tech&learninguk january 2015

www.techandlearning.uk January 2015

CRACKING THE CODESCHOOLS RESPOND TO THE INTRODUCTION OF CODING SEE PAGE 22

COMPUTATIONAL THINKINGIAN LIVINGSTONE CBE DISCUSSES GAMES-BASED LEARNING P6

CATCHING KNOWLEDGEALL-ENCOMPASSING LECTURE CAPTURE P28

ED TECH TRENDSNEW TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTING THE CLASSROOM P12

BETT SHOW PREVIEW P25

www.techandlearning.uk

WELCOME

Editor: Michael [email protected]

Executive Editor: Paddy Baker [email protected]

Executive Editor: Joanne Ruddock [email protected]

Head of Design: Jat [email protected]

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Head of Digital: Tim Frost [email protected]

Publisher: Steve Connolly

Contributors: Mark Anderson, George Cole, Steve Montgomery,

Viru Patel, Theresa Russell, Chris Waterworth

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I’m very grateful to have been asked to edit this publication and privileged to have entered the world of learning and education, albeit by the side door. At 17 years old, I knocked on the front door, nervously interviewing at the University of Strathclyde’s Jordanhill College for a place on the Primary Education BA course. Sadly my nerves, fate and a last-minute urge to work for a year before university conspired to ensure that my only foray into teaching was short and quite scary.

I remember being asked to describe, in detail, getting into a car and setting off. I’ve never been sure if it was the level of detail that was important or how engaging I could be when describing a fairly ordinary task. I hope it was the latter. As a child, I couldn’t get enough engagement – particularly at school – which is why I look at the current, technology-rich world of education with wide eyes and a smidgen of jealously that it wasn’t like that in my student days.

These are exciting times for learning environments and for the impact that technology is having on them. Perhaps these are intrinsic characteristics of the world of teaching and learning, but it’s clear that there are a lot of energised individuals, and a sense of togetherness and an appetite for progress are evident. Technology, which has transformed classrooms, lecture theatres and other learning spaces over the last decade, has reached such a level that it is starting to redefine methods and styles of teaching.

In these pages, we have some good examples of this, including a solutions feature about the University of Leeds, which is now home to one of the largest lecture capture systems in Europe (p28). Chris Waterworth discusses how coding is settling in to the new primary school curriculum in England (p22). And one of its main advocates, Ian Livingstone CBE, discusses his desire for more change and for more games-based learning (p6).

I’ve already been lucky enough to cross paths with some very interesting people and I look forward to meeting many more of you in the coming months. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the issue.

We’re also online at www.techandlearning.uk and on Twitter at @TechLearningUK – come and say hello; and if you don’t already, be sure to follow our US-based sister brand at www.techlearning.com and @techlearning.

Editor: Michael Nicholson [email protected]

Welcome to the first issue of Tech&Learning UK

Mark Anderson is a passionate advocate for the use of technology in the classroom to improve and enhance learning.

With 16 years classroom experience, he has a proven track record of teaching and learning linked to innovative and deliberate use of technology.

George Cole is a freelance writer and former teacher. He was educated at Bingley College of Education in West Yorkshire

and Homerton College, Cambridge. George was a teacher for 13 years and became a full-time freelance writer in 1991, specialising in two of his passions - technology and music.

Steve Montgomery is an independent business consultant and writer, who specialises in the fields of audiovisual systems, digital

signage and broadcast technology. Steve is a regular contributor to Tech&Learning UK’s sister title, Installation, where he looks at technology’s commercial implications.

Viru Patel is sales manager at Tiny Green PC, where he leads the programme for introducing interactive displays

into schools and colleges. He has considerable experience in the display market. Tiny Green PC is a leading supplier of environmentally friendly IT solutions.

Theresa Russell is head of computing (KS3) ICT and lead teacher for iPad training at Morecambe Community High

School. She also works with local primary schools to introduce Scratch programming to years 3 to 6. Theresa is an advocate for girls in IT, computing science and STEM jobs.

Chris Waterworth is a teacher at Pear Tree Primary School in Nantwich, Cheshire and an author. He has been teaching in primary

schools for over 10 years and has used technology in his classrooms from the very beginning. Chris believes in a cross-curricular and social approach to learning.

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTENTS

66 InterviewIan Livingstone CBE

99 OpinionTheresa Russell on how girls can excel in computing and ICT Viru Patel discusses touchscreens versus interactive whiteboards Mark Anderson talks about the role of the cloud in education

112 Ed Tech Trends 2015Technology that will help to shape learning environments this year

116 BudgetingCircumstances vary from school to school – how do you make your ICT budget work?

222 Coding in the ClassroomCoding has landed in English schools and is having quite an impact

31 ReviewsOrbotix Sphero 2.0LG ChromebaseNEC Display Solutions NP-M352WS

34 ShowcaseTablets

28 University of LeedsOne of the largest rollouts of lecture capture technology in Europe

2255 Show PreviewWe look ahead to Bett Show 2015

25

633

12

INTERVIEW: IAN LIVINGSTONE CBE

This leading light of the games industry – and government adviser – talks to Michael Nicholson about how gaming and coding can help to give children an education that will prepare them better for a rapidly evolving world

‘COMPUTER SCIENCE IS THE NEW LATIN’

WHAT WAS SCHOOL LIKE FOR YOU?It wasn’t as good as it should have been.

I left aft er A-Levels. I only managed

to get one – a grade E in geography,

and therefore didn’t go to university.

I went to college instead and studied

business studies, which was quite

useful as it turned out. I wasn’t badly

behaved at school; I was just a bored and

disaff ected non-conformist. I had some

prett y rubbish teachers too, who just

regurgitated their old university notes.

It was like a factory. It was a miserable

experience and it should have been

inspirational. I was made to believe that

I was a failure at school. My headteacher

didn’t even want me in his sixth form.

I thought I was rubbish. School should

be a place where children are taught

to think rather than just to memorise

facts, a place where diverse thinking is

encouraged. This didn’t happen in my day

and, unfortunately, it’s not happening

enough today.

DO YOU THINK THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED? I believe that despite the mainly good

structural reform in our schools we have

not begun on the real changes needed

in teaching and learning practice that

will equip children with the values and

skills needed for the digital world they

will inhabit. I don’t think education has

moved with the times. Any child born into

the internet age is diff erent to the child

born in the analogue age. Today’s children

live in a connected world. They share

everything from their privacy, to their

ideas, to their knowledge. They naturally

collaborate, which is what we do in the

workplace. Yet the school environment

requires that children learn in individual

silos, measured by standardised testing,

judged against the same metrics. That’s

not really how the world works. We are

all diff erent, good at diff erent things,

and together we can do great things.

Too much emphasis is placed on judging

people by their academic strengths

rather than their other strengths, and I

think that’s wrong.

Standardisation was fi ne for the

industrial factory era, when everyone

was essentially processed to do

the same function. Education has

not kept pace with the changes and

fragmentation of modern industry.

