Lori CarnochanBBC Scotland News
BBC
The students learn alongside the sound of babies crying
Childcare students at a Scottish college are learning new skills alongside the sound of babies crying – in a bid to improve the course drop-out rate.
In previous years many students have quit the course at Dumfries and Galloway College after their first placement in a real-life nursery.
Course leaders said that for many learners it was their first time in a nursery as an adult and they became overwhelmed by the busy, noisy environment.
Now they are trying to replicate the sounds and demands of a real nursery in the classroom with video of a virtual nursery playing throughout the day.
The college believes that the immersive course, which is being taken by 59 students this year, is the first of its kind in Scotland.
Curriculum manager Anne Clark says the course is already helping students to settle into nursery placements
Anne Clark, the college’s curriculum manager for education, wanted to make changes after seeing numerous students dropping out of the course following their first placements.
“It’s because they were not prepared – many of them hadn’t set foot in a nursery before,” she said.
“The noise of a nursery is full on and for a lot of them that’s just too much in terms of their senses, so we’re better preparing them for placement.”
The first cohort returned from placement recently, and Anne said none of them reported any major issues, compared with previous years when “significant challenges” would have to be managed.
The classroom is laid out to replicate a working nursery, with various work stations including a play kitchen and crafting corner
The students are asked to assess and react to various scenarios which are played out via the virtual classroom video – testing their safeguarding protocol, emotional resilience and interaction with peers.
Instead of creating a sterile and calm working place for students to consider their decision-making, they are faced with increasing challenges, including the sound of babies crying.
Anne believes it is imperative for the students to be exposed to scenarios they will be faced with when working in a nursery.
She said they were able to make the space “noisier and noisier” and keep it going so the students would learn that the noise “doesn’t go away when you’ve got a job to do”.
Amy Shaw said the immersive classroom experience helped to prepare her for the next step in her career
The first cohort of students to take part in the immersive classroom have praised the new learning environment.
Amy Shaw is studying for a level six early education and childcare qualification. She has children at home, but said it does not replicate what she would be faced with in a nursery.
“It’s definitely a hands-on approach,” she said.
“We felt more comfortable [on placement in a nursery] – we weren’t just thrown in.
“We felt more familiar with the situations that we were going to – rather than just talking about things in a classroom – and being able to actively do everything, setting up snacks, setting up activities, seeing what a nursery setting is like.”
The course has also introduced first aid and a food hygiene certification for students.
This allows students to assist with tasks such as preparing and serving snacks while on placement.
Anne said this was not only a way for students to build confidence in the workplace, but could also be of real help to the nursery providers.
She said: “That’s a really useful thing for the settings to have – an extra pair of hands that is able to prepare snacks and somebody who has actually passed their food hygiene and has practical experience of setting up, supporting snack [time] and then cleaning it away.”
Dumfries and Galloway College said it was hopeful that retaining more students on the course could help alleviate the childcare recruitment issues facing the region.
