Tech&LearningUK January 2016 Digital

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SAFE AND SECUREENSURING ROBUST NETWORKS IN THE BYOD AGE SEE PAGE 16

CLASSROOMTECH TRENDS OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FROM EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY P12

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Welcome to the first edition of Tech&LearningUK for 2016. I am excited to be the new editor of this fine publication, and I am looking forward to shaping and honing it over the coming months to make it your go-to resource for best practice use and great ideas for tech, both in and out of the classroom.

I see this as a sector of three perspectives: teachers, who want technology to simply work, to enhance the teaching experience without necessarily being the focus of it, and to inspire and aid students; ICT technicians, who sit in the middle of the requirements of teachers, the demands of students, and the fast-moving world of tech, who have to please all sides and work within a tight budget; and the students, who see technology as another limb, who need it and cannot understand a world without it.

All of these points of view are equally important, yet creating a good balance between them is sometimes difficult. The aim of this publication is to help with that, giving educators and those involved in providing the vital technology needed to deliver that education, information, ideas and examples of best practice on what technology to chose, why, the challenges and how it can best be used to get great results.

Speaking of understanding that balance, Mark Chambers, CEO of renowned ICT in education association Naace, is talking to us this month about the UK’s journey through education technology, identifying the successes, problems and best practice in schools, as well as making predictions for what is coming next for the education technology sector (page 10).

To get you out of the classroom or office we have Bett and the Education Show coming up on the horizon at the end of January and mid March, respectively (see page 26 for a preview of these shows). Bett is set to be really exciting, with over 600 exhibitors to explore, plus the Bett Arena jammed full of great speakers, as well as Bett Futures, a platform designed to nurture innovative education technology start up companies. We have taken a closer look at Bett Futures; turn to page 22 for more. The Tech&LearningUK team will be on the showfloor throughout the show – email [email protected] to arrange a meeting with us. We’ll also be supporting our US sister title Tech&Learning on a Learn Live session on 20 January at 13:45 which will look at Building a Culture of Innvation, so do stop by and say hello.

I am looking forward to bringing you this magazine over 2016 to help provide you with a source of insight and encouragement. Don’t forget to keep an eye on www.techandlearning.uk, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter, in between issues. Enjoy!

Editor: Heather McLean [email protected]

Welcome to 2016!

Coorous Mohtadi is a senior member of the MathWorks technical specialist team supporting universities focusing on the application of

MATLAB and Simulink in laboratories and curriculum development. He has been supporting design and development in industry and universities for the past seven years.

Ian McMurray has over 30 years’ experience in marketing, communications and media relations with high-technology

companies in the IT and audiovisual markets. His experience and knowledge now contribute towards his career as a freelance writer, working across various titles.

Adrian Kearney, in his role of regional director at the International Baccalaureate (IB), leads the IB EMEA team and

contributes to IB global school support. He is passionate about the transformative power of education and has spent his entire working life in the industry.

Ryan Eash is currently the education evangelist for TechSmith. He’s a former educator of 10 years, teaching

in the elementary grades through higher ed. Ryan joined TechSmith in February 2007, and loves helping others improve their screencasting and video creation skills.

CONTRIBUTORS

03 T&LUK Jan 2016 Welcome_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 10:23

January 20164

PEOPLE 6 OpinionMathworks’ Coorous Mohtadi discusses project-based learning Ryan Eash of Techsmith considers plugging the teacher shortage Adrian Kearney from International Baccalaureate on advancing assessment

10 InterviewMark Chambers, Naace, talks about the UK’s journey through education technology

FEATURES 12 Classroom tech trendsWe take a look at the opportunities and challenges of tech in the classroom

16 Network security and BYODHow educational establishments can protect themselves

20 Virtual learning environmentsHow to keep these sophisticated systems running smoothly

TECHNOLOGY 22 ShowcaseExploring some of the best bets of Bett Futures

32 Product FocusCollaboration and knowledge sharing with Wolfvision Cynap Teamwork with streaming video thanks to Kramer Via

SOLUTIONS 28 Colchester Institute Vocational training goes virtual with Cisco WebEx Enterprise

30 Sky Academy Skills Studios Giving students a studio-based taste of life in the media

12

10 3230

CONTENTS

SHOW NEWS 25 CA Technologies and Lego MindstormsRobot racing to encourage kids to go for STEM

26 Show PreviewsLooking ahead to Bett and the Education Show

26

04 T&LUK Jan 2016 Contents_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 12:22

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raditionally internships have been the first contact that companies operating in STEM-related disciplines

have with graduates. This first contact is intended to give students a taste of work in a particular industry.

Yet while internships provide an important insight into what future employees can expect from the working world, the sooner they can begin to experience real-world projects through schemes enabled by potential employers, the sooner they can begin to gain the skills and experience demanded by industry.

Project-based learning approaches facilitate hands-on exploration of real-world science and engineering problems, encouraging students to ask “why?”, “how?” and “what if…?”. As a result students who have participated in these projects are better informed with more relevant skills and training to make relevant decisions.

In a recent study in the US by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 77% of employers surveyed said that they sought skills like leadership and the ability to work as a team when vetting new hires in addition to technical proficiency. By engaging in project-based learning approaches, students can develop these transferrable skills as well as solidifying their technical knowledge.

Real-world project experience provided by competitions such as

Formula Student offer an alternative route to get in front of employers and improve career prospects. Formula Student is an educational motorsport competition that aims to help young engineers to develop the skills they will require in an engineering career by challenging them to design and develop a single-seat car to compete in a range of static and dynamic events.

It’s not just the technical skills that are developed through competitions such as Formula Student, but also team work, problem solving, critical thinking and communication, all of which are important from the perspective of potential employers. For organisations

looking to recruit graduate engineers, students who have successfully competed in competitions such as Formula Student represent a strong talent pool as they have already experienced an industry-scale project.

To support government and business initiatives that encourage practical learning, schools also need to play a role in ensuring that they are providing the necessary support that will equip their students with the appropriate skills for future careers. While the UK is fortunate to have some extremely talented teachers, more needs to be done to help them incorporate hands-on learning based on real-world examples into the curriculum.

Recent developments in low-cost, accessible hardware provide an exciting opportunity to integrate project-based learning into the classroom. Hardware such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi allows students to get hands-on experience that brings theory into practice in a fun and engaging way. Through participation in these projects, students will develop transferable skills that will be applicable to future careers in STEM, in

addition to learning to code which now forms part of the UK’s computing curriculum.

In conjunction, businesses will also need to play an increasing role in providing the tools and experience that can allow students to be ready for the workplace. One way this can be done is by involving senior employers in activities on campuses, for example by giving regular talks highlighting opportunities, the diversity of roles and the skills required, and by hosting informative events at universities that give students the opportunity to talk to people in jobs in which they aspire to work.

Industry is demanding that graduates are able to start work from day one and there are a growing number of opportunities for students to work with teachers and employers to ensure that they have the skills needed so they can flourish in future careers in STEM. The hands-on experience that is offered by project-based competitions provide an ideal training ground for ambitious undergraduates. nwww.uk.mathworks.com

T

COOROUS MOHTADI

The sooner students can gain real-world experience, the better

ARGUMENT FOR PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

OPINION

january 20166

‘Team work, problem solving, critical thinking and communication are all important from the perspective of potential employers’

06 T&LUK Jan 2016 Opinion 1_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 15:19

To confirm your advertising space in any of products, contact the sales team now:

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your standBY MONICA HECKThe Internet of Things is set to turn the ‘integrated systems’ that make up Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) into a single unified ‘integrated system’, according to futuristic business mastermind and consultant Lars Thomsen.

Speaking on the main stage during the ISE Opening Keynote speech, Thomsen predicted the future of the AV industry would depend on the IPv6 Internet standard, which would create a rapidly growing “digital nervous system” across the world not unlike the current energy grid everybody is used to.

“In 10 years, 1,000 devices per human will be connected to the internet and this digital nervous system will incorporate all aspects of things that are important to humanity,

such as comfort, energy, security, education and so on,” he said.

“Right now there are different halls in this trade show representing different parts of the industry. We are now at a tipping point where we

don’t have to think about isolated systems, but rather about moving onto a system that incorporates the internet as its backbone.”

Tipping points are a key concern of Thomsen’s, who doesn’t use slides

during his keynotes but prefers to let the audience connect the dots and imagine the future he describes.

“Tipping points are points in time where a new technology, or business model is cheaper and better than the way we did it in the past,” added Thomsen, listing the victory of artificial intelligence and robotics over ‘dumb technology’ as tipping points to look out for.

“Within 520 weeks, we will get to a point where robots can work in households or in elderly care, they will reach a price point where they are cheaper than employing humans for the same task. The implications to our society are big.”

“We have to do more than just look for trends, instead of waiting for the future we have to find the next tipping point and actively create that future,” he concluded.

The future: Integrated System Europe?

ISE is a joint venture partnership of:

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BY LINDSEY M. ADLER

A vacuum in professional computing has resulted from the evolution from desktop to laptop to mobile device. John Underkoffler, CEO of Oblong Industries, views the world through pixels and sees them as the key to filling that hole, which he shared in his Smart Building Conference address: “The Future of Work – Workplace Collaboration Thrives in the Spatial Operating Environment”.

As an advisor to the film Minority Report, Underkoffler shared a clip he musingly hoped was “the last time we have to look at this.” Instead of being wowed by the ahead-of-its-time gesture technology, something he derided as “not what’s important,” attendees were asked to look for what was missing.

“This sequence is as much about the collaboration and the room as it is the UI.”

Applying that to today’s business technologies, he asked,

“How does computation extend [the] room? It doesn’t. [Modern computing devices] don’t care about the room. You have a bizarre complication.” Because they are so personal in nature, “They are anti-collaboration devices and anti-architectural devices.”

Underkoffler and Oblong Industries are working to get out of this “trap.” His solutions include: the more pixels the better; pixel interoperability; a user interface capable of managing all the pixels all over the place; and plurality, the

need for systems that think about more than one thing - enabling the physical and social space for more than one person to work in tandem.

By teaching a machine to speak pixels, multiple applications can run at the same time complementarily. “It’s a kind of quantum leap between what you can do with a machine,” Underkoffler declared.

“We’re turning serialism into parallelism, linear into nonlinear, and raw technology into a more human approach.”

A minority report on the future of pixels

A DIGITAL THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM

BY KIRSTEN NELSON

It was “laptop land” at AudioForum@ISE yesterday. The fifth edition of the day-long educational event presented by Connessioni certainly featured digital in every way, as nary a professional audio discussion would be complete without talk of software or DSP. Topics relevant to audio design, integration and live events were discussed in the context of building knowledge and business for a rapidly evolving industry, with participants taking keen interest in sharpening skills in modeling, time alignment, networking and Class D amplification.

Attendees from the live sound and installation worlds convened at the event. The notion of convergence was very much on the mind of Jack Cornish, a project

Tuesday 10 February 2015

ISE’ managing director Mike Blackman introduces the event as Chiara Benedettini of organiser Connessioni looks on

Thomsen: “In 10 years, 1,000 devices per human will be connected to the internet”

Continued on page 4

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arlier this year, education secretary Nicky Morgan declared that the UK is

facing a shortage of teachers, particularly in core subjects such as maths and science. To solve this problem, she has suggested that teachers look to ‘double up’ on classes, or that subject-specific teachers cover classes that aren’t their subject area.

While utilising existing teachers to cover classes may be a solution in the short term, in the long term this could only result in overworked staff and classes that don’t have enough support. Solving the teacher shortage for the long term requires the implementation of systems and process that can be set up today.

Technology is increasingly being utilised within the classroom thanks to educational movements such as flipped learning, and schools are becoming more and more creative with how they use this. Only a couple of years ago the idea of a teacher being in two places

at once would have been impossible; however thanks to technologies such as video that can be now turned into a reality.

In addition, there is a wide range of tools available at teachers’ disposal to create digital content and video support materials that can be used to encourage self-sufficient learning; whether that’s inside or outside of the classroom an educator can have a far larger reach than ever before.

Not only can these technologies bring a completely different dimension to learning, one that is flexible and engaging for pupils, but helps teachers become more efficient and alleviates pressures that arise from staff shortages.

