ICT Standards Lessons from the literature

1
ICT StandardsLessons from the literature
2
Context of the work

• 1997 Quality Improvement Through Self Evaluation
• 1999 Benchmarking Study
• SFEFC investment in IT
• FE Quality Improvement Forum

3
Government policy and drivers

• 1997 National Grid for Learning
• 1999 The Knowledge Economy Task Force chaired by
  Lord MacDonald
• Direction from the Minister top priority the
  refinement and implementation of its SFEFC IT
  strategy..
• SFEFC Circulars and 28m funding

4
Project background and rationale

• SFEFC Circular FE/58/2000, (Nov) fund up to 5
  consortia bids with 100,000
• Builds on the self evaluation framework for
  colleges, extending it to support services
• College consortium and SFEU involved
• Started with draft standards from Glenrothes
  college

5
Project stages

• Literature review by April
• Initial standards by May
• Pilot first group in June
• Pilot second group in July
• Dissemination in September

6
Historic development - programmed learning

• Support in education started with Programmed
  learning (60s)
• One example was PLATO (Programmed Logic for
  Automated Teaching Operations) - not viable
• These were linear models, with no multimedia

7
Historic development - active learning

• Active learning based on learning theories
  (Vygotski, Kolb, Rodgers)
• Complex models, sophisticated uses
• Typically simulators, used in military and
  business primarily
• High production values
• Underpin most current work

8
Theoretical approaches - Revolutionary

• Characterised by Ehrmann (1999)
• Defined distributed learning in 1987
• Third revolution model
• Reading-writing revolution
• Campus revolution
• Technology revolution
• Purports the idea of thinking again about all
  that we do

9
Theoretical approaches - evolutionary

• Characterised by Cardenas (1998)
• Learning is essentially an interpersonal
  interaction
• Although important, issues of practicality and
  cost underpin development
• Only large (national) projects will make real
  contributions

10
Key ICT projects - CTI

• Computer in Teaching Initiative 1989
• 1.25 pa
• 24 subject based centres in HE
• Week evaluation limited lessons learned
• Relied on professional judgement and voluntarism

11
Key ICT projects - TLTSN

• Teaching and Learning Technology Support Network
  1996
• 400,000 pa
• Focus on teaching and learning
• Operational, not strategic
• Poor evaluation

12
Key ICT projects - QuILT

• Quality in Information and Learning Technology
  1997
• 1.3m pa (England and Wales)
• Again, small scale models applied
• Evaluation of full project not clear

13
Key literature - IT in FE

• Monteith - education sectors have lost their
  monopoly of the learning process
• Bates - expectations can easily exceed ability to
  deliver
• Bates - 8 recommendations for ICT adaptation

14
Key literature - Bates

• 1 Identify key target group as users
• 2 Develop clear vision with goals consider
  technological changes for the next 10 years
• 3 Fund learning materials large scale through
  partnerships
• 4 Keep the human role in teaching, link real
  people
• 5 Create new curricular models allowing more
  negotiation
• 6 Develop new organisational structures around
  digital information
• 7 Provide political leadership in developing
  system wide networks
• 8 Create a regulatory environment providing
  access, choice and competition

15
Specialist IT literature - Braithwaite

• Not all technology is good
• Chief Executives must chair/lead ICT
  implementation
• Planning needs to be on 3 levels
• Technical
• Operational
• Economic
• 16 recommendations for implementing ICT plans

16
Capability Maturity Model

• Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon
  University
• Initial - ad hoc, individual effort and
  initiative
• Repeatable - basic project management tracking
  costs and functionality
• Defined - standardised documentation achieved
• Managed - measures are detailed and used to
  improve quality
• Optimising - integrated measurement and feedback
  work in a continuous cycle

17
Main messages from literature

• Historically, we have learned few lessons from IT
  implementation
• There is a need to agree upon standards of
  planning, management and use of IT
• IT often fails to meet aspirations
• Solutions needs to be large scale (national)

18
Contact Details

• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• e-mail john.laird_at_sfeu.demon.co.uk
• www.sfeu.ac.uk