West Lothian Council: Aspiring to and empowering transformational change

West Lothian Council: Aspirational change and impact on learning
Embedding technology in the learner's space

In our discussions about West Lothian Council’s anywhere, anytime learning (AAL) channel for schools the ICT Development team detailed their aspirations for transformational change in schools. They had observed much of the recent hype and promotion about a series of platforms and devices and had some concerns that school leaders would be persuaded by the pervasive message that the device route was the way to go. Having been involved in so many ICT initiatives and developments over the years both John Low and Laura Compton were adamant that engagement with and support offered to schools in their authority should not be based on jumping on the next new wave without a clear strategy for managing change. They were of the opinion that without such thinking (and once the effect of the new shiny, shiny tech in school had worn off) any new initiative would more than likely end in schools continuing to do what they have always done.

we need to focus on what we think good learning looks like.

As part of this change there was a determination to ensure that the principles of Curriculum for Excellence would inform and influence their developing models and that an effort to ensure a dialogue around learning with tools such as connected devices was focused on challenging what we think good learning looks like. They wanted to challenge mindsets and approaches such as timetabling devices – mindsets that they felt served and perpetuated old models of learning. They were also keen to stress that even though there is great emphasis on there being apps to suit everything, they wanted to help develop a culture in schools that had a broader vision of embedding technology in the learners’ space rather than it being something that is imposed on them.

West Lothian Council: Aspiring to transformational change John Low discusses transformational change

Laura Compton expanded further on what she thought needed to be done to help empower the transformational change that her team aspired to. She believed that the right climate for discussion and dialogue with new technology had to be in place so that any fears and concerns that teachers had in regards to their use of technologies and their impact on learning and teaching could be discussed openly and honestly. The importance of involving learners in conversations about their learning was of great importance as was presenting contexts in schools that not only help develop their practical digital skills but also their critical digital literacy skills.

Finally Mrs Compton argued that their BYOD (bring your own device) infrastructure and learning culture is one that they believe to be sustainable and scalable and that empowering change in their schools means creating conditions where this can happen not for one class, or for one year group but for everyone in their schools.

West Lothian Council: empowering change Laura Compton discusses the need to create the right conditions for change to happen

West Lothian Council: Developing a strategy for learning

West Lothian Council: Focus on the learning and not on the devcie
Devices embedded in learning opportunities

West Lothian Council has a dedicated anywhere, anytime learning (AAL) channel that is designed to enable a BYOD (bring your own device) model across their school estate. Although this resource/service is available to all schools across West Lothian a process has been put in place by the central team and this must be engaged with by any school who wishes to have their AAL channel switched on. Laura Compton from the central team at West Lothian explained that the focus of their work was all about impact on learning and ensuring better outcomes for learners. To achieve this objective any school which wished to access their AAL channel would need to work in partnership with them to develop a strategy for learning that would make best use of any web-enabled devices that came into the school.

West Lothian Council: The Learning Strategy Laura Compton discusses the need for strategic planning by a school to take place prior to the AAL channel being switched on.

Integral to the jointly authored learning strategy  is a shared understanding that the focus is not on the device or the apps that may be available but rather on the rich learning opportunities that can be enabled by access to such technology. There is also an emphasis on ensuring that these learning opportunities are not straight-jacketed by a school that wants to be overly controlling in the management of the resource, a control that may lead to everyone having the same resources and apps on their device. They were adamant that a focus on controlling the device and subsequently the learning in this way would not lead to any sense of culture or transformational change within the school.

We need to talk about learning and not about devices.

In order to create the conditions for any positive change to begin to happen Laura Compton argued that the energy needed to be moved away from ideas of managing devices and wholly channeled into ensuring  that the focus was on providing quality learning at every opportunity.

