Overview of e-learning: aims and priorities Diana Laurillard Head, e-Learning Strategy Unit

Proposed e-learning strategy – taking us to a 21stC education system Flexible provision Creativity and innovation Better value for learners A 21st century education system Learners empowered A professional workforce Raising standards Improving quality Removing barriers to achievement Widening participation Preparing for employment skills EARLY YEARS PRIMARY SECONDARY 14-19 SKILLS POST-16 HE Objectives of current DfES strategies Individualised learning Personalised support Collaborative learning Tools for innovation Virtual environments Flexible study Online communities Quality at scale Contributions from e-learning Leading sustainable e-learning Supporting innovation in teaching and learning Developing the education workforce Building a better e-learning market Aligning assessment Assuring technical and quality standards Unifying learner support The diagram represents a summary of what the proposed strategy is aiming for. The overall vision is an education system that meets the needs of a 21st century society and its citizens – learners who are empowered to play their part in managing their own personal development throughout life the opportunity for creativity and innovation in learning and teaching flexible provision of learning opportunities that meet the needs of all learners, not just the convenience of the providers better value for learners in terms of the way they spend their time and the standards and learning outcomes they achieve a professional workforce and fulfilled citizens The Department’s current strategies all share the kinds of objectives that will move us towards the education system we need. All our age-related strategies, from early years to lifelong learning, share objectives such as raising standards, improving quality, removing barriers to achievement… these are common themes for the Department. All these objectives can be achieved more quickly, or more completely, through e-learning. E-learning takes many forms – it refers to any way of using computing technologies to assist learning or teaching. It offers interactive support and feedback to the individual learner – it can personalise information to a user’s own requirements – interactive technologies bring people together to share what they do as they collaborate online – it offers digital tools for manipulating data, or designs, or information so that learners and teachers can be creative – it can mimic real environments to allow learners to play and practice before moving onto the possibly more dangerous or more complex real world environment – it offers more varied ways of studying in any place, at any time, at any pace – communication technologies create online communities of practice to support the exchange and improvement of ideas – and digital technology achieves both improved quality and economies of scale, if managed appropriately. We have experimented with all these forms of e-learning, and can show that under the right conditions they can generate significant benefits for learners and teachers and learning communities. However, although much has been achieved, we have not yet embedded e-learning in our education systems, and with only patchy success we will not be able to generate the 21st century education system we like to envisage. To achieve that step-change, to move to using e-learning in such a way that it makes radical improvements to teaching and learning, we need to focus on 7 key areas for action. the most important is leadership – engaging leaders at all levels in understanding what e-learning can do, and supporting them in achieving and sustaining change to a more effective blend of teaching methods innovation is essential as we have a lot to discover about how to exploit these technologies, and innovation in pedagogy should be a natural part of every teacher’s professional life in order to do that, teachers need more extensive initial training and professional development and for some teachers, reward and incentives to shift their workload patterns and develop career trajectories that focus more on e-learning alongside other methods of teaching in supporting learners as they move between different educational institutions and workplace environments, we have to ensure that the information and management systems we use are joined up enough to provide the best support assessment is critical because it always is an important driver in education, and if it is not aligned with progress and innovation, it will become a powerful barrier. And ICT systems enhance both the formative and summative aspects of assessment. the market for e-learning products is very fragmented, making it difficult for innovative small companies to thrive, and yet also making it difficult for teachers and learners to act as intelligent consumers who drive improvement – teachers, suppliers, learners and government all have a part to play in building a better market and technology always needs standards – technical standards to make sure all the systems and software products interoperate, wherever they are used, and quality standards to provide assurance to learners that they are getting products and services that work. Our proposal is that we need all these characteristics of the system to work in tandem – we cannot do without any one of them if we are serious about embedding e-learning across all sectors of education Strategic actions to embed e-learning across all sectors Proposed e-learning strategy – taking us to a 21stC education system