Video technology is one area which can quickly help plug the teaching crisis by encouraging the sharing of knowledge. For example, experienced staff can capture their knowledge with video and upload it to a cloud-based platform. Less experienced staff can then use these video lessons to help deliver content to their classes much quicker. Going a step further, some lessons could be pre-recorded together with both the experienced and less experienced teachers to encourage collaboration in the creation process.

Video tutorials are not just limited to teaching children. Breaking them out into new training methods can help turn newly recruited teachers into subject matter experts in a very short space of time. When a teacher is taken

ill, the same systems can be used to help supply teachers provide the near exact same lesson that would have been taught if the usual teacher was present.

When time is tight it is often extra-curricular activities that get deprioritised first. When already stretched staff are involved in running clubs both during lunch hours and pre and post school hours, children’s learning trajectories can be compromised. This is quite a contrast from the education that was afforded previous generations. With areas like music, dance, art and drama set to suffer the most, it is important that creative students can still have an outlet for their talents.

Technologies can also help plan, record and map a child’s progress. Just as a report card is issued at the end of every term, a digital record can also be kept and easily shared among a child’s parents, guardians and teachers. Not only does this help keep all those concerned on the same page, but it also allows for faster and easier reporting at the end of a term or year.

An often-common complaint of

teachers is the amount of administrative work they must do on a day-to-day basis. Having digital reports saves them this time to focus on doing what they enjoy and are best at: teaching. Putting teachers back in the classroom can only help a child’s development and boost their own progress.

Outside of saving a teacher’s time, digital reporting can also help with flagging issues before they develop into something much more serious. For instance, when an issue is raised by one teacher it can quickly be flagged to their colleagues and even a child’s parents, allowing for a faster response, and resolution, all around.

Relieving the UK teacher shortage should be approached from a long-term perspective, and focus on empowering staff to maximise the time they do have as opposed to introducing short-term fixes that could ultimately impact pupils’ learning experiences. Technology and video tools offer a modern solution to this shortage, as well as a way for students to take a stronger responsibility for their own education. nwww.techsmith.com

E

RYAN EASH

Time to turn to technology to make up for low teacher numbers

PLUGGING THE TEACHER SHORTAGE

OPINION

January 20168

‘Solving the teacher shortage for the long term requires the implementation of systems and process that can be set up today’


e live in an increasingly digital age but the integration of technology

into educational assessment, particularly in the UK with GCSE and A-level examinations, has been noticeably slow. Generation Z continues to use an ever-more vast range of digital devices and platforms, both at home and school, and the assessment system now seems desperately outdated, so why has innovation in assessment not kept pace with the rest of education?

Modern technology offers educators a variety of new tools that can be used inside and outside of the classroom. Teachers can track and assess their students’ as well as their own and their peers’ performance, and can create digital records of student development and achievement that can be passed from school year to school year. Technology can also be used to continually monitor a student’s progress and achievement levels throughout the year.

Technology changes at a fast pace and it is a challenge to make the latest devices accessible to teachers and pupils in school. However, it is now unusual for schools not to have access to PCs, and even tablets, which are also often available for teachers’ use. As a result, schools are increasingly finding ways to integrate technology in to their day-to-day teaching and learning. But even so, use of technology in measurement and assessments continues to lag behind.

Examination boards and schools commonly rely on a bank of questions that are either multiple choice or ‘fill in the blank’ style, which offer students little opportunity to demonstrate their critical and creative thinking, or to apply learning to context. One-dimensional assessments like these test only on a narrow range of knowledge and skills, and reveal very little about today’s technologically astute students’ abilities.

These views are supported in the Pearson Preparing for a Renaissance in Assessment report, which is critical of current assessment techniques that focus on a narrow set of knowledge and skills. The report also notes important changes in assessment that can help to overcome some of the limitations of current worldwide practices. Reporting on the over-reliance on

grades that reveal little about students’ real-world potential, the essay calls for an “assessment renaissance” whereby preferred attributes can be meaningfully monitored or measured.

Yet educational leaders like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are beginning to create interactive assessments that may be able to make a valid and, more importantly, reliable judgement on a student’s skill set and ability to collaborate.

However, one of the biggest problems with radically changing traditional pedagogical methods is that no generation of parents wants their children to be the guinea pigs. But living in an age of rapid change, it is our duty to experiment, responsibly, to figure out what will truly benefit students of today, and in the future. Take a look at the ‘flipped’ classroom for example – the idea of inverting traditional teaching methods by delivering instructions online, outside of the classroom, and to then use time and resource in school to do homework – a movement that has gained increasing popularity in the US.

Taking the initiative to lead innovation in education, the International Baccalaureate has launched a new eAssessment model for 16 year olds, upon completion of the Middle Years Programme (MYP). Just 25% of the assessment is based explicitly on knowledge and understanding, while the rest focuses on inquiry, communication and critical

thinking skills which, combined with an emphasis on conceptual learning, form the basis of the MYP.

Today’s students have grown up with technology, from hardware, software, apps and video games to social media platforms, and they deserve academic assessments that allow them to be recognised for what they already understand, and to apply their knowledge using the skills and devices they have grown up with.

As the world of education begins to catch up with the rapid pace of technological advancement seen at home and in the workplace, examination boards and schools must understand and together develop assessment models that measure what, we predict, will matter in tomorrow’s world. We are only at the very beginning of understanding the power of technology in promoting better learning, as well as more meaningful assessments to support this learning. nwww.ibo.org

W

ADRIAN KEARNEYADVANCING ASSESSMENT TO REMAIN RELEVANTThe take-up of tech in assessment remains slow

OPINION


‘One-dimensional assessments test only on a narrow range of knowledge and skills, and reveal very little about today’s technologically astute students’ abilities’


January 201610

INTERVIEW: MARK CHAMBERS

Mark Chambers is the CEO of renowned ICT in education association Naace. Here he talks with Heather McLean about the UK’s journey through education technology, identifying successes, challenges and best practice in schools, as well as making predictions for what is coming next for the education technology sector

REVOLUTIONISING THE LEARNING PROCESS

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT MODELS OF LEARNING IN USE TODAY HAVE KEPT UP WITH THE POTENTIAL OFFERED BY LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES? Despite rapid developments in the use and functionality of the technology available, our classroom practices are simply not keeping up.

Technology has the potential to revolutionise the learning process for young people, empowering

both teachers and their students. However, we are now in a position where students are learning in an accelerated manner using technology, but when it comes to assessment, they are required to put down their devices and for a few weeks re-learn how to use a pen and paper.

We are slowing down their learning just to allow for a knowledge recall test; exams that perhaps have limited value when considering the skills and behaviours that would be expected of

them in the workplace. We are still limiting young

people’s access to information by prescribing a restrictive range of information sources, where what we should be doing is expanding this potential to include a variety of resources both off and online. By enabling access, students will learn how to evaluate the validity and worth of information in a discerning way, rather than just absorbing information from textbooks.

ARE TEACHING STAFF COMPLETELY ON BOARD WITH USING TECH IN THE CLASSROOM TODAY?The commitment of teaching staff to learning technologies varies from school to school and oft en depends on the leadership they receive.

In some schools, the priority may be in the reduction of class sizes, or investment in a particular numeracy programme, which are seen as more important to the school’s improvement,

10-11 T&LUK Jan 2016 Interview_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:17


INTERVIEW: MARK CHAMBERSmeaning that staff are turning away from the technology on offer.

However, we’re finding that in schools that are well led, there is an understanding that technology is important, which then translates into a commitment from teachers.

IS THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM HELPING TEACHERS TO SEE HOW IT CAN BE BOUGHT INTO THE CLASSROOM EFFECTIVELY? The way in which individual and personal use of technology has exploded in the past five years or so has really impacted upon our expectations of what we can do with it in the classroom. Teachers are making the connection between their own immersive use of technology and how they can translate this into classroom activities, which in turn has led to some really innovative teaching methods.

To take geography as an example; we use personal technology, whether this is tablets or laptops, to access a wealth of information about travel destinations when we’re planning holidays, where we used to use travel brochures or guide books that contained comparatively very little information. Bringing this into the geography classroom, the use of this vast research area allows students to gather information on geographical development from both historic and current sources, depending on their area of study.

However, what’s needed now is a way to share best practice that is accessible by many. Teachmeets have been great for sharing advice like this, but they only reach a proportion of teachers in the community.

WHAT OBSTACLES TO USING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM DO TEACHING STAFF AND SCHOOLS PERCEIVE TODAY?There are two main obstacles that schools still face in the implementation of technology. The first is based in the reliability of the technology and how well it is managed in terms of support contracts and the capability of support staff. The technical provision in some schools is still insufficient to guarantee

high-quality learning, meaning that the investment is under-utilised due to a lack of appropriate infrastructure.

There are a number of solutions to this, such as the establishment of standards in the provision of technical services and guidelines for decision makers so that they can be more informed about their purchases.

The second factor is the provision of staff training. I feel that schools are still under-investing in their human resources in contrast to physical resources when it comes to technology. We don’t need to train staff to become experts, as it’s no longer about the knowledge wrapped up in one person, but instead about the community progressing learning together.

There are examples of best practice out there, but training provision is still in its infancy and needs to be developed further so that teachers can make the most of their technology.

Funding is definitely still an issue, as senior leaders will often find themselves with a list of competing priorities that must be addressed. At a time where we are seeing a squeeze on school budgets, investing in technology requires a great deal of careful consideration. Schools need to look for savings in terms of efficiency and how this compares to investment in other areas.

Questions to bear in mind are: how will this impact upon the outcomes for our students? How will we measure the improvements brought about by technology, and where are we setting our baseline for this? This thinking needs to be lateral, detailed and strategic, considering three main elements: need, cost and benefit.

WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE STARTING TO APPEAR IN CLASSROOMS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REALLY CHANGE THE WAY CHILDREN ARE EDUCATED?Technology has become a powerful element in the toolkits for both teachers and students. For the teacher, this will most likely include a level of interactivity and some form of front- of-house display that will allow images to be enlarged for the benefit of the whole class, as well as communal storage holding collaborative work, accessible by all.

For students, technology should enable the objectives of learning through sufficient access. This does not necessarily require 1:1 tablet or laptop provision, but a balance needs to be achieved. Technology should also be implemented to support formative assessment, helping students to understand their abilities, where they are and where they need to go.

Over the years, we have seen waves of innovation, beginning with the introduction of the internet in schools. At this point, modern language teachers suddenly found that they had access to native speakers in a way they’d never had access to before.

This enthusiasm was followed by a second wave that introduced interactive technologies, such as the interactive whiteboard and projectors, or more recently the use of tablets by students.

We are yet to see what the third wave will bring. Perhaps this will be the use of robotics or adaptive assessment that allows students to demonstrate what they know using technology, rather than just recalling knowledge on paper. There is also some very powerful new thinking around the idea of haptic, multisensory simulation, which engages young people in a tactile way. Young people today are surrounded by technology, so future developments will need to take this into account.

IS THERE A LEVEL OF TECH THAT IS NEEDED AS A MINIMUM IN THE CLASSROOM FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT?Students have an entitlement to a wider experience of virtual learning opportunities alongside their physical school, allowing them to access learning as an addition to their timetabled

experience. This can also be applied to alternative qualifications that will benefit young people in terms of employment, as it helps to develop their skills and achievements in relation to industry requirements.

The Futures section of Bett [see page 22], the world’s leading learning technology show that takes place in January [see page 26], should provide us with some insight for what comes next, but patterns of use in technology are changing, and this will inevitably change the way in which we learn with technology as well.

ARE SCHOOLS UNDER TOO MUCH PRESSURE TO KEEP UP WITH TRENDS, TEST AND INNOVATE? The most important thing to remember in the light of any new innovations in technology is that they shouldn’t simply be used as a replacement. For example, there is no benefit in replacing books with iPads if there was nothing wrong with reading the book in the first place! Technology should be used to enrich and expand learning, rather than just being used for technology’s sake.

Schools need to look at the quality of the service they are being provided and to be more questioning of the effectiveness of their broadband connection and the validity of their internal networks. The infrastructure needs to be a priority, as imperfections in these key areas can dramatically reduce effectiveness.

There needs to be an equity of access across UK schools, from rural areas to larger cities. This comes down to the senior management of the school, who must take responsibility for ensuring that these issues are addressed.

