The Ed.
Well-Known Member
Innovation in hairdressing training was top of the agenda at a major education conference recently, after the directors of pioneering educator Ambition Centre for Training (ACT) were invited to be keynote speakers. Assessment Tomorrow, a national conference held in Edinburgh on e-learning and online assessment, focused on showing colleges and schools the latest advances in the way young people are being taught and assessed.
ACT has been at the forefront of creating salon and assistant-friendly certified education and has recently been developing online systems for educating in-salon and beyond.
Asked to talk about their latest innovations, directors Isabel McKeown and Lynda McGivern showed delegates how they are driving e-learning and online assessment within salons and schools.
"We were the first educators to give salon owners the flexibility to train their assistants in practical skills while relieving them of the burden and bureaucracy of the theory side. Now we are going a step further. Our aim is to make it even easier for assistants to learn at their own pace and in an environment that suits them and their salon," explained Isabel. "It is important that other sectors and educators see how hairdressing is advancing innovative systems that will benefit young people."
ACT has worked closely with IT consultant Stephen Evans to develop hairdressing-friendly materials that are interactive yet comprehensive.
"Encouraging assistants to fulfil their training requirements for their qualification means creating materials that are fun and engaging without being too complicated," added Lynda. "You cant assume that every young person is computer-literate, and you have to ensure understanding at every step of the process. But, most crucially, assessment must be watertight."
ACTs qualification-level materials are currently going through beta testing and are expected to be launched early summer.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
ACT has been at the forefront of creating salon and assistant-friendly certified education and has recently been developing online systems for educating in-salon and beyond.
Asked to talk about their latest innovations, directors Isabel McKeown and Lynda McGivern showed delegates how they are driving e-learning and online assessment within salons and schools.
"We were the first educators to give salon owners the flexibility to train their assistants in practical skills while relieving them of the burden and bureaucracy of the theory side. Now we are going a step further. Our aim is to make it even easier for assistants to learn at their own pace and in an environment that suits them and their salon," explained Isabel. "It is important that other sectors and educators see how hairdressing is advancing innovative systems that will benefit young people."
ACT has worked closely with IT consultant Stephen Evans to develop hairdressing-friendly materials that are interactive yet comprehensive.
"Encouraging assistants to fulfil their training requirements for their qualification means creating materials that are fun and engaging without being too complicated," added Lynda. "You cant assume that every young person is computer-literate, and you have to ensure understanding at every step of the process. But, most crucially, assessment must be watertight."
ACTs qualification-level materials are currently going through beta testing and are expected to be launched early summer.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
