NEWS FROM MEMBER COLLEGES
Alternative Training (The School of Homeopathy)
It is part of the School's U.K. Programme that students take part in the Proving of a new remedy. Participation in this process provides invaluable insights into the philosophy of healing as well as the action of homeopathic remedies. The results of these provings are made freely available to anyone, along with details of other provings undertaken by some of the School's faculty.
The School of Homeopathy believes in the spirit of sharing freely this germinal data of homeopathic practice. All of us who are involved in carrying out provings at the School are therefore delighted to present the fruits of our labours to the profession.
Most of the provings presented on this web-link stem from work of the School of Homeopathy. They have been conducted with students from Year Three as provers while students from Year Four acted as supervisors, and all have been co-ordinated by experienced members of the School's faculty. For the most part, these provings are full and detailed, and have been schematised. You will also find some provings with lesser details, which, none-the-less, are included, because the emerging picture is clear and characteristic. Protocols used for these provings are also given. Wherever possible, verified clinical experiences are also included (and will be developed), in order that the proving picture is enhanced by the evidence of their practical application.
Proving data are in constant preparation, and will be steadily added to our presentation as and when they are sufficiently ready. Below are some provings that are either already published or which will be published over the coming months, including some by School faculty outside of the School.
BSY was the UK’s first college to specialise in complementary therapies and our courses are designed for home-study. Although we have grown considerably over the years, we have ensured that we stay true to our ethos of excellent training provided by caring, dedicated professionals. BSY courses are easy to follow and enjoyable. Every student is assigned their own tutor to offer prompt, expert attention and friendly encouragement. Besides being ABCC and ODLQC accredited BSY is a validated NCFE training provider allowing students to gain formal recognition from a national awarding body for their studies. NCFE’s customised awards guarantee that training courses are of a high standard and meet the rigorous requirements of a national body by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual). Some courses also grant successful students additional recognition of their skills and learning in a nationally recognised external award certificate which gives evidence of their achievements. OCN Credit4Learning credits are also accepted as a means of entry to further education and university education.
CTJT
Music journalism student chosen for Beyonce
Music journalism course student Natasha Ferguson's blog was selected by music giant RCA to promote Beyonce's new album.
RCA Label Group - part of Sony - looked at her blog from a re-tweet and liked what they saw.
So Natasha exclusively released tracks and quotes from the pop celebrity until the new album "4" was released at the end of June.
Natasha tells us: 'I was soo honoured, proud and excited, all at the same time!'
'They told me to promote as and when I like to all my social sites. Facebook and Twitter had the Beyonce skin applied!'
CTJT director Cleland Thom said: 'This is an amazing achievement. We encourage all our students to have blogs - Natasha is living proof of why that's so important.'
Distance learning organisation CTJT is awarding scholarships to liberal journalists involved in the Tahrir Square revolution in Egypt.
The organisation has already granted scholarships to two Egyptian national newspaper journalists who bravely took part in the country’s uprising, and has set aside funds to support others.
The journalists approached CTJT for re-training when the media in Egypt broke free from government control. They wanted to keep up with the free press and recognised the need to develop their skills.
One of them is George al Masry, who works for Al gomhuria, the state-owned Egyptian daily newspaper. He is one of the leaders of the liberal journalists involved in the revolution. The other is Nagwa Nasr, who works for the same title.
He said: “I heard about CTJT from the activist and journalist Nagwa Nasr and I'm so glad to cooperate and re-train with them. I hope this fruitful collaboration will continue. Egypt has gone through difficult situation, with corruption and injustice.
“As a result Egyptian journalism, which was once the best and most solid journalism in Africa and the Middle East, deteriorated. We are the young journalists and are hoping after the Tahrir revolution to restore the bright awareness of the role of the Egyptian journalist.
“We are hoping that one day our journalism will attract journalists from around the world for training and education.”
CTJT director Cleland Thom said: “We are so proud to be able to the support Egyptian journalists so they can keep up with the modern media and learn how to work in a free press. I suspect we have just as much to learn from them.”
CTJT is the UK’s largest media e-college, with 1,500 students in 95 countries.
Editorial Training launches new online copywriting course.
