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04/02/2025

Driving innovation – introducing ASDAN's new digital platform

ASDAN is excited to announce the development of a new digital learning platform that will transform how our courses can be accessed and delivered. This initiative, driven by feedback from educators and learners, aims to provide a more streamlined, accessible and flexible learning experience.  

The vision 

ASDAN’s CEO, Melissa Farnham, explains the rationale behind this innovation: 

“We are launching a digital platform to provide flexible access to courses, qualifications and resources, supporting learners in schools, alternative provisions, prisons and community hubs. This initiative reduces member workloads and makes learning more equitable”. 

At its core, the platform is designed to empower educators and learners. By simplifying processes for capturing work and tracking progress, the platform will enable educators to focus on what they do best – teaching and supporting their learners. It also opens doors to personalised learning, offering engaging materials tailored to individual needs. 

The benefits  

Through extensive conversations with educators across mainstream schools, special education settings and alternative provisions, a clear message emerged: they want to make their workflow easier. The new platform addresses this need by introducing an intuitive digital process that minimises paperwork and reduces workload. 

The platform is designed to enhance accessibility, offering exciting opportunities for more personalised learning and engaging materials. At the same time, many schools and centers prefer activities that don’t rely on digital devices. In recognition of this, the platform will fully support blended learning, ensuring resources are equally effective for digital and non-digital settings. 

The process 

Michael Shaw is a specialist in developing education technology and is working with ASDAN to develop the platform. He shares his insights into the journey: 

“The work to take ASDAN’s digital learning experience to the next level is well underway. Much of it is happening at ASDAN’s main office in Bristol, with support from a team across the UK. Our mission is to build and test a robust platform by summer 2025. 

The project team has prioritised collaboration, engaging educators early and often to ensure the platform meets their needs. From mainstream learners to those in alternative provisions, the system is being designed to accommodate a wide spectrum of users. 

While the first launch in autumn 2025 will focus on a selection of ASDAN’s Short Courses, this is just the beginning. It will be subsequently rolled out other ASDAN programmes and qualifications, allowing for continuous improvement guided by user feedback.” 

Collaboration 

The journey to this new platform is a team effort. ASDAN colleagues, educators, and learners will all play vital roles in shaping and refining the system. As Michael emphasises: 

“We’re already indebted to our internal digital and operations teams for laying the groundwork. At each step, input from teachers and learners will be crucial to getting the platform right.” 

Looking ahead 

ASDAN’s commitment to innovation and inclusivity drives this initiative. By harnessing technology to reduce barriers and enhance learning, we aim to create a platform that truly reflects the needs of our diverse community. Stay tuned as we continue to share updates on this exciting journey. 

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