Using ICT to support home-school links: innovative practices

 Bridget Somekh, Diane Mavers and Cathy Lewin

Manchester Metropolitan University

Becta Research Conference21 June 2002

• Commissioned by DfES/Becta

• February to August 2001

• Aims

• to gather information about existing content, organisation, management, structure and use of electronic home-school links

• to evaluate and exemplify good practice

• to inform policy and practice

Aims and background of the study

• Types of technologies and infrastructure models of use

• Particular benefits to teaching and learning, management and administration

• Software and web based content available in the home

• Implications for decision makers, schools, LEAs, pupils and parents

• Issues around implementation and management

• Further potential benefits

Specific objectives

• A ‘knowledge mapping’ exercise

• A survey of 100 schools

• A consultative seminar

• A survey of commercial providers

• Case studies of a small number of schools

The evidence base

• Innovative practice or vision

• A range of resources used, including networked and portable technologies

• Different phases and geographical regions

• The work of a special school

• Contrasting approaches and practices

Choosing the case study schools

• Aim: to provide an overview of innovative practices in English schools

• Selected schools, not a random sample

• Responses from:

• 37 primary

• 65 secondary

• 6 special

• 7 independent

Survey of schools

• It is still very early days

• There are differences between secondary and primary schools

• School websites are being used for a variety of purposes

• Schools have different views of the benefits of email

• 25% schools have tried pupil laptop schemes but only 6 believed they had been effective

• Barriers are perceived to be – time, funding, expertise, security, technical limitations, and the digital divide

School survey: findings

• 5 commercial companies: AAL, ABK, CISCO, NTL, Oracle

• Supporting home learning is a developing market

• Products and services include Internet access, portable technologies, online provision of resources

• Perceived issues for schools:

• The digital divide

• Infrastructure

• Support structures and time

Commercial Survey: findings

• Continuation of work

• Email

• Floppy disc

• Access to content

• School intranet access from home via website

• Video conferencing

Findings: transfer between home and school

Findings: curriculum content

• Pupils use ICT at home for: - leisure (high level skills) - neat presentation of work - Internet-based research - revision websites

• Little use of curriculum materials on school intranets from home: - content is still under development - schools need a policy and strategies for development - need for a dedicated web manager and/or technician

Findings: laptops

• Teachers’ laptop ownership increases confidence and skills

• Pupils’ laptop ownership/hire promotes very high levels of skill and use

but ...- problems when not all pupils in a class have one- uptake affected by cost- anxieties about ‘mugging’- weight of older machines- some machines not robust

Findings: benefits to teaching and learning

• Pupils are developing good skills at home

• Convenience

• Pupil enthusiasm (word processing, PowerPoint, Internet)

• Quality online resources (where they exist)

• Concerns about handwriting, spelling, ‘replacing books’and plagiarism) relate to changes in society as a whole

• Exceptional support for children whose schooling is disrupted

• Electronic registration

• Web-based administration (e.g. attendance)

• Computer aided report writing can reduce teacher workloads

• Assessment information made available to parents

Findings: school management and administration

• Schools are very aware of the digital divide

• Pupils without access to ICT at home are disadvantaged

• Pupil’s home use of ICT and their home-developed skills often ignored by schools

• There are divides kinds of use at home as well as access

• Laptop schemes enable greatly enhanced capabilities and confidence but some projects have increased existing inequalities

Findings: the digital divide

Findings: implementation

• Needs to be part of the school’s overall vision

• A flexible, exploratory approach

• High level coordination

• Embedded in the school’s work as a whole

• Need for expert knowledge and skills

• Gaps between aspirations and delivery

• Security, safety

• Cost

• Teachers’ ICT skills

• Laptops for teachers• Training and support (especially in-house)• Collaborative involvement in developing online materials• Daily use to establish habits of use

• Expert knowledge (setting up and maintenance)• Technical knowledge on technology and infrastructures• Business knowledge on procurement practices

Conclusions

• Sustainability

• Little evidence of planning for upgrading infrastructure• Need for long-term planning

• Equity of provision• Funding (more advanced schools had received extra cash)• Regional infrastructures and inequities

• Broadband versus ISDN provision

• Planning for future development in technologies• e.g. hand-helds, digital television

Conclusions

• Two levels of digital divide

• Equipment and internet access in the home: a disappearing problem• Kinds of use made of ICT in the home: ‘cultural capital’

• Voluntary use for school work increases the divide

• Proposed strategy to overcome the divide• School audit of home-based ICT resources• School-based facilities for accessing work via email/floppy• School provision of alternative electronic resources (e.g. CDs)• Personal Access to ICT Plans (PACTs)• An agreed proportion of homework to be computer-based

Conclusions