Unlocking Learning and Teaching with ICT

Identifying and Overcoming Barriers

Helena Gillespie

• Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781138157736
• eBook ISBN: 9781317756644
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

By clearly identifying the barriers that can still exist to the successful integration of ICT in schools this book aims to suggest ways in which these barriers may be overcome. Current and past policy and practice is examined and where barriers are identified, the book:

• provides suggested strategies for the removal of these barriers
• recommends how to avoid the obstacles in the first place
• includes action points and ideas to provide ways forward
• uses case studies and vignettes to focus on the positive benefits of ICT.

Optimistic and forward-looking, the book also explores how ICT, when effectively used, can help children learn and achieve to the best of their abilities. It is relevant for trainee and practising teachers, ICT co-ordinators and school managers in all key stages.

CHAPTER 1

Information technology in schools: policy and practice

Introduction

The world of education and schools is changing rapidly. This is due in no small part to the fact that learning technology is ever-evolving. Some teachers and educators hold polarised views on this evolution and change in our classrooms: at one end of the scale there are those who believe education cannot face the future without learning technology being the very root of what schools do; and at the other end are those who think that learning technology has nothing to offer the education of young people. Most teachers I have met place themselves at neither of these poles, but are somewhere in the middle. Many remain sceptical about whether learning technology can or should contribute significantly to education, others feel that there are many potential benefits. However what nearly every teacher I know has in common on this issue is that they would like to know more in order to come to a real judgement about what effect computers can have in their classrooms.

The majority of teachers and those involved in education feel that ‘the jury is still out’ on whether learning technology is a crucial element of education for the twenty-first century. In a recent large-scale study into the impact of ICT on teaching and learning (DfES 2003b), general findings indicated a positive relationship between pupils’ attainment and use of ICT in most subjects and in most phases. In the meantime the message we are receiving from commerce and industry is that we must more effectively prepare children for the world of work. Along with literacy and numeracy, skills in using Information Technology (perhaps more appropriately known as Information and Communication Technology in many schools) are seen as central to being effectively prepared. This seems like a good reason itself to include ICT in the work of education. But I believe there are also reasons to include it that are nothing to do with learning skills for later life. I believe there are some things which can be done with ICT which are better, easier and more useful than if they are done in traditional ways. In short, I believe ICT has an intrinsic value in education.

We are not yet at a stage with ICT development in schools where we are making the best use of this resource. Studies such as ‘The big pICTure’ (DfES 2003b) have demonstrated a link between enhanced pupil achievement and ICT, but this and other studies such as ImpaCT 2 (Harrison, Comber, et al. 2002) have struggled to show the significance of this link. This chapter discusses the current state of learning technology in schools, looking at each key stage in turn and examining the issues in ICT in education.

Aims of this chapter

The aim of this chapter is to outline some of the current issues in Information and Communications Technology in schools. This is done through six ‘sketches taken in the classroom’. These sketches are, of course, fictitious, but the situations they portray reflect the current practice in many schools, and highlight the problems, benefits and issues which teachers from foundation stage to key stage 5 face in the early twenty-first century. Each sketch does not represent the full range of issues which occur in each setting, but a snapshot of a particular situation.

From each sketch, issues relating to curriculum, assessment, content and training are discussed. This is not to imply that the issues raised in each section are exclusive to that key stage, in fact many of the issues are current across key stages. As any teacher knows, the range of issues which they face daily and weekly in schools seems to grow. These issues include:

• developing planning procedures;

• schemes of work;

• managing formative assessment;

• summative assessment and its implications, both internal and external to the school;

• pupils with special educational needs;

• pupils who are gifted and talented;

• pupils who have English as an additional language;

• inclusion;

• addressing varied modes of learning;

• managing time and resources;

• managing professional development.

All these issues to some extent impact on how ICT can be used in teaching and learning, yet teachers who have effective teaching strategies tend to make good use of ICT as well. In its turn the practice of a confident teacher breeds a willingness to experiment with new teaching approaches, which can lead to further success.

A pervasive theme of this chapter is change, and all teachers, wherever they teach, will recognise that things are changing rapidly in education. Changes in technology occur even faster, and many have long since abandoned trying to make good use their own teaching of every new resource as it is launched. This seems a sensible approach. Rather teachers need to recognise the changes in their field and plan for and manage their introduction into their overall approach. Each of the teachers described in the sketches below is making use of ICT effectively in their teaching, yet there is much more that each teacher can do.

Policy in ICT

There are few areas of educational policy more contentious than ICT. This may be because ICT has been the focus of substantial financial investment since the beginning of the NGfL project in 1998, and many schools and teachers remain to be convinced that ICT is providing value for money in terms of improved pupil achievement. Issues of funding are explored more fully in Chapter 2.

Several studies have been the basis for current policy in ICT. In 2002, the extensive ImpaCT2 study (Harrison, Comber, et al. 2002) looked at three strands of ICT in education:

• the impact of ICT on pupil learning and achievement;

• the perception of ICT in home, school and community;

• learning at home and school.

Drawing on both original and existing research, the study provides a basis for ICT policy-making in the twenty-first century. It was funded by the DfES and carried out by BECTA (The British Educational Communications Technology Association) who, although independent of the education department, provide a good deal of data and advice to the DfES on ICT. In addition there are organisations like Nesta Futurelab who fund and support small-scale research and literature reviews into innovation in ICT.

The fundamentals of government policy in ICT are set out in Fulfilling the Potential (DfES 2003a) where the ICT agenda is closely linked to other education reform issues, such as workforce reform and curriculum development. This policy statement is intended to lead schools towards becoming ‘e-confident’. The paper sets out likely trends in ICT provision in education from 2006 onwards in:

• connectivity

• networking

• computers

• managed learning environments

• whole-class displays

• creative technologies

• access technologies.

