THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS

Transcription

1 HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING itslearning AS, 2011

2 2 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING 3 What can a learning platform do for students, teachers and schools to benefit teaching and learning? The cost of providing a learning platform is relatively low, especially cloud-based systems that require little or no support and maintenance. For this minimal investment, schools can reap a wide range of benefits. This paper looks at these 12 key benefits, giving examples from real schools using the itslearning platform in Europe and the US. What is a learning platform? A learning platform is a software application that gives teachers, learners, parents and administrators access to common resources, communication tools and information, not just within the school but outside it too. When used properly, it can reduce teacher workload, minimise expenditure on IT and administration, and enhance learning and teaching both in and outside the classroom. Contents The 12 key benefits of learning platforms 1. Improved organisation and communication Beating bad weather and reducing paper costs 2. Increasing parental involvement A time-saving way to keep parents in the loop 3. Enhanced independent and personalised learning World-wide renewable energy projects with ELvis 4. Enhancing the quality and range of resources Virtual visits and TV newsreader wannabees 5. Better monitoring of learning and teaching A five-step approach to increasing student reflection and engagement 6. More opportunities for collaboration and interaction Reducing obesity in Europe and the virtual staffroom 7. Enhancing digital literacy Budding broadcasters and peer-to-peer testing 8. Making best use of teachers time Reduced teacher workloads leads to better results 9. Facilitating strategic leadership and management Better planning leads to outstanding school assessment 10. Supporting additional needs and inclusion Bringing the excluded back to school and working from home one day a week 11. Better student behaviour and attendance Making attendance top of mind and your own personal school homepage 12. Building the school identity and community Giving students the power to choose their IT What does the future hold?

3 4 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING 5 The 12 key benefits of learning platforms The use of learning platforms is continuing to grow across a broad range of educational institutions, from primary schools to universities. And it s easy to see why. 1Improved organisation of information and communication A learning platform can help a school ensure every student, teacher, parent and administrator has the information they need, when they need it. Learning platforms promise to help schools realise timesaving benefits for teachers and administration staff, improve communication within the school and the local community, and improve student engagement and attainment. But what exactly are these key benefits? In 2010, the London Knowledge Lab, part of the University of London s Institute of Education, identified 12 key benefits of using learning platforms. This paper looks at these 12 key benefits, giving examples from real schools using the itslearning platform in Europe and the US. Coordinating information and lowering costs Efficient and effective communication is essential for the success of a school. Learning platforms help schools improve communication by promoting the use of a wide variety of modern communication tools such as cloud , internal messaging, project spaces and blogs. As a result, a school can save time by streamlining information sharing between different stakeholders and, ultimately, reduce the amount of money spent on paper. Students at Cleves School keep working despite the snow Cleves Primary School in the UK switched to itslearning to improve teacher collaboration by ensuring their staff had access 24/7 to relevant reports, resources and lesson plans. But the learning platform has also had benefits for students. The winter after the school switched to itslearning, the UK suffered weeks of snow and many schools were forced to close. At Cleves School however, students could continue to study at home, using itslearning to communicate with teachers and other students, and to complete and hand-in assignments. UCST reduces paper and printing costs Together, the United Church Schools Trust & the United Learning Trust runs 11 independent schools and 20 academies across the UK. Teachers now use itslearning to create revision pages where students can find past papers, summary materials and links to relevant online resources. As these materials used to be printed and handed out to students, the organisation has experienced a significant reduction in printing and paper costs.