West Lothian Council: The AAL channel

West Lothian Council: The AAL channel
Pupil owned devices online in West Lothian schools

John Low explained to us that AAL (anywhere, anytime learning) is the definition that they use for the channel on their wireless networks that enables authority non-supported and pupil-owned devices to access the internet. The team at West Lothian Council had wrestled with the fact that learners were journeying on their learning by accessing the internet via the wi-fi on the local bus or in fast-food burger shops but not, alas, in school. The AAL channel was seen as a solution that would enable learning to happen anytime and anywhere – including in school!

West Lothian Council: The AAL channel John Low discusses the AAL Channel in West Lothian

The team at West Lothian were conscious that a situation was developing where the access to technology was restricted by their capacity to provide devices within schools. They were concerned that learners would only gain access to technology in Secondary, for example, when they chose a subject that required access to a set of desktop computers, and that the use of such tools would not permeate through to pupils. Although the central team are confident that progress has been made in helping to develop staff capacity to project online content, they were aware that this was teacher driven and not the individualised process of exploration and enquiry for learners that access to digital technology can enable. These factors came together and were the basis on which they determined to create a sustainable and scalable infrastructure that would enable a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOB) system to work across their school estate.

The central team stressed that the their AAL acronym was the same concept that one may associate with BYOD and that it was just that the AAL vision was well in place before terms such as BYOD, BTOT (bring your own technology) or even BYOB (bring your own browser) were commonly known and used.

All primary and secondary schools  have the capacity to have a channel on West Lothian’s enterprise wireless network that allows Authority supported devices to access the web. The AAL channel allows non-supported authority devices provided by the school and learner-owned devices to connect to the internet, and with this connection comes authentication, filtering and the recording of user activity.

There have been many challenges for  John Low and his team in setting up the AAL network, and none more significant than working with authority corporate colleagues who have responsibility for issues such as information security, data protection and code of connection. They have, however, managed to resolve many of the issues so that the AAL channel can be used by schools to help prepare the digital environment that can enhance learning and help facilitate better outcomes for learners.

West Lothian Council: Anytime, Anywhere Learning overview

West Lothian Council: Overview of AAL programme
Strategic focus on transforming learning

With a clear strategic focus on  increasing attainment and achievement and transforming learning, teaching and assessment approaches West Lothian Council has been implementing a substantial programme and investment to improve infrastructure to realise their vision of having ‘Anywhere, Anytime Learning’ (AAL) available across the school estate.

AAL is intended to support a transformation in learning and teaching by enabling a school and classroom environment where every pupil and teacher can use personal mobile devices to communicate, collaborate, research, share and expand knowledge. In parallel with a curriculum and pedagogy which promotes: active learning, independent learning, collaborative learning, learning how to learn, investigating, exploring, purposeful play, personalisation and choice in contexts that are relevant to life and work; AAL can help us engage learners in the highest quality learning activities.

To enable a change in culture, pedagogy and behaviours and to ensure social inclusion and sustainable approaches the Learning and Teaching (ICT) Development Team planned with Corporate IT Services to design an infrastructure which would allow West Lothian funded devices and personal-owned devices to access the network.

John Low and Laura Compton from the Learning and Teaching (ICT) Development Team shared West Lothian’s vision for their AAL programme.

West Lothian Council: Overview John Low and Laura Compton discuss the vision for West Lothian Council’s AAL Channel

Forrester HS: The learner perspective

Forrester HS: Learners with Android devices
What do learners think about the learning with devices?

We spoke with some of the S1 pupils about their experiences of the Android device pilot at Forrester HS. They were generally excited and positive about having access to a tablet device all the time in school and at home.  They talked about how everything was now much easier with the device! When asked to elaborate on this they talked about how it had enhanced the way they now edited their writing and how good it was to access tools that enabled them to respond differently to tasks rather than solely using pencil and paper. They talked about how some teachers are using Edmodo to help support homework and WordPress for blogging and about  how they were able to access and download resources such as worksheets. The fact that there was instant access to their device and to the information they were seeking was much much better than having to wait to get their booked slot at the ICT suite. Finally, some of the learners talked about the fact that they come from a world where technology is part of their everyday experience and to have it in school was very appealing. They agreed that these initiatives, such as the Android device pilot, were about helping to develop an appropriate learning culture that met their needs.

