October 2005
Foreword
1. Introduction
2. ICT Infrastructure in schools
3. Professional development in ICT
4. The impact of ICT on the quality of learning
5. The impact of ICT on the quality of teaching
6. The use of ICT in school administration
7. The management of ICT in schools
8. Remaining areas of concern for schools
9. Conclusions
The last HMI report on information and communications technology (ICT) of January 2000 stated that the ever-increasing pace of development in ICT presented the education system with a challenge to develop a capacity for change. It presented a list of recommendations regarding the roles and responsibilities at national, education authority and school levels. Some very sound progress has been made in the intervening time but many of these recommendations continue to be areas of concern. It is important that key players maintain a sound focus on developing this area appropriately.
The Scottish Executive’s publication of A Curriculum for Excellence has turned the attention of educationalists to the values of education, the purposes of the curriculum and the principles underpinning curriculum design. It is important in this current re-evaluation of Scottish education, that we ensure that ICT is a clear strand in our thinking. Progressive ICT skills development in young people is an important component of their future core and life skills.
HMIE is undertaking ongoing evaluation of the impact of ICT developments on the education of young people and intends to publish an overview report in late 2006. This interim report aims to offer a current evaluation with a view to supporting national improvement. It presents a range of good practice, a statement of key features that encourage and advance progress in this area and a set of broad recommendations to take the country’s schools forward.
The report is being published on the HMIE website in advance of an invitation "ICT Summit" for Directors of Education and other senior personnel in education authorities, which is being offered jointly by Learning and Teaching Scotland, SEED and HMIE on 14/15 November 2005. It is intended as a background paper to stimulate thinking at that event and more generally among all with an interest in and responsibility for this area.
Dr Wray Bodys
HM Chief Inspector
1.1 The purpose of this report
The purpose of this report is:
With a view to supporting improvement in this area, the report also presents some key features that underpin identified good practice. In addition, it indicates areas where further development is required at both education authority and school levels. As will be noted in the conclusions section, a number of the recommendations of the HMI report of 2000, The use of ICT in learning and teaching1, continue to be areas of concern.
1.2 The visits to schools
HMIE views, as expressed in this report, are formed on the basis of extensive knowledge of the sector, achieved through contacts, visits, inspections and surveys. This report is based largely on specific visits to 45 schools, both primary and secondary, over 2002-2004, as part of an evaluation task requested by the New Educational Developments Division of SEED, to broadly evaluate the impact of national ICT developments in Scottish schools. The overall sample contained a number of schools identified as likely to illustrate good practice. During 2002-2003, the focus was largely on exploring good practice in identified primary and secondary schools.
In 2003-2004, secondary schools were selected randomly to offer a further broad insight into national developments. Fourteen schools, including four in rural areas, were visited during this phase. During the second year of visits, HMIE also contributed three full "ICT school portraits" of schools to a set of case studies being collated by the Netherlands Inspectorate of Education. Further good practice and key principles were adduced from these three studies of two Scottish primary schools and one secondary school, which have now been published. Copies are available at http://www.hmie.gov.uk/hmiegoodpractice/materials.aspx?theme=2&topic=10. Other sources of evidence include HMIE’s general inspection programme and its responsibilities in Scotland for the quality assurance of the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT training programme for school teachers and librarians. Where the views of education authorities (EAs) are quoted, they are based on the results of an unpublished 2003 survey issued to all authorities, conducted by SEED.
The one-day visits to most schools included meetings with the headteacher and key senior managers involved with ICT, and a group of staff, including in secondary, principal teachers or heads of faculty. HM Inspectors also observed classes across a range of subjects where ICT was being used.
Discussions, observation, and examination of documents covered the following range of topics.
This section describes aspects of the ICT infrastructure in the schools at the time when they were visited. Basic statements made here about the impact of the technology are expanded on in a later section.
2.1 ICT equipment
2.1.1 Most of the schools visited were well equipped in terms of ICT. The ratio of computers to pupils was broadly in line with national expectations.
2.1.2 Most primary schools visited had used either or both of the following approaches to the organisation of computers:
Where a computer suite was available, many schools made good use of small group presentations in the classroom, followed by pupils then working in pairs or individually in the suite. This strategy was most effective where the computer suite or area was adjacent to the teaching areas and could be accessed in a flexible way. Increasingly, classroom assistants played an effective role in supporting the teacher in accessing ICT in order to enrich children’s learning. It was not unusual for primary schools to have few computers connected to the Internet.
2.1.3 In the secondary sector, most of the schools visited had now achieved the level of one computer per classroom, although a few had only one computer per department. In most such cases, the single machine in a classroom was used by the teacher and senior pupils only. Most computers had a connection to the Internet.