Schools are under a great deal of pressure to keep up with technology, and rightly so. There are so many opportunities to make savings through better and smarter management systems, freeing up money to be used elsewhere in the school. Most importantly, it opens up the potential of enriching the learning experience for students in ways we never have before, and we need to embrace these developments to keep our students engaged!

‘Despite rapid developments in the use and functionality of the technology available, our classroom practices are simply not keeping up’

10-11 T&LUK Jan 2016 Interview_Final.indd 2 12/01/2016 11:17

January 201612

FEATURE: CLASSROOM TECH TRENDS

Over the past 10 years or so, teachers have become increasingly comfortable with classroom technology. But, fi nds Ian McMurray, that technology is undergoing signifi cant change – bringing with it both opportunities and challenges

ay back in the mid-1960s, schoolchildren gazed in wonder at an image

projected on the wall by an amazing piece of technology: the epidiascope. Whereas the descendants of the so-called ‘magic lantern’ could only deliver images of transparent objects – in eff ect, slides that the teacher had created – the epidiascope could project images of real-world objects, such as pages from books and so on. It was, to all intents and purposes, the forerunner of what we know today as the visualiser.

Teaching technology has come a long way, as has the whole philosophy underpinning education. For a long time, an oft -repeated mantra was that we learn something from what we are told; we learn more from what we see; but we learn most from what we do. That is why everyone is talking about ‘engagement’ and ‘interaction’.

Perhaps the fi rst real technology aid to help teachers achieve this was the

interactive whiteboard (IWB), which started to appear in schools in the early 1990s. They were a phenomenal success, enabling a signifi cant transformation in teaching. In the UK, for example, it was estimated that, by 2004, 26% of primary schools had installed them, according to theBritish Educational Suppliers Association (BESA).

By 2007, according to the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA), that had risen to 100%, with 98% of secondary schools having installed them. Actual numbers of IWBs installed in primary schools tripled between 2005 and 2008 to 18, and more than doubled (to 38) over the same period in secondary schools, says BECTA.

SIGNS OF AGEThe IWB market in many countries is now, by all accounts, saturated, although a recent report from Research and

Markets forecast that, between 2014 and 2018, the global market would grow at around 16% year on year.

For many schools, however, their IWBs are starting to show signs of their age, and it is time to replace the technology that supports teachers. In the interim, though, much has changed. Where once price was king, a more mature education market now understands the importance of cost of ownership. Many schools paid a price for choosing the lowest cost option, and are determined not to make the same mistakes again. Also, the technology world has changed dramatically and teachers and pupils alike have responded; both are substantially more tech-savvy than they were a decade ago.

“The replacement of old interactive whiteboards and projectors is being driven by two key factors: poor image quality from dim or failing projectors; and a poor touch experience from IWBs that in many cases are more than 10

years old,” says Jon Knight, business development director at integrator, Smarter Interactive.

In teaching technology terms, the primary benefi ciary of those changes will be the increasingly ubiquitous fl atpanel display. Notes Richard Smith, owner of AmazingICT, an educational consultancy: “Large-format touchscreens are now much more common in schools, with someschools buying one for each classroom in one purchase.”

Believes Knight: “Most schools aspire to an environment where the screen at the front of the room is a large, interactive screen such as a Smart 6065i or Clevertouch Plus. These are direct replacements for existing Smart Boards and projectors and off er improved image quality, reduced maintenance, multi-touch and many more advantages.”

Agrees Quentin Stokes, business development manager at integrator

KEEPING UP TO DATE

W

KEY POINTS IWBs are out – large interactive

screens and tablets are in

Hardware has become – perhaps ill-advisedly - the focus

Educational technology is being led by consumer technology

Teachers and schools are adapting to a new – and challenging – fl exibility

12-14 T&LUK Jan 2016 Feature 1_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:48


Digital Message: “The biggest shift is away from projectors towards flatpanel large-format displays. These have greatly improved the quality of the visual experience for teachers and pupils as the image is at least HD standard and in some cases 4K. The panels also last a lot longer, up to 10 years as opposed to three or four years for a projector, and there is no shadow when working with the display.”

MASSIVE CHANGESays Shaun Marklew, sales and marketing director, Sahara Presentation Systems (main picture): “Classroom technology has changed massively over the past couple of years; interactive displays are replacing whiteboards and projector systems. Clevertouch Plus is our latest school-specific model. It comes with built-in Android and a preloaded app store containing specially developed educational apps typically seen in commercial app stores. We’ve stripped the apps in the Cleverstore of ads, in-app purchases and they’re free to use. What’s great about this is teachers can use apps on the front-of-class display to teach a lesson or for collaborative activities and then set lessons or homework using the same apps on pupil devices.”

Smith, however, points out that it’s not just about buying new screens. “Often,” he warns, “this is not thought through properly, and there is criticism from teachers if screens are smaller than the whiteboards they replace. Also, those screens are not always licensed to use the software that teachers are used to using, which is often Promethean ActivInspire or Smart Notebook.” He also notes that the desire of a school to ‘keep up’ with others in terms of technology deployment can also lead to some poor purchasing decisions.

Despite this, it seems likely that the headlong rush towards large, flat screens is likely to continue, and there is little doubt that they bring worthwhile advantages to the teaching experience, such as increased touch sensitivity.

The other phenomenon, and one that has equally been gathering pace, is the apparently insatiable appetite for tablets. “What schools would like is wireless two-way connectivity that can be teacher controlled, and for each

student to have a tablet or netbook,” says Knight. “This all needs to be wrapped up in an easy-to-use software platform that offers an immersive learning and teaching experience. We’re working with many schools that are on the road to trying to create this learning environment, but the journey schools are on to successfully integrate them is a long one. They need to consider charging, software for learning, software for control, WiFi infrastructure and internet connectivity on a practical level, and that’s before they start to consider the changes in teaching delivery and methodology.”

Claims Stokes: “Tablets and other mobile devices are definitely hot technologies. They allow content to be more up to date than books, and it’s often a richer experience as pictures and text can be enhanced with video and audio.”

SHIFT IN FOCUSMany industry commentators believe they see a shift in the education market from one that was focused on software towards one that is focusing on hardware; and not all see that as a positive development. But, as both Smith and Knight point out, software platforms are no less essential, not least in bringing everything together.

Comments Marklew: “Recent innovations we’ve seen include enhanced collaboration software from DisplayNote, which lets pupils connect their laptops or tablets to the main front-of-class screen. And then, of course, there have been some exciting app releases and software advancements such as Snowflake Multiteach from Nuiteq that’s really changing how teachers plan, prepare and deliver lessons, giving them a bank of rich content to draw upon.”

Rich content will, of course, not only include video, pictures and graphics, but also sound, an element of a multimedia experience that is easily overlooked. Here too, though, teachers are finding support from the latest audio technologies.

Says Kim Spencer, senior marketing manager, Listen Technologies:

“ListenPoint 2.0 allows teachers the opportunity to create enriched educational environments. It enables them to enhance lessons with music, sound effects, internet, video and VoIP/Skype capabilities for virtual fieldtrips around the world.”

Not everything in the garden

is rosy, however. While IWBs may have had their limitations, and are starting to reach the end of their useful life in many schools, their integration of hardware and software and almost prescriptive approach was, in many ways, comforting and reassuring. Their developers worked hard to instil teacher confidence in them, and largely succeeded. That confidence is, perhaps, being shaken by what can easily appear as something of a technology free-for-all.

EXTERNAL FACTORSStates Knight: “I think many schools are being dragged into using technology due to external factors in the home and consumer technology environment that they do not necessarily feel comfortable integrating into their own situation. The classic example of this is tablets. Many schools see them as a risk that needs to be managed, yet the students have more technology with less controlled access at home.

Schools have to try to keep

up before they lose the interest of this

generation of student, but many are worried and confused by

the prospect.”Stokes too sees schools as

perhaps following technology rather than leading it. “New technology will sometimes drive new ways of teaching and learning, and some technology innovators will respond to a need,” he says. “But, if pushed, I think that most teachers would say that they are responding to the latest technology, often led by what children are already doing.”

On the other hand, as Stokes points out, manufacturers and integrators alike are indeed reacting to a real need, taking ‘off the shelf’ technologies and reinventing them for education.

Claims Marklew: “Sahara is perhaps more teacher-focused than most manufacturers of front-of-class displays. The ongoing development and direction of Clevertouch interactive touchscreens has been moulded and informed by teacher feedback. For example, our latest model, the Clevertouch Plus, with built-in

FEATURE: CLASSROOM TECH TRENDS

‘What schools would like is wireless two-way connectivity that can be teacher controlled, and

for each student to have a tablet or netbook’

Jon Knight, AmazingICT


Android and simple user interface, is an innovation that sprang out of a conversation with a teacher who wanted their touchscreen to function more like an iPhone.”

RADICAL TECHNOLOGIESIn the near term, it seems likely that the trends we see today, in which schools and teachers are increasingly adapting ‘mainstream’ products and technologies, will continue, although many expect to see more education-

specific adaptations of them. Looking further into the future, Smith sees teachers perhaps using radical technologies like the Igloo 360° learning space or augmented reality.

It is fair to say that teaching technology is in something of a transition, and, in fact, will probably always be so. The world of the IWB was a reassuringly enclosed one, in many ways: it was the only technology in the classroom; IWBs often came as a complete package of hardware and

educational software; and the teacher was in control.

New technologies have brought a new paradigm of greater flexibility and openness; Marklew talks about “greater fluidity of use by teaching staff”, but with that flexibility comes a degree of uncertainty as teachers learn how best to take advantage of the new opportunities.

There is, though, little doubt that a new world is emerging in schools that is embracing the ubiquitous

connectivity and mobile devices that we have come to take for granted. It is a world that provides almost boundless prospects for further, and almost certainly exciting, developments in what’s possible in the classroom, but the journey will not be without its challenges. www.amazingict.co.ukwww.digitalmessage.co.ukwww.listentech.comwww.saharaplc.comwww.smarterinteractive.co.uk

january 201614

FEATURE: CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY

Sahara has recently undertaken independent research with teachers across the UK, which will be released

to coincide with BETT. According

by the company. The research indicates a real need for ongoing technology training, including how to use interactive displays in class to

optimise learning, prepare lessons and save teachers time delivering lessons as well as incorporating apps into the curriculum. Teachers also need to know how to integrate different technologies in the classroom so that

they work in harmony, the report will say. With teachers more stretched than ever before, Sahara notes, classroom technology could help to alleviate some of the pressure on them, but the vast majority need to be taught how.

RESEARCH REVEALS TEACHERS’ TECH TRAINING NEEDS


Cardiff Business School Teaching Centre (CARBS) is regarded as one of the leading business and management schools in the country. It was imperative that its AV system

matched its reputation and create an environment that would effectively encourage group work and enhance the educational experience. This was all achieved with the help of Crestron’s DigitalMedia™ solution with AirMedia, which allows faculty to connect and present instantly.

On the building’s second floor corridor are six collaborative desks which have been installed to encourage group activity. Each of the six tables feature a full HD panel with connectivity to allow users to connect their own computers to the system.

The Atrium also features an impressive audio setup, controlled via a Crestron MPC-M10 Media Presentation Controller. The comprehensive system includes four digitally steerable line array speakers with Cobranet. The audio system also plays host to radio mics, DSP, and a countertop loop system has been supplied for assistive hearing.

The new facility features a Trading Room that is currently the largest of its kind in Wales. The suite has been developed to offer students an environment in which they can gain practical skills that will aid a career in the Stock Exchange, dealing in stocks and shares. The room allows students to practice trading and risk assessment in a controlled environment. To this end, the room features five 50-inch professional full HD screens to display live feeds such as Bloomberg TV and to serve as repeat monitors during teaching – all controlled via the Crestron system. It also features a Crestron CaptureLiveHD meeting and lecture capture system as it provides a complete solution with excellent performance. The system uses a Crestron CAM-IPTZ-1-01 IPTV camera and the room’s BeyerDynamic microphone system as input sources.

The suite uses a large array of Crestron equipment to allow for seamless collaboration. Included within the room is a complete high definition control and signal routing solution courtesy of the Crestron DigitalMedia Presentation System (DMPS-300-C-AEC). Offering acoustic echo cancellation on its mic inputs, the DMPS-300-C-AEC is designed for use in boardrooms and

videoconferencing suites – making it ideal for use in a collaborative business environment.

