Evaluation and Benchmarking of ICT in Schools Professor Paul Bacsich UK 17 October 2003

Acknowledgement The Education and Manpower Bureau would like to offer special thanks to Professor Paul Bacsich for his powerpoint presentation on Evaluation and Benchmarking of ICT in Schools

Evaluation In 4 easy lessons

Evaluation Programme-wide with deep drill-down Programme-wide with deep drill-down Based on numbers and qualitative info, with interpretation Based on numbers and qualitative info, with interpretation Triangulation and stakeholders Triangulation and stakeholders

Flashlight (after Ehrmann) See See And the Flashlight presentation at And the Flashlight presentation at

The Flashlight Oath " Above all, I will do no harm. I know the value of people's time, and so I will be ruthless in making my surveys and interviews focused, brief, and useful…so that those who have answered my questions will be even more willing to collaborate with the next researcher or evaluator who contacts them." " Above all, I will do no harm. I know the value of people's time, and so I will be ruthless in making my surveys and interviews focused, brief, and useful…so that those who have answered my questions will be even more willing to collaborate with the next researcher or evaluator who contacts them." "My study's process as well as its findings will stimulate reflection and learning…" "My study's process as well as its findings will stimulate reflection and learning…"

Programme evaluation in UK Based on Flashlight Based on Flashlight Developed in the Annenberg/CPB trials of e-learning in HE c Developed in the Annenberg/CPB trials of e-learning in HE c and the OU evaluation consensus and the OU evaluation consensus (Bates, Mason, Laurillard et al) (Bates, Mason, Laurillard et al) First substantial trial in the JANUS evaluations of First substantial trial in the JANUS evaluations of Refined through TERG (SHU) into a tool for evaluation of NLN Refined through TERG (SHU) into a tool for evaluation of NLN Next set of slides are c/o Ash, Carter and Mistry Next set of slides are c/o Ash, Carter and Mistry

NLN-e1 Findings ICT is only appreciated by students when there is a reason for it ICT is only appreciated by students when there is a reason for it ICT is an increasingly effective tool that is used with increasing sophistication and appreciation ICT is an increasingly effective tool that is used with increasing sophistication and appreciation Increasing ICT skills at schools is pressurising teacher skills at FE Increasing ICT skills at schools is pressurising teacher skills at FE Involvement in evaluation can facilitate colleges. organisational development Involvement in evaluation can facilitate colleges. organisational development

Evaluation successes A further £84M funding for the skills sector A further £84M funding for the skills sector DFeS are pushing the toolkit to evaluate courses DFeS are pushing the toolkit to evaluate courses Furthered thought in the identification of good practice Furthered thought in the identification of good practice Helping to raise awareness of the issues in the pedagogy of ICT teaching Helping to raise awareness of the issues in the pedagogy of ICT teaching

What is UK doing for the second phase of NLN evaluation Meta-analysis of current and recent surveys Meta-analysis of current and recent surveys Quantitative data gathering from across the sector Quantitative data gathering from across the sector Twelve In-depth longitudinal studies developed by external evaluators Twelve In-depth longitudinal studies developed by external evaluators Focus on the whole organisation rather than the course Focus on the whole organisation rather than the course

What did Phase one tell us about conducting internal evaluations? Tools and processes are often secondary to good management Tools and processes are often secondary to good management The process of reviewing and assessing work can be threatening and evoke a deeply political response The process of reviewing and assessing work can be threatening and evoke a deeply political response Evaluations serve multiple functions not always those the evaluators envisage Evaluations serve multiple functions not always those the evaluators envisage

Conducting the evaluation Data collection Leave your baggage at the door Leave your baggage at the door Pilot everything Pilot everything ALWAYS double check and share insights with your informants ALWAYS double check and share insights with your informants Look from multiple viewpoints Look from multiple viewpoints Don’t over-gather the same information from the same sources Don’t over-gather the same information from the same sources

Benchmarking Not an easy subject

Benchmarking – but who with? Similar countries/regions – but who is? Similar countries/regions – but who is? Leaders, to provide aspirational role models Leaders, to provide aspirational role models Laggards in case they catch up! Laggards in case they catch up!

Criteria Population Population And population density And population density Type of language (alphabet, ideographic, etc) Type of language (alphabet, ideographic, etc) Level of use of ICT in general life Level of use of ICT in general life (Pedagogic) culture (Pedagogic) culture

Suggestions Singapore Singapore Scotland not England Scotland not England Canadian (province level) Canadian (province level) Denmark not Finland Denmark not Finland Australia (states) Australia (states) Thailand (laggard but trying to catch up) Thailand (laggard but trying to catch up) South Korea? South Korea? US – are we sure? US – are we sure?

ICT findings Key ratios

Key Performance Indicators Students per PC Students per PC Bandwidth per student PC Bandwidth per student PC Or per student (aspirational?) Or per student (aspirational?) Media sophistication of software Media sophistication of software Text, graphics, web, audio, video Text, graphics, web, audio, video Production to consumption ratio Production to consumption ratio

Spot emerging trends even if small Laptops/tablets are less intrusive and fit the paradigm of “ubiquitous computing” Laptops/tablets are less intrusive and fit the paradigm of “ubiquitous computing” Binding of home PCs into school systems: ”extranets” Binding of home PCs into school systems: ”extranets” Hosting: moving servers out of schools back to server farms Hosting: moving servers out of schools back to server farms New “worldware” apps? New “worldware” apps? integration with SMS on mobile phones?? integration with SMS on mobile phones?? Anything coming in from HE (Grid?) or industry (cooperative working) or real life (games?) Anything coming in from HE (Grid?) or industry (cooperative working) or real life (games?)