Resetting the education system to ensure digital literacy
Caroline Kennard, international business development director at Encyclopaedia Britannica, discusses the technical revolution and how schools can prepare by increasing digital literacy… Parliament has recently launched an inquiry into the education system and its standards in what they have termed the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”. This inquiry focuses on the suitability of the current school curriculum with the increased use of technology in all aspects of life, including in the classroom and in the workforce. With the vast increase in the use of technology in all stages of life, students and teachers are facing a dilemma: how do they comprehensively develop digital literacy skills while also feeling engaged with the course materials. Responding to this challenge, the next way of curriculum being explored shifts the focus in the classroom from a more rigid formulaic exam route to a more creative curriculum that provides greater opportunities for engagement and the enrichment of learning. This need for an education that teaches reflection, critical thinking, and questioning is becoming more apparent, particularly as the importance of digital literacy grows alongside the digital and tech-centric workforce of the future. Additionally, despite the skills gap in the workforce, employers continue to have an expectation that the employees already possess the necessary skills to live, work, and succeed in a digital society. Further, this expectation relies on educators preparing pupils for life after schooling by making sure digital literacy is engraved throughout their course work. Responding to this deficit, education technology providers have recognised the necessity of ensuring digital literacy of students and have started to develop products that empower teachers and students in developing these skills. In particular, tools that help students filter our misinformation can be extremely beneficial for their overall learning, but also allows them to improve their ability to filter out less credible sources. The internet is arguably the most frequently used dataset by students and effectively leveraging education technology resources of this nature, identifies unique relationships and produces valuable insights that provide deeper context and connections. This ability to ensure the accuracy of information limits students’ use of untrustworthy knowledge-sources and protects them from online manipulation. Shifting the learning frameworks to focus on the substance of learning will allow students’ digital literacy skills to be developed more effectively. Instilling critical thinking skills, an awareness of the necessary standards of behavior expected in online environments, and an understanding of the shared social issues created by digital technologies, is not only best-practice, it is a prerequisite for ensuring the next generation are well-equipped to tackle the workforce of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. See Encyclopaedia Britannica to help improve digital literacy.
How the next generation of edtech empowers teachers
The edtech industry has rapidly grown in recent years, with tech giants, start-ups, and everything in between embracing educational initiatives. A simple analysis of the market’s growth reflects an emphasis on education reform Craig Scott, VP of technology at ViewSonic, explains how the most effective edtech resource is one which empowers teachers… Teachers shouldn’t have to learn tech to teach, and the next generation of EdTech is on a mission to provide holistic solutions to educators through interoperability, streamlined communication, and improved user experience (UX). However, greater consideration reveals that the EdTech market is at a crossroads that straddles commercially-driven oversaturation, and altruistic educational goals. When it comes to EdTech, I say without hesitation, the most effective resource you can have is an empowered teacher. However, through little fault of their own, teachers often lack the confidence to teach using tech. Many have either been insufficiently trained on specific resources, limiting them experiencing the full benefits of its functionality and capabilities, or simply don’t have the confidence to use the technology that appears in their classrooms overnight, much less how to teach it to students. As a result, the decisions they make about using it in their classroom often fail to make any real impact on teaching or learning. Empowering teachers For technology to be embraced and adopted by teachers, it needs to be holistic, reliable, streamlined, easy-to-use and simple to implement; from experience, this is exactly what the next generation of edtech providers is determined to provide to educators. When fully understood and used correctly, audio-visual (AV) systems such as digital whiteboards, interactive screens with multi-touch functionality and tablets for example, have the potential to create a wholly immersive and engaging learning environment. Through the use of digital whiteboards alone, teachers are able to display rich content and dynamic example, making their lessons more effective, engaging and creative. And as teachers become more confident with these types of technology, they can encourage students to interact with activities and tasks relating to the lesson – be that through full-colour images, detailed diagrams, or even video content, helping to encourage active learning, all the while promoting a more inclusive environment. We have to remember that today’s students are digital natives; they gravitate towards technology and use it with ease. Being able to use technology to bring concepts to life in a visual way, either through images or video, can really improve their classroom experience, and in turn, significantly increase their level of engagement. Benefitting students Active learning is also a good way to bring students together, regardless of their abilities or skills. Traditionally, students are put in pairs or small groups and asked to work around one computer or several books. However, the challenge here is that one student tends to take the lead, leaving the others to sit either side, meaning they often lose interest or switch off. Introducing effective edtech resources means teachers are able to simply and easily set tasks and get groups working on the same board at the same time, giving each member more of an active role, and equal responsibility. The quality of the work carried out by students is also improved as teachers become more confident introducing new technologies to set homework and incorporating it into projects. When edtech empowers teachers, it empowers each and every student sitting in front of those teachers – the edtech leaders of tomorrow. Surely, this should be the ultimate aim of all edtech providers? It certainly is for ViewSonic. Visit ViewSonic at Bett 2019 at Stand D180 or go to viewsonic.com for more information.
