Q1. What is a 'Learning Platform'?
It is an umbrella term that describes a broad range of ICT systems used to deliver and support learning and teaching. It usually combines several functions, such as organising, mapping and delivering curriculum activities, and the facility for learners and teachers to have a dialogue about the activity, all via ICT. So, you might hear the term learning platform being applied to a virtual learning environment (VLE) or to the components of a managed learning environment (MLE).
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Q2. What is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)?
A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a software tool which brings together resources for curriculum mapping, delivery, assessment, tutor support, communication and tracking.
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Q3. What is a Managed Learning Environment (MLE)?
A Managed Learning Environment (MLE) refers to the whole range of information systems and processes that support learning and the management of learning within an institution. It includes VLEs, Management Information Systems and other support systems.
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Q4. Why does a school need a Learning Platform?
When used properly, a Learning Platform can transform the learning and teaching experience and greatly enhance the personalisation of learning.
The DCSF e-Strategy Harnessing Technology: Transforming Learning and Children's Services sets out the government's targets for ensuring that better use is made of ICT in schools to improve standards, pupils' interest in learning and use of teachers' time. There is a specific target in the strategy: all pupils need to be able to access a personal online workspace, capable of supporting an e-portfolio, by 2007-08.
The e-Strategy may be accessed at www.dcsf.gov.uk/publications/e-strategy
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Q5. How may a school benefit from a Learning Platform?
Learning Platforms can offer a range of benefits for all those involved in learning both inside and outside the classroom. These benefits extend to teachers, pupils, parents and the process of school administration and management.
The benefits are brought about by bringing together hardware, software and supporting services and Learning Platforms should provide the following range of ICT-based functions:
- Content management - Enables teaching staff to create, store and repurpose online resources and coursework
- Curriculum mapping and planning - Provides tools and storage to support assessment for learning, personalisation and lesson planning
- Learner engagement and administration - Provides access to pupil information, attendance, timetabling, e-portfolios and management information
- Tools and services - Provides communication and collaboration tools such as email, messaging, discussion forums and blogs
These functions offer numerous advantages to all those involved and the following examples outline the practical benefits on offer to each group involved.
Learning Platforms provide the following practical benefits for teachers:
- The online sharing of teaching materials and resources in school and at home ready for printing out or use with an interactive whiteboard
- Resources can be put online as they are created - page by page or lesson plan by lesson plan
- Learning materials can customised and adapted for the exact needs of pupils
- Lesson plans can be easily accessed online from colleagues to support supply cover
- Individual and group progress can be assessed, monitored and tracked
- Pupils can submit work to one easily managed area
- Individual management of timetables, diary, email and discussions via a personal desktop space
- Increased ICT competence and confidence
Learning Platforms provide the following practical benefits for pupils:
- Online access and sharing of learning materials outside lesson time and from other locations such as the library and home
- Online storage of work and notes for use in assignments, homework and revision outside school hours
- Work can be carried out at an individual pace and with a wider choice of learning styles through a more personalised curriculum
- Online portfolios can be created using digital photos and videos as well as text
- ICT and online skills can be improved
- Homework and assignments can be submitted online for marking and assessment
- Online communication with other students and teachers via email and through live discussions and forums
Learning Platforms provide the following practical benefits for parents:
- Home access allowing them to play a greater part in a child's learning
- Support for a child's in learning which takes place outside school
- Access to a child's personal homepage to keep track of their work and curriculum
- Viewing of a child's reports, attendance data and scores in assessment activities
- Effective communication with teachers, school administrators and others supporting their child's learning
- Engagement with wider school issues through online communication tools and become active partners with the school
Learning Platforms provide the following practical benefits for school administration and management:
- Up-to-date management information on attendance and attainment
- Tracking of individual and group progress
- Collation of summative and formative assessments
- Reduction in administrative burdens for teachers by using transferable data
- Communication within a school and beyond on a one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-many basis
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Q6. What is the Surrey Personalised Learning Space (PLS) and why is it needed?
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has set the expectation that “by spring 2008 every pupil should have access to a personalised online learning space with the potential to support an e-portfolio” and “by 2010 every school should have integrated learning and management systems”.
Surrey commissioned VT Four S to specify and cost the provision of a Personalised Learning Space (PLS) solution for Surrey schools to meet this DCSF target. Currently the PLS provision makes available an online learning space for 140,000 pupils of up to 1 Gb. Dependent on decisions at an LA level, the system is expandable to include consideration of the following:
- Personalised online learning space (up to 20Gb of online storage space for day to day work)
- Email services will be provided for all users. Students and staff mail boxes will be able to store up to 200Mb of data
- E-portfolio (secure space for the storage and presentation of assessment work)
- Integrated Management Information Systems (EDIX, SIMS, EMS). Integration of other MI systems will also be catered for.