Creativity and innovation Flexible provision Learners empowered Creativity and innovation Flexible provision Better value for learners A professional workforce A 21st century education system Raising standards Improving quality Removing barriers to achievement Widening participation Preparing for employment skills EARLY YEARS PRIMARY SECONDARY 14-19 SKILLS POST-16 HE Objectives of current DfES strategies Individualised learning Personalised support Collaborative learning Tools for innovation Virtual environments Flexible study Online communities Quality at scale Contributions from e-learning Leading sustainable e-learning Supporting innovation in teaching and learning Developing the education workforce Building a better e-learning market Aligning assessment Assuring technical and quality standards Unifying learner support Strategic actions to embed e-learning across all sectors Proposed e-learning strategy – taking us to a 21stC education system

Raising standards Improving quality Removing barriers to achievement Widening participation Preparing for employment skills Flexible provision Creativity and innovation Better value for learners A 21st century education system Learners empowered A professional workforce Objectives of current DfES strategies Raising standards Improving quality Removing barriers to achievement Widening participation Preparing for employment skills EARLY YEARS PRIMARY SECONDARY 14-19 SKILLS POST-16 HE Individualised learning Personalised support Collaborative learning Tools for innovation Virtual environments Flexible study Online communities Quality at scale Contributions from e-learning Leading sustainable e-learning Supporting innovation in teaching and learning Developing the education workforce Building a better e-learning market Aligning assessment Assuring technical and quality standards Unifying learner support Strategic actions to embed e-learning across all sectors Proposed e-learning strategy – taking us to a 21stC education system

Individualised learning Personalised support Collaborative learning Tools for innovation Virtual environments Flexible study Online communities Quality at scale Flexible provision Creativity and innovation Better value for learners A 21st century education system Learners empowered A professional workforce Raising standards Improving quality Removing barriers to achievement Widening participation Preparing for employment skills EARLY YEARS PRIMARY SECONDARY 14-19 SKILLS POST-16 HE Objectives of current DfES strategies Contributions from e-learning Leading sustainable e-learning Supporting innovation in teaching and learning Developing the education workforce Building a better e-learning market Aligning assessment Assuring technical and quality standards Unifying learner support Strategic actions to embed e-learning across all sectors Proposed e-learning strategy – taking us to a 21stC education system

Leading sustainable e-learning Flexible provision Creativity and innovation Better value for learners A 21st century education system Learners empowered A professional workforce Raising standards Improving quality Removing barriers to achievement Widening participation Preparing for employment skills EARLY YEARS PRIMARY SECONDARY 14-19 SKILLS POST-16 HE Objectives of current DfES strategies Leading sustainable e-learning Supporting innovation in teaching and learning Developing the education workforce Building a better e-learning market Aligning assessment Assuring technical and quality standards Unifying learner support Individualised learning Personalised support Collaborative learning Tools for innovation Virtual environments Flexible study Online communities Quality at scale Contributions from e-learning Strategic actions to embed e-learning across all sectors Proposed e-learning strategy – taking us to a 21stC education system

Do you agree with our vision for e-learning? Flexible provision Creativity and innovation Better value for learners A 21st century education system Learners empowered A professional workforce Raising standards Improving quality Removing barriers to achievement Widening participation Preparing for employment skills EARLY YEARS PRIMARY SECONDARY 14-19 SKILLS POST-16 HE Objectives of current DfES strategies Do you agree with our vision for e-learning? Individualised learning Personalised support Collaborative learning Tools for innovation Virtual environments Flexible study Online communities Quality at scale Contributions from e-learning Leading sustainable e-learning Supporting innovation in teaching and learning Developing the education workforce Building a better e-learning market Aligning assessment Assuring technical and quality standards Unifying learner support Strategic actions to embed e-learning across all sectors Proposed e-learning strategy – taking us to a 21stC education system