Children need to be equipped with the

skills they will need for jobs that don’t

yet exist – such is the speed of change

in the digital world. What they almost

universally lack is the skills of creative

thinking and any real understanding of

what the business of creative industries

is all about. Fixing this is an important

task. Children need to be good problem-

solvers and good communicators. They

should be encouraged to collaborate

and learn about taking risks to develop

entrepreneurial spirit. Failure is okay

– it should be seen as success work-in-

progress. Let’s help them become job

makers rather than job seekers.

The problem with a Victorian

broadcast model of delivering

knowledge, obliging children to


INTERVIEW: IAN LIVINGSTONE CBEmemorise facts, is that it can be soon

forgotten. Knowledge is important, of

course, especially committing literacy

and numeracy to memory. But I think

we should put more value on knowhow.

Learning by doing. Getting kids to ‘make

things do stuff’ is the new mantra. When

they are engaged, they learn – usually

happily too. In the 1980s, despite their

getting a whole generation of 10-year-

olds reading, the media didn’t write good

things about The Warlock of Firetop

Mountain, the first in the multi-million-

selling Fighting Fantasy gamebook

series authored by Steve Jackson and

myself. They were even banned in some

schools. God forbid children enjoying

reading without being told to.

Children are best served as being

motivated self-learners, who are not

afraid of failure, and who are natural

problem-solvers. I think that’s why today

computer science is so important. It’s

the new Latin, as it underpins the digital

world, which is exponentially reliant on

technology. It encourages people to

think computationally, to understand

logic and problem-solving, algorithms

and, of course, coding. But it’s not just

about coding. It is a discipline that

enables creativity.

ARE YOU ENCOURAGED BY DEVELOPMENTS LIKE CODING BEING INTRODUCED TO THE CURRICULUM IN ENGLAND?It’s great that computing is now

mandatory in English primary and

secondary schools. The rest of the world

is looking on with a mixture of curiosity

and envy. At the behest of Ed Vaizey,

the culture minister, I co-authored the

Next Gen Review in 2011, which was

published by NESTA. Next Gen made

20 recommendations – the main one

being to put computer science in the

curriculum as an essential discipline.

Spearheading the Next Gen Skills

campaign funded by UKIE, the video

games trade association, and working

with Computing at School, it took us

three years of lobbying before

it happened.

However, many people still don’t

understand the difference between

ICT and computer science. ICT was

effectively teaching children how to

consume technology, not giving them

the knowledge and insight they need to

create their own technology. They were

effectively being taught how to read

but not how to write. Then the penny

dropped: ‘Oh I see, it’s about creativity’.

You enable amazing digital creativity

by teaching children computer science.

Not everyone is going to become a coder

but it’s important that every child has

the opportunity to learn and understand

how code works. Any child, anywhere in

the world, could become the next Mark

Zuckerberg with digital-making skills.

The digital world is open to everybody to

be successful.

CAN GAMING BE USED TO TEACH EVERY SUBJECT?The interactivity in games naturally

requires problem solving. You can

learn using a game like Minecraft,

which is very creative, because you’re

building these wonderful digital worlds,

and there’s the community aspect of

sharing them with your friends. It’s like

digital Lego. If you want to teach urban

regeneration, why not use SimCity?

You’re building complete cities, learning

how city structures and the economies

around them work, and the challenges of

urbanisation. You can use games to teach

mathematics, whether it’s trigonometry

or algebra, you can deliver games-based

learning in maths. Games can be used as

simulations for training surgeons, pilots

and others in a safe environment.

Playing games is fun and entertaining.

Play is also a natural learning experience.

The gameplay experience combines a

broad mix of problem-solving, decision-

making, intuitive learning, trial and

error, logic, analysis, management,

communication, risk-taking,

planning, resource management and

computational thinking. Games stimulate

the imagination and encourage creativity,

curiosity, social skills, concentration,

teamwork, community, multi-tasking and

hand-eye co-ordination.

THE IDEA OF A GAMING SCHOOL CONJURES UP SOME INTERESTING VISIONS…That’s where it’s been misinterpreted –

I’ve never said it’s a games school.

It will be a school that has a broad and

balanced curriculum, where children will

be studying for 10 GCSEs. But we will

also encourage them to build a portfolio

of work. We will use some games-based

principles to apply to subjects for deeper

understanding, but it won’t be a school

where children are playing games all day

– far from it. We understand the value of

game structures being used as a learning

tool for problem-solving in particular.

WHAT STAGE ARE YOU AT WITH DEVELOPING A CURRICULUM AND WAYS OF APPLYING YOUR IDEAS? Our application is in with the Department

for Education. We’re now waiting in

the hope of being asked for interview.

Our team is ready and waiting. If we do

get approved, the plan is to be open by

2016. I don’t want anyone to think this

curriculum and teaching methods are

radical – more that they are in tune with

children’s natural way of learning by

doing. And yes, we will have discipline

in the classroom, but at the same time

we’ll encourage self-expression and self-

determination.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE WITH IT? HOW WILL YOU MEASURE SUCCESS?I’m hoping that with more engaged

learning, children will achieve even better

GCSE results than they might have done

otherwise. Exam results will be one

measure. Ofsted will soon tell us if we are

getting it wrong. I don’t, as an employer,

see exam results as the sole marker for

whether or not a person would make a

good employee. Show me what you can

do and I can give you a job. Pupils will be

encouraged to build up a portfolio of

work, either to show further education

establishments or future employers.

Being able to show somebody what you

BriefBiography

Ian Livingstone CBE After making his name as co-

founder of Games Workshop and co-author of the Fighting Fantasy role-play game books in the early 1980s, Ian Livingstone became a leading figure in the video games industry in the late 1990s, as chairman of Eidos

In 2010, he was asked by the government to act as its Skills Champion and carried out a bottom-up review of the whole education system relating to games

Under his leadership, the Livingstone Foundation Academies Trust hopes to open a Free School in Hammersmith, London, which promises to deliver more engaged teaching through computer science and using games-based learning

Livingstone made his name by co-authoring the Fighting Fantasy game books

can do speaks volumes. The portfolio

of work will sit alongside qualifi cations

which, of course, every parent quite

rightly wants their child to have.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FEARS?Obviously, I believe 100% in my ideas

for learning. We are going to hire people

who we believe to be among the most

inspirational teachers in the land to

come and work in our school. I’ve also

got a board of trustees that includes

two highly respected individuals, who’ve

been there and done it before: Barnaby

Lenon, the ex-head of Harrow School;

and Marion Gibbs, who’s the outgoing

head of James Allen’s Girls

School in East Dulwich, who

is one of the most respected

headmistresses in the

country. So they’ll keep my

feet fi rmly on the ground with

respect to delivering a broad

and balanced curriculum.

IS THIS JUST THE BEGINNING?A core strength of the UK,

which gives us an edge as a

nation, is our unique creativity.