2.1.4 Most secondary schools had created one or more general suites of computers, usually of 20 machines, to complement dedicated suites in the departments delivering business education, computing and technical education. Most school library resource centres also had a small suite of machines which allowed pupils to have some flexible access outside the classroom. However, even with judicious timetabling, general departmental access to computer suites was problematic and was rarely flexible enough to suit the needs of all classes. Few secondary schools had yet taken constructive steps to exploit facilities, to allow pupils more flexible access as part of their learning across the curriculum. Few had considered the more flexible use of classroom assistants in managing pupils’ learning using ICT, as was common in the primary sector.
2.1.5 The limitations of available accommodation were often a barrier to schools’ aspirations to increase staff and pupil access to ICT. Some headteachers considered that the relatively small size of classrooms in recently-built schools often made the siting of computers difficult.
2.1.6 A few schools made use of mobile sets of laptops and wireless technology to provide more flexible pupil access to ICT. However, the limited battery life of the laptops and the necessary recharging sometimes reduced the effectiveness of such approaches.
2.1.7 Practitioners in a number of schools expressed concerns regarding the reliability of equipment, problems with their networks and insufficient appropriate technical support. School managers recognised the importance of refreshing their stock of computers. However, a majority of schools did not have a clear policy on the phased replacement of equipment, or they perceived difficulty in identifying the necessary finance.
2.1.8 In the last few years, there had been a commendable increase in both primary and secondary schools in the number of data projectors, interactive whiteboards, digital cameras and facilities for digital video editing. A few of the schools visited were making very effective use of this equipment, but most did not capitalise on it fully.
2.1.9 Most science departments in the secondary sector had access to data logging and interfacing equipment. Some had computer-connected microscopes. There was a wide range in the frequency of use of this equipment. A few technical departments had digital lathe control. Most had computer-assisted design (CAD) software.
2.1.10 Less than half the schools visited had Broadband access to the Internet, and most of these were in the secondary sector. The rest had ISDN or equivalent access. Some schools reported significant reductions in speed of access to the Internet at peak usage times. Almost all schools provided evidence of a policy for safe Internet use, a clear system for filtering incoming information and good arrangements for monitoring pupil access to the Internet.
2.1.11 Many schools’ systems were run by an authority-wide managed service. The majority of headteachers reported that these managed services delivered a good level of service, but many felt that one adverse impact was that they prevented teachers from accessing a wide range of relevant educational sites. See also 2.2.2.
2.1.12 Some schools had access to videoconferencing facilities. However, such facilities were often underused. Some of the best use observed was by modern languages staff and pupils. In a few schools, senior pupils studying a language had built on e-mail contacts with schools abroad and used the technology to make presentations in the foreign language. A number of rural schools made effective use of videoconferencing to share lessons with pupils in other schools.
2.2 Technical support
2.2.1 Some schools reported ongoing concerns about the overall reliability of their school equipment and network, difficulties in accessing the Internet, and problems with printing. The most common sources of problems were internal server failures, issues to do with operating systems upgrades, or "down-times" from the EA provider. In some cases, schools had to use older equipment that was often incompatible with newer operating systems.
2.2.2 Most schools received their ICT equipment and technical support through a managed service, paid for by the education authority. The quality of support and response time of these managed services varied across the schools visited. Many schools reported considerable delays when dealing with hardware failures and particularly with software installation and upgrade. At times, such problems undermined teachers’ efforts to make use of ICT and ultimately impacted on the quality of the learning experience.
2.2.3 The availability of local technical support varied considerably but ICT technicians and teachers with expertise in this area frequently offered valued support when it was required. In a number of secondary schools, the maintenance of ICT systems often depended on the goodwill of principal teachers of computing who carried out a wide range of tasks over and above their normal work commitments. In the secondary sector, most schools had an in-house technician who could also fulfil this role. There was an issue in some schools of lack of ongoing training for such in-house technical staff. In the primary sector, most schools made effective use of internal expertise to trouble-shoot problems before calling on education authority support.
3.1 New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT training
3.1.1 The quality of staff development in ICT and its impact on the confidence and competence levels of teachers is one of the most important components in ensuring that ICT becomes, and continues to be, an integrated part of the learning experience of young people.
3.1.2 From 2000-2003, the NOF training programme for teachers delivered much of the formal ICT training in Scottish schools. At the closing date of the programme, 93% of Scottish teachers had signed up for training. SEED is currently finalising the statistics for completion. Current figures suggest that most of those who signed up also completed their training.
3.1.3 As was stated in a previous HMIE report: Into the Classroom of Tomorrow2, the overall success of the NOF training programme in EAs and their schools depended on certain very important variables. Of significant importance were the quality of the EA’s direction and management; EA expectations of schools’ involvement in, and completion of, the NOF training; and the level of support afforded by EAs to their schools. Of equal importance were the direction and management of the programme, and the expectations set, at school level. As with much innovation at school level, the commitment of the headteacher was the most important contributing factor to the success of the NOF training programme. Personal commitment to the training at the level of individual teacher was another clear element of success, as was the inclusion of the training in the individual’s continuing professional development and review cycle.
