Newcastle College

The Newcastle College Group is a £175 million organisation, which brings together over 40,000 learners and over 3,800 staff across four divisions at over 100 sites, to form one of the largest educational, training and employability organisations in the UK. The School of Creative Industries is a new school formed by the merger of the Performance Academy and the School of Art and Design.

In devising a new foundation degree programme in Creative and Cultural Industries, the college formed a working group with employers and representatives of the cultural sector to develop the mode of delivery. Employers wanted to ensure they could support employees to enrol without adversely affecting the operation of their businesses. For the college, the challenge was to devise a programme that was truly work-based whilst delivering new skills and giving learners adequate academic and practical support to feel part of the community.

The blended model of delivery was chosen to give most flexibility. The outcomes of each module are principally delivered through the college's virtual learning environment, Blackboard, making use of podcasts and other interactive media for learners. The college invested in web conferencing technology to allow students to interact with academic staff via webcam.

With a curriculum designed to meet the needs of the industry, delivered via an online learning platform, the college considers the foundation degree in Creative and Cultural Industries to be an example of best practice in the sector.