It is the envy of the world. The

creative industries sector

has grown fi ve times the rate

of the wider economy, and

now accounts for one in 18

jobs in the UK. We have to

ensure that school is an environment in

which creativity fl ourishes. Computer

science promotes problem-solving and

creativity. Hopefully our proposed school

will be a fl agship for learning-by-doing,

gett ing children more engaged in their

subjects: knowhow as well as knowledge.

Recommendations in our Next Gen

Review will be implemented, gett ing

children to think computationally and

become creators as well as consumers of

technology and products. And we must

never underestimate the contribution

that art, music, drama and design make

in promoting diverse thinking, self-

expression and self-determination.

And if it goes well, of course we’d want

to open more. We don’t want it to be just

a one off .

DO YOU THINK YOU WILL INFLUENCE EXISTING SCHOOLS TOO?I hope so, but that is of course for them

to decide. What I do know from my own

observations is that too many children

are needlessly bored at school and that

is just not right. Why can’t learning be

enjoyable? Why is all the fun learning

done outside of school? It doesn’t

have to be like that. An authentic

education for the digital world is key,

and government must continue its

vital role in evolving the curriculum,

bringing the arts and sciences together

to encourage innovation. It is essential

that school is a place where creativity

fl ourishes and inspires young people to

become the best they can be.

www.nesta.org.uk/publications/next_genwww.livingstoneschoolhammersmith.com

INTERVIEW: IAN LIVINGSTONE CBE

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‘‘CChhilddrreeenn nnneeeedd too bbbe eeqqquiipppppeedd wwiithh tthhhee

sskkilllss tthhheey wwwiill nneeeed ffoorr jjjoobbss thhaaatt

dddoonn’’tt yyeeet eexxiisst’’

Livingstone co-authored the Next Gen review with Alex Hope

mpowering girls with the

belief that they can be

successful in computing

and ICT disciplines can

have brilliant results. Through my

involvement with the Technovation

Challenge, I saw this with my own eyes.

I managed a team of girls, who started

out thinking they weren’t very good

and ended up believing they could have

successful computing and ICT careers.

Watching them develop both their ICT

skills and their interpersonal skills was

so rewarding.

I have worked with three groups of

girls ranging from Year 8 to Year 10 on

several competition entries, each one

requiring a variety of skills ranging

from public speaking to logical thinking

and people management. Most of

the girls were pre-selected based on

attitude, aptitude to learning and, of

course, commitment to the group

and competitions.

During a telepresence session with

our mentor, Heidi Rhodes from Cisco,

they were asked what they wanted to

gain from the competition. They all

answered, “to be more confident”. We

are still working in an age where both

boys and girls believe that computing

and ICT is for boys; they all have the

opinion that boys are just better at

it. These opinions need to change,

and I believe this can be achieved

through after-school clubs such as

Technovation Challenge (a girls-only

competition) and introducing girls to

successful female mentors from

within industry.

Stereotypes are so ingrained with

the students. One example is that over

the last week I have been asked why

I have a mat on my classroom floor.

When I reply, “It’s for my Lego Robotics

Group after school”, they all look and

although the girls look impressed, it’s

the boys who shout that they want to

join. When I say it’s a girls-only group,

the boys on the whole say, “But girls

cannot do robotics, boys are much

better”. Some of the girls were of a

similar opinion. These opinions can

only be changed through positive

experiences.

One or two of the girls in my first

ever Geek Girls group (named by them)

with TechGirlsUK did struggle with

being involved in a female computing

club – particularly some of the more

popular girls. It went so far that one

girl nearly left after being ridiculed,

which would have been a tragic loss to

the team. She did remain in the group

and spent a week at Cisco completing

her work experience – three days in

Manchester and two in London – which

was an unmatchable experience. She

has gone on to study GCSE computing

and is now looking at A-Level too.

There is a wealth of female talent

available as potential mentors who

can have a positive impact on girls’

perceptions of computing and ICT

opportunities that will come up in the

future. Opportunities such as Apps for

Good, FLL and Technovation Challenge

can put students in contact with

mentors who will inspire them.

Networking is key. Teachers need to

be more involved with social media

to gain access to industry and tech-

savvy mentors. The use of Twitter and

LinkedIn has enabled me to connect

with people like Heidi Rhodes from

Cisco in London, Silvia Spiva from

Cisco in San José, California and Digital

Heroes such as Andrew Mulholland -

an inspirational young man from

Northern Ireland.

Sponsorship is also available from

companies who are keen to encourage

girls into STEM subjects. We have

been lucky enough to gain corporate

sponsorship from companies such

as Cisco and EDF Energy to pay for

equipment and trips to Manchester,

London and even San José. Our school

has been a great supporter too.

Get people involved, get them

excited, get the students excited and

let them run with it.

technovationchallenge.wordpress.com

E

THERESA RUSSELL

Breaking stereotypes and instilling confidence can lead to rewarding results

OPINION


OPINION

nteractive whiteboards

have largely displaced

blackboards in the

UK’s classrooms, but despite their

popularity, they do suff er from some

serious drawbacks. The biggest issue is

the amount of power they use. Typically,

they can be on six hours per day for 220

days of the school year and although

teachers tend to be environmentally

aware and relatively good at turning off

projectors when not in use, their energy

consumption and cost is signifi cant.

There are other disadvantages too.

Teachers rely on the availability of the

interactive whiteboard in planning their

lessons, making it a signifi cant issue

if the projector doesn’t work or if the

screen ‘washes out’ due to high levels

of ambient light. Common malfunctions

include the bulb burning out – standard

bulbs have a life of 2,000 hours – or

the projector becomes misaligned,

providing poor images. With some

designs, it is hard to avoid standing in

the beam.

Touchscreens are more convenient

and cost much less to run than

interactive whiteboards. Large-format

screens of 65in diagonal or more are

being widely adopted in many diff erent

applications, including retail, transport,

hospitality and corporate environments.

Because of this, economies of scale

mean that manufacturing costs are

reducing; something that is being

passed on to the buyer. These large-

format screens are widely off ered with

integrated touch control. There is litt le

doubt that, as the cost comes down, this

is the technology of the future for the

classroom too.

Touch technology is user friendly

and intuitive, overcoming the

hesitation of non-tech savvy members

of staff , off ering multiple touches,

making the screens super-accessible

for dynamic and interactive learning.

The need for a delicate projector is

eliminated and the PC can either be

integrated into the screen or att ached

to the rear, forming a single reliable

unit that only needs to be set up once.

The screen glass is also comparatively

robust and very easy to clean with a

wipe or, if necessary, with stronger

detergents. For informational signage

applications in school foyers and

catering areas, the same screens can

be used without the touch overlay.

Using a suitable content management

system, screens in the foyer can

quickly and easily be updated with

news of individual and collective

achievements and upcoming events,

and the same information can be added

to the menu screens in the café, and

even to screens in classrooms when

they’re not in use for lessons.

