'The Wow Factor' is the latest title in a series of teacher training programmes from Westminster Kingsway College (WKC), newly available for licence by further education establishments.

In association with Echelon Learning and Well Drawn Productions, Westminster Kingsway College (WKC) has completed six interactive, intranet-based teaching and learning modules that use video to highlight examples of best practice in teaching and learning.

Based at seven centres in Camden and Westminster in central London, WKC is attended by 20,000 students, with a teaching staff of between 300 and 400. The college offers a wide range of further, adult and higher education programmes, available for people of all ages from 16 years upwards.

WKC's stated mission is to support all of its students in realising their ambitions as learners within a 'diverse and fully inclusive educational community'.

"We aim to maximise the potential for learning and achievement of each student," says head of personal and organisational development, Peter Armah. "The college is committed to widening participation and lifelong learning."

The WKC Teaching Best Practice Programmes are suitable for both new lecturers needing to acquire new skills and for existing teachers as part of their continuous professional development (CPD). The programmes are designed to help all users develop lesson planning, management and delivery skills.

"Using actual classes with WKC teachers and students enabled us to communicate programme content clearly in a context familiar to users and helped us in this latest production spill the beans on the magic ingredients that really make a 'wow' teaching session," says Peter Armah. "The overall aim was to develop programmes that were generic, easy to use, accessible from anywhere, and flexible."

The issues the programmes address include achieving effective differentiation, managing classroom behaviour, managing punctuality and attendance, 'integrating key skills into the curriculum', and 'making effective use of ILT'.

The programmes are suitable for team discussion, reflective practice, independent and active learning. They can be used for curriculum team meetings, college planning and development days, area learning days, centre days and cross-college days and by advanced practitioners for 1:1 support.

Evaluation takes place in a variety of ways including evaluation forms, informal feedback, lecturers, CTLs, HoDs, advanced practitioners, senior management team and from the number of hits to each programme recorded.

Showcased in July at the JISC RSC for its London e-Learning Jamboree, the WKC Teaching Best Practice Programmes are now also being licensed for other colleges undertaking teacher training, priced at £600 per programme or £3,000 for all six. Further details from Hugh Garai at Echelon Learning on tel 0208 568 1500 or email hugh@echelonL.com.

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