First interview with learners from Forrester HS:

Forrester HS: pupil interview 1 Interview 1 with learners from Forrester HS

Second interview with learners from Forrester HS:

Forrester HS: pupil interview 2 Interview 2 with learners from Forrester HS

Forrester HS: Managing the Android devices and Google Marketplace

Forrester HS: Managing Android and Google Marketplace
Forrester HS is using free Android apps

The management of the Android devices and the apps that could be installed on them are fundamental to the success of any device pilot. The team at Forrester HS gave this great consideration in view of how it could be done as effectively as possible but in such a way that it would enhance the learning culture of the school. Mark Cunningham (class teacher) explained that, rather than put in place a controlled environment that the school managed, they left it much more open so that learners were able to download apps that they were requested to by their teachers as well as ones that the learners themselves felt were useful for their learning. The school has found this approach to be reasonably successful up to now and the fact that they have good bandwidth means that if 20 pupils are asked to download an app for a lesson at the same time then they can.

Mr Cunningham explained that all apps that they were using were free from the Google and that there had been no need for them to access any of the paid-for apps. He did however point out that at this stage of the pilot there was as yet still  no volume purchasing option for Android.

Forrester HS: Apps management Mr Cunnigham (Class Teacher) discusses managing Android apps

In relation to the management of the devices, Mr Cunningham explained that the school had insurance in place as well as a two-year warranty. There had been a small number of instances where devices had been damaged and also where issues with devices had led to them being returned under warranty to be repaired. It was stressed that any necessary repairs were carried out satisfactorily by the manufacturer but when a device was away being repaired it led to challenges for the learning and teaching in a classroom that required access to a personal device. Mr Cunningham suggested that, if budget allowed,  a small bank of school-owned machines could be used to temporarily replace any device that was out of commission due to damage or warranty repair.

Forrester HS: Managing the devices Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses how the school has managed the Android devices

Forrester HS: Why choose the Android platform?

Forrester HS: Why choose the Android platform?
Forrester HS chose the Android platform

Mark Cunningham (class teacher) explained that the main factor underpinning Forrester High School’s decision to go with the Android platform was that they believed that it was a more open platform than others available and that would allow them to move data about the device as they wanted to do. They also liked the fact that the all the devices they purchased came with a USB slot, which meant that they could use a memory stick to access and move any learner’s data from the device quite easily. The school were of the opinion that with Android they could manipulate the device more than the ‘locked in’ nature of the iOS platform would allow. The affordability of the Android devices was also a factor. Mr Cunningham was keen to stress that the school felt there was very little difference between the platforms that they considered and that they would have been happy to go either way at the end of the day.

Mr Cunningham commented that at the time the school made their decision to go with Android the iOS platform was the slicker of the two and that there was clearly a much more comprehensive range of apps available for that platform; however, he felt that the difference between the two systems was now much less than it had been and that the range and spread of apps available for Android via the Google Marketplace was constantly improving.

Forrester HS: Why Android Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses the reasons why the school chose the Android platform

Finally, Mr Cunningham stressed to us that the school were always looking to review the platform and the equipment that they were using and that they were prepared to change if they believed that would best suit the needs of their learners.

Forrester HS: Impact on learning and unexpected wins

Forrester HS: Impact on learning
Cumulative gains will help transform learning

The Android and iPad pilots in Edinburgh City are all put in place with the express intention that their impact would lead to enhanced learning and better outcomes for learners. Derek Curran’s (headteacher) ambitions for the device pilot in his school are no different from Edinburgh City’s and although his pilot was still in its early stages he was keen to share his thoughts and observations to date about just what impact he wanted to see and what he thought was happening.

