Alongside traditional methods of teaching the college provides e-learning for its students. Swindon College has invested heavily in e-learning technology and is committed to delivering teaching and learning in various ways to ensure that all learner needs and learning styles are addressed.

At the centre of our strategy is the VLE (vle.swindon-college.ac.uk) which allows students to access their course material online at any time. The VLE provides a range of interactive learning resources which complement lessons and other learning activities.

Electronic Individual Learning Plans (eILPs)
Your eILP is where you and your tutor action plan work that is to be completed. When you have your 1:1 tutorials you will discuss and agree what needs to be done and when. These enable you to keep track of your progress on your course.

Both you and your tutors can input information such as SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Realistic & Timely) targets, what you have achieved and what support you need. The whole process will be explained to you at the start of your course.

Computer Code of Conduct
The College actively encourages all staff and students to use computing facilities to produce work and to gain access to the Internet for research. The Swindon College Code of Practice is ESSENTIAL READING for all staff and students.

Computer Usage
Be aware of the thousands of others who rely on the college’s computers to do their work. Consider how your computer behaviour will affect them and make sure you act responsibly towards them:

• Understand that the College has policies that address academic dishonesty, disruptive conduct, misuse of materials, etc. These policies must guide your computing activities in the same way that they guide your other activities on campus.
• Understand that sending electronic messages to people you don’t know or who don’t need to get your message is a nuisance.
• Be aware that the site-licensed software available on the Campus Software Server (drive N:\) is to be used for educational purposes only; it must not be distributed to non-members of the College.
• Understand that using Swindon College computing resources to access questionable material, such as pornography, on the Internet or from any other source will lead to Disciplinary Action and could lead to prosecution under the Computer Misuse Act or the Child Protection Act.
• Be aware that computer use is constantly monitored by Swindon College staff. Abnormal activity, e.g. repeated attempts to access blocked web sites, may draw attention to yourself. All activity is logged in files on the central servers and retained.
• Understand that using Swindon College computing resources to send chain letters is a waste of computing resources and offends others on the Internet.
• Be aware that playing games comes under the description of frivolous use of computers. You are not authorised to use your college account for such activities.
• Understand what you are authorised to do and what rules you agreed to abide by when you registered.

Forging e-mail
It’s not too difficult to forge electronic messages, but it is fraud.

Electronically attacking people
Messages that threaten someone are not only anti-social and bullying; they are violations of the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Users of the Internet are expected to abide by the same principles of fairness, decency and respect that they use everywhere else.