Hi Andy
Thanks for the heads-up and good to see this work coming to fruition, the focus on implementation and teacher training/support is particularly illuminating.
I was taken by some of the technical recommendations, especially how they were worded:
- It is beneficial to ensure reliable wireless connectivity.
- It is useful to consider systems for dealing with breakages and temporary loss of use of devices. This may involve planning for temporary loan stock.
- Systems for storage of and access to work need to be developed. Teachers and learners need to access digital work to provide and receive feedback.
- Consideration can usefully be given to possible software solutions to teachers' issues around observing process, tracking progress and formative assessment.
It was the last two points that the HHL research and development team in Cambridge set about tackling some 2 years ago with the result being
RedHalo, a freely available system (with premium version also available) working across most internet enabled devices including PDA's and gaming consoles (learners can even show their school work to their parents on the family TV via a Nintendo Wii). API's are about to be published, again freely, that will allow 3rd party developers to create sockets and plug-in's to the multitude of learning platforms, assessments and portfolio systems. The system, as many will know, provides for secure storage and access to work combined with teacher/learner/parent reflective loop. RedHalo also provides the foundation, on the mobile side, for the Becta supported
e-scape project designed to provide a solution to observe process, track progress and formative assessment. When server-side media conversion, i.e. converting files from one format to another automatically, is added to the system later this year another challenge, i.e. interoperability of media between devices and over time, will be resolved.
There are many good examples in the UK of establishments using this technology to good effect including the recent Black Pupils' Achievement programme in Lewisham where students and families were using Samsung Q1's. Other examples in other authorities that were less successful fell foul of problems based around wireless connectivity so I'm surprised that the wording of Becta's report suggest's that it is merely "beneficial' to ensure wireless connectivity. In my opinion it is absolutely critical. There are few excuses for not providing this now. In the Lewisham project devices with 3G dataplan's were coming in at £15 per month. These costs will fall further.
This is not a pitch for technology developed by HHL, with its own resources, in response to a need; but simply to say that when a Becta report states that something "needs to be developed" it should perhaps acknowledge the work that is already underway and support those initiatives. Other technologies tackling some of these challenges include OOKL and SchoolBuk.
The issue over breakage, device failure, etc., is also a good one, however more importantly is the learners work that maybe contained on the device. There continues to be a reliance on storing work on SD cards (!) that are easily lost/damaged or proprietary storage systems and learning platforms where the learner doesn't have perpetual and portable access. Worse still are the new wave of ultra low cost laptops that have no reliable means of back-up and once reset loose everything leaving the owner crying for two weeks. This is a ticking time-bomb, in my opinion.
Having said this, I should end as I started. It's good to see this report appear and I'm sure we all look forward to the follow-up and perhaps hearing more at the HHL conference in October.
Cheers
Graham
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