Robin BallProject Manager – Learning Services

Learning Services

Planning for personalised online learning

OJEU Procurement Process

Becta is entering a procurement process which will result in a Learning Platform Framework Contract.

As such the following statements apply…

OJEU Procurement Process

• The fact that some suppliers are present at the RBC Roadshows does not give any indication that they will be included in the Procurement Framework. 

• Becta does not endorse any supplier offering.

• Becta will run an objective procurement process which will apply pre-defined criteria to the bids.

 • Becta will not take into account extraneous matters

such as supplier attendance at RBC Roadshows.

The e-strategy• Transform learning and teaching

through shared ideas, stimulating activities and online support

• Engage hard to reach learners with more choice about how and when to learn

• Create an open and accessible system with information and services available to parents, carers, children, adult learners, employers

• Greater efficiency, reduced burdens: through streamlined administration

• Opportunities for professional development through peer to peer networks, online research databases

In a nutshell?

A key objective is to provide:

‘a personalised learning space with the potential to support e-portfolios available to every school by 2007-08’

What will it mean for my school?

Tailoring content to user needs and learning styles

– Breadth & flexibility of resources– Customising learning– Student engagement

Continuity of learning and out of hours learning

– Home learning– Parental involvement– Access to performance

information

What will it mean for my school?

Supporting anytime, anywhere learning

– Remote access– Removing boundaries– Re-engaging disaffected

students

Enabling peer/mentor dialogue– Sharing, adapting &

repurposing– Spreading exemplar and

innovative practice

What will it mean for my school?

Assessment for learning– Share aims of learning with

students– Monitor progress– Planned interventions

Involvement of pupils in their own learning– Ownership of learning– Increased motivation– Anytime, anywhere learning

Planning strategically

Defining institutional readiness– Where are we now?– Where do we need to be? – What needs to be in place?– Measuring progress

How do you make it happen?– Infrastructural change– Involving everyone– Investing in new skills– CPD

Planning strategically

Cultural change and change management

– New ways of thinking– New ways of doing– Planning for change– Involving everyone

Support for change management– National Remodelling Team

resources, ‘Touching tomorrow’– NCSL

Planning strategicallySchool development planning

– Constantly under review– Exploiting new technologies– Continuous improvement– Short, medium & long-term

investment

Enabling data flow– Management information– Data outside the institution– Access to data about learning– Parental involvement

Planning strategically

Building in accessibility– From inception– A constant

Sustainability– Planning for the short-term– Planning for the long-term

What is a learning platform?

Simple web-based learning content systems

– Internet-based– Upload/download of files– Basic communication tools– Message boards/chat

What is a learning platform?

More advanced systems such as Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)

– Learner support– Learner tools– Management & tracking of learner

activity– Assessment

What is a learning platform?

Comprehensive Managed Learning Environments (MLEs)

– Share & exchange data– Links to management information– Include staffing, finance etc.

So what should I look for?

Most learning platform systems will offer a variety of functions in a number of ways, from basic, hosted systems to fully integrated, managed systems.

There is no one-fits-all solution, and success will be determined by ensuring a coherent match of learning services.

Forget labels and acronyms!

Think about your requirements and look at available functionality:

– Communication and collaboration– Content sourcing and delivery– Content repurposing and sharing– Curriculum mapping– Assessment and recording– Accurate intervention and

reporting– Effective administration

Forget labels and acronyms!

Think about your requirements and look at available functionality:

– Data transparency (adherence to agreed standards)

– Connectivity– Security– Support and maintenance– Training

Support from Becta

‘Planning for personalised online learning’, available from the Becta web site at:

www.becta.org.uk/publications

Support from Becta

‘An introduction to learning platforms for school leaders’, available from the Becta web site at:

www.becta.org.uk/publications

Support from Becta

Functional specifications– Defining levels of functionality

for learning platform technologies

– Created in collaboration with industry

– Currently in production for release March 2006

Support from Becta

Self review framework– Online interpretation of functional

specifications– Enables management to establish

current position and create action plans for future investment

– Available from March 2006

Support from Becta

Practitioner stakeholder group– Online community to validate

advice & guidance– Involved in developing

messages– Invitation to join:

jacqui.drudge@becta.org.uk

Support from Becta

Procurement framework– Currently being developed to

support aggregated purchasing– Informed by the functional

specifications– Evaluation process

Postscript - How to get it all wrong!*

Based on experiences from the FE sector:– Keep it all to yourself– Don’t provide any content– Don’t train the staff– Train the staff in the wrong things at the wrong times– Forget about the underpinning infrastructure– Everyone is going to be enthusiastic about learning

platforms– Forget about quality control– Saying all lessons should be supported or delivered

online

Postscript - How to get it all wrong!*

Spending the money too soon!

* Technology for e-learning, ‘How to get it all wrong’http://ferl.becta.org.uk