Bromley ICT Forum Blog

 [Extracts from Becta press release.]

 The revised strategy sets out a commitment to ensuring every school, college, university or training provider is ‘technology confident’, placing particular emphasis on achieving this through engagement with learners and parents and the professional development of teachers and trainers. Becta is now tasked with leading and working with education and skills providers, Government and national partners to ensure this ambitious strategy is delivered by 2014.

Jim Knight, Schools Minister, said:

“We are already one of the leading countries in the world for the use of technology in learning. But the pace of development in technology has been staggering over the last three years - in how it is used by young people, schools, communities and businesses. “

Becta’s Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning Strategy published today reflects our huge ambitions for the country. We want every educational institution to harness technology’s potential, every teacher and student to use it confidently. Children and young people must have access to high-quality technology to enhance their studies - be it at home or in school.”

Since the strategy for using technology in learning was first published by DfES in 2005, there have been significant developments in both the technology and education sectors. Over 85% of households with families now have access to broadband, compared with only 8% of households five years ago. Three quarters of 11-16 year olds use social networking sites and 90% use MSN or email. This new cross-sector strategy aims to ensure technology supports improvements to services across the education and skills sector, but the strategy also identifies five particular areas for development.

 [See summary below.]

Press release http://news.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=37361&page=1658&catID=1633

[Key information and extracts from strategy summary document] “System-wide change requires consistent and coherent effort, and the change can only be achieved through collaboration between key partners. Becta and its partners will work together to develop an ‘e-confident’ system that addresses each of the five component areas.” [Which are:]  

System leadership - “Together with our partners… Becta will take action to ensure that leaders at all levels of the education system are well supported to exploit technology fully so it transforms learning and improves institutional effectiveness… This [Technology Leadership Champions] network will be open to leaders from schools, colleges, providers, universities, local and national government and industry, and will build a shared understanding of how technology can help address their problems and priorities… Becta will encourage the Technology Leadership Champions to share innovation and build understanding within their networks - and beyond - of ‘what works’ across the system.”

Personalised learning - “Becta will address the need to ensure that high-quality digital resources are available wherever and whenever learning takes place. Making such resources more easily accessible to both learners and practitioners will help to ensure that learners have greater choice and control over their learning programmes, where appropriate enabling learners to adapt the pace and depth of study.”

Engaged and empowered learners - “A key element of the strategy will be to listen to learners and those who represent them, and share that understanding with partners and leaders. Our aim is to ensure that no learners are excluded from learning opportunities through inability to access the services they need… Becta’s work with the Home Access taskforce will feed into future programmes to ensure that no learner is left behind.”

Strengthen the capacity and capability of providers - “All education and learning professionals should have the skills and capabilities they need to use technology to meet the needs of learners, including an understanding of how technology supports more personalised approaches to learning. Becta will reinforce these expectations by working with partners to improve workforce standards and encourage organisational self-review. Alongside workforce development there will be efforts to increase the availability of the technology resources and tools that help raise the quality of teaching and improve learning outcomes.” [Five specific areas are then highlighted.] ” To support this Becta will promote and develop the use of self-review frameworks for schools, colleges and providers.”

A world-class, joined-up technology infrastructure - “Becta will work with Government, agencies and local authorities to put into place joined-up information systems that support the Government’s objectives. A key aim is to introduce cross-system information sharing and connected services that ensure consistent and personalised services for learners and providers alike… In this next phase we will explore how the best resources can be made available to support all learners and will therefore promote national arrangements for the collaborative development of content and services.”

The strategy will place a particular emphasis on change in five key areas:

Learner entitlement - “Becta will work with Government, learners and providers to develop a framework for a universal entitlement of access to technology that can be tailored to meet the needs of learners of different ages and in different contexts.” [A framework with 7 more specific points is outlined.]

Engaging family and informal learning - “Becta will use the Next Generation Learning campaign and work with local authorities and partners to inform all parents and carers concerning what they should expect in terms of online information and guidance in using technology to support and extend learning at home.”

Professional tools and support for teaching - “Teaching practitioners should have access to as good a range and quality of support, tools and resources as is available to other professions to help enhance their status and build professional expertise.”

Mobilising technology leadership - “Becta will work with NCSL, Ofsted, LLUK and others to drive and support leadership in technology in all sectors.” Fit-for-purpose sustainable technology based on personal ownership - “… this also means that increasingly leaders need to ensure effective management of a ‘mixed economy’ of publicly funded and personally owned technologies, and need to be extra vigilant to ensure that no learner or family is disadvantaged due to lack of access to technology.

Mixed ownership also raises other issues, including those relating to licensing and liabilities, data protection, and health and safety.” The summary then goes on to outline the governance framework for the strategy, the role of LAs (which are said to be an “important ally”) and a “performance framework”. The framework lists a range of targets, although these are stated in very broad terms. A quick scan through the full strategy document seems to suggest little reference to targets; it neither introduces new targets, nor reiterates current targets, nor summarises progress on the original Harnessing Technology targets.

Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning Strategy -

 summary (PDF) http://publications.becta.org.uk/download.cfm?resID=37346

Full document http://publications.becta.org.uk/download.cfm?resID=37348