Vision2Learn and other online distance courses- Any good?

quietheart

LexieAshmore wrote: »

I received my enrolment form for the Equality and Diversity course this morning. As I've never done distance learning before the appeal was that this is free (apart from if you don't finish and the letter said there'd be a £65 charge) so if it's not my thing there's not really much lost as the OU courses are out of my price range.

me too! let me know how you get on with it. i'm going to be a few weeks behind you but would be really interested in how you get on.

ripongrammargirl

Going back to the original thread posting of Vision2learn.
After getting emails from this company I was a bit sceptical as nothing is free these days.
I applied for the level 2 in Equality and Diversity course in June 2012. I got all the forms to complete within 1 week of applying through the online link. After a week I was assigned to Brooklands College near Somerset (I am in West Yorkshire!).
I got the official welcome call to start the course at the very minute the Olympic torch was due to run past me in North Yorkshire in June and started the course the following Monday.
The online material was very basic, and although I have been out of the workplace for 5 years, (due to disability), I found some of it to be a bit patronising, although it did open up a whole new world of activities in my area after doing research to answer the questions.
I completed the whole course by the beginning of September, without requiring any assistance from the tutor, who was changed halfway through to another and then was changed back to original this week (Jan 2013). Nobody ever replied to the v-mails anyway. There was nobody on any of the forums at the college to talk to so it was very much isolated.
The modules were assessed within 3 weeks of sending it in for marking.
All the college info etc states that certificates will be sent within 12 weeks of completion. It is now over 4 months since I finished the course and still no certificate.
Just before Christmas 2012 I v-mailed the college tutor to enquire (the substitute) who replied with a "no idea" and forwarded me to the college course administrator. They did not even respond (and still have not despite several v-mails directly to them). I got a reply from someone else who said they had forwarded my enquiry to another person. It was only after much research that I discovered this person was someone from Vision2learn, also known as creating careers limited.
They said that the college had received my certificate before Christmas and it would be with me shortly. It never came. I emailed her again and after a week or so she came back to me with another tale: the college had applied for my certificate but it had not been received by the awarding body yet so the college did not have it. Fast forward to 15 January 2013 when I received a reply to my email of "where is my certifcate?" The response was that some courses at the college were being verified by an external moderator and my course might be one of them. She would keep me updated. I have heard nothing since this date of 15th January. I have v-mailed dierctly to the college course administrator again and also the original (and returned) course tutor. I have heard nothing.:mad:
I am beginning to think this whole vision2learn thing is a scam for a company to get government funding.
I am absolutely appalled by the whole thing as I put a lot of effort into this course in the hope of maybe getting a little job at the end of it, just to show I have done something with my time out of the workplace (I cannot afford to pay for any course). If I ever hear anything further or actually get the certificate I will let everyone know..... don't hold your breath!:eek:

foofoo001

I have just finished the Customer Services course, I used Vision2Learn after seeing this thread and because they are free!

I haven't done any educational courses in a long time and wanted to see if I would enjoy getting back in to some kind of learning. I really enjoyed the course and found that my tutor was available whenever I v-mailed her.

I haven't had my certifictae yet but I would definitely recommend these courses.

quietheart

ripongrammargirl wrote: »

Going back to the original thread posting of Vision2learn.
After getting emails from this company I was a bit sceptical as nothing is free these days.
I applied for the level 2 in Equality and Diversity course in June 2012. I got all the forms to complete within 1 week of applying through the online link. After a week I was assigned to Brooklands College near Somerset (I am in West Yorkshire!).
I got the official welcome call to start the course at the very minute the Olympic torch was due to run past me in North Yorkshire in June and started the course the following Monday.
The online material was very basic, and although I have been out of the workplace for 5 years, (due to disability), I found some of it to be a bit patronising, although it did open up a whole new world of activities in my area after doing research to answer the questions.
I completed the whole course by the beginning of September, without requiring any assistance from the tutor, who was changed halfway through to another and then was changed back to original this week (Jan 2013). Nobody ever replied to the v-mails anyway. There was nobody on any of the forums at the college to talk to so it was very much isolated.
The modules were assessed within 3 weeks of sending it in for marking.
All the college info etc states that certificates will be sent within 12 weeks of completion. It is now over 4 months since I finished the course and still no certificate.
:

