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Any questions?

The most common queries fall into the following categories – simply select the one you need from the list below. We hope you find what you’re looking for. If not, drop us a line at admin@vision2learn.com and we'll be happy to help.

Courses

What subjects are available?

Computer skills Job skills Life skills Sport skills
Essential IT Skills
(Level 2) new		 Edexcel WorkSkills (Level 1) new Money Management Sports Coaching
New CLAiT using Microsoft Office 2003 (Level 1) Edexcel WorkSkills (Level 2) Practical Emotional Intelligence Skills Healthy Living
CLAiT Plus using Microsoft Office 2003 (Level 2) Enterprise Skills Finding your Dream Job  
iMedia Level 1 Mastering Business and Administration (NVQ) Healthy Eating  
iMedia Level 2 Customer Service Skills at Work (NVQ)    
Essential IT Skills @ Work (NVQ) Team Leading (NVQ)    
  Business-Improvement Techniques (NVQ)    
  Personal Best @ Work    
  Equality and Diversity    
  Health and Safety    

Click on the titles above for details of the courses and qualifications that you can achieve.

Can I study more than one course?

You can register to reserve a place for more than one course but you can only enrol and study on one course at a time. As soon as you have completed your first course, please contact us and we will arrange your next course immediately.

When will my course start?

Once you have registered your details, you will receive an enrolment pack in the post from the college or training provider that you will be studying with. Please complete your enrolment form as soon as possible and return it in the freepost envelope enclosed in your pack. The college or training provider will contact you to provide advice and guidance on your chosen course; they will then enrol you and allocate you to a tutor. Once this has been done, you will receive a final email outlining your username, password and details of your tutor along with confirmation that you can start your course. This process can take three to four weeks to complete.

When will I receive my certificate?

Upon successful completion of your course, the college or training provider will apply for your certificate from the awarding body and they will send your certificate to you in the post.

Many colleges work to an annual (or sometimes termly) cycle for external moderation and issue of certificates so depending on when you finish your course there could be a wait of a few months before you receive the certificate. Do not worry about this because if you need it the college will usually issue a letter saying that you have passed subject to external moderation and the certificate will follow in due course.

How do I apply?

Go to our online registration form.

Do I have to sit an exam?

No, as you work through your course you will complete and submit to your tutor a number of assessed activities, which will build up to form your portfolio of evidence of learning. Your tutor will mark your assessments and provide feedback. When you have successfully completed all of the required assessments your certificate will be awarded on satisfactory submission of your portfolio of evidence.

Is there an age limit?

In order to qualify for a free place on vision2learn, you do have to be aged over 16 – however, there is generally no age limit that applies on these courses and there are learners aged 16 to 85 currently enrolled on vision2learn!

Will my existing qualifications affect my eligibility to study with vision2learn?

If you are applying to study one of our NVQ programmes, then the availability of a free place may be dependent on the level of qualification you already hold. You will be asked to provide this information when you register on an NVQ course and we will advise you accordingly once we receive your details.

However, if you are applying for any of our non-NVQ programmes, the availability of these courses will not be affected by your existing qualifications. Simply complete the online registration form and we will get you started on your chosen course as soon as possible.

How do I check my existing qualification level?

Please use this table to check your qualification level. As you can see each vocational and academic qualification has an equivalent NVQ level. If you are still unsure please phone 01661 864470 or email info@vision2learn.com.

NVQ Level Academic Level Vocational Qualification
Level 0 No formal qualification
Entry Level qualifications
Other qualifications below Level 1		 No formal qualification
Level 1 GCSE/O-Level Grades D-G (or fewer than 5 at grades A-C)

CSE below grade 1

1 AS Level		 BEC General Certificate
BEC Diploma
BTEC First Certificate
City & Guilds Operative Awards
CPVE Year 1 (Technician)
GNVQ Foundation
LCCI Elementary/First Level
NVQ Level 1
PEI Elementary/First Level
RSA Elementary/First Level
RSA Vocational Certificate
Level 2 GCSE/O-Level (5 or more at grades A-C)

CSE Grade 1 (5 or more)

1 Advanced Level (A-Level)

2/3 AS Levels		 BEC General Certificate with credit
BEC Diploma with credit
BTEC First Diploma
City and Guilds Higher Operative/Craft
GNVQ Intermediate
LCCI Certificate (Second Level)
NVQ Level 2
PEI Stage 2
Pitmans Intermediate Level 2
Diploma Certificate
RSA Diploma
Level 3 2 or more Advanced Level (A-Level) passes

4 or more AS-Levels		 BEC National ONC/OND
BTEC National ONC/OND
City of Guilds Advanced Craft
GNVQ Advanced
LCCI Diploma (Third Level)
NVQ Level 3
Pitmans Level 3 Advanced Higher Certificate
RSA Stage 3 Advanced Diploma
TEC Certificate/Diploma
Access to Higher Education courses
ESOL & Foreign Languages Advanced Awards
Level 4 Teaching Qualifications (including PGCE)

First Degree		 BEC National HNC/HND
BTEC National HNC/HND
Higher Education Certificate
Higher Education Diploma
LCCI Advanced Level
NVQ Level 4
Nursing (SRN)
RSA Advanced Certificate
RSA Higher Diploma
Level 5 Higher Degree Continuing Education Diploma
NVQ Level 5
Other high level professional qualifications

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Costs

How much does it cost?

