eLearning Planning for Victorian Schools
About this guide
This guide is designed to help school leadership teams make eLearning an integral part of the school’s strategic planning. In this context, eLearning encompasses all aspects of learning and teaching with Information and Communication Technology (ICT), school transformation and planning for return on investment.
Effective understanding and use of ICT is essential in today’s globalised knowledge society. It is the role of schools to prepare all students for life in the 21st Century through, among other strategies, a technology-rich experience at school, where students and teachers don’t just learn about technology, they use it to achieve powerful learning and teaching outcomes.
As an interdisciplinary domain within the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS), ICT is now central to how curriculum and pedagogy is planned and implemented. To successfully achieve this, schools will need to seamlessly integrate eLearning into key areas of strategic and operational planning.
"21st Century education integrates technologies, engaging students in ways not previously possible, creating new learning and teaching possibilities, enhancing achievement and extending interactions with local and global communities." MCEETYA ICT in Schools Taskforce, "Contemporary Learning" document in Learning in an Online World (2005).
Why is eLearning important?
A critical element of Australia's National Goals of Schooling in the 21st Century is that “…when students leave school they will be confident, creative and productive users of new technologies” (goal 1.6).
The role of teachers and schooling has never been more important in equipping students with the skills to become active and contributing members in an ever-changing digital environment.
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards has identified ICT as a crucial interdisciplinary domain which focuses on providing students with the tools to transform their learning and to enrich their learning environment. The knowledge, skills and behaviours identified for this domain enable students to:
· develop new thinking and learning skills that produce creative and innovative insights
· develop more productive ways of working and solving problems individually and collaboratively
· create information products that demonstrate their understanding of concepts, issues, relationships and processes
· express themselves in contemporary and socially relevant ways
· communicate locally and globally to solve problems and to share knowledge
· understand the implications of the use of ICT and their social and ethical responsibilities as users of ICT.
How does eLearning relate to the Effective Schools Framework?
Effective eLearning in schools is more than just having equipment and knowing how to use it. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Effective Schools Framework can be used to categorise the many roles ICT can play in supporting schools, teachers and student learning.
eLearning planning requires a school to engage with all elements of eLearning, aligning resources and key projects through a strategic approach to using technology. Concurrent planning and improvement in all eLearning elements will assist staff and students to be part of an environment that supports the creation and implementation of powerful learning and teaching.
Information relating to the Effective Schools Framework can be found at http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/es/
Working with the eLearning and the Effective Schools Framework
· Direction: The eLearning Vision will drive the school’s selection of subsequent eLearning strategies and will be directly linked to the School’s Annual Implementation Plan.
· Planning and Implementation: The elements of effective eLearning can be viewed as a continuum showing ongoing and simultaneous improvement across six key categories.
· Review and Management: Progress across the six categories of eLearning should be regularly reviewed to inform the ongoing development of the eLearning Vision.
· Infrastructure and Support: Technical resources underpin all eLearning elements. As with other elements of eLearning planning, infrastructure and support should be integrated into a School’s Annual Implementation Plan. However, schools may also choose to develop additional network diagrams and equipment replacement schedules.
A Suggested eLearning Planning Process
In the past, some schools have produced a separate eLearning Plan in addition to their regular Annual Implementation Plan.
Schools now have the opportunity to include all aspects of eLearning planning in their Strategic Planning through eLearning focus questions, strategies and milestones.
Schools with an extensive focus on eLearning may also choose to develop a complementary eLearning Work Plan.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Completing the School Self-Evaluation Report contains eLearning focus questions and information sources that will help answer the key questions as part of the self-evaluation.
The guide can be downloaded from http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/standards/account/eval.htm
A Continuum of Learning and Change
Using a continuum approach, schools can determine their current phase of eLearning use and identify their target phase in each category.
Ø The developmental continuum starts with a broad scope of learning how to use technology.
Ø The school then begins to narrow its focus to experiment with a range of eLearning activities focussed on improving learning and teaching.
Ø Once the school has identified its successful eLearning strategies, they can be used as the basis for selecting and developing targeted innovations to trial and evaluate.
Ø The outcomes of the innovation trial inform school change and lead to further innovations.
The eLearning Planning Matrix
The eLearning Planning guidelines map the elements of eLearning across four phases of use.
Foundation / Emergent / Innovative / TransformativeeLearning Leadership / · School leadership is not actively engaged with eLearning planning. / · School leadership supports the eLearning vision and use across the school. / · School leadership has integrated innovative eLearning uses into school strategic planning. / · School leadership continues to explore the potential of eLearning to support whole school transformation and change.
Student eLearning Capability / · The school has not identified student eLearning capabilities. / · The school focuses on developing and measuring student ICT skills, capabilities and application. / · The school has high expectations of student’s eLearning capabilities and designs eLearning activities to engage and challenge students. / · Students work with the school to improve their eLearning capability. The school capitalises on student’s knowledge and access to personal technology.
Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Reporting / · eLearning is limited to the use of ICT as a tool or as discrete lessons. / · eLearning for many purposes occurs at different levels and rates in individual classrooms. / · eLearning is coordinated across the school to support all aspects of teaching and improving student learning. / · eLearning offers new ways of learning and teaching. All staff share a common eLearning pedagogical framework focussing on student learning.
ICT Professional Learning
(including ePotential) / · ICT professional learning is undertaken by interested teachers through ad-hoc opportunities. / · The school manages isolated ICT professional learning activities for all staff. Programs are isolated and are not followed up. / · Schools plan coordinated ICT professional learning opportunities, emphasising reflection to inform professional practice. / · Schools develop an ICT professional learning community, including personalised and integrated professional learning programs for all staff to support the achievement of school wide goals.