4 6 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING Increasing parental involvement Where learning platforms are used effectively, parents are better informed about their child s learning and school news, and learners receive more support to continue their learning at home. More opportunities for independent and personal learning The use of learning platforms leads to a greater variety of learning resources, and so can both motivate and support independent learners. One key to educational success According to a 2011 survey conducted by itslearning, 75% of teachers feel parental involvement is important or very important in the success of a child s education. But for many teachers, finding the time to communicate effectively with parents can be difficult. Using a dedicated online tool, such as itslearning s parent portal, can reduce the amount of time teachers spend communicating with parents and improve the quality of information they get. The portal gives parents access to a secure webpage containing information about their child s education such as grades and attendance. As much of the information is updated automatically, the parent portal saves teachers valuable time. However, teachers can also add specific information about individual students as required, such as comments on behaviour, attendance and mentorship, enabling them to easily and quickly communicate directly with a child s parents. Keeping parents in the loop At Apeltun Primary School in Norway, teachers have abandoned the rigid textbook approach to teaching. Instead, they mix and match resources to find the best activities to suit the needs of their students. While the approach is working for the school s students, it has come at a price for the parents, because parents used to use the textbook as a record of what their child has learnt and will learn next. The answer for Apeltun School is to use itslearning s parent portal. This gives each parent access to a secure website where they can see details of their children s weekly study plans, grades, study resources, attendance records and individual learning plans, as well as important class and school news. Show me how the machine works Agricultural students in Norway are often asked to write an essay explaining how the latest milking machine works. But some of the best students fail: not because they don t understand the machine, but because they aren t good at writing. At one school, teachers now let students choose how to complete the assignment. They can either write the answer, or record it using itslearning s in-built video recorder. Increasing motivation through individualised learning Learning platforms give every teacher the opportunity to place a wide variety of learning resources at their students disposal. The courses in itslearning for example, enable the distribution of learning materials tailored to meet the specific needs of each student, and enable these materials to be assigned, collected and (in some cases) automatically marked. From embedded videos and podcasts to images and presentations, it s possible for teachers to populate courses with resources that support nearly all learning modalities. As a result, students have greater access to materials that suit the way they learn, and can also work on extension Investigating renewable energy with ELvis materials in their own time if desired. As well as improving study opportunities for students who are keen to stretch themselves; this also gives students who are struggling new ways to understand a subject. Long-term time-saving benefits Although creating these extra materials may take time for most teachers, once they are on the learning platform, the materials can be re-used in different courses and with different students. They can also be shared with colleagues in the school, and most learning platforms have a library section where teachers can share resources with a community of teachers beyond their school. The ELvis Comenius project involves nine schools around the world and includes students of all ages. In order to give students enquiry-based learning opportunities, the schools coordinate projects that students in different schools can participate in, all centred on the main theme of Renewable Energy. The project itself wouldn t be possible without itslearning. Teachers and students use itslearning to communicate and share work with each other across schools. The project has seen an incredible surge in motivation for students, who have taken the opportunity to showcase what they are learning in a number of different ways by creating videos, podcasts and wikis that they then post on itslearning for others to see.

5 8 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING 9 4 Enhancing quality and range of learning resources the classroom. 5processes Learning platforms give teachers the opportunity to replace or supplement the textbook with a wide range of teaching and learning resources, both online and in Better monitoring and assessing of learning and teaching Can learning platforms help teachers and students better understand the of teaching and learning? Broadening the range of learning tools By giving teachers simple and quick access to a range of digital tools, learning platforms enable them to expand their repertoire of learning resources and exercises making teaching more engaging, fun and motivating for learners. It s also possible to link these activities to the curriculum, using tools that match activities to specific learning objectives and curriculum goals. Multimedia can also be made available to people outside the school, allowing students to showcase their work and enhancing links between the school and the family or local community. Virtual visits from the wider world Gilmorton Primary School in the UK uses itslearning s in-built video conferencing tool to create exciting visitor experiences for their students without requiring the visitor to travel to the school. The students interview a local professional, such as fireman or police officer, using a webcam and then use the video recording for further study. Providing preparation for the workplace At Curry College in the United States, young television and radio broadcasters use itslearning to hone their broadcasting techniques. Using an integrated teleprompter and the in-built video or sound recorder, they record their trial broadcasts directly into the platform. The broadcasts are then made available for the tutor and in some cases other students to assess. The power of self-reporting According to research by Professor John Hattie at the University of Auckland, one of the most important factors in successful education is selfreporting. Hattie defines self-reporting as the student s ability to understand what she is doing, as well as her ability to explain this and any gaps in her understanding to her teacher. A learning platform can help teachers facilitate this important process. Most learning platforms offer a range of reflective tools for students and teachers such as blogs, eportfolios and discussions. As well as encouraging personal reflection, these tools can also be extended to other students to create a safe online forum for peer assessment. Most learning platforms also include planning tools that help teachers link all activities to the curriculum, and integrated reporting tools allow teachers to go back and check a student s progress against learning objectives. Individual learning plans encourage reflection Teachers at Hop Lower Secondary School in Norway have developed a five-step process to promote self-reporting among her students using itslearning s individual learning plan (ILP) tool. In the five-step approach, students set their own learning objectives using the ILP. The student, teacher and student s parents can then go into the ILP to leave comments and check progress. Once a learning objective has been completed, the student documents the finished work in an eportfolio and uses a blog to discuss how the learning took place. At the end of term, the ILP is used as a basis for the student-teacher-parent meeting.

