Why FE colleges love CENTURY

We spoke to our FE colleges and compiled the top reasons why they love CENTURY:

Initial Assessment (IA) Process 

CENTURY’s Smart IA feature is highly valued by colleges for transforming their initial assessment procedures. It allows for remote allocation and completion of assessments, which is less stressful for students compared to previous methods. Smart IA provides accurate starting points for learners and helps in identifying the appropriate course or the level of support for a learner. The data generated begins populating data trackers from the start, enabling staff to see IA results for planning and delivery. 

• “With CENTURY, we allocate SmartIA remotely and can talk them through it in a classroom environment any time in the first two weeks. It is a much better experience for the student as they can do it on their own device and it is less stressful.” Emma Holton, Curriculum Manager at Weymouth College

Effective Personalised Learning 

A key benefit highlighted by colleges is CENTURY’s ability to provide personalised learning paths for students. The platform tailors content, known as ‘nuggets’, to address individual gaps in knowledge. This is particularly useful for Post-16 learners with limited time and for helping students focus on areas where they need to improve.

•  “The bespoke learning pathways generated by CENTURY are especially beneficial for students… The platform is able to pinpoint gaps in knowledge for individual learners.” West Suffolk College

Significant Time Savings, Especially in Marking 

CENTURY significantly reduces teacher workload, particularly regarding marking. All questions completed by students on the platform are automatically marked, with immediate feedback provided to the learner. This frees up valuable teacher time that was previously spent manually marking workbooks or papers. 

• Nelson & Colne College Group use CENTURY nuggets for midpoint assessments: “It’s a real time saver for us as we don’t need to mark hundreds of papers.” Charlotte Murphy, Curriculum Lead for English at Nelson & Colne College Group

Enhanced Learner Engagement and Motivation 

Colleges have observed increased student engagement and homework completion rates since implementing CENTURY. The platform’s design, with bitesize nuggets, is seen as manageable and helps students feel a sense of quick achievement. Competitions such as the Winter Cup have also been successfully used to motivate learners and increase completion rates. The platform encourages students to self-manage their learning and feel more in control. 

• “We’ve received a lot more work from the students than we would have previously.” Emma Holton, Curriculum Manager at Weymouth College

Valuable Data and Insights for Teachers and Management 

CENTURY provides teachers and leadership with crucial data and insights into student progress and engagement. Dashboards allow tutors to quickly check on progress, see how the whole class is performing on specific topics, and identify areas where students have struggled. This data helps inform lesson planning, allows for targeted support, and feeds into college-wide tracking systems. 

• “We’re very lucky to have a tutor who monitors the online delivery to see how much progress they’re making on the platform. He’s brilliant at highlighting the students’ areas of development, but wouldn’t be able to do it without CENTURY.” Emma Isles, Functional Skills Manager for Apprenticeships at The Bedford College Group

Accessibility and Flexibility in Use 

The platform’s accessibility, particularly on mobile phones, is a major plus for students, allowing them to study whenever they want. Colleges can implement flexible models of use, integrating CENTURY into lessons, setting it as homework, or encouraging independent study via the Recommended Path or My Courses tabs. This flexibility supports diverse learners and teaching approaches. 

• “The platform is so accessible on their phone and they can do it in their own time whenever they want.” Melissa Coburn, English GCSE and Functional Skills tutor at Nelson & Colne College Group

To learn more about how to implement CENTURY in your FE college, click here. Book a demo of the platform here. If you’re already a CENTURY customer and want to learn more about any of these points, speak to your Account Manager.