Leading sustainable e-learning Medium term Organisational planning Leadership training e-administration Cross-organisation Cross-sector Institutional funding models Resource-planning tools Quality of e-learning provision Support education leaders Build collaborative partnerships Sustainable e-learning Standards for baseline provision

Leading sustainable e-learning Longer term Effective, unified provision for all education and training Accessibility for disadvantaged learners Mix of public and private funding to ensure personal access Advice and support for integration Broadband connectivity Accessibility for all Universal access Integrate e-learning and e-administration

Supporting innovation Medium term National databank of e-learning resources and digital assets Pathfinders to test local- central support models Intensive evaluation studies New approaches to cost-benefit analyses Community of practice for e-learning research and evaluation Role of subject associations Networks of subject-based centres of excellence Mix of public and private funding to ensure personal access Embracing the new pedagogies Focus on shortage subject areas Establish the appropriate evaluation methodologies

Supporting innovation Longer term Cross-sector R&D programme to generate new kinds of e-learning activities Action research for teachers and lecturers as reflective practitioners National practice-based research programme Focus on learners with special needs to ensure greatest impact Interactive diagnostic tests and remediation Focus on removing barriers to learning Build a practice-oriented research environment

Developing the education workforce Medium term Professional updating for educators, trainers and support staff Training on use and evaluation of e-learning by subject area Use of e-learning for professional development, including part-time staff Guidance on e-learning for each discipline Improved access for teacher training Guidance for support staff for e-learning Initial qualifications Professional development

Developing the education workforce Longer term Professional standards, new career paths and incentives to strengthen e-learning professionals Higher level qualifications for leadership and specialist skills for e-learning Higher level qualifications Career and workload

Unifying learner support Medium – longer term Unified e-systems between institutions, agencies, Government services Wider rollout of unique learner number Principle of online learner advice, guidance and self-diagnostics for learning, progression and career development Principle that all education and training organisations contribute to e-portfolios and learner progression E-portfolios for lifelong learning Knowledge management for learner support Online advice, guidance and diagnostics

Aligning assessment Medium term ICT for formative assessment for all E-assessment methods for specific subjects Align e-skills with assessment, by subject Support Skills Strategy through e-assessment Education staff development programmes on e-assessment ICT for formative assessment for all Action research pilots to test and improve formats Develop formative assessment Align assessment to the needs of pedagogy and subjects E-learning skills for life

Aligning assessment Longer term Online assessment and administration for public examinations E-learning and e-assessment included in unitisation and credits at all levels Credit framework to fit e-learning Efficient assessment

Building a better e-learning market Medium term Investigate models for tendering and procurement Engage small and large companies in digital resources market Collaboration between digital resources for education and games Promote user requirements for creative learning and interoperability with digital resources industry Successful educational software A thriving market

Building a better e-learning market Longer term Educators to lead and engage in innovation Develop generic e-learning design tools for learners and teachers Advice and guidance on IPR and copyright practice Technical solutions for IPR Licensing arrangements across sectors IPR best practice and support Innovation

Assuring technical and quality standards Medium term Define a quality standard for e-learning resources for advisers, teachers, learners, and parents Co-ordinated procurement of publicly funded learning environments Models for central procurement Public funding and procurement Quality standards

Assuring technical and quality standards Longer term Educational requirements for pedagogic design of content, and open architectures for e-learning Standards for e-learning support and delivery Common core of technical and quality standards Sector-specific profiles of standards Conformance testing Ongoing role of Government in setting and maintaining standards Technical and quality standards for pedagogy and process

Issues for discussion Subject-specific aspects of e-learning pedagogy Action research pilots for e-learning assessment National databank for e-learning resources Intensive evaluation studies New approaches to cost-benefit analyses Community of practice for e-learning research and evaluation Guidance on e-learning for each discipline Generic learning design tools for teachers?

Towards a Unified e-Learning Strategy Consultation exercise www.dfes.gov.uk/elearningstrategy