Screen technology is ever

improving. Whiteboard replacement

and informational signage packages

are now off ered based on Full HD

monitor technology (42in, 46in, 55in

and 65in), integrated with touch

control and driven by compact and

energy-effi cient solid-state PCs. The

screens can respond correctly to up

to fi ve simultaneous touches and can

be networked for remote control, and

are designed for 24/7 operation. They

can use technologies such as LED

backlights and smart power

management to deliver low energy

consumption. Low-energy solid-

state PCs off er high performance

but use less than 10% of the energy

of a traditional PC, and produce so

litt le heat that no noisy cooling fan is

required. They are able to run exactly

the same applications as their larger,

more power-hungry counterparts and

can be used with popular interactive

learning environments such as RM

EasyTeach, SMART and many others,

eff ectively eliminating the need for

training. Systems are compatible with

Windows, Linux and Android operating

systems.

www.tinygreenpc.com

I

VIRU PATEL

TIME TO SHINEWhy touchscreens are set to replace whiteboards in the classrooms

wenty years ago, schools

were struggling to get to

grips with establishing a

network in their buildings. Ten years

ago, most had some semblance of

a network on their premises – their

budgets were aligned so that there was

a fair proportion of spend allocated to

ICT infrastructure. Now, schools look to

sustain this but also to ensure that their

WiFi is in place in sufficient measure to

cope with their mobile learning needs.

More mobile learning projects become

WiFi and infrastructure projects – less

about the learning and more about the

technology. The reliance on in-house ICT

systems these days is huge.

What could happen is that schools

move away from a model where they

have physical assets that depreciate

over time (capex model) to one which is

more subscription based (opex model).

Moving to the cloud could bring some

real savings, not just on hardware,

but on software too. More and more,

software companies are moving to

cloud-based models.

Google has recently put in to place a

massive game-changer that will really

make schools think about how they work

with their infrastructures. It announced

that the Google Drive feature – part of

the larger and fantastic ‘Google Apps

for Education’ (which it gives away to

schools essentially for free) – will have

unlimited storage space. With this in

mind, what place do schools now have

for their internal networks for storage?

What requirement is there for

redundancy for all of that

data in schools? Do we

still need to have big

on-site server-based

systems to keep all of our

work in one place? The

landscape for technology

purchasing in schools is changing.

Use of the cloud is a really

exciting prospect for education.

There are lots of opportunities for

innovation in using it. The opportunity

to share, collaborate and create

learning experiences is huge. The use

of mobile technologies that capitalise

on cloud services has the propensity

to involve combined pedagogies like

Bloom’s taxonomy, Vygotsky’s zone

of proximal development and more –

creating authentic and shared learning

experiences.

It might be that your infrastructure

to support mobile learning isn’t there

yet. You might not have the ability to get

cloud services or your Google Apps for

Education set up yet. In that case, there

are a number of ways in which you can

use your existing network and turn it

in to a cloud-based service. One such

way is through the Foldr service from

Minnow. Foldr is a service that allows

you to bridge the gap to using full

cloud services by continuing to use your

internal infrastructures and at the same

time capitalising on your growing

bring-your-own-device scheme.

Either way, answer these questions:

Do you think in 10 years’ time you will

have your data stored locally or is it

more likely that you will be using cloud

services? Do you think it more or

less likely that you will be using cloud

services for your software?

The potential for increased

productivity and efficiency are there,

not only for staff but for students too.

Having services in the cloud means

that more and more activities can be

completed on the go, therefore

students are going to be far more

mobile with their learning. Cloud

services tie in well with mobile devices

and with so many of our schools

moving to 1:1 tablets in their learning

environments, why wouldn’t you want

to look at this? Again, more questions:

In 10 years’ time is it more likely or

less likely that we will be working and

learning using mobile technology and

in the cloud? I think the answer is more

likely. I would love to hear what you

think. I’ll see you in the cloud.

www.ictevangelist.com

T

MARK ANDERSONSEE YOU IN THE The trend towards mobile and cloud-based learning solutions is inexorable

‘The opportunity to share, collaborate and create learning experiences using the cloud is huge’

OPINION


FEATURE: ED TECH TRENDS 2015

With advances in teaching technologies showing no sign of slowing down, Steve Montgomery takes a look at the equipment that will help to shape education in 2015

he use of electronic

equipment at all education

levels has grown rapidly

over the past two decades, since

the introduction of the interactive

whiteboard by a newly formed start-up

company, SMART, in 1991. Ease of use,

adaptability and appeal to pupils of all

ages have helped promote their use and

acceptance in the classroom and a wide

range of government-backed initiatives

and funding schemes has resulted in

almost total adoption of whiteboards

by schools in the developed countries

around the world. However, it was not

immediate. In the 1990s, no one knew

about interactive whiteboards, much

less why they might want or need one.

As technology developed and

connectivity within, between and

beyond schools matured, new devices

have entered the classroom to

supplement and enhance the learning

process. Higher education colleges

and universities have different

requirements but have also embraced

new technology enthusiastically.

This has resulted in new methods of

teaching across the board. Amber Halls,

science team leader at St Ives School,

is adamant that the role of technology

“is not to make the teacher’s task easier,

but to make it more effective”.

However, adoption of new

technology is not without problems.

“Fundamentally there are two barriers

that need to be overcome: reliability and

application,” points out Michelle Turner,

ICT creative director of Essential

Teacher. “In the classroom environment,

teachers must focus on pupils and do

not have time to attend to equipment,

even if they are technically competent

to set up and control advanced IT and

presentation equipment. They rely on

it working as soon as they are ready to

start the lesson, and any problems must

be overcome quickly and with minimal

effort on their part. A teacher who has

prepared a lesson at home on a laptop

needs to be sure that he or she can

instantly connect it to the classroom

whiteboard or projector. Otherwise the

lesson won’t proceed.”

Many schools now have their own

technical support staff, or share with

other local schools, to ensure maximum

operation of in-school equipment,

and this is becoming more critical as a

wider range of technology enters the

classroom and teachers need greater

connectivity to third-party resources.

No technology or learning software

will be used unless it has the backing of

teachers. “Teachers must see a benefit

themselves and be keen to use it, and

keep using it, in order to maximise

its potential,” explains Turner. “They

need the time and resource to learn

how to apply it and prepare content,

which inevitably needs the support

of the leadership team. A school that

is dedicated to making the best use

of technology and is committed at

the senior management level can

apply learning aids across the whole

curriculum and age range, allowing

pupils to become immersed in these

techniques and greatly benefit as they

progress through the school.”

Professional bodies such as NAACE

and the London Grid for Learning

provide support and guidance,

together with extensive teaching

resources. Independent suppliers also

offer services. N-vest works with a

network of channel partners, including

manufacturers, distributors, resellers

and integrators, to provide advice and

product training.

