3.Step-1-Review-Prioritise.pdf

8/16/2019 3.Step-1-Review-Prioritise.pdf

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STEP 1: Review & Prioritise

Two key documents used in the review and prioritise stage are

the e-Learning audit and the e-Learning Roadmap.

The e-Learning audit helps quantify ICT resources and staff

professional development in ICT. The e-Learning Roadmap helps

the e-Learning team to analyse the school’s current stage of

development in ICT and to identify priorities for the future.

STEP 1: Review and prioritise 25



e-Learning auditThe first task of the e-Learning team is to complete a school-wide audit to establish the

current level of ICT provision in the school. The audit assists in identifying the existing

ICT equipment and software available, how the equipment is accessed, how the school is

networked and the level of ICT confidence among the teaching staff. An e-Learning audit

template is available to assist in the completion of this process. This can be downloaded

from the NCTE website (www.ncte.ie/elearningplan).

26 STEP 1: Review and prioritise



Equipment

• List of the hardware, peripherals and other equipment in the school

• Equipment warranties and expiry dates

• List of software titles currently being used including details of:

• the class/subject/special needs spread of software resources

• licences in place/pending

• Range of online resources

Access and networking

• Information about the availability of ICT throughout the school including:

• the physical location of computers, i.e., whether in computer rooms, placed in

classrooms and/or in resource rooms• the network infrastructure, i.e., the number and location of computers linked to

the school network; wired or wireless network, schools servers, data security, data

backups, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), Antivirus software

• the extent to which ICT facilities are made available to students

• Number of network points per learning area/classroom

• Number of internet enabled classrooms

• Details of how the school is providing ICT resources for pupils with special

educational needs

Internet connectivity, technical support

• Information about internet connectivity in the school including:

• the number and location of computers connected to broadband

• the number of hours usage per day/week

• the status & quality of the internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

• Details of the management and security procedures in place, procedures for reporting

and tracing of technical support issues. Antivirus and software update procedures

• Details of the level and appropriateness of current maintenance andtechnical support contracts, including equipment warranty information

Staff capacity

• Details of ICT training courses undertaken by staff including:

• courses offered by the NCTE and other providers

• statistics on the number of staff who have attended courses

• staff willingness or interest in progressing to Diploma and Masters programmes in ICT

• Information on how staff are currently using ICT:

• in their planning and preparation for teaching

• in their classroom lessons

The e-Learning audit includes information on the following areas:

STEP 1: Review and priorit ise 27



Using the e-LearningRoadmapThe completion of the e-Learning Roadmap

provides the school with a snapshot of

its strengths and challenges in relation

to e-Learning and allows the school to

identify priorities for progression to the

next stage.

The e-Learning team uses the e-Learning

Roadmap to identify where the school is at

under five key areas:

1. Leadership and planning

2. ICT in the curriculum

3. Professional development

4. e-Learning culture

5. ICT infrastructure

Stages of development are described as:

•

Initial • e-Enabled

• e-Confident

• e-Mature

It is not unusual that a school may be at different stages across each area. For example,

schools may find that they are primarily in the Initial stage in terms of their ICT

infrastructure but they are in the e-Enabled stage when it comes to ICT in the curriculum.

The e-Learning Roadmap is not a scorecard to grade schools in terms of their ICT use,

but it is designed to generate discussion among the e-Learning team around the five key

areas. Each statement is accompanied by a tick box and schools will tick the box that best

describes their current situation.

The e-Learning Roadmap is available to download from the NCTE website

(www.ncte.ie/elearningplan).

A printed version is provided at the back of this handbook.




1. Leadership and planning

There is a clear need for school leadership to

play a central role in the development of the

e-Learning Plan. This does not mean that

school principals have to become experts in

how ICT can enhance learning and teaching– but they do need to lead the process.

Ultimately, the e-Learning vision needs to be

fully integrated with the vision expressed

in the Whole School Plan whereby teachers

and students work together to use ICT in

innovative ways. The creation of such a

culture requires time and significant teacher

support. The role of the principal and that of

the ICT co-ordinating teacher is core to thedevelopment of structures that will enable

such a culture to flourish within a school.

2. ICT in the curriculum

ICT integration is a key component of any e-Learning Plan as it describes how ICT

can add value to learning and teaching throughout the school. When completing

this section of the e-Learning Roadmap, the NCCA ICT Framework should be carefully

considered.

The NCCA ICT Framework offers schools a structured approach to embedding ICT across

subjects during the period of compulsory schooling (from the beginning of primary

school to the completion of Junior Cycle). The NCCA ICT Framework is organised into four

areas, each with a corresponding objective as follows:

• Exploring the potential of ICT to create, communicate and collaborate to organise

and produce information • Understanding and applying knowledge of the functions of ICT, including safe

practice, maintenance and ergonomics.

• Using ICT for thinking and learning, including managing enquiry, assessing information,

solving problems and expressing ideas across a range of curriculum areas.

• Developing a critical appreciation of the role of ICT in society and developing habits

which reflect an ethical and responsible use of ICT.




