This is a learning story in the truest sense, bringing together a seemingly disconnected set of entities and, in this context, we often ask ourselves (rhetorically) what links offenders, the environment and e-learning? The answer is Learning Light, and this is our story.

Over two years ago Learning Light, in association with Active Recycling embarked on the journey of creating an e-learning programme to support the Disassembly of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) using sustainable energy efficient materials recovery techniques. Peter Murphy, MD of Active Recycling had visited Japan with a Department of Trade and Industry Global Watch Mission to see how the Japanese dealt with waste electrical and electronic equipment, and was deeply impressed with the methods used. Japan is small country with a large population, and the possibility of land-filling waste is not really an option!

Peter was determined that the UK should begin to adopt the methods developed in Japan to offer a close to zero landfill solution for WEEE, Furthermore, he felt that e-learning (learning with strong environmental benefits in itself) was the way forward. Whilst the “e” in e-learning does not  usually stand for environmental, (it is usually short for electronic, but engaging, effective, enhanced, empowering and extending have also been claimed), in this case it does, the “e” is firmly for environmental.      

The other major challenge that would impact upon this project was that the disassembly work using this Japanese approach was to be carried out in two of Her Majesty’s Prisons. This proved to be a significant challenge (and a particularly rewarding experience) for the learning design team at Learning Light.

Developing the learning

Learning Light are not developers of e-learning, but in this instance a small prototype was built to illustrate the art of the possible. This was built in Articulate and was designed to simply illustrate how to disassemble a redundant PC tower or printer. Using digital photos, audio and key words a simple but effective learning module was built and converted from PowerPoint to Articulate.

Our methodology was Michael Allen’s successive approximation (Allen 2006). This involved building a number of iterations and testing them with the users in two prisons. We were lucky enough to benefit from the enthusiasm of the learning and development teams, who extended us a great welcome every time another trip to the prison was required.

Unsurprisingly, many of the offenders had little or no knowledge about the waste and environmental industry. The work in prisons also came with a vision that the new found skills and knowledge would not only be transferable to the prison workplace but would eventually provide the offender with the opportunity of meaningful employment when released.

We could not help but be impressed with the commitment to learning and development in the two prisons we worked with, and we always left with the greatest admiration for the teams working in “constrained circumstances”.

Figure 1: The Learning Resource

Listening to the learner

Working with offenders was a new learning experience, and was to present particular challenges. We very quickly became aware of an ambivalence or unwillingness toward learning amongst the offenders we worked with. Conversations with “the lads” very soon highlighted that learning had not been a good experience to date. School had not been a happy place, and much subsequent learning had not been of meaning and value. Prisons are tough places and the banter can create difficult learning environments  We are the first to admit that these findings are based on observation and are purely anecdotal, but proved invaluable in how we positioned and developed the learning.           

Trials of the resource very quickly illustrated the real reluctance of “the lads” to engage with e-learning. E-learning and computers (to some) were a threat. We quickly understood that some learners were afraid that their literacy and numeracy would be challenged. For others ICT literacies and/or keyboard and mouse skills were an issues.

At this stage we were somewhat fortunate as the iterations we were trialling were “instructional modules” illustrating how to complete a task in a tell me – show me – help me mode. The learning did not challenge learners’ literacy or numeracy. Word quickly spread among the learners that this was actually interesting learning, not threatening learning! This was indeed considered learning with a purpose, learning that could make a difference. 

It is important to recognise that at this stage we were tasked with developing learning that instructed learners how to disassemble old ICT equipment, as part of the work based learning environment. However, this was just the beginning of the challenge.

Our approach

We used Nunes and McPherson’s General Education Systems Design (Nunes and McPherson 2004) as our overall model. It provided us with a simple but effective framework, the curriculum at this stage being the WEEE directive. We paid great attention to the design requirements, and involved both our subject matter expert and the learners and learning team closely. Indeed our subject matter expert played a crucial role in interfacing with the learners and the curriculum.

Findings

It is important to remember that the initial requirement was for a waste processing methodology that met the WEEE directive, and was suitable for deployment in a prison based environment. However and very quickly the learning became valued by the prison  Learning & Development team and well received by the learners for other reasons. Both very quickly appreciated the nature and value of the disassembly work being undertaken and that they were acquiring a skill that could really improve their chances of employment on release. 

The knowledge and expertise that was brought allowed the introduction of an e-learning programme that allows learners to take control of their own learning and progress at their own pace. This was a very important finding, as prisoners have very little control of their lives on a day-to-day basis. This allowed for a much higher level of receptiveness toward the e-learning and the work based learning component.   

Learning in the past had not been a good experience for many of the participants and the prisons were keen that the offenders were gaining knowledge and skills that would assist in them learning to learn, and increase their ability to understand instructions, and complete tasks in a structured manner. Valuing the skills and instructions in the context of making a difference to the environment was considered to be important by learners, as was the role of e-learning directly supporting the working environment.    

The impact of this project has not only been in the engaging quality of the e-learning experience delivered (feedback has been universally positive) but in the production of high quality clean waste that can be recycled in a manner envisaged by the WEEE directive. Furthermore, prisoners are now requesting to work in the disassembly workshops. Learners are now able to identify, grade and separate a wide range of plastics, metals, circuit boards, glass and other components found in printers and PCs as part of the disassembly process undertaken in the workshop. From a 7kg printer less than 2 grams of plastic film will go to landfill using the disassembly methods that Active Recycling and Learning Light have developed.

More importantly, learners can now also clearly outline the WEEE directive, are aware of its importance to the environment, and can confidently “talk the talk”, greatly enhancing future employment opportunities.

One pilot at one prison workshop was evidenced to have delivered total CO₂ savings of 450.2394 tonnes per annum: e-learning really is about environmental benefits in so many ways! 

Our story does not end there however. After the roll out of the learning, and the interest it generated across National Offender Management Service (NOMS) we were asked by NOMS to develop an NVQ to recognise the work being done and deliver knowledge of the WEEE directive. The upshot is we have developed an NVQ in Waste Recycling operations (WEEE) level 2 as a pathway in the existing NVQ

David Patterson (Learning Light)
Gillian Broadhead (Learning Light)
Peter Murphy (Active Recycling)

Contact
David.patterson@learninglight.com

References

Allen, M.W (2006)  Creating successful e-learning. San Francisco: Pfieffer

Allen, M.W (2007)  Designing successful e-learning. San Francisco: Pfieffer

Bersin, J. (2004) The Blended Learning Book. San Francisco: Pfieffer

Nunes, J.M and McPherson, M.A (2004)  Developing innovation in online learning. London: Routledge Farmer

Rosen, A (2009)  e-learning 2.0. New York: Amacon

Williams, J and Rosenbaum, S (2004)  Learning Paths. San Francisco: Pfieffer