LEARNING SOLUTIONS DEVELOPER
The Lauder Group
Lauder College is one of 43 incorporated Further Education Colleges in Scotland. We operate from a main campus in Halbeath, Dunfermline, two secondary campuses in Cowdenbeath and Rosyth and over 30 Employment and Enterprise Centres and Learning Centres in south-east and central Scotland. We take pride in our reputation as one of Scotland's most dynamic, innovative and high growth Colleges.
The Lauder Group comprises:
- Lauder College: providing lifelong learning services from the Halbeath campus, the Cowdenbeath campus, community learning centres and prison learning centres primarily funded by grant-in-aid, fees and the Scottish Prison Service.
- Employment and Enterprise: providing employment-related services to unemployed people and employers from Employment and Enterprise Centres in four geographical regions, primarily funded through contracts with Jobcentre Plus, Local Enterprise Companies, Councils and employers.
- Enterprise Lauder Limited: a wholly owned company offering a range of commercial business-related services in and from the Business Learning and Conference Centre.
- Babcock Lauder Technology: a new campus in the Rosyth Europarc area, formed by the acquisition of the former Babcock Rosyth Training: offering a centre for engineering education and training and a community learning centre.
- The Andrew Carnegie Business School: housed in the Business Learning and Conference Centre and offering advanced level management and professional development programmes for individuals and corporate clients.
Lauder College was founded in 1899 through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie, who asked that the College be named for his uncle, George Lauder. During 1999 an extensive programme of events took place to celebrate the Centenary Year.
Since incorporation in 1993, the Lauder Group has enjoyed a period of sustained growth and development, including 80% increase in grant-in-aid funded student activity and 100% increase in total annual turnover. The accounts for 2003-04 show a further increase in annual consolidated turnover to over £19 million, including over £6 million from commercial and client-funded activities. We believe this to represent the lowest dependency on grant-in-aid in Scotland.
Vision
We aspire to be a successful, enterprising, high growth organisation, renowned for excellence, innovation and customer care.
Mission
The Lauder Group will offer high quality, innovative and accessible learning and business services that contribute to quality of life, choice and prosperity for all our customers and communities.
Statement of Values
- We offer FLEXIBLE, CUSTOMER-DRIVEN SERVICES, accessible wherever, whenever and however best meets the needs of our customers.
- We make PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP, seeking alliances with organisations, people and communities with whom we share a common purpose.
- We enable people to DEVELOP their POTENTIAL through learning.
- We VALUE DIVERSITY, offering inclusive services and learning environments where everyone is equally welcome.
- We ANTICIPATE AND INFLUENCE CHANGE through our development as a modern, networked organisation.
- We TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for safeguarding our assets and using our resources efficiently.
- Our staff are SKILLED, PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL PEOPLE who continuously develop their knowledge and expertise for the benefit of our students and customers.
- We WORK TOWARDS EXCELLENCE in every aspect of the activities of the Lauder Group.
Products and Services
Our Education portfolio includes full-time and part-time programmes at non-advanced and advanced (HNC/HND/Diploma/Degree) level together with learning opportunities for students with learning difficulties and leisure courses. We offer all modes of learning, including open, flexible and distance learning and community-based programmes.
Our Employment portfolio provides nationally recognised services for unemployed people through our unique Employment and Enterprise Centres, together with vocational and work-based skills programmes for employers and their employees. We are a major provider of SVQs, Skillseeker and New Deal programmes and Modern Apprenticeships.
Our Enterprise portfolio, mainly offered through Enterprise Lauder Limited and the Business Learning and Conference Centre, includes a suite of customised training services and short courses, together with business development and growth services. We are the only College in Scotland to run contracted business start-up services for LECs, which we have offered now for over 8 years.
Networks and Alliances
We achieve our aims and objectives through an extensive network of strategic alliances with other organisations including:
- working with Jobcentre Plus in Scotland as a lead provider of Programme Centres and New Deal services;
- contractual partnerships with 4 Local Enterprise Companies;
- strong and growing links with Fife Council;
- signed agreements with Napier University, Heriot-Watt University, Queen Margaret University College and St Andrews University;
- ground-breaking partnerships with Inverkeithing High School, Queen Anne High School and Dunfermline High School and collaborative arrangements with 4 other local schools;
- alliances with other Colleges in Scotland, England and Europe through European-funded projects;
education and training contracts with major employers such as Babcock Engineering Services, Lexmark International, Sky, Dunfermline Athletic and Hearts Football Clubs, Tullis Russell, Forbo Nairn, NHS Fife and Fife Constabulary.
Quality
The Lauder Group has an enviable reputation for quality, underpinned by national quality standards:
ISO9001: 2000
SQMS
Investors in People
SQA Devolved Authority
Implementation of a continuous quality improvement strategy is well underway, using the HMI Quality Framework. Our quality strategy is based on investment in staff development, informed by a fully embedded, successful Staff Development and Career Review Scheme.
