Learning from ICT Test Bed

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Learning from ICT Test Bed

• Claire Gill
• Head of Institutional Support Servicesclaire.gill
  _at_becta.org.uk

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3 clusters 3 LEAs, 28 schools 3 colleges
Collaborationsupport
Funding
Implementationsupport
Learning teaching advice guidance
Leadership, workforceinstitutional advice
guidance
Evaluation Support
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Project aims

• Establish how ICT enables transformational change
  and raises standards
• Gather evidence on how ICT brings about
  improvements in educational endeavour
• Disseminate the lessons learnt from the project
• Institutional objectives
• Institutional improvement and raising standards
• Improved leadership and management
• More effective and efficient use of teacher time
• Cluster objectives
• Collaboration and some aspects of federation
• Improved home and community links

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Test Bed clusters

• Barking and Dagenham LEA
• Three comprehensive schools Barking Abbey,
  Eastbury and Warren with a selection (6) of
  their feeder junior and Infant schools
• Durham LEA
• Parkside Comprehensive, Willington its main (9)
  feeder primary schools and a special school which
  supports the cluster
• Sandwell LEA
• Shireland Language College and its main (7)
  feeder primary schools (part of the Smethwick
  Learning Network) plus the pupil referral unit
• Plus one FE college in each cluster

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The timescale and funding

• Four year project to August 2006
• Final evaluation report January 2007
• with possible extension for follow-up
• Started work in June 2002
• LEAs selected in August, Schools Sept 02
• School/cluster planning started October
• Formal launch November 2002
• Plans approved end March 03
• Funding
• Year 1 20 million
• Years 2-4 7m, 4m, 3m (estimated)

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Learning from ICT Test Bed

• Guy Underwood Matt Goodyear
• London Borough of
• Barking Dagenham

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Reasons

• Raise standards
• Engage learners
• Enrich the learning experience
• Empower teachers
• Disseminate best practice

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Approaches

• Driven by teaching learning
• Collaboration across institutions
• Developed partnerships
• Clear ownership vision

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Impacts

• Embedded use of technologies
• Enhanced the way we teach
• Increased pupil interaction
• Improved communication
• Created a sustained buzz

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Interactive Technologies

• Technology for teaching learning
• Complete solution
• Easy to use
• Builds on strengths
• Encourages collaboration

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Digital Imaging

• Powerful self assessment tool
• Inclusive tool for expression
• Flexible range of outputs
• Facilitates collaboration

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Visioning

• What will future state look like?
• Time to think, discuss communicate
• Ownership to achieve vision
• Structured toolset

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Leadership management

• Empowers leadership at all levels
• Provides tools resources
• Enables the sharing of best practice
• Power of network applications
• Improved communication

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Closing thoughts

• Have a clear and communicated vision
• Keep teaching learning at the core
• Develop strong and sustainable partnerships
• Build on existing strengths
• Consider total cost of implementing ICT

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Preliminary Outcomes of the Test Bed Evaluation

• Bridget Somekh
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Jean Underwood
• Nottingham Trent University

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Purpose of the Evaluation

• The external evaluation is assessing whether, to
  what extent and how the objectives of the Test
  Bed policy have been met, identifying challenges
  encountered and lessons learnt.
• The internal evaluation, in partnership with
  project participants, is using an action research
  approach to support the development of good
  practice and its dissemination.

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Quantitative approaches

• Benchmarking Test Bed schools/colleges against 4
  comparators no findings till Yr 2
• Maturity modelling. Production of framework on
  six dimensions for assessing school / college
  maturity. No findings till Yr 2
• Base-line data giving staff and student
  attitudes, self-assessments and perceptions in
  2002-03 (data set completed by Sept 03)

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Findings from Base-line Data

• The majority of staff and students have positive
  attitudes to the use of ICT and already use it.
• There is a clear relationship between level and
  amount of training and diversity level of ICT
  use.
• KS1/KS2 children showed very positive attitudes
  to using ICT at home and at school.Secondary
  pupils reported extensive experience of using ICT
  and were confident about teaching othersFE
  students were more cautious about their ICT
  skills.

