Reaping the Benefits
In this section we look briefly at the benefits arising
from the projects for each group of stakeholders:
- lifelong learning practitioners;
- broadcasters:
- partners;
- individuals.
For the DfES and partners in the drive to create a
culture of lifelong learning, the broadcast media
are obvious key influencers of culture and
attitudes, which can contribute to cultural
change in a range of direct and indirect ways.
Collaborative projects such as these provide
experience of some possible approaches and
their effects. They lead to the formation of new
partnerships at national, regional and local levels.
They break down barriers at all levels - between
potential partners, but most crucially, between
individuals, communities, and the learning
opportunities from which they might benefit.
The broadcasters we spoke to had a clear view
of the importance of engaging with their audience
not just as consumers, but also as communities.
This is fundamental for regional broadcasters who
understand the importance of being seen to be
a ‘good citizen’ within the region, and in some
senses a representative of regional concerns
and interests.
Channel 4 and the BBC have a clear public
service remit arising from their funding base
and histories. Their participation in the projects
took place within the context of many similar
involvements, and was supported by internal
structures which were already in place to this end.
For Discovery Networks Europe, participation was
more in the nature of a pilot experience, exploring
what could be done with additional funding to
broaden contact and communication with the
audience.
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Lifelong Learning Benefits
Broadcasts can include direct awareness raising to support specific initiatives, and advice on
access to learning opportunities:
‘We.. plugged education maintenance allowances and caught up with Malcolm Wicks at the
Labour Party conference who talked about the importance of lifelong learning’
‘We talk to a motorcycle enthusiast who took a course to understand the Internet and now has
his own website… and we explained how under European funding, this service could be free in
some areas of the North East’.
More generally, broadcasting can embed messages within the overall broadcast output so that,
unlike overt advertising, they can be received and accepted without prejudice by viewers:
‘We had to ensure that the presentations were not a hurdle for viewers. By staying strongly visual
and focusing on individual stories of interest to viewers, we make the messages palatable and
provide variety – we stay away from classroom settings’.
(Tyne Tees Television)
The experience also benefits key policy stakeholders by providing experience in this area:
‘There is a need for DfES and learndirect to have a real understanding of broadcast structures
and how broadcasters work, if they are to be able to develop this proactively as a successful
element of the lifelong learning infrastructure’.
(Meridian Broadcasting Charitable Trust)
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Benefits for Broadcasters
‘This was a useful experiment for Channel 4 Television… we think we produce the best science
programmes, and this helped us to work out how we can make the best use of them; how we
can inspire and provide choices to viewers, to enable them to take their science learning further.’
In the case of the BBC, the DfES funding helped to exploit the learning potential of the
programmes and to contribute to corporate objectives to:
- maximise the educational value of programming;
- create events around programmes to draw in new audiences;
- develop educational on-line resources and an audience for them;
- create new partnerships leading to next content and new educational opportunities, to meet
the BBC’s public service remit.
Tyne Tees Television anticipated clear benefits from the collaboration:
- contributing to social action programming; ‘putting something back into the community’;
- building on past achievements such as ‘Watch This Space’ (where unemployed people
were given air time to promote themselves to prospective employers), and the regular
Joblink programmes;
- offering good publicity;
- offering viewers value beyond the broadcast;
- gaining a greater knowledge of the audience; building on the relationship with the viewers;
- building partnerships at national and regional level, with government and service and training
providers.
The bottom line was that ‘the broadcasts have coincided with an increase in ratings’.
Meridian saw the benefits of their involvement as including:
- PR opportunities;
- being seen to be involved in education;
- generating income;
- providing interesting material for inclusion on the Meridian website;
- encouraging use of the website;
- developing a reputation with the learndirect centres in the region.
The scale of Meridian’s contact with the audience was evidenced in 2000/2001 by the 13,000
booklets requested and mailed, and the 110,000 hits received by the ‘Ageing with Attitude’ pages
within the Meridian website.
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Promotional Success
Broadcasters were able to promote their efforts to other media, via press releases and features,
and achieved significant coverage, including:
- promotion in a magazine serving the target audience;
- features in national, regional and local newspapers;
- 3 minute interviews on regional radio stations;
- stories in relevant specialist press and newsletters;
- items in DfES funded and learning publications such as Individual Learning News (now Lifelong
Learning News).
