Our approach to e-Safety

By Jayne Holt

12 months ago we had no e-safety embedded within the College.

• We had an out dated Acceptable Use Policy

• We had a very open policy on social media for both staff and learners.

• We were starting to lose control of our online activity.

It was time to do something…

• Staff were informally interacting with learners through Facebook and other social media.

• Staff were uploading their delivery materials to various websites such as prezi, dropbox and google.

• Staff were very social media savvy, but were not trained in e-safety or aware of the risks.

• There was no e-safety procedure in place in the event of an incident.

Risks identified

• We clearly informed staff that any breach of the policy may lead to disciplinary action.

• “The College may monitor, intercept and record any communications made via any of its systems, including telephones, e-mail or Internet communications. ”

• “The College will consider any personal information that staff make available on networking sites or blogs to be in the public domain. Staff should ensure that any such information does not bring the College or its reputation into disrepute.”

We started with a new e-communications policy

Social media for teaching and learning“Blocking and banning social networking sites limits exposure to risk, but is not suitable or beneficial to tutors or learners in the 21st century. Informal learning using social networking facilities is a 'way of life'. It is our policy to empower our staff and learners, equipping learners and staff with skills and knowledge to use the technology safely and responsibly and manage the risks. We will promote safe and responsible behaviours in using technology at College, in the workplace and in the home.”We also promoted our web facilities…

Social media for teaching and learning“The College permits the use of innovative technologies and facilitates, learners need to use social network software such as YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook, blogs and Google online applications to enhance their learning experience. Tutors are also permitted to use social network (web 2.0) technologies for teaching and learning.” When creating an external site for learners staff are restricted to the following:

BUT

Social media for teaching and learning“submit a proposal to your Head of Cluster, if approved you should add the College disclaimer to your site and you must have attended 'e-safeguarding training‘ and achieved an appropriate level of e-safeguarding (CEOP). You must give your Head of Cluster and Curriculum Managers access to these sites for monitoring purposes.”

“Tutors should produce a risk assessment to cover online activities on non-college systems.”

Social media for teaching and learning“Tutors deploying social networking facilities for learners are responsible for ensuring learners are trained in e-safety and must cover ‘ThinkUKnow awareness'. This programme will be made available to all tutors.” “Any teaching and learning materials should be uploaded to the College GOAL (MOODLE) and linked to from the external site e.g. Facebook.”  You should not upload intellectual property of the College to an external website without permission.

Questions

Walsall college e-communication policy

Supporting the policy through staff development• Two staff completed the Child Exploitation and Online

Protection (CEOP) Ambassador course.

• Which has allowed us to deliver CEOP training to our staff (70% so far).

• Staff who have attended CEOP training can then deliver ‘Think you know’ awareness to learners.

• We have embedded e-safety and ‘ThinkUKnow’ awareness in all FT learner tutorials.

E-safety extra!!

• We offer two training session to staff, CEOP and e-safety. E-safety goes into more detail regarding the 4 Cs (Becta)

Content Unreliable, sexual, racist, violent, suicide, pro-ana.

Commerce Scams, spyware, adware, phishing.

Contact Chat, multiplayer games, social networking, virtual worlds, blogs, sexting, etc.

Conduct Attitudes to using new technologies – informative, enlightening, engaging, the ‘dark side’ (all the nasty parts of life - electronically), blackmail, addiction.

E-safety extra!!

• We use some shock techniques with video and a mock Facebook account.

E-Safety /Walsall education presentation

• Orange resourcesDigital Dirt - This is a good video to share with learners

• CEOP resources

Excellent resources for learners, parents, tutors.

Please contact Amarjit BasiWalsall College

Wisemore CampusLittleton Street

WalsallWest Midlands

WS2 8E01922 657022

Thank you...

Jayne HoltDirector of Learning TechnologiesTel 01922 657039jholt@walsallcollege.ac.ukwww.walsallcollege.ac.uk