Just before the keynote, ULCC’s Frank Steiner gave a brief summary of, what is thought to be, the first Moodle Developers Unconference. Feedback was very positive and provided a timely reminder to not forget the hard work and endeavour of this essential group of Moodlers deliver our institutions.
Frank McLoughlin, CBE, Principal, City and Islington College
Frank McLoughlin, CBE
Frank McLoughlin has been Principal of City and Islington College since July 2002. Located in five purpose-designed centres, City and Islington College is one of the largest general further education colleges in England: it has over 15,000 students, the equivalent of 711 full-time staff and an annual budget in excess of £50 million.
Frank steered the delegates through the City and Islington College’s FE Sector journey over the past 15 years, before bringing his keynote back the here and now. Outlining the expediting change, as ILT enters the Transformation of Business Systems stage.
Online application and enrolment, timetabling, registers, MIS online and real time, HR, reporting and performance, finance and e-tills and E-communications. Yet despite this impressive list of influencers, Frank stressed that
The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of teachers.
Communicating the values of the institution further encourages staff to release their discretionary effort, perhaps unsaid, not the technology. His secondary point was the importance of developing and coaching teachers. With that the “e-stuff” follows, what I understood as cross fertilisation.
So let’s talk about the teaching innovation (not only tech innovation) at City of Islington College Moodle, iCandi. Three quick observations, a time and weather widget, the presentation of attendance and punctuality on the front page and the use of ILPs to inform conversation.
At City of Islington College the ILP within Moodle is driving student performance, but it has required a “shift” in the role of the teacher, ironically, as more responsibility is being assigned to the learner.
More information about the speakers can be found on the Conference website.
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