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The research carried out by broadcasters
with partners and with participants in the
various projects, provides a valuable initial
source of information and experience about
the effectiveness of the various approaches
and the issues encountered.
Partners have been many and varied, as have the
benefits which they have derived. For most, the
key gain has been the chance to increase their
promotional reach and access to potential learners.
The projects have benefited individual participants
to the extent that they are successful in stimulating
or facilitating new involvements in learning. The
evidence for this is still at a fairly early stage of
development, but the initial signs are very positive,
and suggest the immense potential of this type
of work.
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Benefits for Partners – the Dunstable Tudor Day
‘I was first asked to do something in partnership with the Simon Schama series via a contact
with the BBC. I decided that the offer of publicity from the BBC was worth pursuing. We felt that
we could capitalise on Dunstable’s association with Henry VIII and I pursued an idea of a family
festival day.
‘I started putting leaflets and posters in the town and people were picking them up faster than I
could print them. The Tudor connection was proving to be very popular, in particular Henry VIII and
his wives with all the publicity.
‘Children’s competitions were sent out to all the lower and middle schools, and we targeted the
age groups who do the Tudors on their curriculum.
‘BBC 3 Counties gave me time in the autumn and nearer the date… Chiltern and Look East
television gave me spots… we were on the BBC History website and their phone in; we were on
3 Counties Action phone in line.. but our biggest source of people came from hearing John
Pilgrim’s (BBC 3 Counties) show the previous day.
‘And on the day despite the weather the people came. And came in their thousands. One shop
near the centre of things took £4,000 in extra trade on the day and said that the increase in trade
had been sustained for the entire week following, which meant that Christmas trade started here a
week earlier than usual.
‘I gave a verbal report to the council.. at the end a councillor suggested a round of applause
(never been heard of before). I suggested that we made it an annual event… they agreed…
the figures mean I should get extra money to spend next year on the Second Dunstable Tudor
Festival.
‘One of the local schools is now doing the Tudors and asked for our help which we are going to
give. They want our publicity posters and I’ve organised our local historian to go and give them
a talk.
‘Is there anything amongst the things that we did that would help you in the future or to publicise
what has happened?’
Festival Organiser
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Individual Response and Impact
At Meridian 15.5% of the viewers watching the 2-hour live programme rang to book a free
session. During the campaign, Meridian generated more than 18,000 calls to the booking line for
computer training sessions. The learndirect service answered some 6,800 calls resulting in
3,100 viewers booked on courses. Providers across the region worked with the Meridian Trust to
provide places to meet the demand. Some providers have been ‘sold out’ to Meridian viewers for
the best part of 3 months. Conversion rates on to further courses are reported as high as 80% at
some centres.
‘A brilliant programme. I watched it last year and did the courses. I must say it has made such a
difference to my outlook on life. I’m a retired nurse who had to stop work on account of ill health.
I thought I had nothing to look forward to until I saw your programme. It has changed the way I
look at everything!’
‘I attended a computer course on 27 January… most enjoyable… I have now signed on to join
the computer centre at St Anne’s’
‘I attended the session with my wife..We both learned a great deal and are extremely grateful for
allowing us to discover the workings of computers, which we are now putting to use.’
‘I am afraid I am unable to take advantage of your computer offer as I have had my 90th birthday
this week. Unfortunately I am eaten out with arthritis in hands and legs.. but I should be glad to
hear of your further activities and hope you will keep me posted.’
(Learners from the Ageing with Attitude project)
Tyne Tees Television had 1,500 calls to the learndirect response line for ‘Live & Learn’ after only
half of the 12 items had been broadcast. Discovery had over 2,000 visitors to the web pages
linked to their series ‘Meet the Inventors’.
The open days organised by Channel 4 in Bristol and Manchester attracted a total of 121
attendees. From these and other individuals who were unable to attend on these dates, 105 were
registered to pilot the genetics course provided via the Equinox website. An e-mail survey of these
‘piloteers’ found that:
- 95% found the web course informative and well designed, 90% found it enjoyable and 85%
well written;
- 55% of respondents intended to take their interest in science further, by joining an adult
education class or a scientific club or society;
- respondents ‘felt that Study Science with Equinox had helped them to understand discussions
about genetics in the news’;
- one commented; ‘thank you for the wonderful course that was produced.. the information
on the web site was very well presented and I have had trouble finding another site as good
as that’.
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