JISC

 'You have pioneered the use of e-communications in the educational world not just in this country, but internationally, and I think it is no exaggeration to say that without the work that JISC has done, we would be literally years and years behind where we should be.' Rt Hon Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, to the JISC Conference, ICC Birmingham March 2003.

In his speech to the JISC Conference in March 2003, Charles Clarke, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, set out a range of priorities in the field of e-learning and the role of JISC in tackling these priorities. JISC Inform followed up an invitation from the Secretary of State for an interview to pursue in further detail some of the themes he set out in his speech.

JI:  What do you see as the main advantages or benefits of using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) - for learners, teachers, parents, managers ?

CC:  E-learning offers flexible learning on demand, any time or anywhere. It can allow learners to take part in active and creative learning with others through simulations, role-playing, remote control of real-world tools and devices and so on. I don't think ICT can replace teachers and lecturers but, alongside existing methods, it can certainly enhance the quality and reach of their teaching and reduce time spent on administration. It can also offer a wide range of design tools to enable teachers to be innovative: creating and sharing ideas, or customising resources for their own use. It can offer parents excellent home-school links through MLEs (Managed Learning Environments), which allow them to follow their child's lessons and progress from home. ICT can provide advice and reassurance for parents through portals such as The Parent Centre.

There are many examples of e-learning successes in our schools, colleges and universities, but they are not yet universal. This is why we have published proposals for an e-learning strategy, which addresses the needs of all learners and potential learners, and all sectors of education and training from early years to higher education (HE).

JI:  The e-learning strategy will need to challenge the main barriers to the use of ICT. What do you see as the main barriers to a higher level of use of ICT ?

CC:  We have identified seven areas where we believe action is required. Education leaders need more support to enable them to lead and manage the challenging change processes involved. We also need to engage staff more widely. They should all be fully aware of the benefits of ICT, and encouraged to take advantage of it, both pedagogically to enhance teaching, and administratively to maximise value for money. This should be coupled with support and guidance to help higher education staff respond effectively to the increased ICT demands of today's student.

JI:  In a speech at the Association for Learning Technology conference in 2002, Lord Puttnam talked about one of the main barriers to widespread use of ICT as the structure of government departments - the unhelpful split between schools, FE and HE. In the era of lifelong learning, does this structure need to be re-thought ?

CC:  The e-learning Strategy Unit is well established in the Department with a cross-sector brief to facilitate communication and development of the e-learning Strategy. The autonomy of HE institutions, however, means that the sector faces some unique challenges, and we have asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to bring forward plans for a detailed e-learning strategy for HE.

JI:  Lord Puttnam also talked about the barriers being a lack of imagination and vision. Are we too ambitious in what we are trying to achieve or not ambitious enough ?

CC:  The actions that we are proposing are challenging, and rightly so. I want all children and adults, all teachers and lecturers, all trainers and mentors, to experience the fantastic excitement of these new ways of teaching and learning. I want us to turn the pockets of excellence we already have into standard features of teaching and learning. This is why we have focused on innovation and creating the conditions that allow the education workforce to take more responsibility for the way teaching and learning is carried out, beyond the physical constraints of the classroom, the book and the timetable.

JI:  In your speech at the JISC conference, you talked about the need for a coherent 'e-something' to bring together the large number of publicly-funded e-initiatives. How do you see JISC's role in bringing together this coherent e-something ?

CC:  JISC is well placed to promote collaboration between FE and HE as the only strategic body to work across both sectors, and to extend this work into the adult and community learning, and specialist colleges. Working with Becta, JISC can help bring about a truly joined up service so that the benefits of ICT are felt by all learners at all stages.

JI:  We would hope that the universities would have experience to share with the schools' sector. What might the university sector learn from the schools' sector in the deployment of ICT ?

CC:  The potential of ICT to motivate and inspire young people is well documented. The ImpaCT2 study recently found that pupils who use ICT in the classroom get better results than those that don't. This is shown to be true across all abilities, communities and subjects tested. The research also shows that we must have a teaching profession that understands how best to apply ICT to support and enhance teaching and inspire all children to learn. This would also be true for tutors and students in universities.

Schools and LEAs (local education authorities) are also very innovative in levering funding and a range of resources from a variety of sources, including money allocated to government departments, such as regeneration funding. Industry, from local supermarkets to multinational corporations, also supports ICT in schools through sponsorship deals. A key priority of the DfES (Department for Education and Skills) and HEFCE is to continue to identify and disseminate good practice from wherever it is found.

JI:  Content - either creation, use or licensing - is one of the biggest single costs for the mainstream uptake of ICT. Do you see potential for sharing content across sectors given the lack of an established curriculum in FE and HE ?

CC:  One of the great assets of ICT is the flexibility of content, as the same piece of information can be easily adapted to a number of uses. For example, a 3-D online model of a trench could be used by a PhD student studying war poetry, by an A-Level psychology student studying the effects of shell shock and by a primary school teacher preparing for a trip to the Imperial War Museum.

The recent White Paper 'The Future of Higher Education' makes clear the importance we attach to the strong development of links between higher and further education, notably through the development of foundation degrees. I very much welcome the extension of JANET coverage to the further education sector to enhance future collaboration between the sectors. In considering the sharing of content, we must be aware of wider issues, not least intellectual property rights, and I welcome the work of JISC in addressing this vital issue.

JI:  Deploying ICT forces schools, colleges and universities to explore questions about the quality of their programmes. In the long term, do you see ICT as a positive or negative force for the overall quality of education in the UK ?

CC:  I think e-learning is an important, positive force because it can contribute to all the Government's objectives for education: raising standards; improving quality; removing barriers to learning; preparing for employment; improving workforce skills; and ultimately, ensuring that every learner achieves their full potential. If implemented poorly, however, it can be a negative and costly force, which is why we need to get it right.

JI:  The e-learning consultation document released this summer marks an important moment in Government engagement with the question of ICT in education. What do you hope the consultation process and the discussion surrounding the document will lead to ?

CC:  We are trying to consult as widely as possible, which is why the consultation period is longer than usual. The strategy involves a wide range of people from head teachers, college principals and vice chancellors through teachers and lecturers to individual learners and would-be learners. We want to encourage high-quality debate and real understanding of the role of everyone in fully embedding e-learning throughout all the sectors.

 

Rt Hon Charles Clarke

Secretary of State for Education and Skills

speaking at the JISC Conference

ICC Birmingham

March 2003