1. What a difference a year makes Vanessa Pittard Director, Evidence and Evaluation

2. To football

3. …and to ICT research strategy

4. Ambitions We believe the ambitious and imaginative use of technology will be a central element in improving personalisation and choice across the system (DfES Five Year Strategy p. 88) We aim to put learners, young people - and their parents – in the driving seat, shaping the opportunities open to all learners to fit around their particular needs and preferences. In achieving these goals the effective use of interactive technologies is absolutely crucial and I am determined that we grasp them (Secretary of State Foreword, DfES Harnessing Technology Strategy)

5. Will it work? Focus – strands of work; impact and outcomes: transform teaching, learning and help to improve outcomes engage ‘hard to reach’ learners, with special needs support improve personalised support and choice – online information; cross organisation collaboration Achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness

6. But it’s ambitious; achieving success is complex

7. Success is here already

9. Highcliffe School, Christchurch European Schoolnet 2004 e-Learning Awards “Best use of ICT in education”

14. Highcliffe School Met the challenges of: Technology integration Engaging parents online Transforming pupil support Integration with reward system And more…

15. But success is also a long way off Getting real value – it’s tough: Sustainability, affordability, reliability Institutional vision, leadership and management Practitioner competencies System – online services, information and learning architectures Huge progress, but overall we’re far short of the “value barrier”

17. Current institutional capability Source: PwC 2004

18. Change challenges: Broader technology context – pace of change Many insights – too late, too obvious Early understanding needed of effectiveness and transferability of new practice Understand how to support and accelerate local change What about research?

19. The simplest frameworks are best Foresight Insight Hindsight Summative evaluations Progress monitoring /surveys Impact analysis Mixed Method Case Studies Pilots/ trials of emerging practice Most research reviews

20. How useful is Highcliffe School ? Evidence-informed practice and policy? It’s not research Robust assessment of outcomes? But more is needed than evaluation Transferability – theories and models Interdisciplinary insights “There is nothing so useful as a good theory” (Lewin, 1951) transform teaching, learning engage ‘hard to reach’ learners improve personalised support and choice achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness

21. Development and Research – ‘D&R’ Research-based knowledge Clearly linked to educational developments Partnerships – especially research and practice Not about technology development (per se) – social and organisational change, supported by technology Complex problems demanding interdisciplinary insight Outcomes (Becta): What interventions will make a difference?

22. Other research? Adding value Foresight Insight Hindsight

23. Other research? Adding value Insight – impact analysis, case studies focus: agreeing and operationalising key outcomes - “real” outcomes Insight – research reviews focus: supporting change; priority issues in practice transform teaching, learning engage ‘hard to reach’ learners improve personalised support and choice achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness

24. Foresight Insight Hindsight

25. Other research? Adding value Hindsight – know how far we’ve come; understand lack of progress and related challenges Hindsight - Focus on key indicators of change; gain insight where possible

27. Other research? Adding value Hindsight – know how far we’ve come; understand lack of progress and related challenges Hindsight - Focus on key indicators of change; gain insight where possible Hindsight – not really much room for summative evaluation, unless lessons are transferable

28. The bigger research picture Inc. myriad of small-scale research and single case studies Renewal and development – concept validation, exploratory research e.g. unanticipated outcomes, theoretical development But – can we find ways to build a robust, coherent and useful knowledge-base to inform the way forward? Research questions and frameworks

29. Research roles Becta’s role? The role of others? e.g. learning and teaching practice Clear link to reflective practice ‘Problem’ of subject-specific pedagogies and individual approaches ‘What works’ – a red herring? Understanding, dialogue Cross-case analysis

32. How can we make the communication work?

36. What a difference a year makes Vanessa Pittard Director, Evidence and Evaluation