Allowing multiple signal integration across one platform, the Crestron DigitalMedia Presentation System offers incredible display of HD and audio sources. A rack-mounted KVM is provided to configure and administer the various source PCs. With collaboration being the focus of the facilities, the University wanted to use a presentation gateway to allow users to wirelessly display content from their device to the system. Crestron’s AirMedia AM-100 Presentation Gateway perfectly meets this goal - allowing users to connect wirelessly via the Wi-Fi network and carry out presentations on their device.

Throughout the building are 12 flexible seminar rooms. At the heart of each room is a host of collaborative tools from Crestron including DigitalMedia Presentation Systems and an AirMedia system. Everything within the rooms is controlled with a Crestron 10-inch TSW Series touch panel.

The ground floor meeting room offers whiteboard functionality and a Crestron Connect It™ Presentation Interface with a host of

connectivity options, the room provides users with an intimate collaboration environment. The highlight of the suite is the Crestron RL system that combines the reliability of Crestron hardware with the flexibility and widespread usage of Microsoft’s Lync platform. Incredibly easy and intuitive to use, it allows users to conduct a collaborative session at the touch of a button and display their content onto a 65-inch touch screen, share with other users, annotate over the top of their content or simply use the screen as an interactive whiteboard. The unit is an ideal piece of equipment for such a collaborative environment as a business school.

CARDIFF BUSINESS SCHOOL

January 2016

ADVERTORIAL

15

CRESTRON SOLUTIONS

Deliver outstanding teaching and learning environments with Crestron education solutions

15 Tech&Learn Advertorial_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 14:29

january 201616

FEATURE: SECURITY

Data and network security have assumed even greater importance as schools and universities look to enhance learning by embracing mobile devices. Ian McMurray learns from the industry how educational establishments can best protect themselves

t is widely acknowledged that Intel was the forerunner in adopting the bring your own device (BYOD) policy for

its employees, back in 2009. Since then, the phenomenon has seen astonishing growth as companies have found that the productivity and engagement of employees have increased substantially once they have the opportunity to determine their own technology tools. BYOD has also proven to provide signifi cant cost savings.

‘Engagement’, ‘productivity’ and ‘cost savings’? It is unsurprising that

education establishments rapidly started to sit up and take notice, and BYOD rapidly became an educational phenomenon as well as a corporate one. Inevitably, however, in line with the old mantra that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, there is a downside; security.

SEVERE CONSEQUENCESNotes Adam Bradley, UK&I sales director at data and networking security company Sophos: “Bad implementation of technology like WiFi-based networks can have severe consequences for education establishments. Bringing

hundreds of unmanaged devices onto the network that may potentially contain varying forms of malware requires signifi cant considerationof security.

“It can expose schools and universities to threats such as ransomware, Trojans and network snooping, data and identity theft , as well as making it easier for cyber bullies and extremists and for those who might want to steal and use or sell students’ exam papers,” continues Bradley. “All these issues can lead to school downtime that will impact the students’

BYOD: RISING TO NEW SECURITY CHALLENGES

I KEY POINTS Security is about much more than

just protecting against viruses and unauthorised access

Sett ing, and gett ing buy-in for, appropriate policies is an essential fi rst step

BYOD presents more security challenges than establishment- provided mobile devices

There is plenty of expertise available to guide and support schools and universities


www.techandlearning.uk january 2016 17

FEATURE: SECURITY

learning experience and potentially impact grades.”

Talking to industry experts, it becomes apparent that the potential threats are indeed multi-faceted. Terry Greer-King, director of cyber security at Cisco UKI adds to the list.

“A significant security risk of open access to WiFi networks is that students can equally have access to inappropriate sites or become susceptible to online grooming,” he says. “Even accessing seemingly legitimate websites brings a high risk of infection through malvertising and SQL injection, which may not only affect the tablet, but anything that it connects to, such as the education network, or that within the home.”

level of network security that can scan all traffic regardless of port or protocol. One way of handling the different security threats is to use an Active Directory Database. With Active Directory, educational institutions can assign different security credentials to teachers and students that allow them to access specific, pre-approved data or programmes.”

Claims Samani: “As with any mobile device, there will be security threats but that of BYOD is much greater. Schools have the ability to control the designated devices they purchase, compared to BYOD which is out of their control. Therefore, if the school is able to purchase students’ learning devices, they will be able to apply security controls that are needed and even remove personal details from the devices when a student leaves.”

While Greer-King adds: “Fundamentally, control can be best managed through schools and universities supplying their own devices and connectivity, as BYOD exposes students and education establishments

to risk. That said, however, a threat-centric security policy can effectively support BYOD and mitigate potential risk associated with students using their own devices on the institution’s network. Ensuring contextual awareness through Network Access Control and ISE protection is a critical step in protecting the network and its devices, regardless of whether they are supplied or not.”

THERE’S THE RUBThere, perhaps, lies the rub. Perhaps the key attraction of BYOD is the potential for cost savings compared with the school or university providing mobile devices, but the impact of BYOD in security terms is, it seems, rather more onerous, and may require additional investment. Is that, though, the only downside to implementing appropriate security measures?

“Yes, cost is one consideration,” says Greer-King. “The other is privacy. Controlling access to the network and evaluating users and devices once on the network inevitably raises questions regarding privacy. However, in order to identify, let alone block and remediate cyber threats, complete visibility is vital. You can’t protect what you can’t see and, worryingly, many organisations and academic institutions alike are not completely aware of the devices and cloud applications accessing the network and by whom.”

There is also the fear that implementing water-tight security may place an overhead on the network that will slow things down, not to mention being difficult to administer. Bradley does not believe that needs to be the case: “We believe that good security should act as a system, be encompassing in policy enforcement and simple in its application,” he explains. “With an approach like this, schools can achieve maximum protection while maintaining productivity. At Sophos, we firmly believe that security should enable users. That’s why our own security is simple to manage and deploy, while giving end users the confidence to work productively.”

CLEARLY DEFINED POLICYBradley mentions ‘policy enforcement’

‘Technology alone will not protect the establishment; setting good policies and educating users is also a key part of good security’Adam Bradley, Sophos

He observes: “In an open environment, it is critical to maintain a balance between control and freedom, and organisations need to consider appropriate security measures, such as network access control, identity services engine (ISE) protection and domain name system (DNS) protection such as OpenDNS.”

What Raj Samani, CTO of Intel Security, calls “inbound threats” are perhaps the obvious ones, compromising the integrity of the establishment’s network and data, but there is another that needs to be taken into account.

“The other type of threat is what I’d call outbound,” he explains, “where people use the network to conduct malicious activity that appears to originate from the school or university. This can have an impact on the reputation of the establishment and even lead to blacklisting.”

THE BYOD DIFFERENCEInevitably, security becomes more challenging as the number of end points in the network multiplies. Where once, the network may have seen only a relatively few users with access, the need to accommodate laptops increased risk, and enabling the attachment of mobile devices multiplies that risk still further. But does it make a difference whether those mobile devices are supplied by the school or university, or whether they’re supplied by students in the true definition of ‘BYOD’?

“Absolutely,” believes Lee Collins, network specialist for education at Dell UK, “and, in fact, in most cases educational establishments are allowing both at the same time. So the question is: how do you differentiate between student- and teacher-owned devices and those provided by the school?

“Introducing BYOD into schools can put pressure on a small IT team, as they need to protect the school network from the streams of new data that students will be bringing inside the school gate,” Collins states. “The number of endpoints IT teams have to consider means education establishments need an end-to-end solution that can monitor and manage all devices in their environments, but also a deep


january 201618

and the industry agrees that, for any school or university, setting policy is step one.

“Schools’ management teams need to set a clearly defined policy on the acceptable use of the devices in the classroom,” believes Samani, “and implement the correct controls.”

Bradley notes that one of the biggest challenges is agreeing the policy itself. “Technology alone will not protect the establishment; setting good policies and educating users is also a key part of good security. The policy should be agreed and accepted by all parties involved, and technology can then enforce that policy. So if policy is incomplete, the technology supporting the policy will be ineffective. It’s vital to make sure that IT staff, governors, teachers and students all agree on the security policy and nominate someone to take on the role of security officer. This will help with the process.”

While Collins adds: “Putting in place security policies that protect the students and the school or university but don’t stunt their learning is

imperative. We work closely with the educational establishment to understand the potential threats and provide guidance on where they should invest to reduce risk. And where to invest differs greatly between the different types and levels of learning environment. For example, in junior schools, one of the focus areas might be ensuring that students and teachers cannot access illegal content, but at universities, a focus area might be more around protecting sensitive staff and student information from being accessed by the students themselves.”

Echoes Greer-King: “The biggest challenge that an educational establishment will face when implementing appropriate security policies is ensuring that they are flexible and workable. Security needs to be seen as an enabler, rather than an inhibitor.”

And after setting policy, Bradley claims: “Making sure all mobile devices are managed and secured by security software is a good place to start.”

INTELLIGENT NETWORKSThe minimum measure to identify, block

and remediate risk associated with mobile learning is the deployment

of an effective network access control (NAC) appliance, notes

Greer-King. He explains: “NAC enables academic institutions to recognise, audit and report

those accessing the network and on which device while evaluating whether devices comply with the organisation’s security policies. Then, if not, it allows them to enforce security policies by blocking, isolating and repairing those that are non-compliant. Moreover, with NAC, organisations can provide easy and secure guest access to the network, which is a vital step in the balancing act between freedom and control.”

It is all about the intelligence of the network, and knowing who is doing what, with users having clearly defined profiles and privileges in a scenario that is often called ‘role-based access control’.

Collins observes: “Solutions such as a well-designed system of network access control and identity management will help protect against threats and stop breaches before they take place. We recommend that education establishments look to deploy one-vendor solutions as these will provide them with one connected security solution where everything works seamlessly together; using disparate systems could lead to holes in the network. They will also benefit from a more affordable solution, which is important when budgets are tight.”

While colleges, universities and larger schools may have the skills and manpower to devise and implement appropriate security policies, others may not be in the same fortunate situation. Even the fortunate ones, however, would be quick to acknowledge their limitations in a world where new cyber threats are continuously emerging, as are ways of subverting even the best security systems. What to do? Some systems integrators specialising in education have the necessary skills , while others freely admit that they do not.

CRUCIAL SECURITYSecurity is a specialised area, “so it is crucial to ensure schools and universities have access to the appropriate skills to protect their establishment, since reputations can be damaged if users and their data are not protected,” notes Bradley. He continues: “If budgets and personnel do not allow, work with a dedicated security reseller or partner that is focused on protecting

education establishments every day. Having the appropriate technology and skills to help protect users and their data is paramount to a successful education establishment.”

Understanding the threat is the first challenge, says Collins: “We work closely with the educational establishment to understand the potential threats and provide guidance on where they should invest to reduce risk,” says Collins. “It’s important to remember that every school and university is different; some are much more advanced and some are frighteningly antiquated. As a result, another battle we face is helping institutions understand the level of threat they face, based on their current infrastructure. Particularly with data access fears around BYOD, it’s paramount that institutions understand each threat they face before addressing it: if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

The last word goes to Greer-King: “Seen in high-profile cyber attacks of late, the complexity and severity of cybercrime is intensifying, with cybercriminals finding new and intelligent ways to target individuals to compromise devices and breach systems,” he says. “The pervasiveness of cybercrime today means that universities and schools are not immune, which is why it is crucial that they invest in security to not only protect their organisation, but also to help protect the students from their own behaviour.”

It is hard, then, to overstate the importance of implementing appropriate security policies, measures and technologies in schools and universities. The good news is that awareness of the issue is, for the most part, widespread within the educational community, and it is an issue in which Ofsted takes a close interest. The even better news, though, is the broad availability of specialist third-party expertise available to advise on, and implement, the appropriate measures. Schools and universities would be well advised to take advantage. www.cisco.comwww.dell.co.ukwww.intelsecurity.comwww.sophos.com

FEATURE: SECURITY

‘Fundamentally, control can be best managed through schools and universities supplying their own devices and connectivity,

as BYOD exposes students and education establishments to risk’

Terry Greer-King, Cisco


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january 201620

HOW TO OPTIMISE YOUR VLE

Now commonplace, virtual learning environments (VLEs) are an important part of most school, college and university strategies. Heather McLean investigates the best way to keep these sophisticated systems running smoothly...