Cybersecurity disconnect poses problem for school technology
An employee study has revealed the education sector is investing in smart workplace technology and seeing better productivity, skills and wellbeing, but that risky behaviour is opening up potential cybersecurity threats. Employees in the education sector are reporting greater productivity, wellbeing and the development of new skills as a by-product of the introduction of digital technology, according to a global study from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. Our study of 1,096 employees revealed what those in the education sector, both independent and state schools, want and expect from technology, how they rate the performance of their workplaces, and what the priorities for investment should be going forward, as institutions face up to the opportunities and challenges of becoming a digital workplace. Key themes and findings include: · Investment leads to improvement: Two-thirds (64%) of education employees revealed that tech investments had been made in the last year, improving connectivity and allowing staff to conduct their jobs more efficiently. These investments also looked to be paying off: Over seven in ten (74%) reported increased productivity, as well as greater staff well-being (65%) and the opportunity to develop new skills (74%). · Education of the future: Nearly half (45%) of respondents working in private education believe digital technologies are helping foster better collaboration among team members, while state education employees see it as a means to simplify tasks so they can accomplish more during the day (43%). With this in mind, the sector’s desire for more automation within the workplace is perhaps unsurprising – more than two-thirds (68%) of employees across both state and private education agreed that automating tasks would be beneficial for the future of work. · A security disconnect emerges: A worrying disconnect is forming among employees between their understanding of the importance of security, and their willingness to take risks. Just under half (49%) of education employees admit they rarely (if ever) think about cybersecurity, despite 91% acknowledging the importance of cybersecurity when questioned. In addition over three-quarters (76%) believe there is room for improvement in the way connected tech is managed and controlled. The road to a smarter, secure classroom Jonathon Hickey, Operations Director at Crofton School, recently implemented a new wireless network across the school: “Staff are more productive, they can move from class to class without their connection dropping,” he said. “Before, we were limited to three to four classrooms with strong enough wireless connectivity, but now we can turn any room into an IT suite.” In regard to technological innovation, Hickey is optimistic for the future: “We’re just at the tip of the iceberg. The challenge we currently face is to not be content with what we have, but to push ourselves to investigate what other technological innovations we can implement in order to improve the way we teach. Of course, it can be hard for any educator to find the time to think about improvements, but by streamlining processes and enabling a more digital workplace, we can drive greater efficiencies which will free up space in the day to innovate and try new things.” According to Simon Wilson, CTO, UK & I, at Aruba, the education industry has the opportunity to evolve the way teaching is conducted, using enhanced technology in a secure way. He said: “Educators have only just scratched the surface when it comes to tech implementation. Many are seeing improvements and greater efficiency through better wireless connectivity alone but there is so much more they can do – particularly if they want to match the IT experience most children have today at home. “Now that many institutions have invested and built the digital foundations, they have an opportunity to take advantage of children’s natural enthusiasm for using IT and really innovate and challenge the traditional way of teaching. In order for teachers to be able to do so, however, they can’t be shackled by the fear of cyber risk. By implementing automation technology it will provide the assistance and protection educators need to push themselves further.” A CARTA approach to security An autonomous approach to security is increasingly becoming an imperative as mobile and remote working becomes the norm. This new paradigm creates the need for smart digital workplaces that deliver secure and reliable, optimised and personalised experiences that will foster employee creativity, collaboration, and speed, without clunky security systems causing barriers. To succeed, Gartner has recommended a Continuous Adaptive Risk and Trust Assessment (CARTA) approach to security which leans heavily on AI, Analytics and Automation to embrace the opportunities and manage the risks of digital business. This leads to a more productive and more motivated employee, with a greater sense of job satisfaction. To what extent are you prioritising security within your workplace? Take the Digital Workforce IQ assessment to find out. Research methodology A total of 7,000 employees were interviewed in April and May 2018 by Vanson Bourne, an independent specialist in market research for the technology sector. The respondents were from organizations of all sizes, across both public and private sectors, with a focus on the industrial, government, retail, healthcare, education, finance, and IT/technology/telecommunications