The paper also describes the ‘next steps’ needed to take schools forward in these areas. Despite being high on ideas, and to some extent, rhetoric, and low on practical suggestions, Fulfilling the Potential is likely to be the basis for future policy developments in ICT.

Information and Communication Technology in practice: Sketches taken in the classroom

The foundation stage

Ashbury Nursery is a busy and lively place. The nursery teacher, Gemma Barrett, encourages a learning environment where access to space and resources is open to all. She has a close working relationship with the two teaching assistants.

Gemma has integrated learning technology into her setting in a number of ways. In one corner there is a story tape, for the children to listen to using headphones. The children enjoy this way of hearing their favourite stories, and they know which buttons to press by remembering how traffic lights work. The ‘stop’ button has a red sticker, the play a green one and the pause button has a yellow sticker. The children enjoy using this tape recorder independently, and each morning Gemma changes the tape. Over in the reading corner, a small group of children are re-living last week’s autumn walk, through a book made by the teaching assistant with digital photos, which the children took, with a little help. Enjoying the book with the group is a boy with communication difficulties, who is working with a teaching assistant to extend his vocabulary, prompted by the book.

There are two computers in the nursery. Each has a range of curriculum software including simple word processing packages, which enable children to use word-banks to write rather than the keyboard, a drawing package and some stories on CD. Today the children are working in pairs on a counting program. They are using a large ‘rollerball mouse’ and a concept keyboard to make the program work.

Considering this situation, what are the ICT issues?

The foundation stage curriculum and assessment

The foundation stage curriculum (DfEE and QCA 2000) includes an early learning goal for information and communications technology within the Knowledge and Understanding of the World area of learning. It emphasises that computers and other ICT devices can be used as tools to further children’s knowledge and understanding of the world around them. They use ICT devices to gather information too, and where appropriate practitioners model the use of ICT in the setting to encourage children to develop independent skills. The stepping stones of the curriculum suggest that children move from showing an interest in ICT, through learning how to operate devices and finally to identifying the different uses of learning technology. This diversity and variety of use is evident in the foundation stage setting described above.

In addition, some of the fundamental principles of the foundation stage curriculum can relate to learning technology. Some practitioners wonder whether learning technology is of real use in the foundation stage. However, looking at some of the fundamental principles outlined on pages 11 and 12 of the foundation stage guidance (DfEE and QCA 2000), learning technology can be seen to have some real relevance to what the curriculum sees as the best practice for children at this early stage of their learning and development. See Table 1.1

Assessing learning in the early years is a challenge. Elsewhere in the primary phase, assessment is sometimes seen as synonymous with work produced on paper. In the foundation stage, such an approach is impractical and inappropriate in many areas of the curriculum. However, there are many uses of ICT which can support assessment. On a basic level, some computer programs record children’s performance, but the really effective use of ICT in assessment in the foundation stage is the ability to record images, both still and moving, of what children do. In the setting described, the digital photos taken on the children’s walk are both a reminder to the practitioners of what the children did and how they reacted on their autumn walk. The ability to easily, cheaply and quickly capture images has a great deal of potential.

Training for early years practitioners

In the setting described above, all the adults are able to use the ICT provision in their teaching. However in many settings, levels of practitioner confidence and competence in using ICT is variable. This is a result of previous training arrangements which did not serve these sorts of settings well. In some settings, one practitioner (not always the person with qualified teacher status) has led the development of ICT in the curriculum and where this has happened effective practice has been nurtured. However, until comprehensive and regular arrangements for professional development in all areas are put in place, it seems likely that some practitioners will continue to be under-skilled in this crucial area. A fuller examination of the issues relating to training teachers and other practitioners is in Chapter 4.

Table 1.1 Foundation stage principles and ICT

Principles for early years education from the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, pages 11 and 12	The role of ICT in supporting this principle
Effective education requires both a relevant curriculum and practitioners who understand and are able to implement the curriculum requirements.	ICT can support practitioners in developing effective planning and assessment strategies.
To be effective, an early years curriculum should be carefully structured.	The range of devices now available, including desktop and laptop computers, tablet PCs, robots and battery operated toys, still and moving digital cameras, tape and CD players and recorders, video and DVD players etc mean that ICT has a wide range of applications in the early years setting.
For children to have rich and stimulating experiences, the learning environment should be well planned and well organised.
Above all, effective learning and development for young children requires high-quality care and education by practitioners.
Effective education requires practitioners who understand that children develop rapidly during the early years – physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially.	ICT provides adaptable learning resources which can support children’s learning through a range of stages of development.
Practitioners should ensure that all children feel included, secure and valued. No child should be excluded or disadvantaged.	ICT and the range of devices and tools it includes can be significant in promoting the inclusion of children with a range of emotional, cognitive and physical barriers to learning.
Early years experience should build on what children already know and can do. Parents and practitioners should work together.	Children come into settings with a wide variety of experiences of using technology, and a good range of ICT devices in the setting can build on knowledge and understanding gained at home or in other settings.
There should be opportunities for children to engage in activities planned by adults and also those that they plan or initiate themselves. Well-planned, purposeful activity and appropriate intervention by practitioners will engage children in the learning process.	Many ICT devices can be used by children independently, which allows children to initiate their own learning. In addition these devices can be used flexibly by practitioners in a range of activities.
Practitioners must be able to observe and respond appropriately to childr...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction: Learning with technology
• 1 Information technology in schools: Policy and practice
• 2 The barriers in learning technology procurement
• 3 The technical barriers to the use of learning technology
• 4 Training teachers to use learning technology
• 5 Learning content in ICT
• 6 Teaching and learning using technology
• 7 Action planning to identify and overcome barriers
• 8 Conclusions: A brighter future for learning technology – The digital generation
• Index