Pip Thomas, director of N-vest, says:

“While a great deal of time and care is

taken over the research, selection and

installation of technology, very little is

spent talking to the people who will use

it about what they need and want, how

the technology will impact them, how

it will benefit them and what training

WHEELS KEEP ON TURNINGT

‘Atttituuudeess tto ttecchnnnolooggy inn sschhooolss aaree cchaanggingg’ PPipp TTThoommaass, NN-vveesst

SMART interactive whiteboards have evolved and now include multi-touch

capability for group work


FEATURE: ED TECH TRENDS 2015and on-going support they’ll need to

achieve that. We get involved before

new purchases are made, to work with

the school to devise a user adoption

strategy, which is essentially how to

win the hearts and minds of those who

will use the new technology and turn

that new equipment or software into an

essential tool they could not do without.”

TECHNOLOGY FOR LEARNING AND SKILLSTechnology used in education must

be considered as a tool and not

implemented for its own sake. Yet even

this attitude is developing, explains

Thomas: “Attitudes to technology in

schools are changing. Where the focus

was once on technology as a teaching

aid, it is now more about technology

that engages students to aid learning,

and on teaching them the skills they will

need in the workplace. It is an ongoing

process. We are also increasingly being

asked to go into schools to assess how

well they are using their technology,

what else they could be getting from

it, the skill levels of users and what

training is needed to enable unused

capabilities to be unlocked.”

An essential life skill is being able to

collaborate and work with colleagues

and business partners, which is first

encountered in group learning at an

early stage and extends throughout a

student’s academic career. It has been

revolutionised by the use of personal

devices within the learning environment

fuelled by applications that enable

devices to be linked together with

each other and classroom resources

– including teachers’ tablets and the

interactive whiteboard or lecture

room projector.

“There is a definite move away from

the traditional knowledge transfer

approach to teaching, to knowledge

sharing opportunities. Instead of the

teacher spending most of the time at

the front of the class, students now

learn and solve problems together,

guided by the teacher,” says Ian Curtis,

head of Western Europe, Africa and

ANZ at Promethean. “The popularity

of iPads as a consumer technology

has undoubtedly influenced the rapid

adoption of collaborative learning, but it

is the availability of software solutions

and apps which are making these

devices a valuable teaching technology.

“Promethean’s ActivEngage2 is a

virtual Learner Response System,

which can be installed on handheld

devices and used to support formative,

summative and other assessment-

based activities. It can be supplemented

by ClassFlow – an all-in-one teaching

platform for synchronising classroom

devices and orchestrating lessons,

which creates a truly connected

classroom. It engages learners by

enabling content to be pushed out

to students and gives students the

ability to share their creative input by

sending content back to the interactive

whiteboard, interactive flatpanel or any

other front-of-class display solution.”

Halls points out: “The pedagogy has

changed towards one that is student-

centred, with independent learning, as

students become more responsible

for their own learning. Tablets allow

students to find their own way and

progress at their own pace.”

Ulf Greiner, product line manager

business projectors at NEC Display

Solutions Europe, also believes that

collaborative self-learning brings

additional benefits and will prepare

students for the future: “Students are

generally more engaged and willing to

participate when using the technology

they are familiar with. Teachers can

encourage students to research in

their own time, accessing information

via the internet, in preparation for

group time where the session can be

more productively spent in discussion.

Through more efficient and productive

working practices, teachers can

stimulate further and deeper learning

from their students.”

Interactive whiteboards have

generally used short-throw projectors

combined with a touch-sensitive screen

surface that senses a pen or user’s

finger. These have developed from

single touch devices to multi-touch,

allowing several users to operate them

simultaneously and enabling the sort

of gestures found on smartphones and

tablets. Cost reduction in LCD display

technology is beginning to make these

types of panel cost-effective and

competitive when the total cost of

ownership is considered over its

full lifetime.

iBoardTouch’s range of interactive

panels is compatible with interactive

whiteboard systems, which, as

European operations director Zulfi

Baig points out: “Enables files to be

transferred seamlessly between

different interactive platforms. The

software allows users to open SMART

files in native format and from early

next year will also be configured to

open Promethean files. It includes tools

that add videoconferencing, support

wireless connections with mobile

‘Finger-touch brings magic to the classroom – annotations and

drawings made by either finger or pen’

Chris Goff, Epson UK

Messages can be sent by teachers to pupils’ tablets

FEATURE: ED TECH TRENDS 2015

devices and bring your own device for

real-time collaboration and whole class

information sharing. Motion-detection

technology can be added to allow the

system to be controlled from up to 5m

away and voice command technology

will be available soon for speech control.

“The iBoardTouch Pro is up to eight

times more energy efficient than

traditional whiteboards. A 55in display

consumes approximately 180W power

consumption compared with a typical

interactive whiteboard, projector and

separate PC which is typically over

1,000W. On the basis of full time, five

days per week use, it could cost as little

as £80 per year to run, compared with

around £400, and should last for nearly

30 years in normal operation without

needing lamp replacement.”

The option to move away from

dedicated whiteboards is offered

by companies like Epson, with its

new interactive projector. This adds

finger and dual-pen touch capability

to an ultra-short-throw projector,

as Chris Goff, business manager,

Visual Instruments at Epson UK,

explains: “Finger-touch brings magic

to the classroom – annotations and

drawings made by either finger or pen.

Interactivity is built into the projector,

removing the need for a separate,

expensive interactive whiteboard, so

cost is reduced and educators are able

to make their money go further.”

PERIPHERAL DEVICESWhichever presentation system is used

within the classroom or lecture theatre,

there is a wide range of peripheral

devices that can be added to enhance

its capability. Desktop and ceiling-

mounted visualisers enable objects

to be captured and displayed on the

screen in single or three dimensions.

Cameras and audio systems allow

videoconferencing applications to

be implemented quickly and easily to

open a gateway to other schools and

organisations around the world – many

of which have outreach programmes to

provide educational programmes.

beyerdynamic’s MPR line array

microphones are ideal for educational

applications, as Matt Nettlefold of

distributor Polar Audio explains:

“The Revoluto microphone exhibits a

‘corridor characteristic’ which allows

it to pick up voices over a wide area

with high clarity. Depending on the

size of the venue, one microphone

can cover the whole room and replace

multiple hanging microphones and

the associated mixing requirements.

It means that teachers have more

flexibility of movement within the

room whilst speaking and the

whole class can contribute in a

videoconferencing session.”

Video recording is an extremely

flexible and valuable tool at all levels

of education. “Teaching staff are

increasingly adopting the flipped

classroom concept, where teaching

is delivered via video and viewed as

homework, allowing activities to be

completed in class, with the teacher

present,” says James Keen, marketing

manager at Tripleplay. “It reduces the

need for repetition – a teacher can

perform and record a lesson once and

then use it time and again. It opens up

the opportunity to spend more time

with pupils while in class.” At university

level, video recordings are made

available to students to remove the

need for extensive note taking during

lectures, allowing greater engagement

and easing revision and missed lectures.

Video also allows the delivery of

massive open online courses (MOOCs),

which combine remote, online learning

with video and social media. Professor

Neil Morris, director of digital learning

and chair in educational technology,

innovation and change at the University

of Leeds, is a strong advocate: “In

the higher education sector, there

are a number of areas of strategic

importance in educational technology

at the moment. These are online

courses, assessment and feedback,

in-class interactivity and use of mobile

devices. Over the last couple of years,

MOOCs have had a large impact on the

provision of digital learning materials

on externally facing platforms, and also

within universities.