Although he was content with the progress that was being made at such an early stage of the pilot, Mr Curran thought that there might have been more evidence of staff using a range of media beyond text to support their teaching than was the case; however, he was sure that this would come as the pilot progressed and the staff increased their confidence and competence in the use of the device. He felt that gradual improvements and lessons learned by his staff would have a cumulative effect that would lead to a gathering momentum of developing expertise and understanding of just how learning can be enhanced with the use of digital tools.

Forrester HS: Impact on learning and teaching Interview with Mr Curran (HT) about impact on learning of the Android pilot

We went on to discuss with Mr Curran what he felt the device pilot would bring to his school in terms of helping to create opportunities for  collaborative learning to occur in his school. He believed that social learning tools such as blogs and wikis can have an enriching impact on learning both in and out of school and that there was evidence of his pupils already engaging with these contexts for learning. He anticipates that as access to the devices and the online tools that they offer become more embedded in the life of teaching and learning across the school  he will see enhanced collaborative, working with learners moderating their learning via shared wikis, for instance.

Forrester HS: Enhanced learning Mr Curran (HT) discusses the potential that digital technology has to enhance learning

Mr Curran also talked about the unexpected wins that can be gained from pilots such as the one his school was trialling. His discussions with the school librarian brought up the fact that Edinburgh City library had a huge range of ebooks available to library members. He saw this as a perfect opportunity to get all pupils involved in the pilot to join the city library and have access to the range of texts that are freely available via this service.

Forrester HS: Unexpected wins Mr Curran (HT) discusses the unexpected wins that such a pilot can bring to the life of learning of a school

Forrester HS: Impact on teaching and staff CPD

Forrester HS: Staff CPD
Generic learning apps used more than subject specific ones

Marc Cunningham (class teacher) discussed the ways in which his  teaching colleagues were beginning to integrate the device into their teaching. Initially there had been a focus on digitising existing content, but with a shared understanding and aspiration that the device would gradually shape the nature of learning interactions within classrooms and at home. It was evident that in the early stages of the pilot colleagues had chosen not to go down the subject-specific app route, but had preferred to use more generic learning tools such as the Evernote and Edmodo apps. Mr Cunningham had noted that there was evidence of a more collaborative culture growing, with staff taking opportunities in both formal and informal settings to share what they had discovered and new ideas they were trying out.

Forrester HS: Impact on teaching Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses how the staff are supporting each other with the pilot

In relation to school-delivered staff CPD opportunities it was noted that there had been little appetite for such an input from the teachers at Forrester HS. Instead they showed determination to move forward together as a staff rather than being led by management. After-school events were led by staff and a staff working party – with one member from each department – would regularly meet to discuss a number of technical and teaching related matters.

Forrester HS: Staff CPD to support the pilot Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) explains how the staff at Forrester HS have led their own professional development in the use of the Android device

Forrester HS: Overview of their Android pilot

Forrester HS: Overview of pilot
Android devices at Forrester HS

Forrester High School in Edinburgh is one of the schools who have been working with the Android devices as part of the city’s wider exploration of devices in schools programme. We met with Mark Cunningham (class teacher), who is one of the members of staff who has been integral to the setting-up and progression of the pilot to date.

Forrester HS: Pilot overview Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) gives an overview of the Android pilot at Forrester HS

Mark explained to us that the school had looked at different platforms for their pilot and that they eventually decided to go with Android due to the flexibility they felt it offered. Having decided on the platform, it was then agreed that the upcoming S1 cohort from associate schools P7s  would be the ones involved in the pilot. Staff from Forrester HS met with the P7s and their parents/carers towards the end of the summer term in 2012 to explain the pilot and deal with issues such as the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) etc.

A key factor in this pilot was that the learners were permitted to take their device home. The school saw this as fundamental to the pilot and felt that there would be limited impact were the devices not allowed to leave the school. They also decided not to exert an overly controlling influence over the devices and that they would let the pupils install apps on their device provided it was within the scope of the AUP. At the time of our meeting with Forrester HS there had been no instances of inappropriate use of the devices by any of the pupils.