whilst investigating the benefits and
challenges for learners, teachers, and colleges. In particular, we question what online learning
has meant for VET students in terms of meeting the aims of practical-based courses and in
preparing them for employment.
Research paper by:
Andrea Laczik, Head of Research, Edge Foundation
Dana Dabbous, Senior Researcher, Edge Foundation
Katherine Emms, Senior Researcher, Edge Foundation
Holly Henderson, Tutor, Fircroft College
