Moving forward with Digitalbrain The New Government Agenda and our next Generation Product

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Moving forward with DigitalbrainThe New
Government Agenda and our next Generation Product
Chris Durham Education Consultant Digitalbrain
Education Services
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About Digitalbrain

• Mature proven learning solutions
• Established and expanding customer base
• Represented at BECTA learning platform forums
• Partnering with the DfES to deliver Personalised
  Learning
• Leading in Shibboleth Single Sign On
• Standards Compliance SIF MIS integration

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Digitalbrains MLE Learning Manager
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What OFSTED says
What OFSTED said about Stevenage 14-19
Partnership One of the most successful
partnerships The needs of the learners moving
between institutions are met. There is a
uniform approach to the monitoring, assessment
and reporting of pupil progress, and good
arrangements for exchanging information. Ofsted
Hertfordshire 14-19 Area Inspection, September
2005
What Stevenage 14-19 Partnership said about
us To support you in your studies you will have
a personalised Digitalbrain account. The system
provides you with a wealth of learning resources
and web links. It also serves as a communication
and meeting forum. You can access course
materials on-line and send work for marking
electronically. You can log on at any of the
Partnership centres, using your Digitalbrain
password. The account can be accessed from any
centre, from home, the library, a laptop on the
beach Stevenage 14-19 Partnership, Post 16
Prospectus 2006

• The virtual learning environment and the
  digitalbrain are very effectively paving the way
  for the development of e-learning.
• Each year group has its own parents information
  evening, where aspects of the curriculum are
  covered, including a beginners guide to the
  Parents Gateway and digitalbrain.
• Via the digitalbrain system, parents can gain
  an insight into what is being taught, including
  exactly what homework has been set.
• Ofsted St Wilfreds CofE high School and
  Technology College, October 2004

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DfES Strategy

• Proposed Learning Platform Definitions
• Level 1 Online personalised learning space
  e-portfolio
• Level 2 Virtual Learning Environment
• Level 3 Managed Learning Environment
• Key Date
• Spring 2008 All learners to have personal online
  space
• Standardisation
• Shibboleth - single sign on
• Learning platform standards

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How are we responding

• Influences Government Agenda and Customer
  Feedback
• System Changes Structure and Language, greater
  speed and stability
• Digitalbrain Roadmap one future, two products
• Learning Manager
• Learning Manager Primary

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Learning Manager

• Improvement Schedule
• May 2006 Email, Editor, Calendar, Upload
• July 2006 Look and Feel, New homepage, courses,
  coursebuilder and videoconferencing
• Sept 2006 customisable interface pod casts and
  web-conferencing RSS, New admin tools
• Jan 2007
• Blogs wikis and assessment tools
• Plug and Play assessment
• Sequencing
• MIS integration
• Reports, Analysis tools and Web Services
• Caching and locally hosted solutions
• July 2007 comprehensive MIS integration

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Learning Manager Primary

• Groundbreaking KS1/KS2 interface
• Student e-portfolio
• Easy to use multimedia email
• Ability to showcase work
• Improvement Schedule
• April 2006 Product Prototype
• Sept 2006 Full product launch
• Jan 2007 Expanded functionality including
• Content Creation Tools
• Parental interface
• A range of assessment tools

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Digitalbrain in Southend

• Southend LA Portal
• Enabling Communication
• Broadening Access
• Sharing Communities

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Digitalbrain in Southend

• Case Study Belfairs Media Arts School
• Developed Slowly
• Year One Email
• Year Two
• Content
• Communities
• 95 usage of technology
• With different usage across different groups

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Digitalbrain in Southend

• Primary Rollout
• Alans work
• School portals
• Staff/student email

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Integrated Solution User Stories

• Jon Primary School Teacher
• Staffroom bulletins and admin resources
• Receives LA email on latest resources
• Accesses joint resources for IWB
• Reviews colleagues content and makes suggestion
  for the project group
• Egyptian Mummies
• Jayne 16yo Student
• Attends HSC course at local college
• Collaboration with peers
• Extends learning beyond classroom
• Easy access to resources and work

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Good Practice
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So how do we take things forward

• Southend is strong in
• Good School Usage
• Primary portals set-up
• But
• Most successes developed by individuals and small
  groups in schools
• Schools developing singularly
• No cohesion or coordination
• Few joint projects
• Therefore we should
• Develop support infrastructure
• Develop action plans for schools
• Promote joint projects

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A vision for Southend

• Teachers and Students logging in multiple times a
  week
• One stop shops for new and exciting resources and
  links
• Project developments across the LA benefiting
  teaching and learning
• Teaching discussions connecting staff across the
  LA
• Southend Student Council
• Southend Subject Groups

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Southend Support Plan

• PROPOSAL Phase 1
• Full School Audits addressing
• Teaching Needs
• Future Plans
• Achievable Goals
• A written Implementation Plan for every school.
• Background Support and Organisation

• PROPOSAL Phase 2
• EiC Cluster Projects, requirements
• Multi-school
• To benefit teaching and learning
• Project Support in
• Planning
• Design
• Day-to-day support

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Implementation is key

• Professionally planned and managed implementation
• Schools individual priorities captured
• Simple action plan including milestones agreed
• Flexible approach to imparting knowledge and
  skills
• Dedicated training portal

• Education Consultant
• Implementation Team
• Project Managers
• Designers
• Technicians
• E-learning consultant
• Account Manager
• Customer Support
• Telephone
• Email

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Thank you