3.1.4 Into the Classroom of Tomorrow also acknowledged that for at least the first year of the programme, the national quality assurance procedures required the ten Scottish approved NOF training providers to rectify a number of elements in their original programmes, in order to comply with the principles of the NOF training. In some cases, authorities, schools and individuals who opted into the training at an early stage received an inferior quality of training. Following this early stage, some EAs changed training provider or received additional training and support from the same provider, by way of compensation.
3.1.5 The findings from the sample of schools visited for this report broadly reflected the statements above. They also indicated that staff held mixed feelings about the NOF programme. The programme was generally more successful in the primary than in the secondary sector. Of the sample of schools asked about their views on the programme, the majority felt that overall, the quality of the training had been good. However, in the small survey of secondary schools, as many as one third of the schools felt that it had not been successful in addressing their needs.
3.1.6 Where the training had been successful, staff identified the key factors as headteacher leadership and commitment, collaborative staff working, the hard work and support of a key member/members of staff, and good quality assistance and support for individual trainees from the training provider.
3.1.7 Where staff members had become in-house tutors for the training programme, their involvement had often created a team of individuals who remained as a cohesive group to support any further ICT-related professional development within the school.
3.1.8 The majority of teachers felt that, whatever their reservations about the training, they had gained from their participation in the programme. The identified outcomes included improvements in their general ICT competence; raised awareness of the range of possibilities afforded by ICT; and increased self-confidence, interest and willingness to use ICT in the classroom as part of their normal working. The issue that remained for many was how meaningfully to put these new skills and knowledge into practice, to increase and improve the use of ICT in the classroom. This applied equally at individual teacher, department and whole-school levels. Limitations in access to ICT were a major hindrance for many in practising their ICT skills.
3.1.9 Those teachers dissatisfied with the programme and who felt that for them it had had minimal impact, raised the following issues about the quality of the training.
3.1.10 The views of EAs regarding the NOF training are encapsulated below. These statements are taken from a SEED survey of authorities undertaken at the end of the NOF training programme. Twenty-seven of the 32 authorities’ responses were available for collation. Their responses to the key questions are given below.
Strongly agree |
Agree |
Disagree |
|
The NOF programme has increased the ICT skills of those trained in your authority |
22% |
67% |
11% |
It has made them more aware of the potential of ICT in their work |
26% |
74% |
0% |
It has increased their confidence in knowing when, when not and how to use ICT in their teaching or librarian work |
0% |
96% |
4% |
The training is now having an impact on classroom practice |
22% |
74% |
4% |
The training is having a positive effect on the achievement in your schools |
4% |
85% |
11% |
3.1.11 Many EAs made the point that the impact of the training varied across schools, success depending frequently on the level of commitment and support offered by headteachers and other managers. Some felt that the programme had had more impact in the primary sector.
3.1.12 When asked to identify the shortcomings of the NOF model, EAs offered a range of observations, the most significant of which are noted below.
3.1.13 When EAs were asked what steps they had taken to build on the NOF training, their responses included the following.
3.2 Further professional development opportunities in ICT
3.2.1 Where teachers’ further ICT training was viewed as a progressive training experience, building on the NOF or other previous training, ICT developments became well integrated into their classroom practice and pupils’ learning experiences. A key element was ongoing external and in-house support, closely and pragmatically tied to the teacher’s current classroom focus or to a specific curricular unit.
3.2.2 The schools visited offered a range of ways of achieving such a progression in this area of professional development.
4.1. After following 5-14 ICT programmes in primary schools, most pupils took a core skills programme in their first and second years in secondary school. Together, these experiences gave them a broad knowledge base and a range of ICT skills. In most cases, the S1/S2 courses were delivered by business education and/or computing departments, but in a few cases, other departments had become involved in the delivery of these skills. Commendably, some schools had arranged for pupils’ core skills in ICT to be accredited through the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), mostly at Intermediate 1 or 2 levels.
4.2 The majority of teachers thought that the principal benefit of using ICT as part of the learning process was its potential to motivate young people and thereby ultimately raise their achievement. Some teachers made particular mention of its positive impact on the level of engagement of boys, in that it usually involved a hands-on experience and active involvement in the learning task. It gave many pupils the opportunity to learn in a greater variety of ways, better matched to appropriate learning styles. For example, a science concept could be presented visually through 3D diagrams or animation. A pupil studying a modern language could see, hear, or interact with a native speaker or repeat a segment of language until it was understood.
4.3 Many pupils enriched their learning experience by using ICT in a range of ways across their learning and across the curriculum. In best practice, in both primary and secondary, the use of ICT allowed pupils to:
4.4 Access by pupils and teachers to ICT equipment had improved considerably since 2000 in almost all the primary schools visited. The impact of the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) and the NOF and other training was greater in this sector than in the secondary sector. In most of the schools visited, the use of ICT had enhanced the quality of learning and teaching, improved pupils’ motivation and resulted in a higher quality of pupil work.
