New Delivery Models for Family Numeracy

Charlotte RobeyResearcher

Charlotte.Robey@niace.org.uk

Workshop at Skills for Life? English, maths and ESOL for 21st Century Citizens

22nd October 2015

About the project

Background and context (1)

• 2011 Skills for Life Survey: 8m adults have difficulties with everyday maths

• 2012 PIAAC Survey: 24.1% of adults (8.5 million) score at the lowest proficiency level in numeracy (Level 1 or below)

• Linked to a wide range of other outcomes, such as employment, wages, health, self-efficacy

• Low numeracy results in lack of confidence to support children’s learning

Background and context (2)

NIACE’s Inquiry into Family Learning:

• Evidence of impact on skills, capabilities and aspirations of children and parents/carers

• Also has positive outcomes in a range of other policy agendas, e.g. employability, health and wellbeing, and community involvement.

• Key recommendation: ‘Family learning should be a key element of adult learning and skills strategies to engage those furthest from the labour market and improve employability, especially through family English/ language and maths provision.’

What was the project about?

Two year project (January 2014 to December 2015) funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Aim: to develop and pilot innovative approaches to engaging families onto family numeracy programmes

Specific focus on using technology and a ‘flipped classroom’ approach

Six national pathfinders:

• Colleg Llandrillo, Conwy

• Leicester Adult Skills and Learning Service

• Newham Adult Learning Service

• Oldham Lifelong Learning Service

• Sheffield Adult Learning

• South of Tyne WEA

Who was involved?

Evaluation findings

• One of the main challenges

• Partnerships crucial to success

• Range of recruitment methods

• How to attract dads and male carers?

Recruitment

• Based on local consultations

• Tailored to context and needs of families

• Weekly versus intensive

• Explicit focus on maths versus embedded approaches

• Use of different technologies

• Flipped classroom – mixed success?

Delivery

• Three-quarters improved confidence in maths skills

• Four-fifths had more positive attitudes towards maths

• Improved understanding of maths curriculum

• Increased confidence to support children's maths learning

• Increased participation in maths activities in and out of the home

Impact for learners (1)

‘Obviously I did O Levels and things; it’s completely different to what I’ve been shown at school, so my main sort of focus to coming here was to learn how they are teaching in schools. Even basic additions, long multiplications our method was [different]. I’m more able to teach him, help him with his homework in his way really.’

(Learner)

‘My daughter is more confident in maths and more open to learning and accepting it more because she sees me doing it.’

(Learner)

• Three-quarters gained new skills

• Improved relationship with children

• Developed learning culture at home

• Three-quarters improved motivation to learn

• Two-fifths considering signing up for another course; one third already enrolled

• Over three-fifths increased confidence in using technology

Impact for learners (2)

‘I’m much better at eating healthily and budgeting.’

(Learner)

‘I feel that my relationship with my son has improved. He’s listening to me a lot more because I’m spending that one to one with him.’

(Learner)

‘I want to get higher up on my GCSEs and redo them and I’m doing my Level 1 and I’m hoping to pass them and go to college.’

(Learner)

• Developed skills and confidence in using technology to support learning

• Importance of practical, hands-on activities

• Ways in which activities can be tailored to maths

• Importance of flexible approach

• Impact of learning about curriculum

Impact for tutors

‘The tutor was very new to working with IT in the classroom; all she does so far is use the whiteboard to show websites, so it was a steep learning curve for her. She really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.’

(Pilot lead)

‘The last example was a key learning thing really, that you could adapt one resource to help virtually all learners really in their area of need within maths and their confidence.’

(Tutor)

• Strengthened partnerships

• Expanded provision into new communities or engage new groups

• Success of blended learning and flipped classroom approaches

• Increased uptake of support offer from community partners

Impact for pathfinders

‘It has definitely developed partnerships and it is such a deprived area... It’s stuff we want to do and build on but we wouldn’t have had that opportunity without the funding…’

(Tutor)

‘I think we’ve gained some confidence in a new way of working and some skills and expertise and experience of a new way of working. So what we’ve learnt in Family Learning we are now going to take forward in community learning.’

(Tutor)

Key messages

• Strong partnerships with community organisations are key to engaging learners who are experiencing disadvantage.

• Community partners need to be clear about the aim of the programme and the target group to ensure they recruit suitable families.

• Social media can be an effective way of recruiting families. However, some may not have access to the internet or may not be confident in using social media.

• Using a range of recruitment methods can help to ensure that a wide range of families are recruited onto a course.

Recruitment

• Practical and hands-on activities can keep children and parents/carers engaged in courses and encourage them to continue learning outside of sessions.

• Having a flexible approach to the development of course content ensures that programmes are accessible for learners and tailored to their needs.

• Co-designing and co-developing a programme with families encourages them to take ownership of their learning and fully engage in activities.

Delivery

• A flipped classroom approach can develop a learning culture in the home, encouraging families to continue learning in-between sessions and after completing the programme.

• Setting families practical homework and allocating time in sessions to discuss their results is an effective way of implementing a flipped classroom approach.

• Families need to be provided with relevant materials, both online and paper-based, in order for them to continue learning after the course has finished.

• Tutors need appropriate CPD and ongoing support in order to effectively implement a flipped classroom approach.

Adopting a flipped classroom approach

• The use of technology, particularly mobile devices, can be a highly effective way of keeping learners engaged in the programme and tailoring activities to learners’ interests.

• Technology can support the implementation of a flipped classroom approach by providing the opportunity for learners to engage through distance learning.

• It is important to address any concerns about e-safety in programmes which use technology or the internet as a learning resource.

• Pair up tutors who are confident in their digital skills with those who need more experience to support staff to develop their skills and confidence in using blended learning approaches.

Using technology to support learning

Next steps

• How can you use the lessons learned from the project in your own work?

• What are the potential pros and cons of adopting blended learning or flipped classroom approaches in your learning provision?

• How could we build on this work? What are the gaps?

Questions for discussion

• Innovative Family Numeracy conference9:30am to 2pm on Friday 20th NovemberMaple House, Birminghamhttp://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/innovative-family-numeracy-tickets-18736556545?aff=es2

• Online toolkit to support implementation of new approaches to family numeracy

And finally...