Top Tips for optimising your VLE

he definition of a VLE is broad. It can span from a learning system for students working remotely, to

immersing students in a sophisticated cave where they will interact in real time with a 3D environment to understand complex models.

Thierry Collet is VP of global academia and education at Dassault Systèmes, provider of a 3D VLE that is used in educational establishments both

as a complement to an existing VLE, or as a radical new approach to learning. He comments that VLEs have become “an absolute necessity in all leading-edge schools and are spreading around quickly now”. This is, he states, “because learning by seeing, touching, doing or interacting with things, whether physical or virtual, has always been the best way for human beings”.

Dr Demetra Katsifli, senior director, industry management at VLE provider

Blackboard, states that Blackboard understands this need to focus on the learner, making the VLE open to student personalisation. “Blackboard provides an integrated set of capabilities so the educators and institutions that work with us can use any combination of our technology and services to implement what’s needed. Also, we provide an open architecture, meaning that it’s easy for our clients to integrate Blackboard with other enterprise systems in their institutions.”

CHALLENGING STAFFHowever, James Wells, e-learning manager at Middlesbrough College, comments that encouraging staff to use the VLE is one of the biggest obstacles his college faces in optimising its use, rather than any technological issue: “Making sure the VLE is being used as efficiently as possible by as many of our staff as possible with as much student engagement as possible is challenging.

“One of the keys is training and

LEARNING TO LOVE YOUR VLE

T

“Incorporate as many up-to-date external third-party tools as possible.

The basic feature set of a VLE will never be 100% because they can’t do everything, but embedding things like YouTube and Pinterest means students and staff can use the VLE as a portal to

all this other great content.”James Wells, e-learning manager at

Middlesbrough College

“Use the VLE not just for teaching existing students, but also for attracting and engaging prospective students. It

should also be the place where students go to for all of their support from the university. With this holistic approach,

the VLE will be effective in strengthening students’ identity to their university and

their programme of study.”Dr Demetra Katsifli,

senior director, industry management at Blackboard

“Ensure there is a clear governance structure to deliver improvement. Who

is accountable for driving through improvements and consistency of use? How

will sharing best practice be transformed into delivering best practice? This only

happens when somebody owns the plan and has the drive to push progress on a

month by month basis.”Dan Fearnley, COO at Circle IT

20-21 T&LUK Jan 2016 How To_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 15:29


HOW TO OPTIMISE YOUR VLEsupport for staff; we have an open door policy so if anyone has a problem, they can ask,” says Wells. “Also, as well as formal training sessions we take informal open training sessions. We go to staff rooms and ask what problems they’re having or what they’d like to learn. It’s really proactive and runs from troubleshooting queries to requests for one-on-one training sessions. We also send out a monthly newsletter to staff, highlighting different things to optimise usage of the VLE by keeping staff aware of what they can do with it.”

Wells’ experience is reflected in recent research commissioned by VLE Canvas from Gartner, that showed nearly half of UK teachers (46%) rarely use the technology in their classrooms, despite taxpayers picking up an estimated £900 million bill to put it there.

The barriers to usage are complex, but the Canvas research suggests broad scepticism among the teaching community about the efficacy of some technology, with a third (33%) unsure how to integrate it into their teaching. Yet nearly half (47%) said they have not been trained in how to use it properly.

Samantha Blyth, director of schools at Canvas, says: “Until now, education technologies like VLEs have got in the way of teaching and learning, because they haven’t been used properly, or at all. Nearly a third (29%) of in-school learning platforms are not regularly used because they were often imposed ‘from the top’ and not built around teachers’ needs. Teachers can find them intimidating and overly complex and nearly half of teachers haven’t been properly trained.”

VITAL TRAININGBlyth continues: “Used ineffectively, a VLE can be at best a wasted expense. But used properly, and accompanied by the right training for both teachers and students, it can help develop engaging lessons and lead to better outcomes for students and schools.”

Training is vital, says Dan Fearnley, COO at IT solutions and services provider Circle IT: “The key to getting the most from your VLE is ensuring your information learning technology (ILT) strategy is clear on what you want to achieve and who is responsible for delivering consistent e-learning. We tend

to find that most establishments have an inconsistent use of their VLE, and this is directly linked to staff knowledge and confidence.”

To solve this problem, Fearnley says Circle IT suggests to customers that they ensure there is an ILT lead who owns the delivering of e-learning and that they develop a tiered approach to increasing the use of the VLE. This typically leads to a bronze, silver and gold standard for each course within the VLE, he says.

On how best to optimise a VLE, Collet states that it is best to be brave and get involved. He explains: “First, don’t be shy. The longer you wait, the further behind you will fall and the more likely you will be to see students dropping out because you don’t talk their language. Also, get connected to other schools to do things collaboratively because multi-disciplinary and collective work is the way to best illustrate the real world into which most of your students will then evolve. In other words, it is best for preparing them for immediate employability, which is a real concern in a world that is dramatically lacking engineers.”

Keeping a VLE optimised is a large-scale operation, states Katsifli: “We continually consult with many clients in

many different countries to understand their specific needs in order to prioritise the numerous and diverse requirements and ensure our solutions are relevant and useful to all our clients around the world.”

She adds: “We undertake to improve our solutions continuously to enable our clients to fulfil their institutional policies, such as on assessment and providing feedback to students; to comply with legislative requirements such as data protection requirements; to improve student retention including via early warning systems and predictive analytics; and to automate activities that have been traditionally done manually, such as data transfer between the VLE and the SIS.”

SYSTEM CHOICESYet the major change in approach to VLEs has been to question whether there is a need for a VLE at all, states Fearnley. He claims tools like Office 365 with Sites, Yammer, Skype for Business and OneDrive can provide all the tools needed to develop a VLE within an entirely free platform that fully integrates with the modern learner experience.

Fearnley adds: “Generally speaking, if an establishment didn’t have a VLE we’d

recommend they start with Office 365 and maybe look at enhancing with tools like AirHead that provide an intuitive online experience for learners to share resources. However if a customer has invested a lot of time into their current VLE it may be far quicker to enhance this and support with a generous training package.

“Ultimately, it is less about the VLE platform, be it Moodle or Office 365, and more about the content that is delivered and the confidence of staff. We wouldn’t recommend a costly migration and would instead focus on using that time and effort to improve teacher confidence,” Fearnley notes.

Concluding, Blyth says the key for optimising a VLE is to think about the people involved in actually using it: “Technology must stop getting in the way of teaching and learning and start to enable it. To really optimise a learning platform, schools have to make sure it’s built from the ground up to meet teacher needs, not imposed from the top down to fulfil an obligation. Teachers need to be at the heart of its development to ensure adoption.” nwww.mbro.ac.uk www.uki.blackboard.com www.circleit.co.uk www.3ds.comwww.canvasvle.co.uk

20-21 T&LUK Jan 2016 How To_Final.indd 2 12/01/2016 15:29

January 201622

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE: START-UPS

Bett Futures was launched in 2015 as a purpose-built home for the world’s most inspiring education tech start-ups. The area has been introduced to celebrate brave thinking, new products and education game-changers. Here we present Tech&Learning UK’s favourites of Bett Futures 2016

Nosco E-learning is an interactive and collaborative platform for the creation and dissemination of modules or professional training. Nosco E-learning is an authoring tool and a learning management system, allowing users to create and edit their own online training.

Modules or courses can be shared to students, individually or collectively, on Nosco’s e-learning platform. Teachers can also create discussions and invite collaborators to join in within groups.

When the trainer sends a module or a training programme to a learner, they receive an alert in the navigation bar. This allows them to connect and

take the module or training. Teachers can follow the progress of

learners at any time on the platform, checking individual statistics per module or per question.

Also, Nosco-Academy is the training catalogue for trainers and learners to share their knowledge through a community.http://nosco-elearning.com/en/

NOSCO

Educater is a person-centred communication system built specifi cally for the education sector. Its modular approach is designed to dramatically reduce the administration burden within several key areas.

Designed by schools, Educater is made up of simple modules to suit the diff erent and specifi c requirements of each school. Educater also has full read and write integration with leading schools information management systems, as well as other schools data

systems and databases.Educater pulls information from

across multiple systems, using reports and information to then carry out actions based on the information from these reports, including emails, le� ers, texts and archiving. Useful features include the ability to split parents and children under legal guardian care, and cater for them with personalised correspondence, and avoiding duplication for multiple family members at the same school.www.educater.co.uk

EDUCATER

INSPIRATIONAL BETT FUTURES

PARENTHUBParentHub is a smartphone app developed by teachers. It makes school communication accessible to all and is designed to improve parental engagement, increase teacher effi ciency and reduce admin costs.

ParentHub provides schools with total fl exibility: teachers can start a conversation with one parent, message parents from an entire class, or broadcast a stock phrase to the whole school community. The company supports this with translated in-app

messaging for parents with EAL,as well as SMS provision fornon-app users.

ParentHub Analytics also enables you to quantify parental engagement. Teachers are provided with real-time information on the status of their communications. This includes being able to see when a parent has received, read and responded to a message, as well as a full audit trailof every interaction.www.parenthub.co.uk

Technology Will Save Us designs gadgets that students can make themselves. The company’s DIY kits and resources are a great way to learn skills, make cool things and begin the journey as a tech maker.

All of its products are vehicles for education that encourage everyone to make, play, code and invent with technology. Using everyday life as inspiration, its kits tap into the hobbies and passions that many love, including

music, gardening, cycling and gaming.Technology Will Save Us is on a

mission to provide families, educators and young people – of all ages, backgrounds and interests – with new opportunities to learn and create, using technology. It is establishing an accessible ecosystem for hands-on learning with technology thatincludes DIY gadget kits, activitiesand online resources.www.techwillsaveus.com

TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE US

Pobble is a new global literacy initiative for primary school teachers, students and parents. It is a safe educational platform where teachers share their pupils’ writing. Pobble is packed with a suite of tools to help

POBBLE

http://nosco-elearning.com/en/

share student writing around the world, so literacy teachers have all the support they need to build that enthusiasm in the classroom.

Pobble for Schools is designed to realise the potential impact of Pobble in school. Packages include writing workshops, school-wide events and

professional development. Plus, Pobble 365 is a free resource. Every

day, teachers can find an interesting picture to spark a lesson, together with writing prompts and questions that can be used use with students on a smartboard screen, or printed out with its easy-to-use PDFs.www.pobble.com

22-24 T&LUK Jan 2016 Showcase_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 12:33

January 2016 23


Education4Sight launched the Edligo platform to create connected data across standards frameworks, curriculum, lesson planning, assessment, professional development, student engagement and personalised learning experiences.

With Edligo, education stakeholders can use the power of data to get insight and foresight for analysis, planning and decision- makingto drive focused actions withtangible outcomes.

Edligo features innovative cloud, privacy, big data, analytics and machine learning technologies while providing superior user experience and simplicity.

Education4Sight empowers primary and secondary schoolteachers, school leaders and policy makers with instantaneous analytics to maximise impact on student learning outcomes.

Teachers can use Edligo to innovate using the interactive digital lesson planning platform, design personalised student learning experiences, use rich intuitive dashboards to gain a 360º view of students, and collaborate, communicate and share feedback.www.education4sight.com

EDUCATION4SIGHT ADAAda helps kids become creators. If children want to learn how to code, they can switch on the basic Ada kit and it will teach them what to do to make cool things with motors, lights and sensors. Users can program games, write books, design comics, make music, direct movies and control robots with Ada.

Ada is a box of megabits and software and is specifically designed to help beginners create and code. All that is needed to is to plug Ada into any monitor or TV and it is ready to go. Children can also display their game scores (or cheeky

messages) on Ada’s small built-inLCD display.

Along with Ada, children receivea manual for bedtime reading, anSD card to save their creations, apower adapter to fire up Ada, amouse to control it, and some interesting electronic bits to make their first gadget.

It is suitable for complete beginners through to advanced users. www.thisisada.com

www.techandlearning.uk

Brix replaces maths textbooks for students’ A-level homework. It usesa three-step process that providesa simple structure within whichstudents can master newmathematical concepts.

The syllabus is broken down into the

BRIX individual pieces of information (the bricks!) that need to be understood. There is an interactive tutorial on each one that ensures students have fully understood the relevant concept before they can move on.

Next, students move on to a sequence of problems that test their understanding of a new concept more fully. The problems are adaptive so

students are always at the edge of their learning curve. They also come with tailored tutorial videos so students need never feel stuck.

