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THE IMPORTANCE OF ICT IN DELIVERING THE LSC’S AGENDA Caroline Neville National Director of Policy & Development Learning & Skills Council. 4 March 2003 JISC Conference. What is the LSC.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF ICT IN DELIVERING THE LSC’S AGENDACaroline Neville National Director of Policy & DevelopmentLearning & Skills Council 4 March 2003 JISC Conference
What is the LSC • LSC is responsible for planning, development and funding of all English post-16 education (except HE) and skills development: • Further Education • Sixth Form Colleges and School Sixth Forms • Adult and Community Learning • Workforce development • Work-based learning • UfI and UK Online Annual Budget: £7 Billion (rising to £9 billion) 6 million learners
LSC Corporate Plan – vision • to raise participation and attainment, through • high-quality education and training. • by 2010, young people and adults in England • will have knowledge and productive skills • matching the best in the world. LSC Corporate Plan
Our key targets • Increase the proportion of 16 year olds staying on in education and achieving level 2 • Improve the skills of the workforce • Raise the quality of provision • Increase the demand for learning
Why is ICT important to LSC? • The government agenda is that the Information Age must benefit the many – not just the few • ICT enables people to: • Acquire knowledge and develop skills • Develop confidence and self esteem • Pursue leisure interests and opportunities • Publish and broadcast their opinions and ideas • Support and develop small businesses • Be empowered to campaign and participate in the democraticprocess
What is the significance of ICT for education? • The information age has the potential to transform education • Move from formal and passive learning to more interactive learning • Attitudes to learning are often influenced by previous experiences of academic success or failure • People need supported access to the technology, sufficient skills and the motivation to take charge of their own personal development
NLN Strategic Framework 2002-5 – Vision • Barriers to access to lifelong learning will be progressively removed • All education professionals will be routinely using the full range of facilities that ILT offers • Learners will be able to take full advantage of learning opportunities regardless of mode and place of study • Learning managers and facilitators will be able to make more efficient and effective use of resources • Business and accountability processes will be simplified
National Learning Network (NLN) 1999-2002 • All colleges connected to Joint Academic Network • Access to services previously only available to HE • 1000 hours of quality online learning materials • Regional Support Centres set up • College ILT strategies • ILT Champions • Targets set for ratios (and nearly achieved) : • PCs : teaching staff 1:1 • PCs : students 1:5
Current short term objectives • Reinforce the NLN ‘brand’ and strengthen our work with partners • Further materials development and implementation • Staff development programme • Extend NLN to Adult & Community Learning and Specialist Colleges • Support for local LSCs in the development of their e-learning strategies • Evaluation of NLN phase 1 now complete – phase 2 is underway
In 5 years we look to establish a fully connected learning community Learning materials Infrastructure Learning systems and data NILTA RSCs Becta/Ferl LSDA UKERNA JISC First class support services Enthusiastic well trained staff Best practice
DfES/LSC Joint Implementation Group • Success for All • DfES Get on with IT report • LSC DELG Report recommendations • Implementation Plan – June 2003
How ICT/e-Learning will assist our learning targets • Engagement of learners, especially young people • Improve retention • Better ‘knowledge’ access will improve achievements • ‘any time, any place’ will remove barriers
How ICT/e-Learning will assist our skills and WFD targets • ‘any time, any place’ will remove barriers • E-learning in the workplace is a better ‘route to market’ for many learners • E-learning lends itself particularly to basic skills needs • E-portfolios and APL reduce the stress of qualifications achievement
Challenges for JISC • The change from HE to FE/HE was not unduly difficult. Can the step change to include, on a parity basis, the LSC target audience of ALL adults and post-14 young people (some 20 million) be accommodated? • Will JISC’s traditional customer base be affected by such a change? • How can we build quickly upon that which works and is valuable to such an enlarged community? • Will JISC be truly responsive to all the Government’s targets for the LSC?