Our courses lead to nationally recognised qualifications that are eligible for government funding. This means that we can normally offer these courses FREE of charge as long as you:

To find out more about funding, click here.

How do I qualify for a free place?

These vision2learn courses are fundable by the Learning and Skills Council. This means that the courses are normally free of charge to anyone who:

If you meet these criteria, you can usually study for FREE. To find out more about funding, click here.

Why are vision2learn courses free to the learner?

Further Education courses are heavily subsidised by the Government, but tuition fees are normally chargeable by the college. Tuition fees for vision2learn courses may be free for a number of reasons:

1. Many colleges and local Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs) have accepted that a vision2learn learner, who is studying remote from the college, is making a significant tuition fee contribution in-kind through provision of learning venue, computer facilities, Internet connection, phone charges, etc. Sometimes of course, it is the learner's employer who is making this contribution on behalf of the learner. This contribution effectively saves the college from incurring the cost of having to provide these facilities.

2. "Fee Remission". Learners who are in receipt of certain means tested benefits may be entitled to free tuition. In these cases, where proof of benefit is provided, the Government pays the college the tuition fee on behalf of the learner.

3. Government "Level 2 Initiative". Learners who do not already hold a full Level 2 qualification (e.g. 5 GCSEs at grade A to C or equivalent) or a higher level qualification are entitled to study a full Level 2 qualification (e.g. Level 2 iTQ or other Level 2 NVQs) free of tuition fees. Again, the Government pays the college the tuition fee on behalf of the learner.

4. In some cases, colleges may have agreements with some employers for payment of tuition fees on behalf of their employees.

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Colleges

Do I have to attend college?

All of your course materials can be accessed online. You can also contact your tutor and fellow students online or by telephone.

As a college student you are entitled to visit the college and access the normal student support facilities, if you want to.

Why do I need a college if my course is online?

While all of your course materials can be accessed online, we do need to arrange for your enrolment at a government funded Further Education College or training provider in order to secure your free place and to access the academic processes necessary to obtain your qualification. The Further Education College or training provider, not ourselves, is responsible for these processes. Once you’re enrolled, you will have access to one of their online tutors who will provide you with valuable support and feedback as you work through your course.

When will I find out about my college?

After you have reserved a place on a course you will receive advice and guidance from one of the further education colleges or training providers we work with.

What’s Advice and Guidance?

Advice and Guidance is a process that all Further Education colleges need to go through with new learners. It allows the college to understand more about their learners’ needs and to make sure that they are enrolled on the most suitable course. The college might also need to confirm some funding details with you during this process.

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Getting started

Problems getting started

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Tutors

Who will my tutor be?

A further education college or training provider as close as possible to your area will support your course. When you are fully enrolled on a course, you will be allocated to a tutor who will provide you with support and feedback on your assessments as you study.  You can contact your tutor whenever you want to, all at the click of a button.

How can I contact my tutor?

Once you have logged on to your study area, you can contact your tutor by using V-mail, vision2learn's own internal messaging system. Look for the V-mail link at the top of your study area. There are also a number of places within the system where you can automatically send a message to your tutor just by clicking on the tutor's name. Look out for your tutor's name which will be highlighted in a different colour.

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Technology

What computer 'kit' do I need?

Note: We cannot guarantee that any combination of these recommendations will enable you to access vision2learn. All software functionality is subject to the local settings of your PC.

Is there a user manual to help me find my way around vision2learn?

Yes, once you have logged in to ‘My study’ you will see a link to ‘Help’ at the top of the screen. Click on this and you will be given the option of visiting a web based version of the user guide or downloading a copy of it in Word format.

The font size is very small on the screen. Is there any way to make it bigger?

The system is optimised for use on a monitor that has a minimum screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels. Changing your screen resolution may improve what you see. If you are confident about altering the configuration of your PC, right mouse click on an empty part of your desktop and select ‘Properties’ from the menu. Select ‘Settings’ from the dialogue box and follow the instructions on screen. Alternatively, you could press the F11 key on your keyboard. This will temporarily remove almost all of the menu bars at the top of your browser. When you want to get all the menu bars back, just press the F11 key again.

I have changed my email address. What do I need to do?

You can change some of your own details by clicking on ‘My Profile’ and ‘Edit’ when you are in your study area. If your email address is not correctly recorded on the vision2learn system, you may not receive information that could be important to you.

