You are on page 1of 49
 
1
THE STATE OF ILT IN FE COLLEGES
Report to the National Learning Network Programme Board Of A Survey Into Information And Learning Technology Provision, Access And Policy In FE Colleges In England with additional information drawn from updated college ILT strategies.
 
by Bob Powell Steve Davies November 2001
 
2
Acknowledgements
Bob Powell is Associate Director: Lifelong Learning at Becta. Steve Davies is Project Officer with the Ferl team and carried out the bulk of the statistical analysis. Claire Gill and Sarah Swaney of the Ferl team provided cogent analysis of the college ILT strategy updates. The questionnaire was based on one initially developed for the 1999 survey by Alison Page of Becta. This survey, like its predecessors, has benefited from the comments and observations of a range of individuals and agencies, including members of the FE ILT Committee and its successor body, the National Learning Network Programme Board, officers of the Department for Education and Skills, the Learning and Skills Council, the Learning and Skills Development Agency (formerly FEDA), NILTA and the Joint Information Systems Committee. Particular thanks are due to Kevin Donovan of LSDA, who organised a one day seminar on evaluation of the impact of ILT, with particular reference to the National Learning Network, at which the main findings of this report were first aired, and to the members of that group for their feedback. The online survey facility was provided by Infopoll.
 
3 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ 2 The State of ILT in FE colleges ..................................................................................... 5 Report of a Survey into Information and Learning Technology provision, access and policy in FE colleges in England, September 2001 ............................................ 5 1. Management Summary .......................................................................................... 5 1.1 Overall summary ................................................................................................ 5 1.2 The survey .......................................................................................................... 5 1.3 College computer infrastructure ........................................................................ 5 Computer stock .......................................................................................................... 5 Local Area Networks ................................................................................................. 6 Internet Connectivity ................................................................................................. 6 1.4 Access to Computers.......................................................................................... 6 Managing demand for computer use.......................................................................... 7 Staff access to computers ........................................................................................... 7 1.5 Uses of ILT ........................................................................................................ 7 Access to Email.......................................................................................................... 8 Intranet and Extranet .................................................................................................. 8 Virtual Learning Environments and Student tracking ............................................... 8 1.6 Staff skills .......................................................................................................... 8 1.7 ILT Champions .................................................................................................. 8 1.9 Access in the community ................................................................................... 9 2 The Survey ........................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Context and purpose of the study..................................................................... 10 2.2 Survey methodology and response .................................................................. 10 3. Infrastructure ............................................................................................................ 12 3.1 College computer stock ...................................................................................... 12 3.2 Baseline specification ........................................................................................ 13 3.3 Local Area Network ........................................................................................... 16 3.4 LAN Performance .............................................................................................. 17 3.5 Internet Connectivity ....................................................................................... 19 3.6 Constraints on Internet use............................................................................... 20 4. Access to Computers................................................................................................ 22 4.1 Access for learners ............................................................................................. 22 Access to Internet
 – 
enabled computers..................................................................... 23 4.2 Managing demand for student access ................................................................ 24 4.3 Location of computers for learners .................................................................... 26 4.4 Access for Staff .................................................................................................. 27 4.5 Mode of access for staff ..................................................................................... 28 5. Uses of ILT .............................................................................................................. 30 5.1 Staff Use of the LAN/ Intranet........................................................................... 30 5.2 Access to Email.................................................................................................. 33 5.3 Intranet and Extranet use ................................................................................... 34 5.4 Virtual Learning Environments and Student tracking ....................................... 35 5.5 Tracking Learner Activity................................................................................ 37 6. Staff skills ............................................................................................................... 39 6.1 Staff IT and ILT Competence ............................................................................ 39 8 Access in the community ..................................................................................... 43 8.1 Providing access in the community ................................................................. 43 8.2 Use of community links ................................................................................... 44

Reward Your Curiosity

Everything you want to read.
Anytime. Anywhere. Any device.
No Commitment. Cancel anytime.
576648e32a3d8b82ca71961b7a986505