Our Assessment Innovation Fund pilots: Runway Training

Runway Training

Runway Training is a specialist provider of online Functional Skills and Leadership and Management training. Delivering training nationwide, Runway Training supports thousands of learners each year to achieve nationally recognised qualifications, offering a flexible approach to learning, with online, classroom and onsite training.

About the pilot

Runway Training’s pilot aimed to identify the impact of their Functional Skills online practice paper solution for learners and tutors with regards to: learner confidence, exam readiness and first time pass rates, as well as tutor assessment preparation preference. Runway Training have been developing their practice paper solution for the past four years, contributing to their high Functional Skills first time pass rates at 86% in 2021 - 2022.

Pilot participants (including both learners and tutors from external organisations) completed surveys and took part interviews to communicate their experiences and preferences. This helped gain a deeper understanding of current practice and the impact of the practice paper solution.

The pilot results

The qualitative and quantitative data collected from this pilot does show promising results of preference and helpfulness of Runway Training’s Functional Skills online practice paper solution.

The pilot conclusions highlight:

• Recognition from many external providers that Runway Training’s online practice paper solution would be helpful to support tutors and learners
• External tutors being satisfied with the bespoke and robust feedback given to learners within a quick time, giving them exam-like experiences and good revision guidance
• Using Runway Training’s online practice paper solution helping streamline administrative tasks and reduce tutor workload
• Pilot learners using Runway Training’s online practice paper solution reported an increase in preference for completing practice papers using their system, with regards to their confidence.

This pilot provides some confirmation in Runway Training’s belief that their system has a positive impact on their Functional Skills delivery, for both tutors and learners; pilot feasibility was very ambitious and participant engagement and retention was a challenging factor, inhibiting final results. External providers expressed interest in using the system, but often tutor time constraints and high workload became a barrier to explore alternative assessment preparation. This project has confirmed the demand for evolution in assessment preparation, and from the lessons learned and eagerness for future research and analysis, Runway Training aim to dig deeper to further understand the impact of their solution with further research.

For further information, please contact [email protected].