Why do we need it? Implementing Broadband Linda Tomos

1. Why do we need it? Implementing Broadband Linda Tomos Chair, BBC Education Broadcasting Council for Wales

2. The Legacy

3. Changing times.. • People needed to be pro-active to improve their knowledge base and skill level • Learning perceived to be mainly restricted to institutional regimes • Computer technology largely a scientific number crunching concern • Librarians ‘control’ access to information through proprietary systems

4. New Challenges.. • Access to technology increasingly important to fully engage in daily life • People empowered by the Web (although not always to the desired effect) • Lifelong learning becoming embedded into every day life • Information literacy an essential skill

6. Meeting the Challenges • Establishing the strategy – Cymru Ar Lein • Capturing the needs of users • Identifying the stakeholders • Creating the infrastructure • Developing the partnerships • Supporting the players to develop and sustain services

7. Identifying Needs • Why broadband? • High quality learning services • Interactive e-government transactional services • Community regeneration and capacity building

8. Driving the Demand • Strategic approach facilitating effective use of the broadband lifelong learning network • Breaking down barriers to creating interoperable services providing seamless access to users • Engaging users through innovative, interesting and relevant services • Re-engineering organisational partnerships to support e-users

9. National Grid for Learning • Portal for lifelong long learning initially focused on the needs of schools • Developing high quality bilingual content • Supporting the take up of technology by teachers and mentors • Encouraging the use of interoperable systems and standards • Disseminating best practice on e-learning

10. Rhwydwaith y BoblPeople’s Network • £6.5m NOF lottery funding • From 200 (1999) to 2000 (2003) free Internet access computers in Welsh public libraries connected at least 2MB • Oxford Reference Online available to all library members in Wales at home, school and the workplace • All Welsh public librarians to receive ICT training by March 2004

11. Culturenet Cymru • Agency to encourage the innovative use of ICT by the cultural sector based on Kulturnet Danmark • Commission new content • Develop existing content (Gathering the Jewels, Cymryd Rhan) • Provide training, support and capacity building for organisations

12. International Women February 2003

13. “I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and take out a good book” …Groucho Marx

14. BBC Cymru Wales • Digital storytelling • Encouraging a sense of place and community • Helping to learn about technology without the baggage (learn by stealth) • Developing Learning Journeys

15. Careers Wales Online • Virtual information, advice and guidance environment • Encouraging everyone to reflect on their progression needs • Engaging users through interactive games, free storage space for CV. Etc • Focal point for employers and potential employees

16. Linc y Gogledd • Partnership between lifelong learning institutions in North Wales • Access to e-learning services, resources through the Web • Users can be supported via local public libraries • Widening participation in learning

17. What’s the Potential? • We succeed in widening opportunities for all in Wales • We enable Welsh public services to work more effectively and achieve more • We make people more ambitious in their expectations • We encourage people to embrace technology because it gives them tangible benefits

18. Linda Tomos elt@aber.ac.uk