Agile and accessible: updating HESA training

The current pandemic forced us to review and adapt our ways of working. With the prospect of our traditional live training delivery fading away, we need a new, fresh approach to ensure we provide the HE sector with the highest quality training, but in the most flexible way. To achieve that, we have made a few changes to improve the accessibility and quality of our products.

We have applied an agile methodology to our training design and delivery model with frequent modular releases to our e-learning packages as well as online webinars.

This specifically applies to Data Futures training where we have tried to align our releases to coding manual releases, ensuring HE providers have access to up-to-date training resources as soon as known changes are communicated.

We have also considered how can we help working parents, who have suddenly needed to juggle home schooling and work, and perhaps are unable to commit to a four-hour webinar block.

"flexible access to our webinars without compromising on quality"

To allow more flexible access to our webinars without compromising on quality, we have decided to redesign our introductory, post-collection and advanced sessions. This has ensured we are only covering the most relevant topics, and has cut webinar time to the necessary minimum. We also have split our regular four-hour sessions (such as introductory webinars) into two webinars, run over two days. To further flex the delivery, we have introduced optional ‘homework’ so delegates can work through tasks in their own time if they wish to.

We have also updated our systems to schedule pre-recorded versions of our training webinars. This change allows us to schedule webinars more frequently and gives our delegates the power to stop and start the training if they need to. Unlike YouTube videos, these webinars provide the opportunity to ask questions and share best practices, which we then will answer and distribute via email to all delegates post-training.

Another addition to our programme will be pre-recorded, topical collection masterclasses: short one-hour sessions, focusing on selected concepts, and available on multiple dates and various timings to ensure maximum flexibility in accessing and engaging with training.

Most importantly, to ensure we have not compromised on quality, we are bringing back Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation for all courses. Our new learning content is currently undergoing rigorous review to ensure that we comply with the highest standards in training delivery, so our products and services support your CPD in the best possible way. Soon you will see the CPD accreditation mark on our courses and be able to receive a CPD certificate and collect CPD points upon successful completion of our e-learning courses as well as online webinars.

We hope all our efforts in making our training more flexible and accessible will make a real difference and improve engagement and knowledge transfer. As always, we value all feedback and will consider all suggestions, so please get in touch, if you want to help us to shape new HESA training.