Carnegie College
Showcase for Excellence
The college has developed an innovative and integrated programme for learners on intermediate construction programmes which develops effectively their numeracy, literacy, ICT and health and wellbeing skills. Carnegie Skills , has been closely aligned to the learner outcomes contained within Curriculum for Excellence and contains a wide range of learning and assessment materials.
The programme focuses on problem solving activities. For example, first-year construction learners investigated a disability project through an audit of their local town, Cowdenbeath. They carried out primary research and identified accessibility issues relevant to the local population. Second-year construction learners worked at a more advanced level by creating a re-designed scale model of Cowdenbeath.
They identified improvements in accessibility such as the building of ramps and the relocation of services such as the local primary care surgery adjacent to the pharmacy. Through these tasks, learners developed awareness and knowledge of equality and diversity issues as well as developing their skills in numeracy, ICT and presentation skills.
A second project implemented by construction learners focused on health and wellbeing and addresses issues such as stress, misuse of alcohol, drug dependency and personal fitness levels. Learners collated an online database of social and recreational facilities available for all college learners to use locally. Through a close working arrangement with the Army, they developed a personal fitness programme for college learners. A number of other projects include those with a focus on environmental issues, renewable sources of energy and a community initiative to build an allotment garden for local gardeners in partnership with another college and
Fife Council. Teaching staff encourage learners to take control of the planning and organisation of specific activities within each project. This approach successfully engages learners and has a positive effect on their learning.
An online tool has been developed which supports teaching staff delivering the programme. This approach provides ready access to a number of Curriculum for
Excellence learning activities and associated learning materials, assessments and allows the recording of evidence on learner progress.