4.5 Access by pupils and teachers to ICT equipment had also improved considerably since 2000 in almost all secondary schools visited. However, with a small number of commendable exceptions, most secondary schools did not offer pupils broad access to ICT across the curriculum or an appropriately cohesive and progressive experience across the stages.
4.6 Rural schools used ICT well to address issues arising from their smaller size and often isolated location. They tended to have better computer to pupil ratios. They were beginning to use videoconferencing and online packages to maximise the learning opportunities for pupils, particularly in the upper years of secondary.
4.7 In some cases, the use of ICT changed the way pupils became involved in, and were responsible for, their own learning. Among the examples were pupils using the Internet to access information, using PowerPoint to present their learning at the end of a unit of work, making use of digital video to present a project, and communicating with other schools by e-mail and via videoconferencing. The increasing use of ICT had brought about many changes in the experiences of current pupils as opposed to earlier cohorts. For many current pupils, using technology was as natural to them as using a textbook or any other learning resource.
4.8 A common perception is that the use of ICT tends to separate the pupil from his/her peers, in that he/she is working on a one-to-one basis with a machine. However, some schools visited for this report demonstrated how ICT can also involve pupils in collaborative working with their peers. They involved pairs or groups of pupils in problem-solving, planning and presenting findings.
4.9 A number of senior pupils in the secondary sector used online learning opportunities through the SCHOLAR4 programme to enrich their learning in computing, the sciences, mathematics and French. Staff and pupils regarded the materials as very good. In the schools visited, they were seldom used as courses in themselves, but rather as a very flexible resource which could be used by teachers and pupils to revise or to investigate further key areas of their coursework. One school used the Internet to access university psychology and sociology courses.
4.10 There was successful use of ICT in the Partners in Excellence (PiE) modern languages initiative in a number of secondary schools, where senior pupils were able to access a good range of relevant resources and communicate with native speakers on the PiE website in four European languages. Pupils involved were motivated by this use of ICT and the attractive and accessible website.
4.11 Many senior pupils in one secondary school were using a school-based interactive website as a platform to share and exchange information, for example in Higher computing. In one primary school, pupils also used such means to communicate with one another and with another school on a project.
4.12 Some schools had begun to establish a school intranet where pupils were able to access additional resources to support their learning. Often as part of a whole school approach, departments were beginning to organise their own sites to offer additional support and links to relevant external websites which pupils could further investigate. Some schools enabled pupils to access equipment at lunchtime and in the evening to pursue their studies. More than a few schools used the expertise of senior pupils to set up, maintain and sustain their intranet areas.
4.13 A few schools had begun to make the school intranet available to pupils outside school hours and also in the community, via a password system. This facility allowed pupils, for example, via e-mail accounts, to receive and return homework electronically. In a very few cases, parents were also able to access the school’s intranet to obtain information about their child’s curriculum and progress.
4.14 Most schools were at a very early stage of responding to an important consequence of the increase in pupil use of the Internet at all levels. Pupils required support in evaluating and using the immense and often unorganised range of information available through the Internet. Such activities required an appropriate level of knowledge, skills and judgement, now encapsulated in the concept of information literacy. This concept includes the learner's ability to recognise when information is needed, how to locate it, how to analyse it and judge its value, and how to use it effectively as a useful part of his/her learning. Few schools had systematic approaches to developing information literacy to ensure that all pupils acquired this set of skills progressively as part of their passport of core and life skills.
4.15 In some schools, pupils had opportunities beyond the classroom to use ICT. Senior pupils in one school had used desktop publishing to produce a highly illustrated, annually updated school handbook. Throughout the year in one school, pupils took digital stills and video of a wide range of school and community events, to retain a live record of the school's achievements. This record included a digital video of the school musical. In some primary schools, a group of pupils took charge of the maintenance and development of the school’s website. In one secondary school, a group of sixth year pupils was planning to use digital video as part of their end of school yearbook.
4.16 Some schools encouraged parents to be aware of the role of ICT in their child’s learning by keeping them informed of developments, offering information evenings and encouraging their involvement in both their child’s skills development but also in the whole school development of ICT. One school's long-term plan was to be "fully interactive" through ICT with pupils, the parent body and the community. The aim was to enable pupils and their parents flexible access to information about the school, the curriculum and programmes of work. The system already allowed pupils to access extra work and information on relevant websites for certain subject areas. Among examples of good liaison with parents were the following.
Most of the points listed under the foregoing section on learning apply to teaching also. However, some aspects of the impact of ICT apply more specifically to the quality of teaching.
