FE Week Technology Supplement – click here to download.

With the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) holding its annual conference earlier in September, we thought this was the perfect time to take a look at all things technology-related for the FE and skills sector. The title of this supplement – Connect, Collaborate, Create – is taken from the theme of the ALT conference. On the next 16 pages we look at some of the many ways that colleges and other providers are working together to create innovative tech solutions to the challenges facing the sector.

On page three, Bella Abrams gives her unique insight on those challenges from her perspective as both a trustee for ALT and head of innovation and technology at Hull College Group. There was much to learn for FE delegates at the ALT conference, held from September 6 to 8 at the University of Warwick. We’ve pulled together a round-up of some of the highlights on pages four and five. No discussion of technology in FE would be complete without mentioning the FELTAG report – so on pages six and seven we speak to a number of people including Maren Deepwell, ALT chief executive, about how the FELTAG agenda has moved on since its publication in 2014.

One of the biggest challenges facing the sector at the moment is undoubtedly the area reviews of post-16 education and training. On pages 14 and 15 we look at the role that technology is playing in the review process, as well as some of the support that’s available to colleges to help them to make the most of technology during and after the review process.

It’s also important to keep tabs on what providers think are the biggest recent developments with tech for FE over the past year – so we dedicated a double page spread to provider responses to our survey on this issue, in the hope that others working in FE will pick up some good tips. These include Daniel Scott from Barnsley College, who won individual learning technologist of the year at the ALT awards this month. The supplement also reports on an exciting new research project, overseen by former Association of Colleges chief executive Martin Doel, that aims to be the first to provide hard evidence of the benefits of blended learning, and tech implications for FE and skills area reviews.