VISCED

Online learning solutions have been provided to at least 5,000 students and teachers in Africa, enabling schools in the continent to use connectivity to boost their standard and performance. Eight secondary schools have been given PC as a Service - which allows them to use mobile broadband networks to access cloud computing - through the Connect to Learn initiative.

Popular blogger Tony Bates carried out a useful exercise on his blog recently making the comparison between traditional textboks and the iPad. Tony concludes that while we are not there yet, e-textbooks are coming, probably within 3-5 years for general use. However Tony goes on to predict that e-textbooks of themselves will disappear altogether, to be replaced with modular collections of multi-media digital material that can be searched and combined at will by both teachers and learners. Read the full blog.

Following the horrific bus accident in Switzerland last Tuesday which claimed the lives of 22 Belgian school children, 4 teaching staff and 2 bus chauffeurs, Pascal Smet, the Flemish Minister for Education announced a number of initiatives to support the affected schools.  Injured and traumatised children in the two schools, one in Heverlee nearby Leuven and the other in Lommel, will be given the option to follow their classes online via a webcam in the context of the Bednet initiative which supports the education of chronically sick children in Belgium. 

Virtual schooling is in the headlines again this week in the US. Writing in eSchool News, Nora Carr argues that articulating clear online learning policies and communicating these to stakeholders will help garner support Whether blended with more traditional instructional methods as a dual enrollment opportunity, or offered via an online-only school. She goes on to say that the key for school officials is to think through how to manage this transformative new opportunity wisely and well. Having smart policies in place that articulate the school board’s position or philosophy about online learning and provide guidance to students, staff, and parents represents a good starting point. Read the full article.

The launch of TED-Ed this week is creating a lot of interest. Inspired by the Khan Academy, this initiative aims to capture and amplify the voices of great educators around the world. Based on the relatively simple idea of offering tools to teachers to capture and distribute their best lessons on video and teaming up these teachers with animators - this initiative could provide terrific learning material to those interested in virtual schooling. As always - the devil is going to be in the detail as the initiaters get to grips with the specifications and requirements of real learners, can they move beyond the superficial to provide really effective learning resources?  start the journey here on the brand new TED-Ed YouTube channel..

UK teaching schools, a key element in government education policy, now have their own support organisation for ICT, the New Technologies Advisory Board (NTAB). The NTAB’s inaugural meeting has just been hosted by one of the first teaching schools, Sheffield’s Notre Dame High, one of the three schools which will take part in the VISCED pilot project.

The Malta Independent reported online recently that all Maltese state schools will start launching a new eLearning platform from April onwards. This new platform, called iLearn, will provide students with a range of opportunities to learn in their own time and at their own pace. Essentially, iLearn provides a virtual school building where teachers can easily upload any material they may need to share with their students. It also serves as a place where students can communicate in a safe environment. This launch is in line with the country's Smart Learning Strategy which was launched in 2008. Read the full article.

This practical guide is aimed at researchers in socio-economic sciences and humanities and identifies the most important stages in the development of a dynamic communication strategy and which will ensure that projects funded by the European Commission make a real difference in enabling policymakers to respond to the significant challenges we face. Divided into three parts – Concept, Policy Briefs and Practical Means – this guide is intended to help exploit research concepts into genuine policy action.