sectors. Interviews were conducted both online and via telephone using a rigorous multi-level screening process to ensure that only suitable candidates were given the opportunity to participate. Respondents were interviewed in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, United Arab Emirates, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Australia, India, Brazil, Mexico, China and South Korea. About Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, is a leading provider of next-generation networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes worldwide. The company delivers IT solutions that empower organizations to serve the latest generation of mobile-savvy users who rely on cloud-based business apps for every aspect of their work and personal lives. To learn more about cybersecurity, visit Aruba at arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook, and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com/
How Clifton College found data backup solutions
Clifton College independent public boarding school in Bristol has improved its data retention, backup and disaster recovery thanks to Arcserve IT solutions. Clifton College is one of the UK’s top independent schools with nearly 2,000 students aiming to deliver a modern IT strategy. To achieve this they needed an effective backup and recovery solution that accommodated their growing amount of data but also protected their students and staff. The IT team struggled with low data retention, high backup failure rate and false ‘successful’ backups without notification – leaving their backup and recovery process time-consuming and inefficient. It would take the IT team half a day to fix problems which ultimately affected the performance across the school’s network. With the help of Cristie Cloud BaaS with Arcserve’s (Arcserve) UDP solution, Clifton College has seen a number of improvements, including: Recovery Point Objectives from 24 hours to 15 minutes 30 days data retention on-site and over one year off-site with multiple restore points Scalable data storage for the estimated 5 to 6 TB of data growth every six months Richard Edwards, head of IT systems at Clifton College, said: “If we lost a pupil’s coursework that could have an impact on the rest of their lives – so it’s critical that we have a backup solution that’s dependable, reliable and we know works well.” For more information, see the Arcserve website.
Climb Academy – 84% of pupils feel there isn’t enough information on digital careers
A concerning 84% of young people have advised they don’t feel there is enough information available on how to pursue a career within digital sectors, according to new research by the Climb Academy, an online training platform founded by BBC Apprentice Winner, Mark Wright. The research, which surveyed 1,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 34 on their perceptions of digital skills, also revealed that nearly half of respondents [46%] felt that obtaining experience within a digital sector, such as coding or digital marketing, would improve their job opportunities, where a further 26% felt that an understanding of digital sectors would future-proof their job roles. The survey follows recent reports that the digital skills gap could cost the UK £141 Billion in GDP growth*, as more and more professionals struggle to keep pace with the advancing technological landscape. On discussing the Climb Academy’s recent findings, Mark said: “Despite the continued advances in technology and exponential growth in digital industries, it’s clear that we as a society simply cannot keep pace. “What’s most interesting about the survey results, however, is that this skills gap evidently extends to young professionals as well, where the majority have confirmed they don’t feel there is enough information or support on the different career paths available through digital. “This is somewhat alarming, but with the right careers guidance and training platforms and opportunities in place, it can be rectified.” Other take outs from the research include: Over one third [38%] of young professionals spend in excess of 4 hours per day on their mobile device. Half of respondents [53%] selected Facebook as their preferred social media channel, closely followed by Instagram [37%]. A massive 83% of respondents felt that professionals of all ages would benefit from learning digital skills, including digital marketing and coding. A quarter of young professionals learn best by watching video content Mark finished: “Digital industries offer a wealth of exciting career paths for young professionals, ranging from web development to cybersecurity. The educational sector needs to place as much importance on promoting the benefits of these roles as they do vocational careers. “Without a growth in digitally skilled professionals, very few members of society are going to be able to grasp and understand the tech landscape as it continues to develop and evolve, where cybersecurity breaches will become a paramount concern.” Launched in Spring 2018, the Climb Academy has been developed in partnership with leading edtech firm, e-Careers and digital marketing professionals from Climb Online, the digital marketing agency owned in partnership between Mark Wright and Lord Sugar. Its entry-level course provides the opportunity for professionals to enter the digital marketing sector or for existing professionals to enhance their digital skillset. For more details, visit: climb.academy
Is Outsourcing ICT Support Becoming Inevitable in Education?
