My Journey with the Crdl and Winning the UFI VocTech Award

Written by Zoe Tierney, Learning Technologist for AmplifyFE

I am incredibly honoured and excited to share that Burton and South Derbyshire College has won the inaugural Association for Learning Technology (ALT) Award for Use of Technology in Vocational Education, in partnership with UFI VocTech Trust. This achievement is the result of our work integrating the Crdl device into our Health and Social Care programmes—an innovative technology that has truly transformed how we approach teaching and learning.

Curious about Crdl

My journey with the Crdl began when I first discovered its potential to create interactive soundscapes through touch. Designed originally for therapeutic settings, I realised its incredible versatility, not only within dementia care but across a range of vocational and educational contexts. Through touch, we adopt invisible threads of care and healing, creating a bridge between isolation and connection. This technology has become much more than a tool for teaching about dementia—it has sparked curiosity and conversation around well-being, team building, and sensory engagement in our immersive suite.

The joy I’ve found in exploring the multi-faceted uses of the Crdl throughout the college has been immense. It’s been adopted not just in healthcare but in other areas like childcare, and we’re currently investigating how it can support our well-being programme and team-building activities. The feedback from students and staff has been overwhelmingly positive, and watching learners adopt empathy and understanding through such an interactive device has been rewarding beyond measure.

Winning the UFI VocTech award at ALTc 2024

I believe we won this award because the Crdl represents innovation at its core. It’s a technology still being explored, but its potential to enhance learning is already evident. We’ve only scratched the surface of what it can do. Winning this award validates our commitment to adopting cutting-edge technology to make learning more engaging and meaningful. It’s also a celebration of collaboration, as this project wouldn’t have succeeded without the input of local care homes and the creativity of our students and staff.

What’s next for our Crdl journey?

As we move forward, we have met with carers and nurses from the care homes we work closely with, and they’ve shared incredible ideas for soundscapes derived from their patients’ memories and stories. I’ve set up a Crdl working group to collaborate on bringing these memories to life, with soundscapes including street market sounds, classical fairground melodies, and 1930s swing music. These soundscapes will enhance the therapeutic impact of the Crdl for residents, while continuing to deepen our learners’ understanding of sensory care.

Additionally, we’ve paired the Crdl with our immersive suite, where we combine scene and sound to create a fully immersive experience. Learners can immerse themselves in various locations while using the Crdl as a therapeutic device, making it a valuable part of our well-being programme. We also intend to bring residents from the care homes into the immersive suite to experience both the Crdl and these environments. This will allow us to observe the differences in their reactions when engaging with the Crdl in immersive settings—an exciting ongoing research project. The Crdl enables us to explore new opportunities, allowing our learners to see residents in different environments and observe their reactions, emotions, and effects when the two elements are brought together.

I’m excited about the future of Crdl in education and the potential it holds to reshape how we think about learning—not just in vocational education but across many sectors. This award is just the beginning of what I hope will be an ongoing journey of discovery and innovation.

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