Schools need to speed up their adoption of technology, says
schools IT watchdog
Becta.
Although schools have made noticeable progress investing in IT
systems and hardware, they are still not using technology to its
full potential, says an annual survey by Becta.
Stephen Crowne, chief executive of Becta, said, "It is clear
from this survey that IT is now firmly on the agenda, and schools
fully recognise its importance. However, we now need to make that
next step and ensure that schools are using the technology
available in an interactive and engaging manner.
"Technology can play a crucial role in creating a world class
education system for learners. We are seeing some schools use
technology to engage more regularly and more effectively with
parents, but we need to see all schools take advantage of the
opportunities technology can provide."
The survey findings suggest schools should be encouraged to use
technology in a more sophisticated way to enable better
communication between parents and schools.
A third of primary schools and just under half of secondary
schools surveyed say that using technology to communicate with
parents is a high priority.
Becta's "Harnessing Technology Schools Survey" found that
despite an increase of 14% in the use of learning platforms at
secondary schools, only 11% of those surveyed use their learning
platforms for Web 2.0 related activities, such as blogging and
podcasting, at least once a term.
Crowne said, "We need to further support and encourage teachers
to use technology in more engaging ways. A major concern raised by
teachers was the fact that many pupils are still unable to access
the internet when at home.
"We have taken steps to address this in an effort to bridge the
'digital divide' and close the gap between those who have and those
who do not, bringing the full benefit of IT to every child."
The average number of interactive whiteboards in schools has
risen considerably since last year. Secondary schools now have 38
interactive whiteboards, compared to 22 in 2007.
Computer to pupil ratio has also improved over the last year,
with 4.3 pupils for every desktop computer in secondary
schools.
Of the teachers surveyed, three-fifths confirmed that pupils
enjoy lessons more if they use IT. Most of the teachers surveyed
were positive about the benefits and the potential contribution of
new technologies to learning. However, despite realising the
potential benefits, most teachers were slow to adopt the use of new
technologies.
A
recent
report by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)
found that provision for learning platforms in schools has
increased significantly since last year. However, this BESA report
also found that the full value of learning platforms is yet to be
realised by schools.