“As mobile device ownership

increases on university campuses, this

is starting to impact on approaches

to interactivity in class, for example

in mobile voting, chat, interactivity

and group working. Innovative use of

lecture capture and desktop capture

technologies is starting to impact on

assessment and feedback, as staff

and students use the tools to produce

assignments, submit assessments,

mark online and provide digital

feedback.” With no classroom, video is

the only way for lecturers to get face to

face with students.

Technology has greatly aided the

delivery of education at all levels and is

set to improve it further, particularly in

academies and private schools with free

school status and at higher educational

establishments that are free to explore

non-traditional teaching methods. The

benefits to teaching staff of well-

integrated solutions are apparent in

increased effectiveness. The benefits

to students in preparing them for their

future careers are immense.

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The Epson EBA585 offers interactivity from a projector

FEATURE: BUDGETING

Versatility, value for money and sustainability are increasingly important when it comes to ICT purchasing. George Cole looks at how three schools, with different-sized ICT budgets, are making their money stretch further

uggling an ICT budget is

challenging at the best

of times. Not only is

technology fast-moving and constantly

evolving, but developments like the

new ICT curriculum, introduced last

September (with a focus on computer

science), bring added pressures. The

2014 British Educational Suppliers

Association (BESA) survey, Information

and Communication Technology in UK

State Schools, covers a representative

sample of 22,000 primary and 4,300

secondary schools across the UK. It

found that the average primary school

ICT budget for 2014/15 was £14,450, and

for secondary schools, £64,000.

When it comes to ICT purchasing,

factors like versatility, value for money

and sustainability are even more

important. Teachers are also coming

up with new ways of using ICT to get

even more out of the technology. Below,

we look at how three schools, with

different-sized ICT budgets, are making

their money stretch even further.

BRAMPTON PRIMARY SCHOOLBrampton Primary School in Cumbria

is a small primary school with 294

pupils aged 5-11, and 14 teaching staff.

Chris Armstrong, the school’s deputy

headmaster, says it’s hard to put a

figure on the school’s budget, but it

is, “limited”. Even so, the school has

invested a lot in ICT.

ICT is classroom-based, with each

room having a laptop, projector, SMART

Board, SMART Notebook software and

speakers. “I think this set-up is the bare

minimum of what teachers expect these

days,” states Armstrong. There are two

portable trolleys with laptops, which are

moved around the school. Most of the

ICT management has been outsourced,

although there is also an IT co-ordinator.

The computer-to-student ratio is 1:10.

“It’s not just the ICT budget that is

tight,” he says. “We spend money on ICT

when we need to, so if something needs

replacing, we’ll do it, because teachers

have to use ICT; it’s a part of their day-

to-day job.” When it comes to deciding

what ICT equipment is essential, he

has no hesitation in stating that it’s

the classroom set-up of notebook,

projector and screen. “It offers so

many possibilities, whether it’s looking

at historical photos or playing online

educational games.”

Armstrong puts visualisers

(Brampton has two) under the “not

essential, but good to have” category.

“You can do brilliant things with a

visualiser, like zoom into historical

artefacts – it’s a powerful tool. If money

was no object, I’d purchase some

e-readers, because children are used

to this type of technology,” he explains.

Although many schools have purchased

tablets, Armstrong is wary: “I do wonder

whether they are being used for the

right reasons or are simply gimmicks.”

A tight ICT budget doesn’t mean you

can’t do bold, innovative and imaginative

things with it. IT co-ordinator Tom

Dennis set up a live video stream of an

oystercatcher nest, which appeared

in the courtyard area of the school’s

MAKING BUDGETS WORK

J

Dunston Hill Primary’s facilities include a dedicated ICT suite with 30 PCs, a whiteboard, projector, laptop and TV screen

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FEATURE: BUDGETING

site. Classes were able to watch the

action unfold, thanks to a motion sensor

camera providing live feeds around

school. Two eggs hatched and this

prompted a visit from the RSPB, along

with discussions and work on birds,

migration and local wildlife. In another

example, a KS1 teacher recorded her

class completing a simple dance routine

in the hall and showed it to the children.

This helped them reflect on their

own performances.

The two visualisers have helped

pupils improve their writing. “There have

been numerous examples of teachers

using film and photographs to prompt

learning about different things. The

basic AV set-up of laptop, interactive

screen and sound system allows us to

do that,” explains Armstrong.

He says that while price is important,

an even more important purchasing

consideration is “how are we going to

use the ICT? What are the benefits for

the pupils and staff? How will it help

children – that’s the first consideration;

cost is secondary.” He adds that there

are additional costs like maintenance,

replacements (like projector bulbs and

whiteboard pens) and the network.

“Whatever you buy is going to look

outdated in six months’ time,” he notes.

“That is why a lot of schools have gone

down the leasing route. Outsourcing ICT

maintenance can save you a lot of time

and money, and lets your teaching staff

focus on what matters – learning.”

DUNSTON HILL COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL When Dunston Hill Community Primary

School moved into a new building in

2008, it was fortunately positioned

to receive funding for lots of new

hardware. The school leadership also

believes that ICT has a key role to

play in teaching and learning, and so has

continued to invest much in its

ICT budget.

Dunston Hill Primary is based in

Gateshead and has around 445 pupils

and 16 teaching staff, plus a dedicated

AV/IT support member of staff. There’s

a dedicated ICT suite with 30 PCs, a

whiteboard, projector, laptop and TV

screen. All areas of the school have

access to Apple TV, and each classroom

has a PC, projector, visualiser and

whiteboard. The Year 5 Pod area has

four PCs, a whiteboard, projector

and TV, and three learning resource

and community rooms each with a

whiteboard, projector and Apple TV.

Five laptops are used for teacher

planning and preparation, and there

are two iPad trolleys with 48 iPads

available for use around the school.

In the hall there is a whiteboard,

laptop, AV system and lighting, and

in a meeting room, an interactive

whiteboard and laptop. WiFi is available

throughout the school, both internally

and externally, and there are also four

network printers. The school also

has 12 Kindles and 30 Nintendo DS

consoles. Microsoft Office 365 is used

throughout, with teaching staff using it

for email and calendar on their tablets.

The computer-to-pupil ratio is 1:9.

“We normally spend around £30,000

a year on hardware, although this year,

it has been closer to £18,000 due to

budget constraints,” explains Louise

Briggs, Dunston Hill school business

manager. The school also spends an

additional £4,500 on consumables and

software, and some additional funding

is available from other sources, such

as fundraisers and the pupil premium

funding streams.

