e-sy.info
The South Yorkshire e-Learning Programme
Steve Farnsworth
Deputy Director of Education – Sheffield
David Brooks
e-sy.info Programme Director – RM plc
Contents
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The Objective 1 context
Key programme features
Why e-learning?
Why schools?
E-learning and state policies
The Big Challenges
Public Private Partnership
The Objective 1 Context
• Economic step change
• Cultural transformation
The South Yorkshire
Objective 1 Programme
e-sy.info is one of the largest projects in the
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South Yorkshire Objective 1 programme
Delivered by an extensive public private
partnership
Covering the four Local Education Authorities
Engaging the life long learning spectrum from
the age of 10 (Year 6)
Requiring a unique approach in spending
European structural funds on schools
Objective 1 Priorities
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P1 – High Growth Industry
P2 – SMEs
P3 – Learning & Skills
P4 – Community
P5 – Infrastructure
P6 – Investment
And … the ‘cross-cutting’ inclusion
themes
The Objective 1 vision
Key & Basic Skills
SATS & Exams
Technology
Services
Curriculum
& Courses
Learning
Foundations
Vocational Curriculum
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Sector Specific Skills
Mentors
&
Parents
Aspiration
Delivery
Partnerships
Inclusion
CULTURAL CHANGE
Employability
Adaptive
Skills
Progression to
Higher Levels
EXPLOITING INNOVATION
Teachers &
Trainers
Jobs
Flexible Learning
ECONOMIC
GROWTH
Growth of
Companies
GDP
Step change from a vicious spiral to a virtuous circle
Key programme features
• Not kit alone ~ skills, tools and a new way of
teaching and learning
• Focus on school age learners ~ the next
generation workforce
• Link schools with businesses ~ especially
through our High Growth Clusters in
manufacturing & digital
• Include the ‘hard to reach’
– Excluded pupils (e.g. GCSE English Online)
– Minority communities through the Portal
– Small enterprises through the POD programme
• Sub-regional implementation
Why e-Learning?
• An engaging curriculum, anytimeanywhere
• Teachers in learning communities
• A regional Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE)
• Raised attainment
• A developed workforce
• Higher value jobs
Why start in schools?
• the ICT platform is already there
• ICT as a key skill at 16
• changing attitudes of young adults to
learning has to achieved there
• common ICT tools, such as the VLE, are a
vital aid to transition at KS2/3 and from
school to further education
• ICT is fundamental to more and more jobs
• accreditation is moving on-line
• skills previously gained in the workforce are
now vital to the school experience
The double helix metaphor
Tertiary & workbased learning
Secondary
Primary
Early Years
Family Learning
The double helix metaphor
Tertiary & workbased learning
Secondary
Primary
Early Years
Family Learning
Lifelong
learning;
homes and
communities
The double helix metaphor
Tertiary & workbased learning
Secondary
Primary
Early Years
Family Learning
Lifelong
learning;
homes and
communities
The double helix metaphor
Tertiary & workbased learning
VLE
Secondary
Primary
e-tools &
e-skills
Early Years
Family Learning
Lifelong
learning;
homes and
communities
E-learning and state policies
• DfES ~ Towards a Unified e-Learning
Strategy
• 14-19 reform
• Regionally: Learning for Life:
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New vocational pathways
skills/work-based learning focus
Specialist networks (via VLE)
KS3 (11-14) strategy
leadership development
E-learning
• e-learning buildings - BSF
Gathering Evidence
• The four local authorities (LEAs) have
validated and refined this view of e-learning
& ICT skills
• Qualitative evaluation & action research
based on the e-sy.info pilot (2001-2)
• Quantitative feedback on ICT performance
from formal inspections (2002)
• Summer 2005 will see the first chance to
validate the approach in terms of large
regional cohorts
A Critical Success Factor for Growth:
Creating the digital labour pool
The e-sy.info programme is focused on:
• ‘Creating a world class learning region’
• Ensuring the workforce is digitally literate
• Key transitions in lifelong learning, especially
10 though 19
• Embedding ICT in KS3/4 (11-16) and
vocational curriculum
• Employability in the knowledge economy
• Creating the learning habit in SMEs
• Widening participation through e-learning
Scalability & Sustainability
• Cascade training – building local capacity and
sustainability
– Skills Academy structure; E-tutor & E-mentor skills
• Building a ‘brand’ that is widely known and
valued for combining:
– ‘must-belong’ learning communities
– unparalleled learning resources and connectivity
– a wide range of public information and useful services
• Engaging long term support mechanisms through
the e-sy.info Portal & the VLE
– Parents
– Libraries & Community Centres
– Employers
The Big Challenges
• Mitigating the risks
• Capitalising on opportunity
Transformation - The Risk & The Reward
Risk
High Impact
Transformation
e-sy.info
Narrow
Reach
Mainstream policy
Isolated initiatives
Control
Survival
Low Impact
Wide
Reach
The big challenges
• Entering new territory
• Scalability of both technical and
organisational solutions
• Sustainability of the human effort and
the investment
• Breaking the e-learning mould in terms
of location, audience and mode
• Operating a contractual vehicle that
combines value, performance and
innovation
Public Private Partnership
• Validating strategy
• Assuring dynamism
Public Private Partnership:
The Contracted Consortium
The consortium includes
• RM - UK’s largest educational ICT supplier
• Tribal Technology Services - VLE
specialists
• BTL / Virtual College – leaders in
vocational on-line learning and eassessment
• Sheffield Hallam University - Renowned
ICT training provider and School of
Education
• Sheffield College – National award winner
in e-learning design and delivery
Engaging enterprise
in the widest sense
• Cluster leaders
– Advanced Manufacturing – the Engineering
Employers Federation
– Creative & Digital - Digital South Yorkshire
• National & international forces
– Boeing, Corus, Microsoft
• Community enterprises through the
Objective 1 community action plans
Public Stakeholders
The extent of the partnership and the
delivery approach widens the circle of
influence yet focuses the mission. It
involves:
• The four Local Authorities
• Head teachers & principals
• The Learning & Skills Council (LSC)
• Objective 1 Directorate
Partnership Benefits
Validating strategy and assuring
dynamism through
• Breadth of experience
• Variety of perspectives
• Cultural challenges to the status
quo
• Mutual contractual obligations
• Transparent benchmarking
The End
• Follow the story at
• www.e-sy.info