All of the information is presented in a clear structure and teachers receive feedback on student progress. www.brixlearning.com


January 201624


now>press>play is an educational resource that uses sound, story and movement to immerse children in the world of their topic. Through a series of active and stimulating lessons, now>press>play captures children’s interest and accelerates their learning.

now>press>play provides complete immersion in learning that suits all children, however they prefer to learn.

With a now>press>play subscription for KS1 and KS2, schools get: 40 wireless headphones; unlimited access to the library of Curriculum Experiences, covering maths, literacy, PSHE, science and history; teacher resource packs; and

staff training to deliver sessions.Over the past two years

now>press>play has worked with over 7,500 children in 70 different schools across the UK. www.nowpressplay.co.uk

NOW>PRESS>PLAY

Out-of-the-box thinking starts in the box. Klaxoon, a company dedicated to creative learning tools, has introduced an interactive training solution. The cross-device platform is a collection of tools that facilitate interactivity, helping both educational institutions and employees to share knowledge and support learning on a daily basis.

Klaxoon is the world’s fi rst collaboration and learning solution with dedicated connectivity. Its hardware solution, the KlaxoonBox, provides total autonomy, holding everything needed for a successful collaboration session inside. An

extension of KlaxoonCloud, Klaxoon’s SaaS platform, KlaxoonBox ensures everyone can access Klaxoon everywhere whether online or offl ine.

Utilising proven high retention interactive learning techniques, Klaxoon turns any discussion, meeting, brainstorming, conference call, seminar and of course classroom into a memorable and interactive knowledgeable experience.www.klaxoon.com

KLAXOON

Sparkjar is an iPad-native workfl ow app. This Brighton-based mobile so� ware development team has been working closely with Hove Park School in the area, to develop an app that saves teachers time every day.

Sparkjar allows teachers to assign, collect, annotate and mark work, and then view a class mark book. Students can keep track of tasks set, submit assignments, and receive their marked work, all from within the app. For parents, a web portal allows them to know what lessons their children have, what homework is outstanding, and view marks and comments on

completed homework.Sparkjar is currently piloting the

app with selected schools.www.sparkjarapp.com

SPARKJAR ALPHABET BABIESFor nurseries, schools, home schooling groups, or early years staff , Alphabet Babies provides tons of ideas for le� ers and sounds, listening and talking, fun with books, improving vocabulary, links to Early Years Foundation Stage KS1 KS2 and to Curriculum for Excellence, science plans and an online interactive quiz.

Users can have access to resources – starting at just £4 – that will make a lasting and eff ective diff erence to a nursery, all developed by experts, based on research, and developmentally appropriate.For staff members, they are ableto deliver consistency and provide simple planning, usingstraightforward instructions.

For parents, it is possible to have fun with children at home to develop early reading, writing, listening and talking. Games, songs, science, and an online interactive quiz are available.

This means there are no exhausting searches for activity ideas; it is all

ready to use. There are lots of activity suggestions so parents can fi nd ones that best suit them and their child, plus the quiz provides a weekly report and certifi cates for the child. Parents are also able to gain an overview of the areas they could focus on to support the child’s learning.www.alphabetbabies.com

LearnerVerse has been designedto make learning outside the classroom easier for students. It is a great resource for supporting students, teachers, parents, schools and colleges.

LearnerVerse is an aff ordable, high quality online learning resource. It is easy to use and is available 24/7 on any computer device with unlimited access, providing a one-stop shop to give students access to a world-class academic support system.

Students have access to high quality academic lessons, delivered by outstanding teachers who are subject specialists, available at a time and place to suit. All academic lessons meet the needs of the National Curriculum, GCSE and A-Level exam boards.

Students can also receive careers advice, enabling them to plan and make decisions for the future. This includes advice and

guidance for students on alternative routes to realise their goals.

Also, relevant assessments and resources are provided with LearnerVerse. Students can take assessments to monitor their progress. Questions can include a combination of text, images, video and audio questions.www.learnerverse.uk

LEARNERVERSE

Multicultural and global education resource One Globe Kids is a product of Globe Smart Kids, a non-profit social enterprise, determined to help create a bright future for children around the globe.

ONE GLOBE KIDS Available online or as an iOS app, One Globe Kids has an approach to global education that is designed to encourage feelings of interaction and familiarity between children, using stories, videos, language and pictures.Unlike other multi-cultural and global education resources, One Globe Kids makes global learning a personal

experience by bringing users as close as possible to their real peers around the globe.

For teachers, by focusing on one country per month with the classroom, you do not have to rush but can still create an emotionally rich experience for students.www.oneglobekids.com



Inspiring children to pick science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects at GCSE level can be a challenge – but combining Lego, robots, racing and a great day out not only helps in this cause, but opens young minds to further opportunities as well

oftware provider CA Technologies, in co-operation with not-for-profit charity

Learning to Work hosted a Lego Mindstorms event at the company’s offices in Ditton Park, Berkshire, in November last year.

On the day 60 children from six secondary schools worked together to build Lego robots that they then programmed using Lego Mindstorms, an icon-based programming interface, before showcasing their work in a race against their classmates.

ROBOT RACINGAimed at encouraging children from local secondary schools to consider future careers in STEM, CA Technologies hosted the 12 to 13 year olds in the hope that they will choose STEM subjects when they get to their GCSEs.

Sue Henley, head of talent development for Europe at CA Technologies, commented: “Encouraging young people to go into STEM industries is important. When we look at

the next 20 years of industry in Europe, there is a huge shortfall of talent, so we need to think about how we manage that so we have the talent when we need it.”

The event was all about showing young people the opportunities that following a STEM-based career could afford them. Working in mixed groups with children from the other schools, students were able to meet peers from different backgrounds, as well as learn something new outside of the classroom, and be exposed to a taste of the corporate world through talking to and working with staff from CA Technologies.

Students worked in their teams to build Lego robots from scratch, program them, then get their robots successfully around an obstacle course. With someone from CA Technologies on each team, children were able to learn about both computing and what life might be like after school. Ahmed Bafadhel, a teacher at Slough and Eton School, commented: “For boys and girls, days like this show them it’s much easier to get into the corporate world and the computing world than they might have thought.”

ROBOT RACING FOR STEM

S

EVENT: LEGO MINDSTORMS

BOYS VERSUS GIRLS On the number of boys versus girls moving towards STEM subjects, Bafadhel said: “The mix of boys and girls in STEM subjects is getting closer and closer. Generally, I see more boys pick computing, but we are getting more girls into IT. Coming to days like this show girls that women are here in this industry, and they’re ruling it, and that for them is aspirational, it’s something they can reach.”

Claire Clarke, product design teacher at Baylis Court School in Slough, brought 11 girls from her school to the event in the hope of inspiring them to go into engineering. She commented: “If we don’t encourage young people, especially girls, to become engineers of the future, we won’t have a future for the country. Everyone today is talking about the difficulty of getting into jobs, but in engineering there are a lot; however, education hasn’t got a clue what’s happening in industry.”

She added: “Industry criticises education, saying it’s not up to date, but we can’t improve unless they tell us what they need for the future.” Continuing, Clarke noted: “By talking to companies like CA we are able to bridge the gap between education and employment; we shouldn’t be working in isolated areas.”

The day was a great success for the students, and also for the aim of the event, showing children that programming and corporate life are there for them. “The subjects we need to push are everything under the STEM umbrella,” said Bafadhel. “Days like this are a great way to promote this learning. While ICT shows children how to use technology, computer science teaches them how to make it, create it and bring it to life when you press the orange button.

“To come to venues like this and show them they could work somewhere like this in the future is a real eye opener for our students,” Bafadhel concluded. mindstorms.lego.com

Claire Clarke, Baylis Court School, Ahmed Bafadhel, Slough and Eton

School, and Sue Henley, CA Technologies

25 T&LUK Jan 2016 LEGO Event_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:19

January 201626

SHOW NEWS: BETT 2016

The world’s leading event for learning technology returns to ExCeL London from 20 to 23 January. Now in its 32nd year, the four-day show is once again set to provide education professionals with an opportunity to see, touch and test the latest and most groundbreaking technologies, providing them with a taste of how they can be used to revolutionise learning

or all continuing professional development (CPD) needs, Bett 2016 offers a programme

of inspirational speakers offering best practice advice across a number of theatres, including the School Leaders’ Summit, the Technology in Higher Education (HE) Summit, primary and secondary Learn Live theatres and, of course, the Bett Arena.

Added to the Bett line-up for 2016 is the ‘Hands On Learn Live Tablet Academy Take Over’, a feature that allows visitors to experience the latest and most innovative technologies, with training and expert guidance from Tablet Academy consultants, in a dedicated area of the show.

Through a programme of training sessions, the Hands On Learn Live Tablet Academy Take Over will provide visitors with the opportunity to use a range of products and have one-to-one conversations in an intimate workshop environment. Running across the show’s four days, it will enable educators to fully comprehend the technologies and how they can benefit teaching and learning.

Bett 2016 has also agreed a global partnership with Microsoft Worldwide Education, which will see the two brands work together with their global network

of educators to help deliver inspiring content that shares next-generation ideas and innovative, technology-led classroom practices in the UK and around the world. The educator-led sessions will showcase the ideas, practices and technologies that have the most impact on educational outcomes, along with inspiring concepts to help develop 21st century skills and find solutions to global challenges.

The arrival of the science, technology, engineering, art and maths (STEAM) Village (stand G458) is another exciting feature announced for Bett 2016. The village will play host to a number of organisations supporting learning in the STEAM subjects. The village is an interactive ‘learning through play’ space for teachers, techies, students and parents alike; it is a place for visitors to try STEAM solutions and products and engage with how they can be assimilated into the classroom. In the village, experts will be on hand to explore key STEAM topics, teaching methods and new technologies.

Bett 2016 will also see the launch of new zone, Trade@Bett, an event within an event to help education suppliers meet, network and develop business opportunities with resellers and distributors from around the world. The zone will provide an exhibition area centred around a networking lounge.

BETT FUTURES Bett Futures, a platform designed to nurture innovative education technology start-up companies, is returning to Bett, following a successful launch at the show in 2015 [see page 22]. The event will run in association with leading education think-tank The Education Foundation.

The project aims to showcase budding businesses that promise to have a significant impact on education. Designed as a three-year progression programme, Futures offers developing start-up companies an opportunity to benefit from all that Bett has to offer.

For 2016, the show organiser, i2i Events Group, is promising more content than ever before with an exciting Bett Arena programme, two bespoke CPD-accredited summits, a number of Learn Live theatres and a whole host of networking and fringe activity; all with high quality presenters, delivering seminars targeted to educators’ specific needs.

BETT ARENA The Bett Arena will once again take centre stage, with a programme of headline names taking on the big topics in education, at the heart of the show floor. Getting girls into coding, open

access, big data, putting the ‘arts’ into STEM, readying pupils for an increasingly digital future, using technology to get a better work-life balance and aceing assessment are just some of the topics being discussed.

Here’s a snapshot of some speakers visitors can expect to hear from…

At 10:20 on the first day (20 January), TED prize winner Professor Sugata Mitra will be looking at child-driven education and learning, or self-organised learning environments (SOLEs). As a fierce proponent of the role of quality teaching and getting remote students access to education through his latest project ‘the Granny Cloud’, Mitra will be pulling in his experience of working with his ‘Schools in the Cloud’, which challenges the notion that children cannot learn unless guided by an external teacher figure.

Next up on the opening day, at 11:00 Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, UK will present the opening address. Based on the understanding that technology is a powerful tool in extending and creating opportunities for young people, Morgan will explain why she wants all children to be able to benefit from new innovations and develop the knowledge and skills

CELEBRATING INNOVATION IN EDUCATION

F

26 27 T&LUK Jan 2016 Show News_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:16

www.techandlearning.uk JANUARY 2016 27

SHOW NEWS: BETT 2016they need to succeed in modern Britain.

On the following day, 21 January, visitors are invited to join ‘The great disruption debate – the future of ed tech’ at 15:30. The live discussion will be hosted by Will Richardson, expert, innovator and author in the intersection of education and social, online learning networks; Audrey Watt ers, education writer who runs the HACK Education blog; and Maurice de Hond, founder, Steve Jobs’ Schools. It will off er att endees the chance to consider the investments made in IT education resources and discuss the ways in which computing is used in the classroom. Should we raise our expectations? Should we expect computing to be used in more powerful ways? What are the actual 21st century skills?

