Shortlist 2021 - Category P

Keeping the timing of teaching and assessments on track and allowing learners to progress through their studies on time is an absolute priority, ensuring they can continue building their careers.

BPP’s significant investment in digital capability and technology over the last few years made them well placed to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic in an agile and flexible way. In essence, when lockdown was announced, we transitioned our entire portfolio to online live delivery within just four days by using existing technologies and processes and enabling continuity for both learners and clients.

Coming soon.

High-end restaurant group D&D London have recently been awarded the best COVID-19 training award at the Springboard hospitality awards 2020. D&D London consists of 43 diverse restaurants, bars and a hotel, based predominantly in London, but also with locations in Leeds, Bristol Manchester, Paris and New York.

With the global pandemic having a huge impact on the 1,200 employees that are employed by D&D London, providing relevant support and information at the point-of-need was extremely important to the organisation. To respond to this need, D&D London launched D&D Connect, which is built using Looop. They were able to use Looop's’ resources and campaigns features to keep employees updated and informed in real-time at every stage of the lockdown. 

With proven ability to teach online, our tutors know how to maintain pace and ensure learning objectives are met. But lockdown challenged learners. How could staff keep a pastoral eye on some very isolated young people?

The innovative application of digital tools, implemented with care and best practice, transformed the pastoral study programme to the delight of 16-19-year-olds, resulting in effective, lasting improvement. Weekly tutorials are now designed, created and delivered in a way that is more interactive and engaging for learners, and easier for tutors to deliver, either onsite, remotely, or a hybrid of the two approaches.

Health Education England elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh) has developed a peer reviewed educational and training resource to support the workforce responding to the Coronavirus pandemic. Drawing on expertise from national teams and clinicians elfh rapidly developed the COVID-19 programme available to the whole workforce from March 2020. Later in the pandemic, elfh developed the core digital theory training for all COVID-19 vaccinators in England. This involved a multi-agency approach to deliver the required content within the challenging timelines outlined by NHSE&I National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. The COVID-19 vaccination elearning programme launched in November 2020.

Imperial College Business School has always prioritised technological innovation, with its EdTech Lab front and centre from day one, and a selection of world-class online programmes such as its Global MBA. This put the School in an enviable position when the pandemic hit. It achieved the unachievable – 300 modules transferred online in just two weeks, its jointly developed Insendi learning platform delivering an enhanced online experience one month later, and a unique, fully-functioning HyFlex classroom operational within five months. Many schools are now starting to offer multi-modal solutions, but the School’s HyFlex classroom is unique in combining a comprehensive network of cameras, screens and microphones, with tech ‘co-pilots’ who support both students and faculty to ensure that the virtual learning experience feels just like being in class. This resulted in the 2nd highest student satisfaction rating since records began.

This submission will tell the story of how we introduced two new digital programmes during a pandemic to ensure our learners could continue to study and move forward in their professional careers. The first, a more engaging synchronous “live online” programme, incorporating changes that resulted from observing and listening to our learners. Secondly a redesigned asynchronous programme with a modern user-friendly interface and an overall smoother learner journey, both made possible by new technologies.

These programmes were delivered on time and within budget but only because we were building on previous investment in ideas and a long-term desire to improve.

The Lumina Spark Virtual Qualification has significantly impacted business performance throughout 2020/2021.

1. Combining multiple regional face-to-face courses into one global virtual programme has brought many benefits.
2. The global nature of our qualifications enables the exchange of ideas, perspectives and shared experience with a more diverse group of participants than face-to-face.
3. Average participation on our qualifications has increased, ensuring we minimise costs whilst maximising quality.
4. Practitioners become familiar with face-to-face/virtual and blended delivery enabling them to replicate our modular approach with their clients using the skills learnt and the learning objects developed for Lumina's LXP.

Teach First delivered a suite of learning tools enabling a digital learning transformation during the height of the global pandemic. The procurement and implementation of 4 essential tools meant that what should have been a 5-week residential course in Summer 2020 was able to be delivered entirely online, and ensured 1600+ trainee teachers could successfully attend and be ready for teaching in September. Additionally, they could continue to support teachers and leaders who needed it most in schools serving disadvantaged communities during this difficult year. Without this transformation, this would have been impossible.

Due to COVID 19 and the impact of social distancing, LIVES needed support to continue our lifesaving training, to ensure our Emergency Responders could continue to be safe, confident, and competent to respond to 999 medical emergencies right across the second largest county in England.  Following a successful application to Ufi, we have implemented a seamless online learning platform. The LIVES Academy has an online community which hosts over 450 of our Emergency Responders, who can each access the relevant modules to learn from. Since the launch of the platform in 2020 we have had over 3000 individual courses delivered.

Coming soon.