5.1 General comment
5.1.1 One of the most common uses of ICT by teachers was to use a data projector and PowerPoint or similar package to enhance their presentation of new work. Presentations were often visually attractive and could be used in a flexible way. Teachers were also able to develop and revise such materials more easily. This technology was used in both the primary and secondary sectors, but was more prevalent in the secondary schools visited. In a number of schools, it led to efficient sharing of materials and more consistent delivery across staff. The use of these tools in lessons often encouraged a better quality of questioning and interaction between teacher and learners, in that pupils were not looking down at books or worksheets, but focused collaboratively as a class on a single information source.
5.1.2 Some schools were beginning to make use of interactive whiteboards, which allowed the teacher a very flexible use of his/her resources. Many teachers were still exploring the potential of this technology. Some involved pupils effectively in exploiting the interactive possibilities. This was an area of significant potential in that it allowed pupils to take more of a lead in the learning process as they interacted with the information on screen.
5.1.3 A number of teachers made increasing and effective use of the Internet to download materials either to incorporate into their bank of resources or for their pupils to use as part of their research sources.
5.2 Effective use of ICT in a number of primary schools
5.2.1 In almost all the primary schools visited, the use of ICT had enhanced the quality of teaching and improved pupils’ motivation.
5.2.2 In the best practice, teachers integrated the use of ICT into their plans across the curriculum and there was a clear sense of progression in the development of pupils’ ICT skills across the stages. In most cases, such practice was linked to the effective timetabling of facilities, making flexible use of machines in classrooms and/or in a computer suite.
5.2.3 Some schools used interactive software packages effectively to improve pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Such packages offered the teacher a highly structured programme and offered pupils ongoing information on their performance.
5.2.4 Among the most common uses of ICT in the primary schools visited was wordprocessing, used by pupils to create redrafted versions of English language work or to present work in a variety of curricular areas. Their listening and talking skills were also developed effectively in some schools through making their presentations using PowerPoint. In one school, P3 pupils practised their writing skills by sending e-mails to the main character in the novel they were reading.
5.2.5 Many pupils were developing a good level of skill in using ICT to present the results of information-handling work in mathematics, through creating a range of graphs on screen. Some were developing appropriate skills with databases and spreadsheets. In one class, pupils used the interactive whiteboard to solve problems set in the context of geometric shapes, by drawing solutions directly on to the board, and receiving immediate feedback on their accuracy.
5.2.6 Pupils in one school worked online with two other schools as part of a continuing inter-school science project. Pupils accessed websites such as www.brainpop.com/science, spacekids.hq.nasa.gov and www.scienceweb.org.uk in the course of their science programme. They used video microscopes connected to computers to examine and photograph specimens, viewing them together on the computer monitor.
5.2.7 A number of pupils exhibited confidence in using basic graphics packages to create images that enhanced their written work and presentations. In one case, senior pupils were adept at creating animations and using video capture. They worked on animations involving stop film digital photography and used titles, props, background and characters that they had created themselves. Senior pupils in another primary school worked with P1 children to teach them how to use an ICT-based drawing package which the senior pupils themselves had used when they were in the early stages classes.
5.2.8 In physical education in one school, pupils participated in a dance project which involved them in writing their own music and devising dance routines to a background of their own projected designs. Pupils used digital video cameras and data projectors in their dance and drama studio to examine and improve their own work in aspects of physical education.
5.2.9 Most senior pupils in the primary sector were able to undertake some form of research using the Internet. Although many schools were developing pupils’ research, editing and keyboarding skills, most did not have sufficiently well developed information literacy skills to make the most focused use of the Internet’s resources.
5.2.10 In terms of personal and social development, a feature of one primary school was the way it used ICT to promote pupils' self-esteem and citizenship skills. The school encouraged pupils to be involved in a number of co-operative ventures with other schools, including a major European project, as part of the Comenius initiative. They had made several short digital video presentations which they exchanged with pupils in other schools in Europe. P7 pupils in another school had put together a PowerPoint slideshow to present their case for improvements to the school building and grounds to representatives from the local education authority. Another school made effective use of ICT to value and celebrate pupils’ achievements. For example, within minutes of pupils being presented with an award for good work, staff photographed them using digital photography and their images and relevant text then featured on the display screen at the entrance to the school.
5.2.11 In enterprise education, a group of senior pupils in one primary school selected a piece of art work produced by their fellow pupils in school to make into the school's Christmas card, digitally enhancing the art work. They then set up their own company to manufacture multiple copies of the card to sell to parents and the wider community.
5.3 Effective use of ICT in a number of secondary subject areas
5.3.1 In art and design, one department had set up a school intranet site where examples of good practice from current and past pupils were displayed. In another school, a similar initiative had developed into an "Online Gallery" on the Internet. Many departments increasingly made use of software to produce design projects and to manipulate and combine images. Many pupils made use of the Internet for research purposes. One principal teacher had placed much of his course materials on CD ROM to allow pupils flexible access to the resources and encourage greater responsibility. Digital cameras were frequently used to record work in progress and chart stages in the design process.
