Final evaluation of SER Courseware Library Project

The Courseware Library Project aimed to encourage employers and training providers to become learning organisations, and introduce employers and learners to new learning technologies. The evaluation aimed to review the Courseware project and its purpose as a medium-term support mechanism in order to inform a decision on whether the project should continue. It also aimed to build on earlier evaluations to establish whether the project had achieved its original objectives and outline the main lessons stemming from the project.

The methodology consisted of: desk research; and telephone interviews with 11 employers and training providers.

Demonstrates that the Courseware materials provided an effective means of meeting the training needs of the participating organisations and that the packages were beneficial for users of both sexes over a broad age range from diverse backgrounds. Concludes that the project met its overall objectives. It supported 141 organisations and more than 1,500 individual learners, achieving a large measure of success in a relatively short space of time. However it is now being overtaken by other developments because it was never intended to be more than a medium-term response.

Suggests the need to continue the project is less urgent than it was a year ago. Considers that SER might be better to help companies access ECDL than continue the Courseware Library. Learn Direct Scotland and other providers should be able to satisfy some or all of this demand, making the Courseware Library Project redundant. Shows there is still a substantial need for supporting employees and future employees to acquire better literacy, numeracy and other core skills. Concludes that SER should now take a more strategic overview of e-learning support for employers and employees, focussing on supporting partnership activities and encouraging the development of self-help networks for trainers.