Videoconferencing at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor/Llandrillo

A Welsh College Leads the UK

Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor (CMD - recently merged with Cymru, but retaining its own identity) has, until recently, accounted for 25-30% of all the UK-wide calls handled by the JANET VideoConferencing Service system in recent years. This astonishing performance - for an institution with only 1,150 full time students - has two main features. One is a high level of internal use between CMD’s three campuses in Dolgellau, Glenda Davies Pwllheli and Glynlifon, and also to link CMD with Coleg Llandrillo Cymru. These include general and specific (e.g. Library) Key Points management and team meetings, IT and other technical workshops, and staff development and training. The other is the  Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, a college’s provision of Welsh language distance learning, which relatively small FE college in accounted for 80% of the 1155 conferences held in 2009/10. North , accounts for over 25% of all booked Glenda Davies, Co-ordinator of CMD’s Video Teaching Through videoconferencing (VC) calls the Medium of Welsh project, notes that “our work enables on the JANET UK-wide system schools and colleges to offer a wide Welsh language curriculum,  80% of the 1155 conferences even for post-16 learners wishing to study in Welsh. We work in held in 2010 were for remote partnership with them, with Coleg tutors visiting every location learning, and most were at the start of term to build a personal relationship with bilingual or Welsh only students and teachers. They are also encouraged to learn about  The college has used VC to and adjust the VC equipment in their location so that they feel support high quality Welsh in control of the process.” Over 30 VC-based teaching sessions medium or bilingual learning are held each week in term time, involving presentations, DVDs, across the country, even for web surfing and display of materials through use of a high- post-16 learners quality Document Camera. Students can subsequently access  Distance learning in schools is many of these via the Coleg’s Moodle site, and obtain additional supported by tutor visits at support from a designated Coleg tutor (usually by email) and/or the course start and ‘virtual by visiting an online course forum. ‘Virtual parent’s evenings’ parents’ evenings’ also give students’ parents direct access to Coleg tutors, with  VC is also used internally to the incidental benefits of increasing their understanding of how link Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor’s the classes are conducted. three campuses, and was especially useful in supporting All these activities are supported by WVN (the Welsh Video the recent merger with Coleg Network), funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Llandrillo Cymru Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to provide technical  Internal use has avoided over support to Welsh education. 8000 miles of travel

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SusteIT Case 2: VC at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor/Llandrillo Cymru

Key Benefits

Increased Learning Opportunities – Videoconferencing has allowed many students across Wales to study courses that are not available at their educational establishment, and greatly increased the quality and volume of Welsh medium and bilingual learning. The delivery methods also develop ‘digital familiarity’ and skills of independent learning, both of which are likely to be of value in future careers and lives. Dr Ian Rees Resource Efficiency – It is often more effective and efficient for recipient Schools and Colleges to purchase the provision from Views Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor (CMD) than to employ a new member of “I have got so used to the staff (even if they were available – fluent Welsh speakers can technology it’s barely different be difficult to find in some subject areas). to normal lessons.” Better Communication – Dr Ian Rees, Head of CMD Operations, School student and Deputy Principal of Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, believes that

the technology “enables much more contact between “Students have no problems individuals on different campuses. This was especially helpful hearing and understanding the during our merger, when it allowed us to quickly address issues lessons. They did not like ‘seeing without waiting for physical meetings to be arranged.” themselves’ in the first session Reduced Travel and Carbon – Whilst few learners would travel but have now become to CMD if distance learning was not available, many of the 200 accustomed and generally like or so internal VC meetings genuinely avoid travel, and its the independent study.” associated carbon emissions. If half of these meetings resulted School teacher in an avoided trip, that would equate to a total saving of 8,000

miles (based on the 80 miles round trip between Dolgellau to “The use of videoconferencing Pwllheli) or 2 tonnes of carbon dioxide. and other electronic

technologies, backed up by personal support from qualified Technology and experienced tutors, can provide a high quality blended Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor has 7 video suites: 3 at Dolgellau, 3 at learning experience for students. Pwllheli and 1 at Glynllifon. There are also suites at Coleg This allows them to access Llandrillo’s campuses at Rhos, , Denbigh and . Three pathways that would be of the Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor suites have state of the art Tandberg otherwise unavailable. It also MXP 6000 equipment, whilst the others have older Polycom allows establishments to extend iPower 970 VC or Polycom VSX 8000 equipment. All are capable of the curricular offer available to operating via H.320 (ISDN) and H.323 (IP) networks. The suites their learners.” used for distance learning also have PC’s, Interactive Whiteboards Dr Ian Rees and Document Cameras.

Further information: See www.goodcampus.org and www.wvn.ac.uk for more background information. Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor contact: Glenda Davies [email protected] Disclaimer – Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but readers should verify all information.