The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has today announced plans to invest £59.8 million during 2007/08 into technology to improve the learner experience. This investment is almost £20 million more than last year and demonstrates the LSC’s commitment to transforming the use of technology in post-16 education.
The additional investment will contribute to learning infrastructure, student equipment upgrades and expanding the numbers of mobile devices available for students.
Fuelling the increased budget and outreach is recognition from the LSC of the critical role technology plays in learning. Recent LSC research found that learning programmes delivered using technology can improve the engagement, retention and achievement success of post-16 learners. It also revealed that over half of learners surveyed agreed they would like to use technology more as part of their learning.
In addition to this, research from Becta (the Government's technology partner) shows that students are keen to access learning resources remotely, for instance in their own home, and value the flexibility this offers. Over a third of students currently use features from remote learning platforms, such as virtual learning environments, outside their provider’s premises.
The increased investment from the LSC also reflects the need for the education sector to keep pace with the latest developments. Investments are being made into emerging and innovative technologies, such as mobile learning devices like mp3 players, to help revolutionise the quality of the learner experience.
Jon Gamble, the LSC’s Director for Adults and Lifelong Learning, said: “Our increased investment into technology will help us to create a more dynamic and forward looking Further Education System. Technology plays such an important role in learning and an understanding of the latest devices is also vital for many careers. Our programme of investment will ensure that more learners have access to the facilities they need to enrich their learning experience and their employability.”
Karen Price, CEO of e-skills UK – the sector skills council for Information Technology and Telecommunications, said: “We welcome the announcement by the LSC to increase funding for the use of technology in Further Education. Technology has become integral to the way we live and work and plays an increasingly vital role in education. It supports flexible, personalised and interactive learning, which not only helps to engage and motivate students, but also enables them to make the most of learning opportunities regardless of where they are or the amount of time they have available. In addition, it helps to develop valuable IT skills which are becoming essential for most jobs.”
The investment programme will mainly focus on:
- Procurement of appropriate technology to expand the LSC’s Learning for Living and Work strategy, and to support the transformation and increased supply of high-quality, local provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
- Major upgrades to IT equipment in the offender learning sector
- Expansion of the number of FE colleges introducing mobile learning devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and mp3 players, into their learning and teaching strategies
- Supporting innovative proposals from work-based learning providers seeking to embed technology into their learning programmes, through the Learning Innovation Grant
- Maintenance of JANET connections and access to JISC Regional Support Centres and other services for providers
The LSC has created an innovative programme to maximise the benefit of this investment in association with the following major national organisations:
- Association of Learning Providers (ALP)
- Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL)
- Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)
- Learning and Skills Network (LSN)
- National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)
The LSC is also starting a major phase of collaboration with the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) to fund the Excellence Gateway, the QIA’s online service for those working in post-16 learning. The service provides high-quality guidance and information on effective practice to help staff further develop their own skills and professional knowledge. The LSC will also be collaborating with QIA during the next twelve months to further enrich the National Teaching and Learning Change Programme with e-learning related content.
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