During 2003-04 the College underwent a full review by HM Inspectorate. The Reports were published in May 2004 and are available on request.
In 2000, we became only the third College in Scotland to be awarded The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education.
In 2001 we launched a major new quality initiative, badged as Lauder Quality 360º.
Investment for the Future
Our estate and buildings are well-maintained and well-equipped. In recent years there has been considerable investment in:
- new buildings in Cowdenbeath;
- mechatronics and electronics workshops;
- IT and computing resources;
- a 100mb switched LAN providing intranet and internet access to most students and staff;
- improved access for disabled people;
- AdvanTech: our new Centre for Microelectronics and Computing, opened in 2003;
- Media Space: a purpose-designed building for Art, Design, Digital Media, Drama and Complementary Therapies, opened in 2003;
- a new Science Laboratory, opened in 2003;
- a new Centre for Care, opened in 2004.
In 1998 we opened our prestigious new Business Learning and Conference Centre, built at a total cost of £3.6 million to be the premier provider of training and business services in central Scotland. The Centre houses conference and training facilities, a restaurant, a video conferencing suite and eCom Scotland Ltd (a company specialising in e-business services).
Lauder College has invested heavily in ICT infrastructure, software development and staff development to support flexible, distributed and on-line learning. We have selected Learnwise as our MLE provider and implementation is in progress.
In 2001, Lauder College acquired the former Babcock Rosyth Training Centre, which is now operated as a fully incorporated part of Lauder College, under the badge of Babcock Lauder Technology. Babcock Lauder Technology has completed a major refurbishment as a centre for engineering education and training and a lifelong learning resource for the local communities. It was formally opened on 8 March 2002 by Sir Ian Robinson, Chairman of Scottish Enterprise.
During 2004-08 we are planning a next phase of capital investment in new buildings and upgrades to a value of circa £10 million.
Organisational Change
In early 1998, we initiated an ambitious Organisational Change Programme designed to drive forward client/student responsiveness, continuous quality improvement, market building, flexibility and innovation. Our organisational framework is flat and flexible and based around "clusters" of activity. We invest in management development for our Managers.
In summary, Curriculum Managers build Centres of Excellence for the delivery of services, Development Managers build markets and Service Managers provide professional support services. The College is well served by professional, highly motivated support staff.
Learning Solutions Team
The Learning Solutions Team has a key role in the implementation of the Lauder Group ICT Pervasiveness Strategy and the development of the Lauder Virtual Learning Centre. A key component to the Virtual Learning Centre is the Group’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
The team includes the E-Learning Co-ordinators, the Learner Assistants and the Materials Production Unit.
The e-Learning Co-ordinators work closely with the Curriculum Groups to embed ICT in Learning and Teaching practices. They manage all centrally developed learning materials which are produced by the materials Production Unit. They also provide VLE training to curriculum staff.
The Materials Production Unit produces paper and web-based learning and marketing materials.
The Learner Assistants support learners and staff in the learner bases and off campus.
Job Purpose
The full implementation of the Lauder Group Virtual Learning Centre, Lauder 24 is key to providing a quality learning experience to learners. This post has been created to support this implementation.
As a member of the Learning Solutions Team, the postholder will work with lecturing and support staff to ensure learners can access Lauder 24 effectively and gain relevant personalised learning experience.
Job Activities
The postholder will carry out the following duties:
- provide training for individual staff on how to set up customised courses accessible from Lauder 24
- register new learners and provide security access to protected areas of the VLE
- administer Lauder 24 accounts (with particular regard to free accounts)
- organise times for synchronous events in liaison with lecturing staff
- record learner activity and record learners progress and achievement for statistical purposes
- resolve ad hoc technical queries quickly and effectively
- provide technical support for staff in the Contact Centre
- liaise with tutors to ensure that uploaded materials are current and accessible by learners and tutors
- collate answers and provide analysis of results of the VLE Learner Evaluation Forms, three times a year
- evaluate the Lauder Group VLE and identify areas for modification and development
- develop systems applications to facilitate the adoption of e-portfolios and of e-assessment
- collaborate with developers in other agencies and organisations
- design and develop solutions for the integration of commercial software tools with the VLE
- any other duties arising and pertaining to the post.
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be assessed against the following criteria:
- The postholder should be educated to degree level (BSc) in a
computing or related discipline and have:
- At least 5 years’ experience in a training and development environment.
- Programming and web design experience.
- In depth knowledge of virtual learning environment (VLE) systems
- A record of giving significant specialist advice and guidance to others in embedding the use of Virtual Learning Environments into curriculum delivery.
- Experience in learner support in face-to-face and/or online environment.
- Provide evidence of having developed new or improved work methods or of having dealt situations in a new way.
- Effective communication skills, good organisation skills, a high degree of flexibility and the ability to use one’s own initiative are key requirements for the post.