5.3.2 In most business education departments, pupils made good use of computers as part of their normal working. Some pupils made effective use of PowerPoint or similar packages to prepare presentations as part of their coursework. Some S1/S2 classes made independent use of packages to increase their keyboard and wordprocessing skills.
5.3.3 In English, a number of departments encouraged pupils to complete their writing folios on computer, although sufficiently flexible access to machines remained an issue in some schools. A number also made use of software packages to enable pupils to self-pace through a programme of exercises designed to improve specific language skills, such as close reading. Such packages allowed teachers to monitor progress, and pupils to sense progress and identify areas for further development.
5.3.4 Some home economics departments made very effective use of the digital camera to record live cookery sessions. Many pupils made effective use of the Internet for research purposes and used PowerPoint to present their work to their fellow pupils.
5.3.5 In mathematics, pupils made extensive use of graphic calculators. As in English, a number of departments made use of software packages to enable pupils to self-pace through a programme of exercises designed to improve specific mathematics skills. Some teachers made use of PowerPoint to enrich their presentation of a number of mathematical areas, including graphs, with the effect of improving pupils’ comprehension. Some schools were beginning to make good use of interactive whiteboards, which was benefiting the clarity of explanations and increasing the pace of learning.
5.3.6 In modern languages, teachers made use of a number of Internet websites that provided an interesting range of activities for all stages. Where the technology was available, teachers made effective use of CDROM packages and interactive whiteboard technology to enable pupils to take part in language games and activities. They also used PowerPoint to present new language in a more attractive way. Some departments used the digital camera to film pupils in live practice of their chosen language.
5.3.7 Many music departments made effective use of multimedia to offer pupils access to professional-level packages, and enable them to invent music in a flexible and creative way. Digital recording and editing supported this facility. One school also made effective use of PowerPoint to show pupils chord structures linked to the appropriate audio tracks.
5.3.8 In personal and social education, guidance departments made good use of a range of interactive software packages and websites to enhance curricular and vocational guidance, careers education and preparation for work experience. The provision of on-screen information and case studies lent a new dimension to certain aspects. For example, the use of CD ROMs in a few schools allowed pupils highly focused individual access to specific health education materials.
5.3.9 A number of physical education departments used digital video to enable pupils to examine closely their practice in particular sports activities and discuss with fellow pupils and their teacher how to improve their performance.
5.3.10 In the sciences, departments made good use of data-logging, interfacing and computer-linked microscopes in practical work. Increasingly, teachers made use of on-screen simulations so that pupils could have access to a greater variety of experiments and to experiments in which there was an element of danger. Both teachers and pupils made use of PowerPoint for presentation purposes. In all of the sciences these were examples of good use of SCHOLAR for investigative work and revision purposes.
5.3.11 In the social subjects, departments made much use of the Internet to enable pupils to carry out individual or group research. As in other subject areas, some teachers downloaded these activities on to a CD ROM to avoid network problems for pupils exploring the resources. Teachers also made good use of data projectors and PowerPoint to enrich the quality of presentations and allow pupils to self-pace through a new topic. Some pupils carried out effective research on local politics on the local council website and wordprocessed an information leaflet. Others prepared PowerPoint presentations to show to their class. These presentations were then placed on the school intranet to act as "role model" presentations and as sources of information for future students.
5.3.12 A number of support for learning staff spoke positively about the contribution of ICT in supporting the learning of pupils experiencing a range of difficulties. They cited as key elements of the impact specialised laptops and other computers, and pupils’ engagement with a good range of software. The use of computers often allowed a better focus on the individual’s needs and increased pupil motivation and involvement through the use of activities and games which offered feedback, encouragement and reward. The use of more specific software such as electronic books and voice recognition was also regarded as valuable.
5.3.13 In technical education, a few departments made good use of their intranet shared area to enable pupils to access course resources and additional materials, and explore relevant hyperlinks. As in the sciences, some departments made good use of on-screen simulation to enable pupils to understand the workings of various technologies. Various computer-aided design (CAD) and control technology packages were also common features of departments’ provision.
6.1 There were constructive developments in many schools’ use of ICT in administration. One of the most evident was the increasing development in the secondary sector of information management systems to track and record pupil progress. In some schools, this process was directly related to target-setting, where it allowed managers, teachers and guidance staff to focus on pupil progress through individual units of work leading to national assessment. A few schools used the electronic system as a main point of reference for discussion with pupils on their progress. A number of schools were beginning to use electronic systems to record attendance.
6.2 In one school, teachers used an online referral system to record low-level misbehaviour or other minor problems within class. This system allowed guidance staff and managers to maintain an overview of any developing issues and to take swift and appropriate action as required. They also used the system to enable teachers to record a range of positive referrals. This development allowed managers and guidance staff to congratulate pupils on achievement or to reinforce good behaviour through "praise e-mails".
