Welsh Networking shares its innovative online training courses with the JANET community

Welsh Networking, the RNO serving the Welsh research and education community with a remit to encourage the use of networks for learning, teaching and research, has negotiated a contract with Thomson NETg on behalf of the JANET community. 

Recognising a need for the most up to date and comprehensive training in IT professional courses such as Cisco and Microsoft for staff managing the networks and systems within the RNO, a project to find an e-learning courseware supplier was undertaken. The successful outcome was the contract with Thomson NETg, a supplier offering e-learning courseware with a highly effective pedagogical approach.

These courses have proved effective for institutional network support teams within Wales over the last ten years. Also, the extensive user base within Wales has achieved economies of scale leading to very low cost solutions for learners across the UK-wide JANET network. On renewal of the contract in March 2006, Welsh Networking made the decision to share the same highly cost effective solution with all organisations connected to JANET throughout the UK and to IT departments of Local Authorities in Wales.

To date the number of organisations gaining direct benefit numbers around 40; most of them in Wales but over a third in organisations in other parts of the UK. An awareness campaign aims to increase the network to take advantage of the remaining two years of the three-year contract.

Thomson NETg is one of the top ten courseware providers with 4 million users worldwide and an extensive range of courses numbering nearly 3,000 in total. From this selection Welsh Networking currently has 390 available many of which lead to certified professional qualifications. This selection is changed and updated quarterly by Welsh Networking in direct response to user needs and preferences.

The full list of courses is available via the menu at http://www.wnl.net/elearning .  The main areas are:

IT Professional
Cisco, Microsoft, ORACLE, SUN, UNIX, LINUX Web development and CompTIA

Desktop
ECDL, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office and Macromedia Dreamweaver

Business and Professional Development
Project management, time management, stress management and leadership skills.

One of the most recent introductions is the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) which gives guidance on IT Service Management.  This is one of the most popular courses recently as many institutions are in the throes of implementing the framework.

The ability to study at a pace and place to suit is a particular advantage of the courses along with a number of other features:

• Pre-course assessments leading to training tailored to the needs of each individual;

• A variety of stimuli including professional voice-overs, 3-D animations, graphics and on-screen text;

• Real-world, hands-on labs where simulated scenarios are undertaken, such as setting up networks;

• The ability to use courses via the Internet or by download for local use offline.

Maureen Saunderson, the project coordinator from Swansea University, was very enthusiastic about the latest course innovations, particularly the virtual classroom. “It brings the best of face-to-face training together with the convenience of on-line e-learning. The recorded streamed video sessions feature course tutors who are enthusiastic experts in their fields.”

Maureen said she would encourage even the most sceptical to try out the Recorded Live Classroom; a seven minute sample session at http://www.wnl.net/elearning/summary.htm.

On the first day of a trial of the materials Matthew Day, Head of IT at the University of Buckingham sent this very enthusiastic and unsolicited response:

"I've just run through the first module of one of the courses and I had to drop you a quick line to tell you how impressed I am.

The material is clear and well presented and the mixture of text, video speech and interactive elements creates an engaging learning environment.

I found what I thought was a error in the material and contacted the online Mentor to check. They were incredibly helpful and took the time to work through the exercise I was doing and to cross-check the information against material from earlier in the module and against Microsoft's own documentation. They agreed that there appeared to be an error in the material and rather than just advising me to ignore it, which I've experienced before from other training providers, they explained that they would be reporting it to their QA department for confirmation and correction.

All in all, a thoroughly professional service."

“Tony Ollier, Deputy Director of Library Services at Swansea University, has recently undertaken the IT Infrastructure Library courses. “The ITIL course was a valuable introduction to ITIL concepts and I would recommend it to any of my colleagues in other academic institutions”. Talking more generally about the Thomson NETg courses, Tony said, “The main advantage is in allowing me to find out information quickly or upskilling on a particular area without the need for more formal training. These courses provide the ideal solution. They are well planned,  easy and enjoyable to use. The pre and post-course training sessions are especially effective giving feedback and an indication that you have learnt something.”

Tony recommends the e-courses particularly during the induction of new Library technical staff as “a good way of settling them into the department and providing them with a sound technical base or for more junior staff who want to progress and attend courses but for which no budget is available.”

Craig Thomas, Network Support Technician and one of Tony’s staff, has undertaken two of the Cisco courses and is starting another. Craig prefers not to travel away for training and for him this is a major advantage of the e-courses. “I also like the fact that I can stop the course and return to the same place at a convenient time for me and I can go over information as many times as I need to. Going at my own pace is a major advantage and the courses are much more fun than reading a book”.

Mike Swanson, Computer Support Officer at Swansea Institute of Higher Education has successfully completed seven professional IT and desktop courses. He enjoys the courses and particularly values the post learning assessments; “you need to really learn the material in order to answer the questions. I really enjoy the increase in confidence and sense of achievement that comes from successfully completing a course”. Mike is impressed with the quality and range available for users at all levels and the ability to progress smoothly from one level to the next. He likes the ability to repeat or skip sections as necessary without the constraints of the traditional classroom environment. Mike also highlights the financial advantages: “The courses are really good value for money for the Institute and they’re not costing me anything, so that’s a great advantage.”

Welsh Networking is keen to share the course materials with the academic community UK-wide and is actively encouraging IT departments and Staff Development / Human Resources staff to join on behalf of their institutions. Summary information including costs and how to join can be found at http://www.wnl.net/elearning/summary.htm.