Four of the key products from Becta’s learning and skills portfolio, have been transferred to LSIS. These are:
• Generator – e maturity tool;
• The Technology Exemplar Network; and
• The e-leadership online module.
In addition, LSIS will be taking forward the guardianship of Becta’s research assets for the sector.
Read the full news article on the LSIS website
Becta have released the results of their Harnessing Technology survey. Both reports and the raw data are now available.
The purpose of the survey was to:
Full details are on the Becta website and look at topics such as:
The Regional Support Centres get a mention in the “Suppliers and supporting organisations” on p.25 in the FE survey.
“The three main national sector support organisations are also highly valued for supportive dialogue, with JISC RSCs [97%], Becta [89%] and LSIS [81%] all being drawn on for ideas by more than four out of five colleges.”
Becta has announced the winners of the second annual Next Generation Learning Awards. These prestigious awards from Becta, the government agency for technology in learning, aim to reward technological excellence in the Further Education and Skills sector.
Congratulations to London providers:
Croydon Adult Learning and Training (CALAT), winners of the Furthering my learning award
http://awards.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=42067
Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College – Highly commended -Furthering my learning award
http://awards.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=42073
Sir George Monoux College – shortlisted for the Sixth Form College Sector Award
http://awards.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=42057
If there is one topic in the RSC’s advisory work that causes more confusion and worry than any other it seems to be e-Safety. For a long while this was quite understandable, most e-Safety advice was aimed at the schools sector and what did exist emphasised the risks rather than giving guidance on good practice.
Last year’s revision of the Common Inspection Framework, in which safeguarding became a limiting grade, only increased the anxiety. A common response we have come across is to use technical means to block access to areas of perceived concern such as social networking sites. We have even seen it stated that “Clearly any college that blocks access to all sensitive sites and social networking sites is “effective” with its safeguarding policy…” This is a common misconception.
Amongst the recently published guidance materials is Harnessing Technology, Safeguarding Further Education and Skills learners in a digital world published by Becta. This document clearly states:
Organisations are finding that a blocking and banning approach, which merely limits exposure to risk, is not sustainable. Organisations need to focus on a model of empowerment; equipping learners with the skills and knowledge they need to use technology safely and responsibly and managing the risks, whenever and wherever they go online; and to promote safe and responsible behaviours in using technology at college, in the workplace, in the home and beyond.
Also recently launched was the Safeguarding section of the Next Generation Learning website. This includes lots of relevant resources and a number of handy checklists that will help you to review your e-safety approach and provision.
Amongst the concerns regarding e-Safety and Safeguarding is the legal position for the individuals and institutions involved. Last week JISC Legal delivered a webcast on the theme: Safeguarding – Meeting Your e-Safety Duties. What really came through for me from this session was the consistency of message. The guidance from Becta and the position of safeguarding in the common inspection framework are clearly derived from the legal position. There is a clear understanding that safeguarding risks can not be eliminated and what is important is that safeguarding and e-safety policies are properly developed and that any incidents are acted upon correctly – clearly a technical only approach to e-safety fails in this regard.
It can be difficult for those of us without legal training to understand the implications of the legal position especially when terms such as “reasonable” and “proportionate” are used so widely. A useful illustration of how these terms might be interpreted came in a response to a question about usage of Facebook when John X Kelly said “surely now we’ve come to a stage where these are learning tools” and that colleges need to make decisions about how they use them. This is clearly a long way from the restrictive approach that many assume to be the case.
It is also illustrative that it is up to the institution to make the decisions. I am aware that many people simply want a ready made e-safety policy that they can use. That isn’t going to happen. Important features of any e-safety policy are that it is based on consultation and is contextualised. Fortunately JISC Legal have produced a simple one page e-Safety Policy Checklist to help you make sure that your policy is correctly developed and fit for purpose.
Getting e-safety right isn’t easy – but hopefully now it is getting easier.
Becta – Harnessing Technology, Safeguarding Further Education and Skills learners in a digital world
Next Generation Learning – Safeguarding
JISC Legal – Safeguarding Webcast – Meeting your e-Safety Duties
As part of the RSC UK support to the Becta Generator initiative, this event was the second of two workshops prepared for the London community this academic year.
The workshops provided delegates from the FE & Skills sector an opportunity to explore the tool and discuss how it could be used to best effect in their organisations.
Becta’s Harnessing Technology Review 2009: The role of technology in further education and skills was published earlier this week on the 1st February 2010.
In this review Becta brings together a range of research evidence and data from England (mostly collected during 2009).
Emphasis is given to the importance of e-mature providers realising the efficiency premium – by integrating systems that can support and streamline a range of processes, including assessment processes.
The review also stresses the role of leaders and managers in achieving changes in practice to achieve benefits:
“However, as yet the issue of technology-related cashable efficiencies is not high on the agenda of most institutional leadership teams. Thus it is likely, where there is a good degree of technological maturity, that opportunities are being missed to reduce energy and printing costs, save on space, reduce administrative overheads and realise efficiencies in delivering learning.”
The strength of leadership in e-mature colleges rather than the strength of the e-maturity overall, is also seen as the key predictor of better Ofsted results.
Some other key points from the Review:
Colleges and learning providers have always had a duty of care for their learners at the heart of their policies and practice and that duty of care extends to the safe use of technology. Organisations have a key role in helping learners to develop the skills they need to keep themselves safe, secure and behave appropriately when using technology for learning, leisure and work.
Becta have published new advice on what leaders and staff in the FE and Skills sector need to be thinking about when considering the issue of safeguarding learners who use technology in their organisation, in the workplace, in the home and beyond.
The advice and guidance considers safeguarding in the context of the Common Inspection Framework as well as the responsibilities enshrined in the 2002 Education Act, The 2004 Children Act and subsequent legislation including the green paper Every Child Matters.
Harnessing Technology, Safeguarding Further Education and Skills Learners in a Digital World is available for download here:
http://feandskills.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=41331&page=1886&catID=1868
In December, Becta will be publishing guidance on its website for FE and skills which will include checklists for leaders, curriculum managers and teachers, learners and technical staff.
Becta has just agreed to match additional funding from LSIS to ensure an extension to the eCPD Programme due to oversubscription.
The extension will fund:
For more information visit the Excellence Gateway website: http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=256813.
The closing date for application to join the Technology Exemplar Network as a participating provider is fast approaching, and with interest levels high, providers are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible. The closing date is noon on 30th October.
Grants are available to the successful participating providers for up to £15k delivering LSC funded learning programmes.
The JISC Regional Support Centres can help to support providers through the application period. In particular, we can offer support on the use of Generator; the technology improvement leadership tool, and how an applicant might use Generator to demonstrate the strength of their application to join the technology exemplar network.
Queries on the application process will be co-ordinated by the Association of Colleges (supported by the Association of Learning Providers) on behalf of Becta and the LSC.
The application form and guidance notes are available by following the relevant links to the pages on the Becta website.
Sixteen further education and skills providers from across England have been appointed to lead phase 2 of the Technology Exemplar Network, designed to help colleges and learning providers use technology more effectively.
These exemplars will receive funding to help develop their use of technology and share their successes with others. Eight of the providers have been awarded continued status from last year and eight new learning providers from across the FE and Skills sector have joined them.
Applications are open now for new members of the Technology Exemplar Network to work alongside the exemplars.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Friday 30 October 2009. (more…)
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