6.3 Some schools were beginning to use e-mail as an effective means of communication among all staff. Managers had found that such an everyday use of the technology encouraged greater confidence and competence in all staff.
6.4 Teachers in one primary school submitted their forward planners electronically. The school had plans to extend the school's intranet, which at present contained a number of relevant policies, to include these forward plans.
6.5 A few schools had developed an effective school website which allowed them to present key documents such as the school handbook, policies, news and other information useful to parents and others. In one case, visitors to the school were greeted by a large screen on which were projected website images, photographs and text, celebrating the pupils' and staff's achievements and creativity.
7.1 All schools visited had made ICT a substantial part of their development plans in recent years, notably concerning staff development through the NOF initiative and planning for the NGfL roll-out of equipment. Most schools were now at varying stages of shifting their focus towards the integration of ICT in everyday learning and teaching. In the best practice, this focus was achieved through targeting certain key areas which are summarised in the following paragraphs.
7.2 A number of schools had established an ICT steering group or working party. The role of this group varied somewhat from school to school but in most cases focused on the provision and distribution of equipment, the siting of new equipment and the use made of ICT by both pupils and staff. In a few schools, this group also had a quality assurance role relating to the quality of use of ICT across the school.
7.3 Some secondary schools had attempted to gauge the current use of ICT in classrooms through the issue of questionnaires to principal teachers / heads of faculty and teachers. These questionnaires covered current teacher competence and confidence and the use of ICT across various subjects and units of work. The returns enabled managers to measure the balance of ICT use across staff and across departments. In turn, this assisted managers in targeting further professional development and resources. In the secondary sector, some headteachers highlighted the role of principal teacher as pivotal in managing the integration of ICT into learning and teaching. The role of the principal teacher / head of faculty in leading or supporting developments in ICT was underdeveloped in more than a few of the schools visited.
7.4 A number of schools ensured that discussion of professional development in ICT was included as part of the professional review cycle, as managers sought to build on the levels of competence and confidence that had resulted from the NOF and other training. These schools also offered their staff support and further training in specific areas to consolidate their skills and to better integrate these into classroom practice. The teachers who had supported their colleagues formally during NOF training frequently continued to do so in a more informal way. Those teachers who had received Masterclass training also used their expertise in a support role within their own schools.
7.5 In some schools, managers supported professional development by encouraging staff to visit other schools to observe good practice. In one case, visits extended to other parts of the UK and even Europe.
7.6 One secondary school had established a teachers' conference area on its intranet. This area was a direct source of relevant CPD. For example, the school had established direct links to national websites of interest to all staff. The support for learning department had also set up general information for staff on a range of issues such as dyslexia and autism. It also shared on the intranet common strategies that teachers would find successful with specific pupils.
7.7 Some schools had carried out a survey of pupil skills and competence. Pupils had been asked where they felt they were most effectively using ICT within their learning. The results of such surveys offered a different perspective on ICT developments within the school and afforded insights into the progressive development of ICT skills in young people. These questionnaires also attempted to gauge the extent to which pupils’ skills were developed and exploited outside the school environment. Most schools had yet to exploit these skills which in many young people were highly developed, yet underplayed in most school contexts. Many schools did not yet fully understand the range and level of their pupils’ ICT skills. They rarely allowed pupils to be more independent in their use of ICT and offered insufficient contexts for them to be creative in the way they used ICT in their learning.
7.8 Some schools had taken steps to disseminate and encourage good practice across the various stages or departments in a measured and supportive way. One secondary school had asked each department to set itself a target over a session of establishing one or two units of work with effective use of ICT. It then placed the resulting good practice on the school’s intranet. Another school expected every department to make a departmental contribution to the school’s intranet or external website. Some headteachers also encouraged staff to include ICT as a component of ongoing discussions about pedagogy during whole school review sessions.
7.9 In monitoring the impact of ICT on the quality of learning and teaching and the degree of integration across the school, some of the schools visited had made use of Measurement of the Impact of ICT on Children’s Education (MIICE), a nationally available toolkit of quality indicators. They had found the self-evaluation toolkit a valuable support mechanism in flexibly exploring a wide range of ICT areas.
7.10 Schools recognised that it was crucial to monitor the integration of ICT as it developed across a school. However, there were only a few examples of establishments where monitoring was suitably systematic. Good practice in the monitoring of ICT in the classroom included:
7.11 A few schools had begun the process of encouraging their teachers to be reflective practitioners in the way that they used ICT. These establishments felt that the integration of ICT would be most effectively achieved where teachers had ongoing opportunities to discuss the use of technology within a broader focus on learning, teaching and meeting their pupils’ needs.
Schools identified a number of concerns as potentially hindering further progress with their integration of ICT. These concerns included the following issues which were more or less significant for each school, depending on the context of individual school management and the education authority framework.
