Session 6 – 12th April – 14.15 – 15.05

Title of Presentation:           Time to Learn- new approaches to

                                                growing learning communities in the

                                                South Wales Valleys

Presenters:                           John Rogers & Sarah James

Organisation:                      Wales Institute for Community Currencies at

                                              the University of Wales, Newport

Summary:

Time to Learn outlines the development work of the Wales Institute for Community Currencies at the University of Newport with learning communities in the SouthWalesValleys.  It shows how ‘learning time credits’ give learners the opportunity to turn their existing knowledge and skills into a ‘learning currency’ with which they can gain access to resources that further support their learning.

Most commentators on adult participation in learning agree that there are complex factors at work in the decisions and opportunities to participate.  Strategies for widening participation in adult education have included three main approaches:  removing barriers to learn, creating incentives to learn and supporting intrinsic motivation to learn.  A complementary learning currency works in parallel with existing funding mechanisms to support all of these approaches.

Learning time credits offer learners a range of entry points into the learning system by allowing them to decide the conditions of their participation.  They may choose to gain time credits through various options: teaching other learners what they already know; mentoring other learners; acting as classroom assistants on formal courses; attending classes which learning providers pay them in learning credits to attend; organising learner support circles. They may choose to redeem their time credits on study support materials for the group, educational trips, transport vouchers, lessons or mentoring from other learners.

This paper presents the emerging evidence from two pilot projects at Cwm Café, Blaenau Gwent and Graig-y-Rhacca, Caerphilly in partnership with RISE (the Gwent wide learning network), the WEA and a Communities First Partnership Board, where the idea is being tested between January and December 2005.

Learning time credits offer: more choice for learners; increased motivation and participation levels in both informal and formal learning; better analysis of gaps in provision; recruitment of new tutors from the learning community; easier progression routes; use of learning time credits in Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL); negotiation with funders to recognise learning time credits as currency which can match/trigger other finance; new indicators for social capital eg health from learning.