Interview with Lyn Blair
Community Learning Centre, Facilitator

E: What is your experience with Flexible Learning?
L: My experiences with flexible learning has been very beneficial, it has exposed me to a variety of ways to deliver course content.

I found some difficult to learn and I always find I have to look at it again if I do not use it often. But because I have used it before it doesn’t take too much to get back into it.

E: How have you developed flexible learning options into your courses?
L: I have used Camtasia to record videos, and also used audio with that for helping learners with specific aspects of computers, for example the learner needs to know how to save and open files.

E: Why did you choose those aspects?
L: They are the ones learners have most difficulty with and didn’t get anywhere with reading the instructions from a book. The videos are only 2 minutes long, and learners get the hang of it once they have seen how to do it.

E: What challenges have you encountered with introducing flexible learning?
L: Time. I have learnt to be clear about what I am doing and saying when recording, and I am able to polish the final product. You need to be as clear and easy to understand for the learner. I have done quite a few takes before I was satisfied with the final product.

E: How do the learners access the video/material you have developed?
L: They are saved on our computers. I show learners how to access them. In some cases you are asked the same question over and over again. We assume the learner has basic skills they need but sometimes they haven’t and we are then able to show them the videos once we have identified the basic skills they need.

E: Have you implemented any other flexible learning initiatives?
L: I have created a CLC Blog, staff have access to the blog and it has been designed to be used as a teaching platform for staff, and when we run our Blogging Course.

Also developed a Blogging Course Workbook, because I found in particular that blogging is a great sharing network and education tool which some learners find difficult if they have not done these before. I wrote the workbook for these learners who can refer to the course book to cement their learning.

E: Do you have any other plans of implementing flexible learning into your courses?
L: I am currently looking at videos on the internet for difficult topics. I want to have an online glossary for learners with literacy and numeracy needs in the CLC’s, I am not sure if I will create this as a wiki or use websites. But learners will have access to websites where they can look at a word, and sometimes if this isn’t enough so they will be able to find a definition or picture e.g. hard drive, learners will be able to interact with the website.

I have been looking at other people tools which I can include; I have found a BBC tool for using your mouse and keyboard with interactive exercises where learners can work on their skills.