On 22 January at 17:00, Angela Lee Duckworth will take to the stage. With 7.5 million TED views of her ‘Grit’ talk (the quality that enables individuals to work hard and stick to their long-term passions and goals), Duckworth needs no introduction to educators and leaders around the world. A consultant, then a maths teacher, now an assistant professor in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, her research subjects include students, West Point cadets, and corporate salespeople, all of whom she studies to determine how grit is a bett er indicator of success than factors such as IQ or family income.

At midday on the show’s fi nal day (23 January), Ellen Stofan, chief scientist of NASA and STEM advocate, will host ‘To the stars: encouraging young women in science’. Stofan’s research has focused on the geology of Venus, Mars, Saturn’s moon Titan and Earth, but her passion is sharing the wonders of the universe with young women, and encouraging them to pursue studies and careers in STEM. She will explain some of NASA’s exciting recent fi ndings about the search for life and how the space agency’s research is improving life on Earth.

MICROSOFT LEARN LIVE In the Microsoft Learn Live theatre, visitors will have the chance to hear how technology can help transform the classroom, create unique learning experiences and raise att ainment, in a number of sessions from a wide range of educators, head teachers and Microsoft experts. The core focus is for teachers to

share their stories and best practice in order to inspire change.

Speakers include Michelle Dauphiny, executive producer for Minecraft Education, and Stephen Reid, educator, who will be discussing the use of Minecraft in education at 12:30 on 21, 22 and 23 January. And for teachers looking to discover how BBC micro:bit can help inspire a new generation of tech pioneers, Kevin Sait, Microsoft innovative expert educator, will host a session at 14:30 on 20, 21 and 22 January.

EXHIBITOR SNAPSHOTIn addition to a great line-up of speakers, over 600 exhibitors will be showcasing the latest and greatest technologies that are helping transform schools insideand outside of the classroom. Here are just a few you can expect to see at this year’s show…

Fujitsu Services will have four dynamic zones on stand C128. These will include: the Robotics Zone, showcasing a robotics and programming demo; the Coding Zone, where its partners, the National Museum of Computing and the Tablet Academy, will show technology through the ages; the Internet of Things (IoT) Zone, which will give audiences a sneak peak of future innovations for education; and the Cyber SecurityZone, off ering insight on the issue of cyber security.

Supporting ‘Assessing without Levels’ in line with the new primary curriculum, EES for Schools will be on stand D110 showcasing Target Tracker, a cloud-based system for monitoring pupil progress for primary and early years

sett ings, as well as the recently launched Schools Eff ectiveness + (SE+).

This year, the Lego Group (stand E141) will play host to an Innovation Hub off ering visitors the opportunity to hear from a variety of teachers using Lego Education’s products, such as its popular robotics resource, WeDo, which helps bring computing to life in the classroom.

Toshiba Information Systems (UK) will highlight how its range of products provides mobile and fl exible ICT solutions that enable improved learning at all levels. Toshiba brings innovation from the laboratory into practical and aff ordable devices with improved batt ery life, greater reliability, higher levels of robustness and improved security. Visit Stand C118 to see itslatest products.

Meanwhile, educational apps specialist Daydream Education will unveil its newest app, Maths Tutor, at this year’s show. Maths Tutor provides schools with a complete maths learning solution. The multi-platform app, which features a National Curriculum alignment section, incorporates a huge variety of tutorials, interactive features, real life scenarios and assessments to facilitate learning and improve pupils’ understanding of key maths skills and topics, on stand E440.

Finally, Rising Stars UK, the largest independent publisher in Britain, is showing visitors to stand C116 its resources for KS1 and KS2. One of the latest resources launched as an addition to the Rising Stars UK Switched on Computing range is the new Switched on Minecraft ; a way for teachers to use

the popular game for cross-curricular teaching and learning in subjects such as English, maths and computing.

Bett 2016 is free to att end. For more information or to register, please visit www.be� show.com

EXPLORING STEM AT EDUCATION SHOW 2016 The Education Show 2016, the go-to event for continuing professional development (CPD) and learning resources, will be returning to NEC, Birmingham from 17 to 19 March.

The dedicated ‘Learning through Technology’ zone will be returning to the show fl oor once again. This tech zone has been developed to address the growing importance of technology in learning, with a range of resources and expert advice available for anyone seeking support in this area.

Each year, the show att racts over 10,000 visitors from primary, secondary and higher education backgrounds, all off ering a wealth of knowledge and experience in their fi eld. A jam-packed programme of new content, inspiring training and development, and pioneering educational suppliers will be available throughout the show.

In support of the continuing importance of STEM subjects, the Education Show 2016 has partnered with the Big Bang Fair, the largest celebration of STEM for young people in the UK which runs from 16-19 March also at the NEC, Birmingham. The Big Bang Fair provides a combination of exciting theatre shows, interactive workshops and exhibits, as well as careers information from STEM professionals. This year, both shows will be coming together to bring classroom learning to life, showcasing how the STEM subjects help prepare students for life beyond education.

Also new for 2016, the Education Show furthers its mission to provide educators with the highest quality free CPD and resources, by partnering with non-profi t organisation the Teacher Development Trust. The trust is taking a national lead on improving standards for CPD and will be playing an instrumental role in developing the CPD content programme for the show in line with the new standards for professional learning.

For more information or to register, please visitwww.education-show.com

Daydream Education will showcase its newest app, Maths Tutor

26 27 T&LUK Jan 2016 Show News_Final.indd 2 12/01/2016 11:16

January 201628

SOLUTIONS: COLCHESTER INSTITUTE

VOCATIONAL TRAINING GOES VIRTUAL

olchester Institute is the largest provider of vocational training in Essex,

with fi ve faculties training around 13,000 students every year. Operating from campuses in Colchester, Braintree and Clacton, the college off ers a diverse range of full-time and part-time courses. It off ers apprenticeships and degrees to help people develop

their skills and gain industry-relevant qualifi cations to improve their career prospects, whether through independent study or via development programmes sponsored by employers.

Having already had some success using virtual meeting technology to improve staff collaboration across its campuses, Colchester has been working with communications technology

partner MeetingZone to roll out amore complete and advanced system based on Cisco WebEx Enterprise Edition, one of the top technologies for virtual collaboration.

IMPROVING COURSE DELIVERY In 2014, Colchester Institute began to ramp up its eff orts to use new technology to improve course delivery.

Billy Li� le, Colchester’s head of business development and operations, says: “A handful of staff were already using WebEx Meeting Center, so virtual meeting technology had been on my radar for a couple of years. At that stage, we’d never used it for online learning, only for meetings among internal staff .”

That year, an industry forum set up by

C

The move to WebEx has

improved results and saved time

Cisco WebEx Enterprise Edition has been deployed at Colchester Institute to great effect, saving the college 25% on operational costs as well as allowing students to take assessments remotely

28-29 T&LUK Dec 2016 Solutions_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:24


SOLUTIONS: COLCHESTER INSTITUTE

the Government, the Further Education Learning Technologies Action Group (FELTAG,) released a report outlining how the sector could make be� er use of digital technologies to improve service and cost effi ciency. One key focus was on the need for the sector to off er more distance learning. The report’s release coincided with an impending overhaul of Colchester’s business administration course,which gave the college the ideal opportunity to deliver some of thenew programme online.

“That, along with the FELTAG report, was the main catalyst for change,” says Li� le. “Some of our students are based several hours away from the college, and employers o� en need to release them for a full day to a� end a course that may only be an hour long.”

Colchester began by carrying out a trial with a small number of students using Meeting Center. Li� le says: “While this allowed groups of students and teachers to take part in two-way virtual meetings and share fi les, we soon found we wanted to do more than our set-up allowed.”

A� er speaking to MeetingZone, Colchester decided to upgrade its existing Meeting Center subscription to WebEx Enterprise Edition. This gave it access to two additional modules, Training Center and Event Center, which extended the system’s capabilities; the college was able to run virtual breakout rooms alongside main sessions; load questionnaires before, during and a� er a session; hold interactive Q&A sessions; receive instant feedback from students, and run large-scale virtual events for bigger groups.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATIONBecause MeetingZone provides the system as a cloud-based subscription service, the college did not need to invest in any new equipment and everything integrated seamlesslyand securely with Colchester’sexisting platforms.

By working in this way, Colchester Institute was able to save around 25% on operational costs as well asreducing the cost and inconvenience of travel for staff , students and employers of those students. Also, students were able to take assessments remotelyfor the fi rst time, as part of amerger of physical and virtuallearning programmes.

Li� le says that WebEx Enterprise Edition was very competitively priced and the system linked neatly into the college system confi guration, including fi rewalls. “We have got lots of diff erent programs running, and WebEx just fi � ed in,” he comments.

The subscription includes ongoing support and training as standard, and partner, MeetingZone worked closely with the college to ensure everything was running smoothly and staff wereup to speed on how to get the mostout the system.

Angela Heaney, lecturer, tutor, assessor, IV in business and management at Colchester Institute, uses the system regularly. She comments: “If we have a problem they usually come back to us in less than an hour, and always within 24. I’ve been able to improve the course material because of all these new tricks they’ve been teaching me; designing templates, understanding the teaching tools and

advising me on how to use diff erent methods to deliver coursecontent online.”

EXTENDING THE SYSTEMThe system has been a great success. A� er introducing WebEx into its business administration course, the college has since extended its use to customer service and management training courses.

Li� le says: “It has also eliminated the timetabling issues we previously had, trying to book classrooms and ensure everyone was able to travel to the campus for a particular session. Now we can deliver teaching in many diff erent places at once.”

There’s been a positive impact on results, too. “We had good success rates before, but this has really raised the bar; students using the system now have a success rate of 86%, compared to 80% previously,” he adds.

Heaney comments: “The move to WebEx Enterprise Edition was an excellent step. It was only when I started to use it that I realised how much you can control the environment. You can check to what extent students are participating, poll them to ensure they’re learning, even see when they wander off . As a learning tool, it’smuch more powerful than theMeeting Center.”

Continuing, Heaney says the experience of being able to teach online using the new system is excellent. She comments: “There are li� le polls with yes or no answers you can take, so I can ask, “Do you all understand?” and see immediately who gets it and who doesn’t. I can do a 10-minute session,

ask three questions in a mini poll to fi nd out if and who is absorbing the lesson, and use that result as a refl ection tool for myself and for the students.”

On the ability to refl ect on a lesson, Heaney states: “The power of this system for me is refl ection. You are constantly building on students’ learning. Whenever we go to a session I probe the students using a poll to see what they understood from their last lesson, and I can see the poll results I took in the previous sessions.”

As to the future, Colchester is looking to extend the use of WebEx to IT, fi nancial services and sports courses. While it has no plans to replace physical learning completely (the evidence suggests a blended approach is best), extending the use of WebEx Enterprise Edition across many more of its courses is on the cards.

On expanding the system, Li� le says it is about picking the right courses, and showing instructors that it will work, to get them behind it: “We’d like to take WebEx across the college, but at the moment we are looking to see what courses would benefi t, and then the instructors have to be trained. A lot of the time when you bring in something new, people can be a bit scared of it; it took Angela a while to get the hang of it and she’s confi dent. It’s about fi nding the right groups of people. So while I’m looking to expand it, at the moment we are doing analysis on what could be and what is best.”

Li� le adds: “Since we now have the experience to show what it can do, I’m confi dent the rest of the college will see how benefi cial it can be.” www.cisco.com

Students no longer have to be released

from work for a day to a� end an hour-long course

28-29 T&LUK Dec 2016 Solutions_Final.indd 2 12/01/2016 11:24

January 201630

SOLUTIONS: SKY ACADEMY SKILLS STUDIOS

Sky Academy uses the power of TV, creativity and sport to help young people build practical skills and experience. Building on that, the Sky Academy Skills Studios enable youngsters to spend an entire day getting a real taste of life in the mediaSky Academy uses the power of TV, creativity and sport to help young people build practical skills and experience. Building

SKY’S THE LIMITt Sky Academy’s interactive learning experiences, the Sky Academy Skills Studios, children aged eight to 18 get

the chance to use the latest technology to make a TV report linked to the topics and subjects they are studying at school.