I started my course in May 2012 and completed it early August 2012. I got my certificate a couple of weeks ago.
It takes time but it is free and you do get your qualification in the end! :j

blodwyn_t

I feel I have to post a response to rippongrammar girl's comment that it appears to be a scam to get government funding. I am a Vision2Learn tutor - I tutor Equality & Diversity and Business Admin. (I also tutor and assess other qualifications which are not linked to Vision2Learn - I'm pointing this out so you can see I am independent). Vision2Learn is an online learning system owned by a company called Creating Careers. Creating careers source the tutors (we are all self employed) and train us on the Vision2Learn system. They also work with the colleges. However, it is the college which gets the government funding - and the College actually selects the tutors they want to work with. Creating Careers just put forward tutor CV's. The college also pay the tutors. I work with several colleges and there are differences, but basically, they are all at the mercy of the Examining Board - it is the Examining Board's moderator who determines whether someone passes or fails, and they can give the college a really hard time if work (or tutors) are not up to standard. There are times when tutors change mid course - sometimes that is because a tutor gives up, or is sick - or sometimes it is because a tutor is not up to standard. This is picked up by moderators, or by Creating Careers (we have to undergo 3 standardisation and training sessions a year for each course we tutor). And of course it is vital that learners should complain if they are not happy with their tutor. Your tutor has strict guidelines to work within - set by the Examining Body - and this is why you often get work back to be amended. If it's not up to scratch, you will fail when it gets checked by the Moderator at a later stage. (I assure you tutors don't want to have to assess multiple assessments from people - we don't get paid until someone passes - but it reflects badly on us if moderators fail our learners later). With regard to waiting for your certificate - this is again nothing to do with Creating Careers (Vision2Learn) - it is not even down to the college sometimes. It depends when the external moderator audits them. But if you have been waiting longer than the 12 weeks, you should chase it up with the college, and if you don't get a satisfactory response, call Vision2Learn. I also understand how people feel if they give up halfway through the course and have to pay - but imagine how we tutors feel. If you give up, we don't get paid at all - even if we have done loads of work with you at that stage. In short - Vision2Learn is, in my opinion, very professional and a good way to get level 2 qualifications. But it's not a walk in the park - you need to work.

Sallyjsmart

I am thinking of being a tutor for vision2learn went for my training yesterday any advice from any tutors out there

Silverthread

blodwyn_t wrote: »

I feel I have to post a response to rippongrammar girl's comment that it appears to be a scam to get government funding. I am a Vision2Learn tutor - I tutor Equality & Diversity and Business Admin. (I also tutor and assess other qualifications which are not linked to Vision2Learn - I'm pointing this out so you can see I am independent). Vision2Learn is an online learning system owned by a company called Creating Careers. Creating careers source the tutors (we are all self employed) and train us on the Vision2Learn system. They also work with the colleges. However, it is the college which gets the government funding - and the College actually selects the tutors they want to work with. Creating Careers just put forward tutor CV's. The college also pay the tutors. I work with several colleges and there are differences, but basically, they are all at the mercy of the Examining Board - it is the Examining Board's moderator who determines whether someone passes or fails, and they can give the college a really hard time if work (or tutors) are not up to standard. There are times when tutors change mid course - sometimes that is because a tutor gives up, or is sick - or sometimes it is because a tutor is not up to standard. This is picked up by moderators, or by Creating Careers (we have to undergo 3 standardisation and training sessions a year for each course we tutor). And of course it is vital that learners should complain if they are not happy with their tutor. Your tutor has strict guidelines to work within - set by the Examining Body - and this is why you often get work back to be amended. If it's not up to scratch, you will fail when it gets checked by the Moderator at a later stage. (I assure you tutors don't want to have to assess multiple assessments from people - we don't get paid until someone passes - but it reflects badly on us if moderators fail our learners later). With regard to waiting for your certificate - this is again nothing to do with Creating Careers (Vision2Learn) - it is not even down to the college sometimes. It depends when the external moderator audits them. But if you have been waiting longer than the 12 weeks, you should chase it up with the college, and if you don't get a satisfactory response, call Vision2Learn. I also understand how people feel if they give up halfway through the course and have to pay - but imagine how we tutors feel. If you give up, we don't get paid at all - even if we have done loads of work with you at that stage. In short - Vision2Learn is, in my opinion, very professional and a good way to get level 2 qualifications. But it's not a walk in the park - you need to work.

It's interesting to get an "insider" view on this; thanks. I came here via google trying to find out more about the company as it did seem a little "too good to be true"! But, after reading this thread, I think I'll give them a go.

jahda

What can I do with any of their qualifcation?? Unii?? Find a job??? Hellpppp please

frugirl

I'm at the phone call stage of a vision2learn application. I have missed it and will call tomorrow. I hope it's not going to be a frustrating experience.

Looking forward to learning to improve my employability prospects.

red_devil

can anyone help i would really like to do gcse like sociology and ecenomics. They dont do them at the college locally now its all maths and english only.

Can i do them distance learning and can i do it free?