I had a major crash on my computer and had to have the computer reinstalled, and have forgotten my username and password. Please can you help?

We will send you a password reminder by email, if you click on the link at http://www.vision2learn.com.

What software do I need access to in order to study these courses?

Basic requirements are

Download Flash 6  Download Adobe Acrobat

You may also need to access software such as Microsoft Access, Excel and Publisher depending on which course you choose to study. Look at Courses to find out more.

Can I study these courses on a Mac PC?

Vision2learn is designed and built for Windows PC computers. We believe that the current version is compatible with Mac operating systems, although we cannot offer any support to Mac users. You will need to ensure that you have compatible software so that your tutor can read your submitted work.

I am using an Internet TV service. Can I still do these courses?

Unfortunately not. These courses are only accessible through a conventional computer based Internet connection. If you can access a PC at work or in a public library or learning centre, you will be able to register as a student.

What is the difference between the various forms of messaging on the vision2learn system?

  1. The Group Forum is slightly more restricted. You can only access the Group Forum after you have selected a course to work on from your Study Area. All the other people in your tutor group will see any messages you post here. Messages posted here should be restricted to topics related to the course you are studying. Your tutor may make use of the Group Forum to make general announcements to a learning group.
  2. When you access your Study Area, you will see a V-mail option. V-mail is a one to one system. Messages are sent from individuals to individuals. The system allows you to select an individual student and send a private message to them, or to submit your course work to your tutor.

NOTE: Please remember that vision2learn reserves an exclusive right of editorial control on all messages posted to any of the above message systems.

When I try to load the Activities in my course, all I see is the following warning every time and I have no idea what it means… "Unable to load graphics conversion filter. Continue with document conversion?" No matter whether I press 'yes' or 'no', still nothing happens.

This is usually a problem associated with not having Microsoft Office products installed on your PC. The activities supplied by vision2learn are written with and should be viewed using Microsoft Word. If you do not have Microsoft Word installed on your PC and you are trying to access the activities using Microsoft Works, you may wish to download and install a graphics conversion filter for use with the version of Microsoft Works that you have installed on your PC. It may be possible to obtain graphics conversion filters from the Microsoft website at www.microsoft.com.

I have logged into my vision2learn user account and when I click on the My courses button nothing happens, what should I do?

This is usually a problem associated with Anti-Virus or more specific, Anti-Popup software installed on your computer. Firewalls, Anti-Virus, Anti-Popup and other types of security software can block the functionality of the website and possibly stop the induction questionnaire from appearing on your screen in a new window. If you are experiencing this type of problem, it is advisable to temporarily turn the setting on this type of software to low or completely off and load up the vision2learn website again (remember to restore your virus protection software settings after you leave the vision2learn website). This kind of software could be installed on your computer as Anti-Virus software; Firewall software or additional toolbars you have downloaded. Alternatively, you could press and hold either the Alt or Ctrl key on your keyboard, whilst clicking the left mouse button on the session to allow the window to by-pass the popup-stopper.

I do not have Microsoft Office installed on my computer. Do I have to purchase this software in order to study my chosen vision2learn course?

It is recommended that you use Microsoft products because the course materials make extensive use of them and without them you may not be able to complete some of the coursework. Why have we written the courses using mostly Microsoft products? Because they are the most used software applications. Our use of them is not necessarily a recommendation of Microsoft products. Some courses do have less specific software requirements and you should check the course information pages to find out what you need.

I am having problems accessing My Study area and in submitting work to my tutor?

The first thing is for you to set your Internet browser to look for new versions of a web page every time it loads up. The vision2learn website is constantly being updated and so if this is not set, you may only be able to load up an old version that is stored on your computer.

To do this you should:
Open your Internet browser and select Tools from the menu at the top. Then select Internet Options from the drop-down list that will appear. Once the Internet Options window has appeared, you should select the Settings button from the Temporary Internet Files section in the general part. If you then click on the option to check for newer versions of stored pages Every visit to the page. Then select Ok.

After completing this you should clear the Temporary Internet Files of any stored files you may have on your computer.

To do this you should:
Open your Internet browser and select Tools from the menu at the top. Then select Internet Options from the drop-down list that will appear. Once the Internet Options window has appeared, you should select the Delete Files button from the Temporary Internet Files section in the general part. This will then delete all files stored in this part of the system. You should then click Ok and close your Internet browser.

After carrying this out you should then try and load up the vision2learn website,in your Internet browser, and try again.

I have logged into my vision2learn user area and accessed my course material without any problems. However, the course material is asking me to complete some activities; knowledge know-alls and knowledge round-ups. I am unable to see the icons to access these within the course material. What should I do?

We have provided an additional link to the activities in Wizard on the Web and First Steps in IT courses to help you. Look out for some differently coloured text on the page in the form the word Activity and a number. Clicking on this should open the Activity as usual. The same applies for the knowledge round-ups and knowledge know-alls.

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