Education – Flow Associates

Virtual Classrooms

We were commissioned to create a robust evaluation of the Virtual Classrooms project supported by the Respond and Reimagine Grant from the Art Fund. The project set out to reach schools and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic and inform learning practice and programming going into an uncertain and increasingly digital future.

The evaluation followed the delivery of a pilot programme of Virtual Classroom sessions by History of Science Museum and Bodleian Library during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through consultation with staff and schools we mapped how it reached new audiences, increased access for under-represented groups, developed the digital capabilities of the staff and institutions and its reception in schools and colleges.

A report and presentation with a series of recommendations was delivered in order to report to the funder and to guide future iterations and delivery of remote learning sessions.

National Gallery Evaluation Framework

Flow worked with the National Gallery on a comprehensive evaluation framework to support the delivery their 2021-26 learning strategy. It aims to empower everyone to integrate evaluation into their practice, to design for more effective and impactful work across the broad range of onsite, offsite and online programmes that the Gallery delivers. We created a digital toolkit which guides staff through the why, how and when of evaluation, providing template tools and activities which can be used bespokely across their audiences.

The fresh redesign of the Evaluation Framework tackled issues with the existing processes including difficulty of use, the challenge of collecting relevant insights and the move to online delivery. We carried out extensive consultation with Learning staff in order to understand their programmes, current use of evaluation and the ambitions for their programmes. From this Flow developed an evaluation toolkit with materials and guides for collecting evaluation data which related to their strategic aims, reporting requirements and professional development.

A key focus was capturing evidence of qualitative outcomes for participants using a ‘360 degrees’ process as a way of understanding collective success as a team. The evaluation framework provided support to collect and analyse participants’ skills development, learning of new knowledge and of teir experience of the programme. For the Learning Team and wider National Gallery the framework also established metrics for understanding cultural capital and how participants can be empowered through it.

Training was provided across the Learning team and with facilitators and ongoing support given in order to refine tools as they were put into action.

Scarborough Museums Trust: Digital Learning Review

We carried out a review of Scarborough Museum Trust’s capacity to develop a digital learning programme to extend their reach, open access to their collections, support cross-department collaboration on digital projects and create programmes that are relevant and inspiring for their audiences and local communities.

The review was framed by extensive consultation with local Primary and Secondary schools as well as colleges and SEND academies. An online survey was distributed and interviews with teachers about how SMT could support the delivery of their curriculum informed a series of recommendations to support the development of online content. A full audit of digital content and resources was carried out, identifying where existing materials could be reused and support was given to the Learning team in testing new digital platforms and modes of engagement.

We provided consultancy in advising on the brief for the redesign of the website in technical and usability requirements and led a presentation and workshop session to embed the insights into their future thinking.

Milton Keynes Young Creatives

An on-going three year evaluation of a collaboration between Milton Keynes College, local schools, MK Gallery and Arts and Heritage Alliance MK capturing the impact of implementing a creative curriculum for students and developing career opportunities for NEETs.

This involved the development of a Story of Change with the stakeholders leading to the creation of an evaluation framework in order to focus a diverse set of ambitions and impacts. We are mentoring the young people in the programme to take control of the evaluation process and supporting each cohort in cascading this to new participants. The programme recently moved from in-person to online and so the data collection approach has moved to online observation of sessions, interviews and online surveys.

Vibrant learning content

We love devising and designing training materials, online courses, videos, publications, heritage trails, art activities and games of the highest quality for clients as diverse as the Stanley Kubrick Archive, the St Abb’s Head Marine Reserve, the Science Museum and the British Council. Our team includes illustrators, writers and designers to complement our core expertise in learning and culture. For example, we created a set of learning resources for the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons. These used a Creative Enquiry approach to engage students in ideas about skin, race and genetic difference. We later applied this thinking to revamp the Museum’s learning approach for students of GCSE History of Medicine.

Cultivate

Flow co-ordinates the Cultivate (link Cultivate) action research project that is part of London’s Cultural Education Challenge.

Nine Elms on the South bank from Vauxhall to Battersea Power Station is undergoing a major regeneration project. While schools around Nine Elms benefit from being offered a number of cultural and place-related projects through the redevelopment, their impacts could be greater if they are developed more collaboratively with teachers and if the best aspects of practice are shared.

Cultivate aims to support the relationship between this changing area and the young people living nearby, to nurture quality projects and ensure opportunities to be involved are shared effectively. This should result in a place that is seen as both a cultural destination in the making and a starting point for a future creative generation.

With two years funding already secured through A New Direction, Wandsworth Borough Council and Nine Elms developers, we have the opportunity to shape and harness the impact that the regeneration work and public engagement will have on our local young people, and to celebrate and showcase this nationally. It is one of seven projects in the Cultural Education Challenge for London run by A New Direction, so it benefits from sharing practice as part of a bigger community.