Martin Pipe, Head of Service Scope & Design at RM Education, explores the growing trend in schools seeking to outsource or co-source their IT support services as a measure to not only save time and cost, but to manage risks, access expertise and future-proof their technology provision. According to RM Education’s latest annual survey, a growing number of schools are now considering outsourcing and co-sourcing their IT support in order to keep up with the constant changes in technologyand minimise overall support costs. As moving to the cloud continues to help schools drive down expenditure and enhance learning, educational institutions of all sizes are also beginning to look for IT partners who can not only help them transition to the cloud, but provide ongoing IT support and expertise as the breadth of available technologies develops. In guidance issued in July this year, the Department for Education (DfE) reiterated that the marketplace is increasingly seeing cloud services as the way forward, but advises schools to select a knowledgeable and experienced service provider that shares the school vision and can provide both initial and ongoing assistance. They also stipulate that ‘as the complexity of locally hosted, school based ICT solutions increases, it can become more and more challenging to ensure the same level of reliability in respect of the ICT provision in schools’ – making the support of a trusted partner in this journey essential. So what are the key influencing factors driving a growing number of schools to outsource or co-source? Central motivators “You’d think there would be a clear starting point, but the motivators for outsourcing IT services are different for every school as it depends entirely on the long-term and unique issues they face,” says Martin. “However, there’s often a more critical driver, such as their existing systems aren’t working well enough, technology is too slow or failing during lessons, infrastructure isn’t supporting new apps and software, the cost of in-house IT support is too high or they’ve had a change of senior leadership who has brought in new ideas.” Cost is still a prominent factor in the decision to outsource IT support and services – almost half the schools surveyed cited cost as a central influence for bringing in third party support – whilst riskmanagement is another key driver, both from a technical and a staff perspective. Outsourcing IT support allows schools to transfer the risk of day-to-day mishaps and any other risks associated with IT to the service provider, as well as providing cover for sickness and holidays. It also minimises any disruptions from technology, as IT partners providing managed services to schools can run proactive checks on the schools’ systems throughout the day to instantly pick up and rectify issues before they become a problem. Conversely, co-sourcing IT support can fill in gaps in internal expertise and save schools time, money, and effort in recruiting additional staff. By combining services from within the school and from a well-chosen partner, both parties can work to achieve the same goals. Bridging the gap However, perhaps the greatest motivator of all is no longer simply about cost, but about addressing the widening technology skills gap; in today’s competitive marketplace and with technology moving at a rapid pace, schools are finding it increasingly difficult to attract the right type of IT specialists to support them. This trend is again reflected in RM’s survey, with 60% of schools citing the need for additional skills and expertise as the most important motivating factor. “Schools have so many of their own challenges that recruiting top IT talent – quite understandably – tends not to be their main priority,” says Martin. “However, the problem is that when they do try to find the right staff, the marketplace is tough – they’re competing with the enterprise IT market and candidates can often get much more from an organisation than from a school. “As technology becomes an increasingly integral part of education, schools need IT expertise in multiple types of technology, which leaves them with two choices; to find a single IT support specialist with the knowledge and expertise of five different people, which is almost impossible – or to employ multiple experts to cover the vast range of technologies, which is very expensive. “When an IT issue occurs that goes beyond the expertise held locally – such as server failure, or pupils not being able to log into something – schools have to rely solely on their Network Support Manager or IT technician, who may not always be able to help. This puts schools in a vulnerable situation as it could ultimately lead to hours of lost teaching time and major classroom disruptions. “And that’s where outsourcing or co-sourcing IT support can become a major advantage for schools, as whatever the issue, they have access to the infinite expertise of a much larger organisation with every possible skillset they need.” Reclaiming time But while existing IT support staff may perceive outsourcing as a threat, the reality is often that they are not only benefiting from broadening their skillset by working with third party IT support providers, butare actually freed up to concentrate on offering more practical, hands-on IT support around the school. The DfE’s guidelines agree that ‘reducing the costs of managing and supporting a school’s ICT infrastructure can make more effective use of available in-house technical support’ and that ‘staff may be refocused away from purely technical support of a multitude of in-house systems towards supporting the uptake of the ICT and thus delivering improved benefits for the teaching and learning outcomes.’ Martin adds: “When you think about the sheer scale of what an IT technician has to do – from in-class support for teachers using ICT and proactive and reactive management and repair to monitoring security updates and load times and everything in between, it’s becoming almost impossible for them to achieve everything on their list without the support of a third party. “For Network Managers, the plethora of responsibilities is even more pronounced; in addition to network and server management they have to manage tight budgets, constantly monitor performance, implement and manage filtering and safeguarding policies, produce monthly reports and manage their team – as well as staying up to date on the changing technologies and developing an intrinsic understanding of how they can support teaching and learning. Ultimately, that model isn’t sustainable.” Bringing in a third party IT partner allows IT technicians, Network Managers and Business Managers to reclaim the headspace they need to focus on the more important tasks; rather like having a smoke alarm – you can confidently walk around your house knowing that if anything happens, you’ll be told. A good IT partner should understand