Sky Academy Skills Studios is part of Sky Academy, a set of initiatives using the power of TV, creativity and sport to help one million young people unlock their potential by 2020.

As a part of a day designed to inspire the next generation of the media, young people write, produce and direct a news bulletin,as well as experiencing a behind-the-scenes tour of Sky.

In London and Livingston in Scotland, Sky provides tailored lesson plans ahead of the trip to the Skills Studios, linked to the curriculum in subject such as maths, English, science and citizenship.

Alongside supporting curriculum learning, activities at Sky Academy Skills Studios are designed to help young people develop practical skills, such as creativity, teamwork and confidence, to help them succeed in life and in work.

BUILDING ON SUCCESSThe fi rst Sky Academy Skills Studio, which was launched at Sky’s headquarters in West London, has already seen more than 30,000 young people pass through its doors since opening in 2012.

Livingston, which launched in March 2015, is on track to have over 12,000 young people pass through its doors in its fi rst year alone. Thousands of young people, including GCSE and A-Level students, have already visited the Livingston learning facility to create bespoke news bulletins for school and college projects.

Students who visit the centre get a USB pen of their news report to take home to their family and friends.

The hands-on experience aims to help develop students’ life skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and self-management, while inspiring and educating them about careers in broadcasting.

Engage LDN, a technology production company, designed and constructed

the Livingston learning environment for Sky in Scotland. Steve Blyth, founder and CEO at the company, says: “Having worked with Sky before, we were excited when this amazing project presented itself. The challenge for us was to create an environment that looked and felt like a broadcast news studio, but could be used by people with li� le or no experience, in this case children, something that hasn’t been done before.

“What we’ve created is a truly immersive, fun environment where young people aged eight to 18 can use broadcast-ready cameras, green screens and touchscreen edit tables to get a taste of what it’s like to work for Sky,” enthuses Blyth.

GOING HIGH TECHEngage implemented green screens, broadcast-ready cameras, interactive LED walls, editing equipment and lots of other high-spec technology at Sky Livingston that has been designed so that it can all be managed from a single

iPad. Comments Blyth: “Technically we only need one member of staff to man the centre at any time.”

Blyth adds: “The main challenge for us was making advanced technology accessible and usable to children. The majority of people who work in these environments usually are fully trained in their fi eld of expertise, whether they are cameramen or video editors. We had to simplify the equipment in the studio so that young people with li� le or no experience of using technology pick up and use it easily.”

Speaking about the Sky Academy Skills Studio Livingston, Jack Eatherley, senior manager at Sky Academy, comments: “This was an incredibly innovative and exciting project to work on and what we’ve created together with Engage is something really impressive. We’ve already had thousands of young pupils through the doors and the feedback from both teachers and young people has been phenomenal.” www.engageworks.comh� p://teachers.sky.com

A

30 T&LUK Jan 2016 Solutions 2_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:29

ISE

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january 201632

PRODUCT FOCUS

Making collaboration and knowledge sharing simple

ith all the devices at our disposal today, the ability to work from anywhere at any

time is truly possible. However, when it comes to working as a team, things can become challenging.

Navigating these different technologies, from hardware such as tablets, to all the software available, from Apple’s iOS to Microsoft’s Windows, and add to that the myriad of types of content we can share, from videos and animations, to files and PowerPoint, and you have just made the issue of collaboration a lot harder.

However, stepping into the breach is a manufacturer of presentation technology solutions, Wolfvision, with Cynap. Cynap is a multi-functional knowledge-sharing solution for education and business, which enables users to access, display, record and share digital content material of all types, from a wide range of different sources.

Cynap is compatible with all iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices, and wireless bring your own device (BYOD) functionality allows up to four devices to share information simultaneously on screen, with up to 4K UHD output resolution.

With support for AirPlay and

W

WOLFVISION CYNAP

Miracast, and with dynamic content arrangement to optimise on-screen space, information of all types is easily mirrored onto any display, ready for instant sharing and distribution.

Information is easily available, whether stored locally or in the cloud, without many of the limitations often found on other devices, and files are also accessible for playback using a connected USB stick.

Lecture or meeting content can be streamed live or on demand via a streaming server. This allows remote students to access information regardless of geographic location. Deploying a streaming server, either locally or on the internet, has the added benefit that streams can be easily transcoded into multiple formats and

delivered to audiences of any size.On-board HD recording of all

multimedia presentation and lecture content is provided, and in addition, unlimited numbers of students on the same network as the presenter or lecturer can use WolfVision’s vSolution Capture app for iOS, Android and Windows, to receive and record a direct stream of presentation or lecture content direct from Cynap.

Students can personalise their own individual copy of the recorded stream by adding notes and annotations in real time, further enhancing the value of their own recordings.

When there is a requirement to also incorporate ‘live’ materials into presentations or recordings, Cynap can be used in combination with a WolfVision Visualizer System, enabling a combination of both digital and analogue content material to be shown on screen simultaneously.

WolfVision is a worldwide market provider of visualiser presentation systems, and manufactured the world’s first visualiser (or document camera) in 1988. In the education

sector, WolfVision’s visualisers and Cynap collaboration systems are primarily used in universities and higher education. Its domination of this market is demonstrated by the fact that more than 80% of UK universities are current customers of WolfVision.

Says Thomas Zangerle, WolfVision innovations and product manager: “Cynap is far more than just a wireless BYOD solution; it can play, display, record, and stream all commonly used digital files from any device or source. Furthermore it’s incredibly easy to use. I believe that Cynap is the first collaboration system that truly enables us to leverage our collective intelligence, both in the classroom and in the workplace.” www.wolfvision.com

KEY FEATURES Support for AirPlay and Miracast

BYOD functionality allows four devices to share information simultaneously on-screen

4K UHD output resolution

Compatible with all iOS, Android, Windows and Mac devices

Multi-functional knowledge sharing solution

‘Cynap is a powerful collaboration system that enables high performance presentation, recording and distribution of all types of multimedia content material’ Douglas Marsland, head of audiovisual services, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK

32 T&LUK Jan 2016 Product Focus 1_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:32

PRODUCT FOCUS

www.techandlearning.uk january 2016 33

eal learning happens when students are actively engaged in an interactive

environment. It is important that pupils who have been brought up surrounded by technology are kept keen by its use within the learning space.

With advanced collaboration and engagement tools, Kramer’s VIA range makes it easy for students and teachers to work together wirelessly, streaming video and presentations across multiple screens and rooms.

Designed by a professor, VIA was built with the daily user in mind. VIA’s user interface features a dashboard with easy to understand icons for a seamless experience. With VIA, students and teachers can focus on the course matter, not the technology that supports it.

There are several key products in the range. VIA Collage is a fully featured collaboration solution for any meeting space, while VIA Campus allows advanced collaboration for education and training environments. Meanwhile, VIA Connect Pro allows collaboration in mid-sized meeting rooms and huddle spaces. There is also the VIAPad, a small device that plugs into a laptop, which makes it easier to share the user’s screen.

These wireless connectivity and collaboration solutions support the needs of today’s bring your own device (BYOD) classrooms, faculty meeting rooms and boardrooms. Not only can VIA wirelessly connect Android and iOS tablets and phones, as well as PC and Apple computers, but it also allows

R

Teamwork with streaming video and presentations across multiple screens and rooms

KRAMER VIA KEY FEATURES

Full frame rate of 1080p 60fps streaming video

Allows multiple participants to access and change a single piece of content

Wirelessly connect Android and iOS devices, plus PC and Mac

BYOD classrooms, faculty meeting rooms and boardrooms supported

User-friendly dashboard

multiple participants to dynamically access and make changes to a single piece of content for true collaboration.

With video an essential part of the learning environment, VIA delivers smooth full frame rate HD video every time, so video can be easily integrated into the curriculum without concern about the quality. With an intuitive interface, collaborative features, enhanced data security and full frame rate (60fps) 1080p streaming video, both VIA Collage and VIA Connect Pro ensure that teachers are making the most of class time. All the products include iOS mirroring for MacBook, iPad and iPhone and Android mirroring (Lollipop OS 5.0 or newer).

VIA Collage offers meeting participants advanced collaboration tools for a wide range of spaces. With any laptop or mobile device, users can wirelessly share any size file, stream uninterrupted full HD video (up to

1080p60), turn the main display into a digital whiteboard and chat with other users. VIA Collage can show in 4K UHD up to six user screens on one main display or up to 12 screens on two displays. Users can also view the main display on their own device. Remote users can join the meeting and collaborate in real time with embedded third-party videoconferencing and office apps.

VIA Campus maximises the learning experience by making education environments more interactive. With any laptop or mobile device, students and teachers can view the main display, edit documents together in real time, turn the main display into a digital whiteboard, share any size file, and more. VIA Campus also lets teachers use e-polling and e-exams to instantly measure how much students are actually learning. VIA Campus can show up to six user screens on one main display or up to 12 screens

on two displays.VIA Connect PRO offers a

collaboration solution for small to mid-sized meeting rooms and huddle spaces. With any laptop or mobile device, meeting participants can share any size file, turn the main display into a digital whiteboard, chat with other users and stream full uninterrupted HD video (up to 1080p60). VIA Connect PRO can wirelessly show up to four user screens on a single main display.

And finally, VIA Site Management is a software application that lets administrators easily view and manage all VIA devices within the same network. They can check the status of each device and remotely maintain and configure devices and see who is logged in, as well as perform VIA software updates.

All in all, a great all-round solution for colleges and universities. www.true-collaboration.com

33 T&LUK Jan 2016 Product Focus 2_Final.indd 1 12/01/2016 11:46

Presented atISE 2016

january 201634

BACK PAGE PICKS

The Apple of education’s eye? Over 90% of respondents to a recent survey affi rm their schools or higher education institutions support the Apple platform. The growth of Mac and iPad devices in the classroom is a� ributed to Apple’s rich app ecosystem, overall appeal and user preference, native security features, and the reduction of overall costs associated with device maintenance.

This is a key fi nding from the second annual global survey of IT professionalson Apple adoption across enterprise, key stage four (KS4) level in schools, and higher education organisations from JAMF So� ware, provider of Appledevice management.

Altogether, 94% of KS4 and 97% of higher education organisations surveyed support the Apple platform. KS4 education participants report they saw an increase in the usage of Mac (42%) and iPad (36%) in 2015. Meanwhile, higher education participants report they saw an increase in the usage of Mac (57%) and iPad (29%) in 2015.

Finally, 67% of KS4 and 81% of higher education respondents say iPad is easier to manage than other platforms.

Enter the ISE 2016 Best of Show Awards now!There’s still time to enter the Best of Show Awards for Integrated Systems Europe 2016. The awards are open to any company showing a product at ISE 2016 that is new since the last show. For more details and to nominate a product visit www.newbay-awards.com. The deadline for entries is 29 January.

Ge� ing children to unplug at homeThe charity Action for Children (AfC) has found in its latest research that nearly a quarter of parents struggle to get their children to ‘unplug’ and take part in activities away from television, phone and computer screens. When asked which behaviour they found most diffi cult to control in their children, more parents said they struggled to limit technology-based activity (23%) than get children to eat healthily (19%), go to bed (18%), or do their homework (10%).

AfC off ers fi ve top tips to help parents get the whole family to unplug and play:• Plan fun activities for the whole family that don’t involve technology.• Create a weekly schedule on the principle of an hour of ‘energy in’ (technology use) equalling an hour of ‘energy out’ (other activities).• Tap into your own experience: when you were a child, what was your favourite game to play? Share these with your children.• Identify the challenges your children enjoy in the video games they play and replicate them – such as playing sports in the park or organising a board game night.• Practice what you preach: when your children are having screen-free time, turn off your devices too. Don’t waste the opportunity!

TOP TIPSRESEARCH

Coming up in Tech&LearningUK 2016

EDITORIAL CALENDAREVENT

Remember – you can follow Tech&Learning UK on Twi� er at @TechLearningUK and on the web at www.techandlearning.uk

Please send editorial submissions to [email protected]

AprilClassroom of the future, today Video technology and telepresenceHow to: Promote online safety Tech showcase: AR/VR

SeptemberUtilising the cloud Mobile devices as learning tools How to: Optimise WiFiTech showcase: Projectors

NovemberRelevance of game-based learningLearning management systems How to: Use e-books forengaging learning Tech showcase: Voting systems

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