Partnerships

Partnership working is an important part of all that we do. We are continually working with partners to develop learning opportunities with a wide variety of stakeholder groups.

Swansea Learning Partnership

The project is working with a group of English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) students in Swansea to develop additional language-learning resources for other ESOL students.

Using the internet and inexpensive mp3 players, ESOL students working with IT tutors & a web & graphics team, will create web-based resources, including sound files to give them practice in language use; an additional resource to supplement their time in an ESOL class.

The web-site to include local information and act as a resource for newcomers to Swansea is now being developed - http://www.swansea-arrivals.net.

In the first part of the Swansea Learning Partnership Project, DACE’s role was to develop online learning courses in Art History. This second phase of the project looks again to use technology in an innovative way that will add to the student experience. By using inexpensive mp3 players to supplement language learning, students also get an opportunity to improve their IT skills.

What is the project?

Sep 2006 – July 2008, 2 years
Partners are Gorseinon (lead partner) DACE, Swansea College & Lifelong Learning
Currently employed on the project: Jean Preece & Jeff Wilkinson. Fiona Caroll & Jo Coulson (half time).

The project is working with a group of English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) students in Swansea to develop additional language-learning resources that will be accessible and useful to all ESOL students.

Using the internet and inexpensive mp3 players, ESOL students working with IT tutors, & DACE’s web & graphic design team, will create web-based resources, including sound files to give them practice in language use, an additional resource to supplement their time in an ESOL class. The web-site will include local information and act as a resource for newcomers to Swansea.

The web-site called Swansea Arrivals is currently being developed.

The students, besides creating a useful resource for others, will in the process increase  their own IT skills, in the area of video, web design, sound files and have a chance to develop their project management experience.

Key activities & outputs:

A dedicated website for Swansea ESOL learners' scenarios on the web:

• eg How to find a solicitor
• visiting the CAB
• How to make an appointment on the phone
• How to find specific locations in Swansea – DACE, Housing Office etc
• (relevant orientation topics to be decided by the ESOL group)

Sound files for downloading by students:

• short interviews
• paragraphs read at slow speed, phrase by phrase, with spaces for repetition
• eg examples of difficult pronunciations
• Songs or Nursery rhymes?

Other Facilities

• There will be text to go with sound files, which can be printed
• Blog space on the web site for students to include their own experiences of Swansea
• Links to other ESOL resources eg games & quizzes
• Link to the Swansea Learning Partnership e-learning Portal
• Links to other Refugee & Asylum Seekers Organisations & resources

Using the internet and inexpensive mp3 players, ESOL students working with IT tutors & a web & graphics team, will create web-based resources, including sound files to give them practice in language use, to supplement their time in an ESOL class.

The web-site will include local information and act as a resource for newcomers to Swansea.

The students will in the process increase their own IT skills, in the area of video, web design & sound files and develop project experience.

Mental Health Partnerships

DACE currently works with a number of voluntary and statutory sector Mental Health Organisations to provide a wide range of courses. Our Pathways Programme (non accredited provision) allows us real flexibility in developing courses that are tailored to suit the client group needs. We work with centres accross the region and are happy to explore innovative ways of working.

Please contact Gillian Morgan, Co-ordinator:
+44 (0)1792 602211.