Responsibility group ACL SLT
Original Date of Acceptance December 2013
Last review date August 2022
Next review date August 2023
Audience Whole Service, volunteers, employers partners, learners, and stakeholders
The Policy
Adult Community Learning Essex is committed to:
- managing and mitigating any impact of the environment during the course of its business
- working towards a more sustainable future
- supporting Essex County Council’s environmental statement to “ensure a better quality of life by conserving , developing and promoting a healthy, safe, diverse, clean and attractive environment”
Implementation
To ensure that we minimise the impact on the environment of our services, we will focus on the following areas:
Resources and equipment:
We will:
- Actively utilise new technology available through Essex County Council to:
- Mobile and flexible working Access EEC resources from remote locations and engage in collaborative working from any location
- Go Paperless – Share documents and files in real time with less need for printing.
- Deliver staff training to promote the use of new technologies.
- Produce technological solutions, where possible, to replace paper-based systems
Management of learning:
We will:
- Continue to promote the use and development of technology within teaching and learning to reduce reliance on paper resources.
- Invest in technology to support teaching and learning
- Promote online enrolment by potential learners and improve the Adult Community Learning Essex website
- Continue to assess the impact of the use of technology on learning progress via the Observation of Teaching and Learning system.
- Support the use of technology in teaching and learning by the delivery of staff training in key areas:
- Training to use free and easy resources for smartphones and/or table devices to engage learners in the digital age.
Online Assessments
- Using the Assignment module of the Virtual Learning Environment to create online assessments for learners, provide online marking and feedback.
- Augmented Reality (AR) Converting existing printed resources to play videos, tutorials, YouTube clips, etc, to engage and motivate learners.
- Using Xerte, turn existing paper resources into interactive online resources.
- Developing online programmes
- Supporting learning activities, such as tools for assessment, small group collaboration, learner feedback, feedback to learners.
- Engage in regional/national projects which support the use of technology in teaching and learning to build the capacity and capability of staff to use digital technology effectively.
Buildings:
We will:
- Continue to review use and occupancy ratios of buildings to maximise cost-effectiveness.
- Support the development of multi-use Centres to provide added value through the use of shared resources.
- Ensure that there are efficiency savings by monitoring the use of energy resources, such as electricity and heating
- Aim to produce less waste and ensure that there are facilities to recycle materials.
Travel:
We will:
- Reduce travel costs and energy consumption by promoting flexible working in accordance with Essex County Council’s flexible working policy. This includes mobile working, working from home, and virtual working.
- Comply with Essex County Council’s travel policies which promotes the use of shared cars, cycling and other cost-effective measures
- Further develop the use of e-learning and on-line solutions to learning and assessment.
Monitoring the policy:
The policy will be regularly monitored by the ACL Senior Leadership Team Group via:
- Analysis of travel and mileage costs
- Reviews of curriculum quality improvement plans in relation to increased use of technology in teaching and learning
- Analysis of impact of participation in national projects to enhance technology in teaching and learning
- Review of impact of Essex County Council’s new technologies on Adult Community Learning business