Broadband communication
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Recent rapid growth in the availability and take up of new broadband technologies in the wider community potentially removes bandwidth barriers with respect to space and time restrictions in e-learning. It may also offer institutions an alternative to expensive on-campus infrastructure provision.
The Opportunity
Access to broadband at the desk has enabled the development and growth of virtual learning environments on campuses. HE and FE institutions are investing significant sums to exploit these new tools. Bandwidth restrictions have limited their scope for wider application off-campus, thus limiting both the scope for maximising the return on investment in new systems and approaches and for allowing learners to access these resources more flexibly.
Recent rapid growth in the availability and take up of new broadband technologies in the wider community potentially removes bandwidth barriers to space and time restrictions to e-learning. It may also offer institutions an alternative to expensive on-campus infrastructure provision.
Action
Investigate - TechLearn has commissioned an extensive review of the implications and issues surrounding broadband in the UK (see below).
Senior Management briefing paper (PDF)
Technical briefing paper (PDF)