All the courses at Editorial Training are about the written word in one form or another, and its second distance learning course, Essential Copywriting, is all about writing effective marketing copy.
It’s an online course, which uses the same platform as the online version of Proofreading Today (Editorial Training’s first distance learning course). Completing it contributes 18 hours of study under the Chartered CPD Programme from The Chartered Institute of Marketing.
An important aspect of Essential Copywriting is that it aims to set the work of the copywriter in the proper context. Students will find a good deal of background information on general marketing theory, including branding and positioning, but always with one eye on how the copywriter fits in.
While it may not be possible to teach sheer creativity and imagination, the course does aim to help writers find sources of inspiration and overcome the dreaded writer’s block. It also includes easy-to-implement techniques for using language in a way that maximises impact.
Different techniques work in different media, and Module 3 concentrates on how to write for the medium. It covers everything from websites to direct mail letters.
The final module, Module 4, looks at a variety of issues that affect the copywriter. It includes advice on grammatical and editorial points, as well as design, use of imagery and colour, and marketing planning. Finally, there is a section on copywriting and the law, which looks at the legal and regulatory framework that affects the copywriter.
The course includes a number of activities and exercises, all designed to help reinforce learning points, plus three marked assignments. Students are awarded a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
Visit www.edittrain.co.uk to learn more.
Practical Training Online at the National College of Technology
The National College of Technology (NCT) provides a range of Engineering, CAD and Management courses by distance learning.
All of these courses are delivered through hard copy training notes, guidance notes and in course and end of course assessment. However the engineering courses present a major problem for delivery by distance learning, as they require practical training.
In some cases this can be provided by training kits or by the trainee visiting the NCT Centre to receive this training directly. Both these methods have their difficulties and this can also result in a major additional cost.
For two of the engineering courses NCT has developed the online Virtu-Lab, where the trainee can log on and undertake a series of practical exercises, recording the data, carrying out calculation and interpreting the results, on hard copy data sheets, before submitting this information for assessment.
One of the major advantages of using the Virtu-Lab is that a more realistic practical environment and operation can be simulated without the need for the huge expense for equipment or for the need to shut down production equipment, resulting in loss of production. It also has no H & S issues.
The down side to this approach is that the trainee does not get “hands-on” experience during the training. NCT recommends that the “hands-on” is gained on the equipment within their own working environment. Virtu-Lab will have shown them what results to expect.
The Virtu-Lab is accessed through the Open Access software Moodle where the trainees can also undertake the multiple-choice end assessment, getting an instance result for this test.
This approach is used for the Instrumentation and Calibration courses where it is particularly helpful for the calibration course. Moodle is also used for the CAD course, where assignments can be downloaded for working on and uploaded for marking. As for the engineering courses, the multiple-choice end assessment is undertaken through Moodle.
NCT now plan to extend this approach to practical training, to other courses. For more information contact Trevor Leach on 01908 365781 or go to www.nctonline.net
Distance Learning Partnership
Foundations in Accountancy (FIA)
The ACCA is introducing a new exam and qualification scheme for CAT this year under this new title. Awards are made at each level.
New Scheme
Introductory Certificate in Financial& Management Accounting
Recording Financial Transactions (FA1)
Management Information (MA1)
Intermediate Certificate in Financial & Management Accounting
Maintaining Financial Records (FA2)
Managing Costs & Finance (MA2)
Diploma in Accounting & Business
Four above papers plus
Accounting in Business (FAB)
Management Accounting (FMA)
Financial Accounting (FFA)
Certified Accounting Technician
Diploma in Accounting & Business plus 2 of three optional papers and 1 year's practical experience.
In addition candidates will take a free online paper (once only) on professionalism & ethics
The ACCA is accepting registrations for the new scheme from January 2011 for a first exam in December 2011. Newly registered students will be permitted to take some CB exams from Feb-Nov 2011.
Transitional Arrangements
Existing CAT students will transfer to FIA in August 2011, depending on their June 2011 exam result.
Revised Courses
We are reviewing the new scheme subject syllabuses.
Ideal Schools: Training Provider of the Year 2011
We have been awarded a Training Provider of the Year 2011 award. Awarded by the Bookkeepers Network (BKN) we were nominated by students, and the voting was done solely by students, so it is very pleasing as it shows we are doing something right.
