Missed the OneAdvanced Education Pioneer Summit 2024? Don’t worry – we’ve summarised the main points below.
Driving efficiencies
The team at OneAdvanced Education were delighted to hold the second Education Pioneer Summit at the Grand Hotel, Birmingham on June 18. Attended by senior leaders in further education, the event brought together a panel of industry experts to discuss the role technology can play in driving greater efficiencies amid the cost of delivery crisis.
Challenges and solutions
Presenter Denise Mahoney opened by outlining the mounting pressures in further education, defined by chronic underfunding, poor staff wellbeing, and high rates of attrition. These challenges exist alongside the need to navigate a rapidly changing digital environment.
Jake Redford, VP of Product Management at OneAdvanced then talked about the company’s overarching mission: to work closely with customers while providing solutions to improve their world of work. OneAdvanced’s deep sector expertise has delivered an education portfolio that stretches far beyond learner and course management.
The portfolio includes solutions made to reduce administrative burden, provide evidence for funding and inspection bodies, track learner progression, and enhance the learning and assessment of Digital Skills, Functional Skills, and GCSE. Alongside these sector-specific solutions, OneAdvanced’s wider product range can support with financial management, supplier management, and governance and risk.
A customer-first approach
Mark Goves, Head of Product at OneAdvanced continued by explaining how the team at OneAdvanced are constantly modernising the product offering to elevate the user experience and bring greater efficiencies. Integration between products and improved UI and UX are designed to deliver a cohesive user experience.
This means that the education portfolio has developed to ensure data moves seamlessly from one process to another with solutions that deliver greater data visibility and a single source of data truth.
Matt Tidmarsh, Sales Director at OneAdvanced expanded on the customer experience: previously, customers with more than one product were assigned multiple product managers; they are now assigned a single product manager with expertise in each of their solutions. This results in a straightforward relationship, with a single point of contact.
Responsible AI
Keynote speaker Philip Fumey from Microsoft took to the stage with a presentation on the history of AI, and its many use cases. While many of us worry about AI moving too quickly, he noted that it is incumbent upon governments to provide guidance and legislation. The UK government has made some progress in this regard with working and consultation groups.
On the question of whether AI stifles creative thought, Philip said that while there are inherent risks, AI can actually broaden horizons when used properly. What’s more, implementing AI correctly in education can cut down on research time, while allowing learners to focus on key skills including problem solving and adaptability.
When questioned by Denise on privacy issues involving large amounts of young people’s data, Philip noted that such concerns were not new; organisations need to focus on building trust and transparency. Senior decisions makers will need to carry out a ‘deep dive’ into the credentials of software companies, data protection, and cyber security prior to AI implementation.
AI in action
Ross Radford, Apprentices Manager at Newcastle College Group (NCG) expanded on the capabilities of AI in education. The group is currently using AI-enhanced tools including Azure AI to quickly create schemes of work, lesson plans, and power point slides – a scalable, efficient solution that saves time for educators and support staff.
Such digital tools are increasingly important in an era of high attrition rates and funding issues, Ross continued. Current software can be used to track learner progression, identify risk, and prevent dropouts. Digital platforms are also used to reduce the need for duplicate data entry, and improve staff wellbeing through real-time feedback.
In conclusion, Ross pointed out that digital tools are not a silver bullet. Apprenticeship providers will need to forge closer relationships with employers, employers will need to take more responsibility in reporting on their apprentices, and learners will require enhanced communication channels to give them increased ownership of their work.
Watch the Education Pioneer Summit 2024, FREE and on-demand.