Learning Places and Spaces / · eLearning is focussed on accessing standard ICT resources in the classroom, pod or lab. / · A range of networked eLearning resources are available for access at any time and place. / · The school’s eLearning resources and curriculum supports concurrent learning and learning beyond the physical school environment. / · eLearning offers personalisation through a wide range of technologies, access locations and a student centred curriculum.
Learning Communities / · eLearning is limited to activities within individual classrooms. / · eLearning programs share common goals within the school community. / · The school community regularly discusses the use of eLearning and integrates its use into communication strategies. / · eLearning is used to develop ways of communication, collaboration and professional discussions within and beyond the community.
The Planning Process
This eLearning Planning Guide outlines one possible method for schools to plan for successful eLearning. Regardless of the planning format and process schools use, it is important to select an option that enables:
· integration with existing school planning processes and documentation
· frequent reviews and updates as progress is made
· a clear and simple overview that can be easily communicated to teachers, students and parents
· a clear goal for improvement with accompanying strategies
· explicit support and recognition of innovative practices and whole school transformation.
Planning to Support School Transformation
Effective schools consciously coordinate eLearning goals, strategies and resources, leading to whole school transformation and creating powerful learning environments. The priorities for eLearning planning procedures are to:
· measure a school’s standing with eLearning
· identify the elements of eLearning in most need of improvement, aiming to gain a common phase of achievement across all elements
· reduce disparity of achievement (e.g. shorten the ‘tail’) where elements span two or more phases
· coordinate eLearning activities, strategies and achievement across all elements
· raise achievement across each element simultaneously, once a common phase of outcome has been reached.
Identifying eLearning Priorities
1. Revise your eLearning vision. What is the focus of eLearning in your school? How does this relate to your school’s vision as described in your Annual Implementation Plan?
2. Audit your school using the matrix, in the context of the vision. This can be done in small groups at a staff meeting or by the eLearning committee in the school. Highlight the indicators in each element that match your current practice. Your school may need to highlight a range of indicators across two or three phases.
3. Analyse your completed matrix. You should be able to see patterns and identify areas for improvement.
The eLearning matrix can easily assist schools to plot their current strengths, set priorities for improvement and plan coordinated development strategies. The graphic representation of the matrix can assist in communicating these priorities and strategies to the school community.
eLearning Leadership / 1. Target for improvement
Student eLearning Capability
Learning, Teaching, Assess… / 2. Consolidate all programs to Emergent
ICT Professional Learning
Learning Places and Spaces
Learning Communities / 3. Target for improvement
/ This school has Innovative students and learning environments, but a lack of eLearning Leadership may be hindering further progress in other areas. The school can now focus on developing Emergent practice in eLearning Leadership and Learning Communities. Teachers already working at an Emergent level for Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Reporting can mentor teachers at the Foundation phase. Once an emergent level is reached in these categories, the school can begin a coordinated approach to Innovation.
Foundation / Emergent / Innovate / Transform
eLearning Leadership
Student eLearning Capability
Learning, Teaching, Assess… / 1. Target for improvement
ICT Professional Learning / 2. Target for improvement
Learning Places and Spaces
Learning Communities / 3. Consolidate all programs to Emergent
/ Emergent eLearning Leadership in the school has focussed on developing Learning Places and Spaces and Learning Communities. Teachers in the school are currently managing their own use of eLearning and their own skill development. The school needs to take an active role in directing the use of eLearning and facilitating staff sharing, collaboration and mentoring to develop a whole school approach to the use of technology.
Foundation / Emergent / Innovate / Transform
eLearning Leadership
Student eLearning Capability
Learning, Teaching, Assess… / 1. Consolidate all programs to Innovative
ICT Professional Learning / 2. Consolidate all programs to Innovative
Learning Places and Spaces
Learning Communities
/ This school has a wide range of eLearning initiatives, reflecting the eLearning programs offered by individual teachers or curriculum areas. The variations of eLearning activities can now be consolidated to the innovation phase, developing a more consistent approach across the whole school. Once this has been consistently achieved across all curriculum areas and pedagogical practices, a focus on Transformation can begin.
Planning for Improvement
The DEECD School Accountability and Improvement Framework provide the opportunity for schools to integrate eLearning planning into the School Self Evaluation, the School Strategic Planning and the School Annual Implementation Planning. Once a school has used the eLearning Planning Matrix to identify current practice and areas for improvement, appropriate eLearning goals and strategies can be included as part of this strategic planning.
In addition to this integrated approach, some schools may also choose to develop an eLearning Work Plan, providing further details of the goals and strategies identified in Strategic and Annual Implementation Planning. This would be appropriate for a range of reasons including:
· The school has experienced limited success with eLearning in the past and therefore a detailed framework would assist implementing and evaluating future eLearning activities.
· The school community has made a considerable investment in eLearning resources and programs, requiring a high visibility and level of accountability.
· The school has adopted many simultaneous eLearning programs, requiring additional planning to ensure all goals, strategies and resources are well coordinated and managed.
Developing an eLearning Work Plan
An eLearning Work Plan is designed to provide a clear and concise strategy for eLearning across the whole school. It is not intended to be a lengthy document describing the past and present use of eLearning; instead it should focus on the school’s next goal or priority for improving the use of eLearning.
An eLearning Work Plan describes the intended goals (outcomes and outputs) of eLearning, e.g. improved student learning or development of an online curriculum. Inputs, such as, the number of computers, internet speeds and technical support can be documented within the plan. However, these inputs should be referred to as resources needed to reach a goal, since the inputs are only effective if utilised to achieve improvement across all elements of eLearning.
Using the eLearning Work Plan template, schools can develop a meaningful and strategic document through a simple procedure such as:
1. Identify/revise the eLearning Vision, ensuring this drives all subsequent goals and strategies.
2. Describe the Current Practice of eLearning in each category.