6 10 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING Increased opportunities for collaboration and interaction Collaboration between teachers and schools to pool resources and expertise, and enhanced collaboration between learners, are some of the most striking benefits of using a learning platform. Enhancing digital literacy ICT skills are essential to today s students and teachers. Learning platforms have been found to help develop functional technology skills, collaborative skills and critical thinking about digital technology. Reducing obesity with cross-country collaboration Located in rural France, many students at Jean Moulin Vocational College have never had the chance to travel, so the college launched the Comenius Food Project in 2006 in order to broaden the students international perspectives and raise students awareness of the dangers of obesity and diabetes at the same time. Students on the three-year course work with peers in Norway, Malta, the Netherlands and Hungary to learn about healthy eating and share recipes and experiences. This is made possible thanks to islearning s comprehensive collaboration tools particularly blogs, eportfolios, secure messaging and discussion forums and students also use the video conferencing tool to join lessons given by teachers in other countries. Collaborating online and in the classroom Learning platforms offer teachers and students a simple way to collaborate on projects and coursework. Teachers can use a learning platform to share resources, lesson plans and tests with other teachers, not only in the same school, but also in the same local authority or further afield. For example, the library function in itslearning allows teachers to make, save, search for and share resources with any other teacher using itslearning, regardless of location. For students, a learning platform offers a variety of collaborative opportunities through project pages, video conferencing, messaging and blogs. And, because most learning platforms are available 24/7 from any internet-enabled device, users can work together whenever and wherever they like. Reducing teacher workload with a virtual staffroom Teachers at Poole High School in the UK are particularly enthusiastic about itslearning s virtual staffroom. The virtual online space allows them to share tips, tricks and banter of all kinds, as well as lesson plans, timetables, tests and other teaching resources. Since getting itslearning in 2007, teachers at the school have noticed a clear reduction in their workload, irrespective of the subject they teach. Using 21st century online skills in a safe environment By the time they reach secondary school, most students have used Facebook, taken part in a chat forum or added comments to a blog. But many of them enter the digital space without guidance in netiquette (online etiquette), online privacy or cyber-bullying. A learning platform enables teachers to work with students to develop their online skills, within the safety of a school-controlled environment. Budding TV and radio journalists When asked to write a newspaper story as part of a journalism module, one student at Eastfield Primary School in the UK was inspired by itslearning s video and sound recorders to take the exercise one step further by recording his story on his webcam. The idea really caught on. Soon, every student had recorded their assignments as TV news, and the one or two who didn t have a webcam at home made radio news stories. Using peer-to-peer tests Broadening digital horizons Computers are no longer reserved for IT programmers, and many of today s jobs require employees to have reasonably advanced computer skills. For teachers, learning platforms enable them to include these skills in their courses, regardless of the subject. Discussion forums, for example, offer a safe space where students can discuss topics online, from English set texts and math problems to the merits of closed-circuit TV cameras. Many schools also run professional development programmes through their learning platform, giving teachers access to numerous courses in their school and at partner institutions. At Lutterworth College in the UK, teachers use itslearning for peer-to-peer testing. Instead of writing the test herself, the teacher asks the students to write the questions using the in-built test tool. Each student comes up with ten questions and the teacher chooses the best questions for the final test. As well as inspiring students to research the topic more thoroughly, the exercise gives the teacher a bank of questions that she can re-use with future classes or share with colleagues.