Extract from the NCCA ICT Framework

“The ICT Framework offers schools a structured approach to using ICT in curriculum

and assessment by identifying the types of learning with ICT (including knowledge, skills

and attitudes) appropriate for students during the period of compulsory education. The

ICT Framework is not a curriculum area or a syllabus. It is not presented as an add-on

to teaching and learning, but as a tool to help teachers to integrate ICT in learning and

teaching. The Framework provides a guide to teachers for embedding ICT in curriculum

and assessment across curriculum subjects. It is an enabling Framework.”

Within the ICT Framework’s objectives, fifteen

specific learning outcomes have been

identified to represent what is important

for students to know in relation to ICT.

Learning opportunities have been identified

within the outcomes for each level. These

are presented as starting points for schools,

rather than exhaustive treatments of all four

areas.

The NCCA ICT Framework can be downloaded

from the NCCA website at:www.action.ncca.ie

3. Professional development

Teacher confidence has been identified as a key factor in terms of how teachers integrate

ICT into their practice. Teachers require the technical skills to use technology and the

pedagogical skills to integrate ICT into their teaching. Where teachers have attended

ICT professional development, there is a strong correlation with their adoption and

integration of ICT. It is also clear that teachers are more interested in attending pedagog-

ically-focused, as opposed to technically-focused, ICT professional development. Having

acquired the ICT competence it is essential that teachers get confident in its subsequent

use in the classroom.

The NCTE provides a range of professional development courses and support groups to

teachers to assist them in the integration of ICT into learning and teaching. The e-Learning

Roadmap will assist the e-Learning team to identify the areas where professional

development is required by staff members on a group or individual basis.




4. e-Learning culture

Schools should consider how they can integrate ICT into the school culture to enable

sharing and mutual support among the teachers, collaboration with other schools locally

and globally while also improving communications with parents and the wider localcommunity. In developing the e-Learning Plan, the school

should look beyond the curriculum to see how ICT is

used in other areas such as:

• teacher collaboration and peer to peer

support

• creating and sharing digital resources

among colleagues both withinthe school and through teacher

professional networks (TPNs) or

communities of practice

• use of a virtual learning environment (VLE)

• communicating with parents and the

wider community

• providing access to ICT outside of

school time

• developing and updating the school

website.




5. ICT infrastructure

Having completed an audit, the school will have a clear and accurate account of its

existing ICT infrastructure. In developing their ICT infrastructure, schools should be guided

by the recommendations of the Minister’s Strategy Group.

It is recognised that schools will vary in their requirements for, and expectations of,

ICT. In identifying desirable baseline levels of ICT provision and equipment for schools,

the Strategy Group recommends that schools adopt the following recommended

ICT configurations in the development of e-Learning strategies and their future

implementation.

• Classrooms should be networked to include between 5 and 8 serviced points

of access (2 at the teacher’s desk and 4-6 for students). Ideally, schools should

work towards an eventual 5:1 pupil to computer ratio (PCR) in classrooms.

• To facilitate greater ICT integration at primary level, computers should

be located in classrooms rather than in dedicated computer rooms.

Larger primary schools may choose to maintain their computer rooms. At

post-primary level a mix of locations is appropriate and should include both

classroom computers and computer rooms.

• All classrooms should have a fixed digital projector and teaching computer

with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse.

• All computers in the school should be networked and broadband-enabled.

• Ready access should be available to a range of digital devices such as digital

cameras and digital video (DV) cameras.

• Access should be available to a mobile laptop trolley, supporting between

10-30 laptops capable of linking to the school network and the internet (1 for a

small school and 2 for a larger school).

• There should be a mobile multimedia station in every school with integrated

digital media features to enable content creation, editing and production,

recording and duplication.

• Resource rooms and learning support areas should be equipped with networked,

internet-ready computers and digital projectors where appropriate.

Investing Effectively in Information and Communications Technology in Schools, 2008-2013 - The Report of theMinister’s Strategy Group




Identifying e-Learning prioritiesHaving identified where the school is in terms of current provision, the school now

identifies its e-Learning priorities. These priorities will emerge from the review process,

using the e-Learning audit, the e-Learning Roadmap, and the NCCA ICT Framework. When

the review is completed, the findings should be disseminated to all staff as this will

form the basis for identifying the school’s e-Learning priorities. The e-Learning Roadmap

will provide a strong indication of the school’s immediate priorities for e-Learning. For

example, attending to areas that are at the Initial stage with a view to progressing them

to the e-Enabled stage would be a good starting point. This process will be co-ordinated by

the e-Learning team. The e-Learning case studies and the sample e-Learning Plan extract

in this handbook provide examples of e-Learning priorities identified during this stage of

the planning process.

The e-Learning team should ensure that the e-Learning priorities identified align with

and complement the implementation of both the Whole School Plan and the internet

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).




Timeframe for reviewIt should be possible to complete the review process (e-Learning audits and e-Learning

Roadmap) within two to three weeks. However, this will vary from school to school. Having

conducted the review, the e-Learning team will have a clear indication of the school’s

current practices and provisions.

At this point the e-Learning team will have:

z Conducted an e-Learning audit.

z Used the e-Learning Roadmap to identify the school’s stageof e-Learning development.

z Consulted the NCCA ICT Framework in terms of ICT integration.

z Considered how ICT can enhance learning and teaching for all pupils,

especially those with special educational needs.

z Established their e-Learning priorities, based on the findings from the

e-Learning Roadmap.

z Clarified and validated the identified e-Learning priorities against the

Whole School Plan and the internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Summary


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