The Surrey PLS is designed to work in conjunction with a Learning Platform as its user interface.
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Q7. What are the advantages of a single Learning Platform for Surrey schools? Why should my school become part of the programme?
This is a programme designed to support all Surrey schools in making effective use of new technologies. It is part of Surrey’s response to the Government’s e-learning strategy (“Harnessing Technology”). The emphasis of this programme is not on introducing more technologies, but making more and better use of ICT. A Surrey-wide solution will achieve best value for money in terms of cost, functionality, resilience and sustainability through maximising economies of scale.
There are enormous benefits in a collaborative approach ensuring that content and communication can be shared amongst all Surrey schools in a secure way. In particular, a Surrey-wide solution will:
- Facilitate 14-19 student mobility as students working in different learning establishments will access one common system with one e-Portfolio
- Facilitate Key Stage 2-3 student mobility as pupils will continue to use the same system at secondary as they used at primary school
- Facilitate staff mobility between schools reducing training time and costs and enabling greater collaboration between schools
- Reduce the cost of training and support for each school through economies of scale
- Facilitate home access – siblings at different schools will all access the same system providing a common interface for parents and children
- Enable the easier exchange of content, data and sharing of best practice across the County
- Provide access to potential pan-Surrey facilities, such as an online content store
- Enable individual schools will have a greater influence on the Surrey Learning Platform future road-map through a Surrey-wide reference group
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Q8. How was Fronter selected as the preferred Learning Platform supplier for Surrey?
Surrey asked VT Four S to run a mini-competition from the Becta Learning Services Framework to recommend a preferred supplier. A Touchstone Group of Surrey schools helped to specify and select the preferred solution.
7 bidder responses were short listed to 4 by the Touchstone Group. These 4 then presented to the Group and provided demo accounts, etc. The Group identified Fronter as their clear favourite and VT Four S reported this recommendation to Surrey.
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Q9. Why was the selection process for the Learning Platform limited to the ten suppliers on the Becta Framework? Why did you not consider other Learning Platform providers?
The Becta Learning Platform Services Framework provides UK schools, colleges and local authorities with an EU approved supplier network to deliver high quality, value for money Learning Platform services.
The Framework of 10 suppliers is EU compliant, which means local authorities, schools and colleges are free to conduct a mini competition among the approved suppliers, reducing the cost and time of a full procurement. The 10 suppliers were selected following a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process. Their performance will be closely monitored by Becta for the 3 year duration of the Framework.
The Framework has two advantages. Firstly it makes the whole procurement process much easier and so much cheaper. Secondly, purchasers can be confident they are buying robust and sustainable technology and services which give value for money.
Surrey and VT Four S have taken full advice from Becta regarding this procurement. Had Surrey wished to consider other Learning Platform providers not on the Becta Framework, then due to the size of the contract there would have been no choice but to run a full EU procurement. Such a procurement process would have taken many months to conclude and would have cost a considerable amount of money. Additional technical testing to ensure compliance with Surrey School’s requirements would have also been required.
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Q10. How much will my school have to pay?
Currently the online personalised learning space (PLS) will be provided free of charge. Discussions are currently taking place on how the PLS will be funded in the future.
Detailed costs for the Surrey Fronter Learning Platform Offer (LP) are available on the Surrey offer section of the Surrey MLE Website at www.surreymle.net .
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Q11. Have Surrey schools met the DCSF target that every pupil should have a personalised learning space?
VT Four S and Surrey LA are working closely with Becta on the development of the Surrey PLS. Our procurement strategy has been approved by Becta and as a result, Surrey schools are deemed by Becta as having met the 2008 target.
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Q12. How will the Surrey PLS and Learning Platform be deployed?
The PLS and LP deployment will follow 5 distinct phases:
- PLS Proof of Concept
- LP Proof of Concept
- Pilot of Standard Rollout
- Complete Rollout
- Next Steps
The proof of concept phases will involve a small but diverse range of schools to ensure that any issues are addressed prior to the pilot phase.
The pilot phase will involve a larger group of schools and will ensure both that both technical and training approaches are suitable.
A complete rollout will follow to include all schools that have signed up to the PLS and LP platform
The next steps phase will involve all participating schools and the touchstone group. It is hoped that they will inform and guide the future direction of the LP development.
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Q13. My school has already invested in a Learning Platform. Won’t we lose out?
Those schools which have already invested time and money into the development of their own Learning Platform will not be disadvantaged, as the aim is for the Surrey PLS to interoperate with any Becta-compliant Learning Platform that a school may already have in place (i.e. it complies with inter-operability standards). Through the economies of scale created, the hosted learning space provided by the PLS will be cheaper, larger and more sustainable than that which an individual school could procure commercially. Thus schools may continue to use their current Learning Platform while taking full advantage of the PLS for data storage, etc.
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