London Art College 2010 Annual College Conference
This year's Annual Conference was held in a beautiful setting in Bristol and was well attended by the College's Tutors. The continued development of the website and the increasing popularity of the Student's Forum were both discussed.
The final part of the meeting was devoted to choosing the winner, second and third place in the Student of the Year 2010.
OLCI
Philip Laniado, Managing Director of OLCI, reveals the secrets of the company's success:
'OLCI Construction Training has been a City & Guilds accredited assessment centre for several years. We see our businesses as going beyond merely teaching qualifications to solving headaches suffered by many in the plumbing and heating industry. We pride ourselves on being able to offer bespoke qualifications. We work with all companies no matter the size, from those that employ one person to those that employ hundreds! And, regardless the size of the company, we always offer the same service standards.
'With each company we look at the training requirements and map the appropriate City & Guilds qualifications and industry standards to their needs. As we have worked in the business for many years we understand the pressures of the construction industry and the need for training to be flexible and relevant. We ensure that each company has their own designated Account Manager, the point of contact regardless of where the company is based or what training they need. We find that this enables us to develop an individual relationship so we can learn more about the business and react quickly where there are new development requirements. Our aim is always to provide the right solutions.
Oxford Open Learning - Teaching History
Just as there will never be a consensus on how to teach English, so the teaching of History is destined to remain controversial. History textbooks tailored to fit A-level exam requirements have “stultified” teachers’ thinking and left children ill-equipped for the type of independent study needed at university, according to an Ofsted report on history teaching, reported in the Observer.
As publishers of textbooks tailored to fit A-level exam requirements, should Oxford Open Learning take this criticism on the chin?
There is certainly a dilemma to be faced, but the problem is not caused by publishers but by the way the subject is now examined. Markers no longer reward subtlety, originality or independent research and it is possible to score 100% without dispalying any of these qualities. Instead, markers are trained to look out for very specific points. Either those points are made (and those approaches adopted) or they are not. Candidates score well if they have been trained to deliver the formulaic, quasi-objective qualities that the examiners are required to award marks for.
Teachers and publishers can hardly ignore this reality. Their primary responsibility is to help the candidate achieve the best possible grade. We make no apologies for this. At the same time, we try to develop the qualities of independence and rigour that would be required at university but it is not always easy to fulfil both objectives at the same time.
Thus a bit of a gap has indeed developed between “real” history texts and books designed to support A-level candidates. It is not a problem that is unique to history. The marking of all arts subject has gradually changed. We no longer trust examiners to award (relatively subjective) marks based on the depth of an argument, the breadth of reading and the “feel” that the candidate has for a subject. Perhaps it is because we live in a more litigious society, where everything has to be objectively justifiable.
But the result is a diminution in the quality of our learning experience and a loss of pleasure in certain subjects. What is the point in studying subjects like English and History if it is no more than a game of trying to determine what it is the examiners are looking for and then delivering it? These subjects used to be a lot more fun!
Simon Schama, the writer and historian, has agreed to advise ministers on the curriculum for History. We can but hope that he will find a way to revivify what is potentially a wonderful subject at all levels of study, from Key Stage 3, through GCSE to A-level.
STT
Are You The Next JK Rowling?
by Suzanne Harrison
Harry Potter. The name brings instant recognition from people all over the world. The books have sold over 350 million copies worldwide. Only the bible has more translations. The movies have gone on to grace the lists of the Top 10 grossing films of all time.
When Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published in 1997, Joanne Kathleen Rowling was a previously unpublished author. She had no publishing credits, no insider knowledge, no friends in the industry.
So how did she do it? How did she go on, in the space of ten short years, to become the first billionaire author on the planet?
The answer to that question lies not in what she did in those ten years between the publication of the first book and the publication of the seventh, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
The answer actually lies in what she did in the seven years prior to the first book's publication.
So if you're an author who is yet to be published, you're actually in the best possible position. Because it's in this time, before your book hits the shelves, that you can have the greatest influence on its success.
Quite simply, JK Rowling followed a four-step writing process that you too can adopt to write your very own list of bestsellers. The question is: do you have what it takes to be the next JK Rowling?....
Created by Spoton Corporation: Web Design Devon