7 12 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING Making best use of teachers time to achieve positive results Learning platforms offer huge benefits for teachers and administrators by automating many of the tasks that they do regularly. As a result, schools have more time to dedicate to their core activity: teaching. Facilitating strategic leadership and management of teaching With the aid of learning platforms, the education sector can benefit from clearer and faster communication between all the people involved in education. Long-term efficiency Most schools that have successfully implemented a learning platform have seen increased efficiency in communication and collaboration as a result. However, for significant benefits to be realised, the learning platform must be used extensively throughout the school, and this must be driven by senior leadership. In most cases, some teachers will use the learning platform more extensively than others, but as long as all teachers complete all their basic tasks using the platform, the school will benefit from enhanced opportunities for flexible working and more effective resource sharing. Putting everyone on the same page For most schools, efficient and effective communication is essential. Through the use of common messaging systems, automated notifications and shared resource pages, learning platforms help ensure better communication of information and goals between teaching staff, school leaders and local education authority decision-makers. Better planning leads to outstanding school assessment When Gaddesby Primary School in the UK decided to reform its learning environment, it looked at both the physical buildings and its IT. This included using itslearning to enable teachers to clearly monitor student progress and results, so teachers can use the information when planning future classes. Just two years later, a report by Ofsted, the UK s Office for Standards in Education, Children s Services and Skills, described the school as outstanding based on their use of technology in the curriculum. Visualising data Most learning platforms also include advanced data-mining systems that enable teachers and school leaders to see a range of important information such as grades for entire schools, each year group, individual classes or individual students. For many teachers, this detailed information can be an important tool in planning more effective classes. Time-saving mean better grades In Stewards School in the UK, all staff have seen a reduction in workload, both in and out of the classroom since getting itslearning in The school has seen a reduction in the time teachers spend preparing new lessons, marking and compiling reports, and they now have more time in which they can focus on engaging learners and personalising learning. As a result, the school has seen a tremendous increase in attainment of GCSE A-C grades. Increasing teaching productivity Four years after starting with itslearning, United Church Schools Trust & the United Learning Trust is convinced that the learning platform has brought great benefits to all 11 independent schools and 21 academies under its control. One key reason is that many of the tasks teachers do regularly such as sharing resources, setting homework and marking assignments can be done through the platform, often automatically. Automatic reporting systems Learning platforms include tools designed specifically to support the processes involved in education. For example, most reports are automatically updated when the teacher enters new information. Once complete, these reports are automatically sent for approval and then made available to the people who need to see them. As well as ensuring staff, students and parents always have the latest information at their fingertips, this has a significant impact on reducing workloads.

8 14 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING Supporting additional educational needs and inclusion With anywhere/anytime access to learning materials and the ability to personalise the virtual learning environment, learning platforms can help engage troubled learners. 11 Improved management of student behaviour and attendance Learning platforms have been found to support schools efforts to improve student attendance and promote positive behaviour. Adjusting materials to suit the need of the child Most schools or education authorities have to cater for students who, for one reason or another, have a greater difficulty in learning than the majority of their peers. Learning platforms can help by enabling the teacher to tailor the learning experience to suit the individual. For example, some learning platforms enable teachers to create groups within courses. Teachers can then assign different materials to different groups or individuals, ensuring that students are working at the appropriate level. Working away from the class Cloud-based learning platforms, which can be accessed over the internet via a mobile computing device, enable students on long-term sick-leave, or even extended holidays with their families, to continue their studies by giving them anywhere/ anytime access to materials. Better data in the hands of the people who need it The reporting tools in learning platforms enable schools to better record and track data on student attendance and behaviour and they also help the school share this information between teachers, school managers, parents and learners. The reporting tools in itslearning, for example, enable teachers to easily track attendance and behaviour, and pass the reports to department heads or headteachers. Once approved, these reports can automatically be made available to parents or students through their individual dashboards, ensuring that everyone has access to the latest information. Helping with the smooth transition back into school Inclusion for all through blended learning Increased visibility improves attendance Using the homepage to raise attendance itslearning is used by a number of inclusion centres and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) in the UK (centres which are responsible for educating children who can t attend a normal school). In Plymouth, for example, itslearning gives relevant stakeholders (such as class teachers, mentors and headteachers) access to the assessment reports of children at the units. As a result, the learning outcomes of each child can be easily monitored and assessed by all necessary parties, regardless of where education is physically taking place. This helps ensure a smooth transition back into regular education when the child is ready. At Greys Education Centre, a PRU in Bedfordshire in the UK, students use itslearning to complete their work at home at home one day a week. As well as offering additional flexibility to students, this policy gives staff at the centre additional time to spend with the students who are in school that day. At Sotogrande International School in Gibraltar, the itslearning parent portal and behaviour and assessment tools are used to make attendance and behaviour reports visible to both students and parent. This increased visibility has helped promote positive behaviour and higher attendance at the school. At one secondary school in Norway, the headteacher decided to combat poor attendance in an unusual way. Instead of sending letters to parents, he decided to use the itslearning dashboard to ensure students always had attendance top of mind. When logging onto itslearning, every student sees the school s main dashboard, which includes the latest news, a calendar of upcoming events and other schoolwide information. But the headteacher decided to include one additional element: the individual student s very own attendance report.