Sustaining good ICT provision takes

its toll on any budget. “A lot of PCs

are getting on in age and 34 PCs will

have to be replaced this year,” says

Briggs. “I replaced all our printers

with the network printers to reduce

printing costs, and we purchased LED

projectors, so we didn’t have to buy new

bulbs, which cost around £200 each. But

it means that we don’t have the funding

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A purpose-built performance and sports block at Shireland Collegiate Academy includes a 400-seat studio theatre, music rooms, recording studio, dance and drama areas and an immersive space with 12 projectors

FEATURE: BUDGETING

to buy iPad apps. These are paid for

through school fundraising.”

ICT is used extensively for teaching

and learning. Many programs are

used for literacy and assessment; the

whiteboards are constantly used for

presentations and interactive activities,

the visualisers are used to model work,

and the school website is packed with

resources. But what does the school

consider to be its most essential ICT

resources? “The PCs, obviously, for

basic keyboard skills,” reveals Briggs.

“The iPads and Office 365 are important

– communication between staff would

suffer without them. Whiteboards are

essential – we couldn’t imagine going

back to blackboards and not having the

ability to interact and show videos and

display resources. The iPads are also

well used – it’s great that technology

can be used outside.”

The Kindles and DS consoles count

as “not essential but nice to have”,

while Briggs notes that some apps are

presented as being educational but, in

fact, offer little useful content.

Dunston Hill takes great steps to

ensure that any ICT it purchases will

provide good value for money. Staff,

for example, are free to suggest apps,

and these are assessed by the school

leadership team before purchase.

“We’ll often go and look at another

school that’s using a resource we’re

interested in, but it’s important to

remember that what’s good for one

school may not be right for yours. Any

purchase has to be needs-led,” says

Briggs. “And I go through a best-value

process for the best price.” She adds

that it’s easy to overlook things like

consumables, energy and insurance,

which are often hidden costs. “When

we acquired lots of new devices, it put

a strain on our WiFi network, so we

had to upgrade it, so that was another

cost. When you buy in bulk it is difficult

to replace items in one go, once the

lifecycle has finished. It is easier if you

can allocate funding over a phased

period of time.”

Sustainability is an issue,

and keeping up with the latest

developments is an ongoing process.

Briggs says: “Financial constraints

will restrict how far you can progress,

but you have to accept that everything

has a lifecycle.”

SHIRELAND COLLEGIATE ACADEMYShireland Collegiate Academy in

Smethwick, West Midlands has been a

trailblazer when it comes to educational

ICT. It was one of the first schools to

set up its own learning platform, and

for years has had a specialist e-learning

team. Executive principal, Sir Mark

Grundy, explains: “We buy ICT that is

systemic. It’s stuff that affects the

whole school or a year group. If it’s not

going to offer value for money and have

a big effect, we don’t have it.”

Shireland has 1,170 students aged

11-19, 96 teaching staff and 90 non-

teaching staff. Almost all students

have their own laptops, the exception

being Year 11, who require specialist

facilities because of the nature of their

exam curriculum. In addition, each

curriculum area has a set of laptops,

and every curriculum learning space

a SMART Board – there are 66 in the

school. A purpose-built performance

and sports block includes a 400-seat

studio theatre, music rooms, recording

studio, dance and drama areas and an

immersive space with 12 projectors.

WiFi is throughout the school, and Sir

Mark says 1,900 devices are tagged to

the school network.

The Shireland ICT budget is huge –

the school spends around £200,000

a year on refreshing hardware and

infrastructure, plus another £50,000 on

licences. Shireland’s Learning Gateway

is based on Office 365 and is used

extensively by staff, pupils and

parents – the school has moved to a

flipped learning system and students

collect their resources from the

Learning Gateway.

When it comes to essential ICT, Sir

Mark says: “The students having their

own laptops has made the biggest

impact. They pick up their laptop in

the morning and it’s got all their notes

and resources. The continuity and

sense of ownership has made a big

difference.” Teachers have been doing

some outstanding work with the new

immersive system, he adds, including

work that involved looking at the role

of women in World War II. But not all ICT

purchases have been successful. “The

worst decision I made was to give all

sixth formers their own iPad, because

when we purchased them they couldn’t

run Office. Seventy per cent of sixth

formers asked for their iPads to be

replaced with a laptop, so they could do

their schoolwork. Voting systems were

another mistake, because you can do all

that on a tablet or SMART Board.”

Keeping up with the pace of

ICT is challenging, says Sir Mark: “You

have to accept that things have to be

replaced but you can be clever about

it; our laptops are resilient enough

to last for around five years.” When it

comes to budget planning, Shireland

runs a five-year ICT development plan:

“The ICT budget is treated like the staff

budget. It’s the only way of making it

sustainable,” he explains.

www.bramptonprimaryschool.co.ukwww.dunstonhillcps.co.ukthelearningbank.co.uk/shireland/

Each classroom at Dunston Hill Primary has an interactive whiteboard

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FEATURE: CODING IN THE CLASSROOM

The requirement to teach coding has left many schools feeling unprepared. However, says Chris Waterworth, it provides a platform for creativity, inspiration and different ways of learning

ince September 2014, schools

across the country have been

coming to terms with the fact

that computer science has been made

compulsory under the new national

curriculum. The introduction of this

new curriculum has turned computing

sessions on their head in primary

schools. We are no longer teaching

children how to use applications, we are

now tasked with teaching children how

to create them.

Schools still have an obligation to give

children opportunities to present their

work using various methods like digital

photography, film and presentations,

but the one area that has caused so

much discussion among teaching

professionals across the country has

been the requirement for children to

learn how to write computer code.

Teaching children how to create

their own games, websites, animations

and applications has been missing

from schools for many years and is

something that holds huge possibilities

– not only for children now, but for the

future. Try to think of a job or object in

modern life that doesn’t involve some

sort of technology and some sort of

programming that is either part of

it or has been part of producing it –

it’s quite tough.

Our world is now dependent on

technology and the software that

runs on those devices, but worryingly

only a few of us know how they work.

We are facing a future with a lack of

computer engineers and it’s hoped that

the introduction of the new computing

curriculum will be a step towards solving

this problem.

“When our pupils leave school they

will not be using the devices that we

give them in primary school,” says

Digital Classrooms’ Rebecca Stacey.

“The chances are they will never have to

manipulate a cat across a playground

using only directions, or come against

a visual language such as Scratch. It

is not about a specific language or a

specific program, it is about logic, about

creativity and about problem solving.”

TTEAACHHIING THHEE BIGG IDDEATeachers across the country have been

left ill prepared for this transition from

teaching children how to use Microsoft

Word or how to program a simple robot,

to having to learn a whole new language

to meet the new curriculum. There is a

strong recognition among teachers and

headteachers that children will need

to understand more fully the digital

devices that they are growing up with,

but schools have not been given the

time, money or training to do that.

Jodie Matthews, headteacher of John

Hellins Primary School, explains: “As a

headteacher, I recognise the need to

prepare our children for a future that

we cannot yet imagine. Technology

is advancing quickly and we strive to

meet the needs of the future. The new

curriculum provides challenges for

schools and individual teachers, not

because we don’t want to move on, not

because we don’t want to change, not

because we don’t want to prepare our

children for their futures, but simply

because many of us are unprepared to

do so. Teachers love learning – it’s a key

reason why we do the job – we just need

support, time and a little bit of funding

to do so.”