8.1 A number of headteachers and teachers had concerns about:
The national context
9.1 The last HMIE report on ICT of January 2000 stated that the ever-increasing pace of development in ICT presented the education system with a challenge to develop a capacity for change that would ensure a quick and flexible response to new opportunities. This pace of change and development in ICT has not decreased in the intervening time. The report presented a list of recommendations, identifying a range of actions required and the related roles and responsibilities at national, EA and school levels. EAs and schools have responded to national developments and begun to develop this capacity for change. There are some very good examples of clear management of ICT at whole school levels and of innovative practice in learning and teaching. This report has attempted to collate some of these examples. However, a number of the recommendations of the previous report have not yet been sufficiently addressed and there is a need for a more consistent approach across all schools, to enable young people to access and use ICT in a meaningful and progressive way across their learning.
9.2 Over the last five years, ICT has come into much clearer focus in schools across Scotland. The NGfL roll-out has made a substantial contribution towards ensuring that schools are appropriately equipped in ICT terms. For a wide variety of reasons, the NOF ICT training programme did not deliver the full range of intended objectives for all participants. However, it improved teachers’ general ICT competence. It also raised awareness of the range of possibilities afforded by ICT, and raised many teachers’ self-confidence, interest and willingness to use ICT in the classroom as part of their normal working. SEED has supported national seminars to encourage a common understanding among education authorities and school managers of their roles and responsibilities. The annual Scottish Education and Teaching in Technology (SETT) event has also encouraged valuable exemplification from a range of practitioners on a number of fronts.
9.3 The Scottish Executive has now completed the second phase of its ICT development plans. It has implemented the Masterclass initiative, through which over 600 teachers, education authority personnel and representatives from teacher education have been trained to a high standard of ICT awareness and skills. SEED has also supported regular separate recall meetings of Masterclass individuals and education authority representatives. It has also launched the Leadership for Learning training programme. In the first tranche of training, over 400 headteachers have already been trained.
9.4 In the broader national context, the Scottish Executive’s publication in November 2004 of A Curriculum for Excellence and the current national curriculum review have focused the attention of educationalists on the purposes of education and on how the curriculum should enable young people to develop certain key capacities in their lives. ICT has a key role in developing successful learners, with an enthusiasm for learning and an ability to think and learn independently and to use technology effectively. It can assist in developing confident individuals and effective contributors who have independent access to a wealth of information, through which they can develop and then communicate their own beliefs and views of the world. ICT can also support young people in becoming responsible citizens by giving them access to a wide range of political and cultural information which will help them to evaluate, for example, environmental issues and ultimately make informed choices.
9.5 With plans for the next key stage of ICT national development - The Scottish Schools Digital Network (SSDN) — now well under way, the challenge for Scotland is to maintain the momentum in ICT which has built up over the last few years. Progressive ICT skills development in young people is an important component of their future core and life skills. Education authorities need to consistently play their part in planning and supporting ICT developments in their schools. Headteachers and school managers need to demonstrate a clearer leadership in this area. It is important too that teachers, as part of their continuing professional development, continue to build on the skills they have achieved and also show leadership in purposefully developing this particular strand of the learning experience.
Key features underpinning good practice
9.6 The findings of this report reflect views already held by a number of the managers in the schools visited. The following are key features which underpin good practice and ensure that ICT remains a strong, integral and developing part of every school's working.
Recommendations
9.7 Continuing progress will depend on the context of national support and the quality of management strategies within education authorities. However, within an appropriate EA context of expectation and support, the main drivers for the continuing development of ICT lie within schools and specifically with teachers in the classroom. Progress has been made in the last few years and school managers should build on what has been achieved thus far. The paragraphs below deal with four key elements which EAs and schools should consider as they plan for further development in the area of ICT.
9.8 Audit
A crucial step for schools is to audit their school’s level and quality of engagement in ICT. This can be carried out as part of a school’s normal annual review procedures or be addressed using surveys and interviews. The recently produced ICT addition to the How good is our school? self-evaluation series 5 would afford a sound starting point in this.
Education authorities should:
Headteachers should ensure that managers and staff are:
9.9 Curricular planning
Based on such audits, schools and education authorities should ensure that learners experience progressive programmes in ICT skills development and should further develop ICT integration in schools as part of young people’s learning experience.
Education authorities should:
Schools should ensure that:
In particular, secondary school headteachers should ensure that:
9.10 Continuing professional development and the discussion of pedagogy.
To support further developments in teachers’ skills and increase their competence and confidence in the use of ICT, education authorities and schools should ensure a range of support in the area of continuing professional development. One of the aims should be to support the development of the "reflective practitioner" in the area of ICT.
Education authorities should:
Schools should:
9.11 Monitoring and self-evaluation
A key element of ensuring continuing improvement in the use of ICT is that EAs and schools should keep ICT development and integration under focused review.
Education authorities should:
Schools should ensure that: