Learning Light becomes the trustee for £15m of the UK’s e-learning content

From: Learning Light
Published: Thu May 24 2007


UK LearnOnline, a consortium of learning content producers which has developed the learning content for the National Learning Network (NLN) and will involve the promotion of the UK learning industry on a global scale, has appointed Learning Light (LL), a non-profit centre of excellence in the use of learning technologies in the workplace, as a trustee of the consortium. In this matter, Learning Light was advised by Peter Rawlinson, partner at Wake Smith, specialists in IT/IP and corporate sector deals.

The UK LearnOnline consortium comprises of some of the UK’s leading e-learning businesses: Epic, the Workshop, Digitalbrain and the National Extension College (NEC).

The learning content’s production value has been estimated at some $29.55m (£15m) by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta), which has responsibility for ensuring that learning content in the UK is ‘fit for purpose’ and matches the needs of both the learner and the learner’s organisation. The NLN content is over 600 hours long and covers a wide range of topics, from travel & tourism and environmental conversation to performing arts, sports and recreation.

NLN content is intended for a wide range of learners – from 16 year olds through to adults – covering adult and community learning; further and higher education; offender learning, and work-based learning. While the content is freely available in the UK, Learning Light is developing a number of channel partners in order to distribute this material outside the UK, by using its network of international expertise it has built up.

"The increased exposure of the UK learning industry through the activities of Learning Light working with UK LearnOnline will offer significant opportunities – internationally - for both locally-based and national e-learning organisations," said Mark Pearce, of theWorkshop and the chair of UK LearnOnline.

"In addition, there are plans to extend the UK LearnOnline consortium in order to include more NLN producers – and the learning content that they have produced, Both the UK LearnOnline consortium and Learning Light are keen to work with more UK developers to expand the consortium and promote quality UK e-learning content worldwide," he added.

"UK LearnOnline offers many exciting prospects for its member organisations," he continued. "We’re delighted that Learning Light is working with the consortium and is going to be devoting considerable resources and expertise to help the consortium achieve its aims and objectives."

Jim Farmery, head of innovation at Yorkshire Forward commented: "This is an exciting coup for Learning Light and the Yorkshire and Humber based e-learning industry.

"In its appointment to manage and promote the work of UK LearnOnline, Learning Light has been recognised as a world class provider offering access to world class knowledge, research and learning - the UK’s e-learning offer will now be realised not only within the UK but to a worldwide market.

"The Yorkshire and Humber e-learning industry already holds two of the world’s largest applied e-learning services," he continued. "It is partnerships such as this that continue to place the region at the heart of the use of learning technologies in the workplace – increasing the skills of our workforce and moving the region forward."

"Our role within the consortium is to be the consortium’s exclusive representative to manage the marketing, sales licensing and administration of the NLN materials directly and through resellers worldwide – that is, anywhere outside the UK," commented Mark Pittaway, LL’s CEO.

"In particular, we are looking for partners using established networks in the US and elsewhere to help promote and further develop markets for UK e-learning overseas. This is highly significant for the UK’s e-learning industry and shows Learning Light’s commitment to growing the industry."

end

Notes for Editors

About the National Learning Network and its learning materials

Funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and available free to the post-16 sector, the NLN materials represent one of the most substantial and wide-ranging collections of e-learning materials in the UK.

The NLN Materials are small, flexible 'bite-sized' episodes of learning. They are not whole courses but are designed to support a wide range of subject and topic areas. The materials adopt a range of approaches involving some knowledge acquisition, a chance to practise and absorb, and some form of assessment to check that the learning has been understood and the learning outcome(s) achieved.

The materials give learners things to do and a chance to think for themselves. They are designed to be fun. Learners can make mistakes but can try again. There is plenty of in-built help if they get stuck and opportunities to go back and revise. Many of the materials include games or quizzes. Accessibility options are available on many of the materials to suit learners' individual needs. The materials are also designed to appeal to the different learning styles of students.

About Epic

Epic Performance Improvement, part of Huveaux learning, is the UK market leader in the use of new learning technologies and methodologies to improve organisational performance. Using e-learning alongside traditional means, we help people know more, learn faster and perform better, bringing benefits to both organisation and individual.

For over 20 years Epic has been a consistent leader and innovator, producing ground-breaking and award-winning work. Services range from consultancy through content production and technology solutions (both bespoke and generic) to testing and localisation.

Epic has extensive experience across both private and public sectors, with particular expertise in Government, Finance, Defence, Education, Travel and Retail sectors.

www.epic.co.uk

About the Workshop

theWorkshop is a creative learning consultancy that specialises in design and bespoke learning products across all media. Creative applications range from corporate branding and promotional materials to websites, intranets, e-commerce and e-learning.

Our team of consultants, researchers, designers, writers, programmers, testers and project managers, create products for a wide range of clients from the educational and blue chip sectors.

theWorkshop specialises in developing learning products by combining rigorous learning principles with creative thinking and technological innovation.

Areas of expertise include:
• learning consultancy
• writing, design and production of bespoke e-learning products including websites, games, CD-ROMs, online resources, personal and career development tools
• bespoke learning materials in other media
• audio/video scripting, production and editing

www.theworkshop.co.uk

About Digitalbrain

Formed in 1997, Digitalbrain has become one of the leading providers of learning platforms, e-content and portal architecture to public and private organisations. Working closely with regional broadband consortia, including the London Grid for Learning, the East of England Broadband Consortium, and some 50 Local Education Authorities and private sector organisations, Digitalbrain has been at the forefront of the advent of e-learning.
Its key school solution, Learning Manager, provides schools with an online learning platform. Learning platforms are increasingly being used by schools to help address the wide range of government initiatives such as personalised learning, social inclusion, increased parental involvement and addressing the 14-19 agenda.

www.digitalbrain.com

About NEC

The National Extension College (NEC) was set up over 40 years ago as a not-for-profit organisation to help people of all ages fit learning into their lives. It:
• supports 20,000 individual learners a year on over 100 home study courses
• provides quality open learning resources for organisations and training providers including Schools, Further Education Colleges, Local Authorities and NHS Trusts
• works with private and public sector businesses to organise training programmes that allow their employees to study at convenient times with work-based learning
• helps people in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to develop new skills.
• promotes the value of distance learning by maintaining a high profile in the educational environment

www.nec.ac.uk

About Learning Light Ltd

Learning Light is a non-profit organisation that highlights and promotes best practice in the use of learning technologies. It also builds relationships between learning technology researchers, suppliers, buyers and learners providing learner-centric information to encourage the growth of learning technologies. By sharing comprehensive research, highlighting successes and failures, Learning Light helps to promote the learning technologies community.

Learning Light provides bespoke and individual services to help both buyers and suppliers of learning technologies. Its current services include:

Research Services
Providing access to expert insights, advice and guidance built on in-depth research. Helping organisations to effectively implement learning technologies (e-Learning) and integrate them within their workflow processes.

Membership Services
Partnering with leading thinkers in the industry and providing a network for all interested in the field to share information, knowledge, insight, experience and expertise, through utilising online community tools, networking events, conferences and guru seminars.

Professional Services
Learning Light’s highly experienced team offers organisations access to range of competitively priced consultancy services supporting buyers with the effective implementation of their learning technology (e-Learning) requirements. And, for suppliers, helping to provide a range of services to assist market awareness and generate growth.

In addition, Learning Light provides a comprehensive Professional Development programme to help Learning & Development professionals understand the significance of learning technologies in the workplace today and how to effectively implement them within the workflow processes of their organisation.

Sheffield-based Learning Light is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber, and the European Regional Development Fund.

To find out more about Yorkshire Forward and the Yorkshire and Humber region, visit www.yorkshire-forward.com

Further information from:
Mark Pittaway/ Kay Simpson, Learning Light, +44 (0)114 201 5703
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405

Company: Learning Light
Contact Name: Bob Little
Contact Email: bob.little@dial.pipex.com
Contact Phone: 00 44 (0) 1 727 860405

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