Flexibility is a popular buzz word in the early years sector these days and it applies to training every bit as much as to the provision of the free entitlement to nursery education.
In the current financial climate, with the pressures of maintaining ratios and promoting staff development, it is no wonder that online training is becoming increasingly commonplace.
Internet-based courses are offered by organisations ranging from professional membership bodies including the National Day Nurseries Association and the Pre-School Learning Alliance to dedicated training providers ranging from specialists such as Concept Training, which focuses on needs, to mainstream childcare training providers such as the Childcare Company.
HIGH RETENTION RATES
What are the advantages and drawbacks of e-learning? Stella Ziolkowski, NDNA director of Quality and Workforce Development, explains, 'We have developed e-learning business support and an e-learning practice programme in response to our members. They told us they were having difficulty being able to release staff for training, they couldn't get cover, it was too expensive or, in some pockets, it is just not available.'
NDNA now offers online training as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, face-to-face training as it recognises that different people have different learning styles. However it can be every bit as effective, if not more so, as traditional classroom-based training.
Ms Ziolkowski says research evidence from a study by Waterloo University in Canada shows that people's retention rates for training undertaken online are significantly higher than for courses taken face-to-face because online students have the opportunity to revisit the work.
Sally Eaton, education director of the Childcare Company, a leading pioneer in online early years training, says, 'Many learners do not take everything in the first time they hear something but with e-learning they can go back. If you miss a college session, it is missed. Here you can go at your own pace and go back over something if you wish. Learners can study at a time that suits them.'
She says that effective online training aims to suit different learning styles by being interactive and deploying a range of methods such as video clips, tutorials, sections of text to read, questions to answer and points to research.
However, Ms Ziolkowski acknowledges, 'You do not get the opportunity to have the really rich discussions that you would have in the classroom environment. But we are developing all the time and are looking at how to set up classroom debate and questioning through discussion forums.'
COMPLEMENTING FACE-TO-FACE
Effective learning is a two-way engagement says early years trainer Laura Henry, managing director of the Childcare Consultancy. 'I do believe there are benefits to e-learning in terms of its cost-effectiveness, value for money, and that you can get a group of practitioners trained without having to release people for the day.
'I have considered it in the past but the way I train is through having that element of sustained shared thinking and collaboration with delegates. With e-learning there is not the feedback between trainer and learner that is a feature of a face-to-face course. I deliver safeguarding training and sometimes one or two delegates may get emotional. A computer cannot pick that up but in person you are able to support and challenge effectively.'
She adds, 'During my years of training, a couple of times I have picked up on individuals who were not suitable to work with children. I don't think a computer could do that.
'I believe that a blended learning approach with e-learning and face-to-face training is the way forward, with effective monitoring that learning has taken place, which could be done via supervision.'
Concept Training, which offers its courses in the classroom, has opted to also put its 'Introduction to the Autistic Spectrum' online, says Janet Price, the company's managing director. 'This is because there are so many people who might not live or work constantly with children with autism but who might come across such children during the course of their work or day-to-day life.
'Cost can also be an issue where a large organisation, such as the Police or Probation Service, would like to offer the information to a large number of personnel. Again, we wouldn't say that this method of training is a replacement for face-to-face training, but it is definitely successful in raising awareness.'
Lisa Russell, project manager for Laser Learning, the Childcare Company's online sister company, says, 'Our courses provide more contact between the learner and tutor online than in a traditional classroom setting. There is a common misconception that online learning is distant with the learners working away in isolation. It is not.'
With Laser, a one-to-one relationship develops, with the tutor getting in touch on a weekly basis with the learner either via Skype or telephone. The Laser system allows the tutors to see at any time who is online and track how long students are spending on their studies. Some courses are available on iPhone or iPad so students can work anywhere and any time to fit in with their other commitments.
Another advantage is that course materials can be updated instantly in response to an incident such as the Vanessa George case or to reflect new guidance.
EASY ACCESS
This summer, staff at Tatworth Pre-school in Somerset worked their way through the Educare e-learning programme on the revised EYFS offered free of charge by the Pre-school Learning Alliance
'People took different lengths of time to complete it,' says the manager Andrea Bolton. 'We followed it up with our own staff training using PowerPoint and discussions to check that they had absorbed what they had learned online. We gave everybody copies of the framework to read and we had an inset day by which time it was well embedded. It has opened our eyes. We are now looking at online training being offered by the local authority.'
Sharon Williams, director of HR at the country's second biggest nursery chain, Bright Horizons, says, 'We use e-learning as part of our learning and development programme because we recognise that people's learning styles vary, and also because we are a multi-site organisation and need to make sure that everyone is easily able to access the same materials and resources.'
Bright Horizons is in the process of developing a child protection module. 'Providing an inclusive learning platform, which enables learners to go at their own pace, is important,' says Ms Williams. 'E-learning provides for a more effective use of time. People are very savvy in relation to technology and we need to make sure we provide training materials in a way that they will use and learn from.'
FURTHER INFORMATION
CASE STUDY: BUSY BEARS DAY NURSERY, DURHAM
'We do safeguarding training online so if someone new starts with us we can organise that straightaway and not have to wait to find a suitable course,' says Emma Graham, proprietor of Busy Bears Day Nursery in Durham.
'One big advantage is they can study here at nursery during a quiet period so we are not disrupting the ratios.
'Safeguarding training can be very intense and some people can find it upsetting at times so it can be easier to cope with if you can dip in and out, rather than taking a whole day.
'We haven't accessed any courses on specific areas of practice online as I think those issues have a greater impact if you actually engage with them in person.
'The online courses we use are interactive. They are divided into modules and are well illustrated with photos and video clips and question-and-answer sessions. It is not just all text and is a bit like having the lecturer there in front of you.
'You can re-visit a section if you need to go over something and you can print information off the computer. With an online course you can dip in and dip out, rather than trying to take all the information on board in one go.
'Working in the early years is very physical and you are always on the go and constantly doing different things. I think sometimes people who are used to working at a busy pace can find sitting listening to a lecture for a whole day course quite a struggle.
'These days you can't afford to select training that is not going to meet the needs of the staff and the nursery so you have to pick courses well. It is a good idea to check out testimonials, check out how the course is delivered and that it is interactive.'