9 16 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS HOW LEARNING PLATFORMS SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING Building the school identity and community Learning platforms help increase school democracy and give their students a voice, often leading to a stronger sense of school community. What does the future hold? Learning platform technology is improving all the time: it s now more secure, faster and easier to use, and it links to more and more third-party systems to create a much more comprehensive learning environment students. We see five core developments that will help drive this over the next few years: Giving students a voice By empowering students to create and share their own resources, and giving them a space to voice their opinions, learning platforms help increase both a sense of community and democracy. For example, survey or poll tools can be used by a headteacher or class teacher to quickly gauge student opinion on a topic. Discussion forums are also valuable for encouraging deeper opinionated discourse in a safe, school-monitored environment. This information can then be used to make changes to the school or class. A single gateway to a modern world Learning platforms are likely to play an increasingly important role as more and more teachers and schools look to further develop their use of ICT in all subject areas. By offering communication channels, pedagogical tools and course and school management systems, the best learning platforms give teachers and students a single gateway to using technology both in and outside of the classroom. 1 Further 2 Further integration and crosssystem collaboration: allowing learning materials to be shared between schools without proprietary formats restricting use development of educationspecific social media tools: helping to create a safe, school-controlled online community Students select the look and feel of the school learning platform When Manchester Academy in the UK started using itslearning, the academy used a different interface each week. When all the different interfaces had been trialled, the ICT manager used the itslearning poll tool to discover which interface was preferred. As such, the academy is now using an interface that was chosen by the students. 3 Closer 4 Increased ties between data management information systems and learning platforms: enabling better reporting between teachers, administrators and parents use of advanced assessment systems: helping teachers and students visualise teaching and learning, and plan classes more effectively Engaging students through increased involvement In order to improve engagement and stimulate the student s curiosity, a teacher at Sandvika Upper Secondary School in Norway uses itslearning to enable her students to participate in planning the semester. Students indicate which aspect of the course they are looking forward to by completing a quick survey and then take part in a discussion forum about what training methods, assessment methods and tools they would like used in the course. The teacher then uses this input to tailor the course to her student s specific needs. 5 Increased use of blended learning: providing access to education in a number of ways, including homebased learning, distance learning and classroom instruction

10 18 THE 12 KEY BENEFITS OF LEARNING PLATFORMS About itslearning At itslearning, we pride ourselves on understanding the needs of education. More than 20% of our staff have worked as teachers, and our learning platform is designed specifically for the education sector. Our learning platform is used by millions of educators, students, admin staff and parents around the world. It can be found at all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, helping make teaching more inspiring and education more valuable for students. We provide a full range of services, from tailored implementation projects to hosting and support, and dedicate more than 20% of our resources to product development. Established in 1999, we have our headquarters in Bergen, Norway, and have offices in London, Birmingham, Berlin, Paris, Mulhouse, Malmö, Enschede and Boston. Follow us!