Sustainability
From the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study describes how Hull and Stockton Riverside Colleges used the topic of sustainable development to improve aspects of STEM careers guidance. Hull College The project encouraged a greater holistic awareness in lecturers of the diverse skills and technologies essential…
STEM Careers Information, Advice and Guidance
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this document describes a project to improve STEM careers information, advice and guidance in the Post-16 sector. Detailed case studies from this project can be seen in the corresponding collection Progression Through STEM. The case studies describe work done by…
Employer Engagement: Teaching and Learning
From the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this document summarises their Exploring Improvements in Teaching and Learning Through Employer Engagement project. It looked at developing links between institutions and employers in the Post-16 sector. The outcomes of the project can be seen in the series of case studies that…
Harnessing Technology: Teaching and Learning
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this document describes the background and key learning points from the Harnessing Technology project. This resulted in a series of case studies that illustrate the use of technology to advance teaching and learning in the Post-16 sector. This document briefly describes…
Recruiting and Retaining Qualified and Motivated Mathematics Teachers
The shortage of specialist teachers of mathematics has been a concern for many years and this resource, from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), is designed to help organisations focus upon a plan of action, which will lead to better recruitment and retention of mathematics teachers. Organisations are invited to…
STEM Cell - Progression in STEM
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks how a team of Oldham Sixth Form College science students supported Year 10 students in a local secondary school. The aims were to encourage the college's students to enhance their STEM knowledge while also developing additional employability…
Knowledge Transfer and Whole-college Improvement
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study illustrates how Sheffield City College built upon their existing capability in Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT), through the development of a model to assess competence in KTT. It used this assessment as a developmental vehicle to encourage and drive…
Social Networking Sites As an Aid to Learning
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at how Preston College used a social networking site (Facebook) to engage students studying science and mathematics in more active revision strategies and thus improve success rates. It also aimed to offer support outside of class time and was especially…
Promoting Vocational Science
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at how Wirral Metropolitan College looked at progression through STEM. The idea for this project was connected with the college’s desire to raise aspirations towards careers within the science industry. The focus of the project was on facilitating…
Placements for Technology Lecturers
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of knowledge and technology transfer. This case study looks at the experiences of three lecturers from Carlisle College’s Technology Department who engaged in a programme of industrial secondments through the New Engineering Foundation…
Placement at a Materials Testing Laboratory
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of knowledge and technology transfer and employer engagement. This case study describes the placement of a lecturer in material sciences who engaged in an industrial secondment through the New Engineering Foundation (NEF). The placement…
Placement at a Construction Company
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of knowledge and technology transfer and STEM skills for the future. The case study looks at a lecturer in construction and building who engaged in an industrial secondment through the New Engineering Foundation. The placement was…
Kinaesthetic Strategies for Basic Arithmetic
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of embedding functional skills. The case study describes a foundation construction programme at Bolton College, which sought to address the issue of poor numeracy in learners. To ensure appropriate provision for these students, a staff…
Improving Teaching and Learning in Engineering
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of curriculum development and innovation in STEM. The project aimed to utilise existing practitioner-produced resources to support engineering teaching and learning. By creating a collaboration between providers from across the North…
Improving Progression in STEM
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at a collaborative project with seven providers from the Learning and Skills Sector working with STEMNET in the North West of England. The study describes how providers were identified who were interested in embedding enrichment and enhancement…
Functional Maths - Sharing Good Practice
Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of embedding functional skills. The purpose of the case study was to celebrate success and share good practice. The study involved disseminating information and resources gained from a STEM event, followed by a discussion of ways in…
Higher Futures
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of progression in STEM and employer engagement. Written by Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, it describes how colleges and universities from South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire have formed a collaborative group known…
Maths in an Industrial Context
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of employer engagement and mathematics. The project, by Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, aimed to generate an understanding of the industrial application of mathematics in learners, staff and employers. It is increasingly…
STEM Learning Through Space
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of enrichment and innovation in STEM. It describes how Leeds City College's STAR Centre enables learners of all ages to engage with STEM subjects through the context of space. The centre provides a unique learning environment…
Using Technology to Support SEN
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of harnessing technology. From Dearne Valley College it describes how a learning strategy, originally developed for a single learner, has been extended to many more learners across Dearne Valley College. Using strategies developed…
Using VLE in Science Learning
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of harnessing technology. It describes the steps being taken by Hull College Science department staff to develop web-based resources in a virtual learning environment (VLE). The science staff have undertaken a substantial amount…
Gender Equality in STEM
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of equality and diversity. It describes how Doncaster College has taken action to promote and embed gender equality, particularly in relation to engineering and technology. The college held a gender equality event aimed at learners,…
Progression Through STEM
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of progression, new jobs and careers in STEM. North Lindsey College has been developing a suite of activities to encourage local young people to choose STEM subjects, and reminding them of the opportunities that are going to be…
Supporting Mathematics
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of progression through STEM and mathematics. It describes how the mathematics team at Bradford College are using ‘mathematics workshop’ to provide students with easy access to a range of part-time mathematics programmes.…
Financial Awareness
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of embedding functional skills, numeracy and financial capability. It describes a project that is being piloted at Hull College. The project aims to improve the financial awareness of its entry and level one learners, as well as…
Best Practice in Dental Nursing Through KTT
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) and employer engagement. It focuses on building upon Sheffield City College's knowledge and technology transfer practices to improve the delivery of the dental nursing apprenticeship.…
Work Placements for BTEC Students
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study addresses the themes of employer engagement and careers in STEM. From Newcastle-under-Lyme College looks at the development of work placements for BTEC engineering students within local companies. Such placements are beneficial as they help to give…
Improving the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of embedding functional skills. Derwen College is a specialist residential college which delivers a wide range of vocational courses to students with learning difficulties and disabilities. While undertaking the vocational courses…
Harnessing Video Technology
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of harnessing technology. It describes how the engineering department of Worcester College of Technology tackled the problem of delivering practical engineering techniques to students in a non-workshop setting when the workshop. Their…
Building the Skills of Engineering Staff in CNC
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of knowledge and technology transfer. It describes an activity that used the skills of an existing member of staff, at the City of Wolverhampton College, to train other staff in computer numerical control (CNC).
Embed Functional Skills in Motor Vehicle Courses
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of embedding functional skills. It describes how staff within the motor vehicle department of the City of Wolverhampton College were faced with the challenge of embedding functional skills within motor vehicle courses. To meet this…
Updating Staff Knowledge of the Motor Vehicle Industry
Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of knowledge and technology transfer and employer engagement. It involved a member of staff from the automotive department at City College, Birmingham undertaking a secondment to the Jaguar Land Rover production plant at Castle Bromwich.…