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Progress in Action Research

• Seventy staff (teachers, managers, support staff)
  have embarked on action research studies.
• Five reports are complete and will shortly be
  published on the TB Evaluation pages in the Becta
  research site.
• Some staff of schools/colleges are presenting
  their action research at the ITTE Conference in
  July and the Collaborative Action Research
  Conference in November.
• Those who have completed action research studies
  are taking on the role of Research Leaders.

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The external qualitative evaluation

• Preliminary positive outcomes
• Use of ICT has increased hugely across all
  participating schools and participating
  courses/sectors of the FE colleges.
• Very substantial use of interactive white boards
  and, in Barking and Dagenham, large screens,
  visualisers and interactive tablets.
• Most use of ICT for teaching and learning is to
  support and enhance existing practice.
• Some use is radical and innovatory e.g. changing
  the quality, depth and relevance of pupils
  learning.

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• Challenges of Test Bed implementation
• Scale and complexity of roll-out substantial
  delay till equipment in place (inevitable with
  large ICT initiatives). Way forward plan
  future projects to take this into account.
• The vision challenge even with excellent advice
  its hard to plan because you need a mental
  model of the possibilities.Way forward visits
  to other schools to see what they have done.
• The installation challenge two phases of
  funding security contractors, electricians,
  builders Way forward use the two phases of
  funding to try out new equipment and modify as
  needed for phase two.

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• Challenges of Test Bed implementation (2)
• The technical support challenge technical
  support is essential in ICT-rich institutions.
  Test Bed provided additional support but also
  generated greatly increased need. Way forward -
  an onsite technician (who can troubleshoot
  immediately) transforms ICT use in primary
  schools.Way forward - technicians could begin to
  provide more support for learners in classrooms,
  once maintaining functionality is less of a
  problem.
• The training challengeWay forward match
  training to need, synchronise with arrival of
  equipment, include follow-up and peer support

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• Challenges of Test Bed implementation (3)
• The challenge of embedding ICT in teaching and
  learning currently almost all use of ICT for
  teaching curriculum (i.e. not for teaching ICT)
  is limited to use of IWB and Screens/
  Visualisers/ Tablets. Use of ICT by pupils in
  school is very limited by comparison with their
  use at home.Way forward need for
  experimentation, monitoring, refinement this is
  the main focus of TB action research
• The challenge of leadership and management
• The challenge of cluster collaboration
• The challenge of home and community links

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• Congratulations to the Heads/Principals of Test
  Bed Schools and Colleges on the considerable
  success achieved in the initial stages of
  planning, procurement, installation of equipment,
  experimentation with use, staff training . and
  all the rest
• And to the Becta support team and LEA Test Bed
  managers

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Learning from ICT Test Bed

• Tim Rudd
• Evidence and Evaluation TeamTimothy.Rudd_at_becta.or
  g.uk
• www.becta.org.uk/research

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• Establish how ICT enables transformational change
  and raises standards
• Impact on learning and teaching in institutions
  is already visible
• Institutions experiencing real change (supported
  NRT)
• New ways of working emerging novel ICT
  solutions being tried
• Visual kinaesthetic learning overcoming
  barriers
• Teachers, Leaders, and support staff gaining new
  skills
• Perceptual changes ICT vision emerging

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Project aims

• Institutional improvement and raising standards
• Improved leadership and management
• Change management approaches making a difference
• More effective and efficient use of teacher time
• LSPs ICT use and support
• Perennial difficulties of measuring impact of ICT
  on standards

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• Collaboration and some aspects of federation
• Improved home and community links
• Home-School-Community Links are a key development
• Improved communication between parents and
  schools
• Greater parental and community involvement and
  support for schools
• Area for further development

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• Gather evidence on how ICT brings about
  improvements in educational endeavour
• Evaluation ongoing quantitative and qualitative
  study until 2006
• Maturity Model, new tool for data collection
  analysis, developed
• Lessons all schools and colleges can learn from
• Moving from implementation to embedding
• Institutions now finalising plans for 2004/05
  activity
• Today project as a whole enters second stage-
  greater external dissemination and profile raising

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• Disseminate the lessons learnt from the project
• Dissemination starting
• Research Conference(s)
• First project newsletter out
• Schools and colleges presenting with and without
  us at non Becta events
• First Year evaluation findings being disseminated
  and second year findings emerging
• Questions and lessons learned so far being asked
  for by policy teams
• Broadening reach at DfES
• Evaluation Action Research projects providing
  CPD and cross promotion