Your Horizons Mobile Tuition, based in Scarborough, found group learning at a local newly-built sheltered/independent housing association to be a difficult task. With over 10 learners turning up to class with different devices and different levels of knowledge, tutor Suzanne quickly had to tailor her sessions to the classes’ needs.
She arranged learners into two groups - beginners and advanced, decided by whether or not they had an email address, but once the learners were sitting comfortably in their groups, Suzanne quickly realised that the WiFi was inadequate for the amount of people in the class.
She taught the learners about 3G/4G connections for their tablets and suggested they all club together (seeing as they all live under the same roof but in separate apartments) to purchase MiFi, as it can connect up to 10 devices and would only cost around £2.50/month each in a small group for data.
For sessions where only a few learners have internet access, Suzanne adopts peer teaching - pairing the advanced learners with beginners to do tasks such as creating an email address or using cameras.
Susanne says: “The solution to getting everyone onto a learning journey is to plan ahead for the inevitable.”