Virtual Learning Network

The IT industry (along with the MoE) has carried out a survey of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in New Zealand schools since 1993.

A special focus of the most recent report is on schools’ readiness for ultra-fast broadband (UFB), given that the Government has prioritised school connections as part of its urban UFB and rural RBI (rural broadband initiative) rollouts. The Government has also recently announced a national Network for Learning (NfL), supporting all schools. Other special areas of focus for this report are:

• School ICT infrastructure, including: the use of networks; software in use by schools; and ICT related equipment and its teaching applications.

• Internet access and usage.

 • Internet safety strategies.

 • ICT planning and funding in schools.

 • eLearning developments.

 • Use of online resources.

 • Principals’ attitudes towards the use of ICT in schools.

 • ICT in schools and the wider community.

 • Use of social software.

 • Procurement of IT equipment and services.

http://www.2020.org.nz/template/ict_2011_final_report.pdf

Particular areas that interested me:

• Trends emerging around the need for more understanding and support about ultra-fast broadband in schools. (P 17)

• Equally interesting to see what the Internet is being used for most frequently and how students get access (or are blocked) from social networking and social software sites. (P 25, 28)

• The survey results show, 

"...there as been an increase in the percentage of schools that do not use social software for educational purposes and "Fewer schools are making use of social software for creating or publishing their own entries."

• Instances where respondants don't know whether or not their students have access to computers at home or the Internet (P 30), the weighting of Internet filtering in schools (P 34), emerging needs to address digital citizenship, with some exellent reading on this on pages 102-105.

• Trends in BYOD:

"Most secondary school students are allowed to bring their own portable digital devices to school...However, significantly fewer primary students are allowed to bring in such devices."

• More interesting statistics on how ICT is used in the Curriculum and for Maori, as well as the software used and how frequently. (P 57 - 65).

• There are emerging implications for e-learning PLD opportunities from here on. (P 67 - 69). 

• The networking and purchasing information at the end of the report will help schools as they gain acess to the ultra-fast broadband initiatives.

• Some proactive uses of ICT to connect with parents (P 97).

• Assessing the value of ICT in education is also invaluabe section of the report (P 91), in fact the whole report is worth reading over and over again (thinking out loud).

• The levels of teacher adoption of ICT (P 98 - 99) fits well with the new e-Learning Planning Framework.

Can you see yourself in this report?