GGETTTINNNG THHEE TTECHNNOOLOOGYY RIGGHHTSchools have never been in a better

position when it comes to getting their

hands on coding applications - there is

so much freeware out there that will

comfortably meet the needs of the

new programming and control part

of the computing curriculum. Online

resources such as Scratch from MIT and

Codecademy allow schools to access

effective resources via the internet, with

LOGIC, CREATIVITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING

S

‘The new curriculum provides challenges… because many of us are unprepared’ Jodie Matthews, John Hellins Primary School



no need for licences, install time or a

particularly powerful Mac, PC or tablet.

The beauty of these applications

is that they are web-based and fully

accessible outside of school, something

we are seeing more of in education –

24-hour online access to content.

Children are starting to structure

their learning around their own lives.

This online access allows children to

finish a project outside the tight time

constraints of the school day.

There is, of course, a plethora of

coding schemes of work available

from large educational companies, but

choosing one is proving difficult for

lots of schools as they don’t want to

spend huge amounts of money for it not

to have any impact. Schools are being

forced into making these decisions, as

they’ve not had the time to fully evaluate

what they really need.

The one issue that schools

have widely reported is that they

suddenly need more hardware to

run the applications to meet the new

curriculum – devices like the Rasberry

Pi, programmable Lego Mindstorm kits,

iPads and more powerful computers.

This can be a tough decision for schools

to make and one that is often left to the

advice of sales representatives.

Ed Southall, from the school

of Education and Professional

Development at The University of

Huddersfield, explains: “A sad reality in

many schools is that budget allocations

for technology are often frivolously

spent without any forward planning

or reflective evaluation of the impact

of previous ‘tech binges’. Take a look

in the stock cupboards around your

school. There, gathering dust are often

voting handsets, manuals for expired

software no-one knew existed, receipts

bankrolling expensive VLE projects,

laptop trolleys and even iPads.”

BBEINNG CCREATTIVVE WWITTH CCODIINGGThe risk, when introducing something

new like coding, is that the curriculum

will become very dry – children sitting

through skill-based sessions, following

the instructions of an uncertain teacher,

who’s reading from a scheme of work.

The children become disengaged

because they don’t see the point of

learning those new skills. Teachers in

schools up and down the country have

an opportunity to plan their coding

sessions as they do when planning their

other curriculum areas – an opportunity

to be creative, take risks and ask the

children how they want to use the skills

they are learning.

Starting with a question is an

excellent way to inspire children,

and it becomes even more powerful

when they’ve generated the question

themselves. How do I create a computer

game? How did they create Angry Birds?

Teachers can start with the outcome

and then work backwards when planning

their next computing projects and link

in as many curriculum areas as possible.

Only then will children see a process of

learning that leads up to something that

they can relate to.

Clare Elkes, deputy head at

Buntingsdale Primary School, says:

“Giving groups a question that will

engage their learning and putting the

onus on them to present to the class has

really improved the children’s thinking

skills, resilience and co-operative

learning strategies. I can give a group

a question and allow them time to

research answers, present ideas and

work collaboratively. It has not only

changed the way I plan for lessons

but cut down my planning workload

considerably, as the teaching and

learning start and end with the students.”

Today’s software companies need a

multitude of skills to get to their final

outcomes, and children and teachers

need to know this. Pete Schumacher,

from Peregian Springs School in

Queensland, Australia, states: “At school

I don’t have lessons where I teach skills

explicitly. The students acquire them

through our community of students. We

use peer tutoring to teach the skills or

they teach themselves. At the moment,

‘Creativity happens when different disciplines meet and collide with each other’ Ian Wilson, Apple professional developer


my students are designing sustainable

houses using SketchUp. Last year’s

students have taught some, others

have watched YouTube tutorials and

another lad was taught by his father.

The knowledge builds from the buzzer

effect: ‘That’s cool, how did you do that?’”

Graphic designers, scriptwriters,

programmers and mathematicians all

play a part in the world of computer

programming. Look at the device you’re

using to make phone calls or plan your

next lesson; all of these devices need

some, if not all of these skilled people to

create it. If we use this type of thinking

when teaching children computer

science, the whole new computing

curriculum makes perfect sense.

Design a project with children and

then tease out what jobs they need to

do. Create software companies in your

classrooms and allow children to decide

the jobs and then distribute those jobs

to complete the task. And, finally, give

them time to complete it – something

we are scared to do in our schools. It’s

possible to include computing, art,

history, geography, writing, reading,

design technology and mathematics

objectives into one project that could

span a whole term in school. Cross-

curricular learning is essential, as seeing

children using skills from other subjects

demonstrates a deep understanding.

Apple professional developer Ian

Wilson states: “While it can be useful

to compartmentalise and focus on

one element of a subject or topic for

the purposes of analysis, in reality the

connectedness of the various elements

means that separation is a temporary

and artificial state. Moreover, creativity

happens when different disciplines meet

and collide with each other, and siloing

subjects minimises opportunities for

fusion and innovation.”

CCHILLDRRREN ASS TTEAACCHEERSSMany teachers talk about not

understanding what to do with

technology in schools. Children, on the

other hand, are digital natives; they have

been born into a world with technology

built seamlessly into their lives.

Rebecca Stacey, headteacher of

Castle Carrock Primary in Cumbria, says:

“The most powerful message teachers

can send, in my opinion, is to learn

alongside their pupils. Teachers who do

not know how to start with coding need

to take a risk and do just this. Begin by

‘playing’ with coding applications – each

time somebody learns something new

they share this with the class. You not

only begin a powerful journey with your

class, but you are teaching yourself.

Learning independently is something we

strive for in all of our schools.”

Coding can be a very social

experience, but there seems to be a

stigma attached to computer engineers.

Ask children what they think a job as a

computer engineer looks like and mostly

they’ll answer that coders sit in a dark

room lit only by their computer screens,

working for days on end to perfect the

single page of code that will complete

their project. Not true anymore.

Our children quickly realise that there

is a whole digital world out there wanting

to share ideas, lines of code, new

software and much more. Andy Calvert,

assistant headteacher at Ilkley Grammar

School, reveals: “In my experience, the

social media revolution impacts hugely

on the way young people operate as

students of a 21st century school. The

rapid progress that many make while

using simple coding programs always

brings a smile to my face as well as

theirs. But, above and beyond this, the

thirst for learning is all encompassing

with the constant information barrage

any person is subjected to through

social media. This opens doors to things

that were not possible just a few years

ago. Schools have to try and keep pace

with the continuous change and not see

it as a threat, but as an opportunity to do

things differently for the benefit of the

young learners.”

Not only do children share

experiences online – particularly when

away from school – they are buzzing

around the classroom sharing new

ideas and techniques with each other.

They know who to ask when they get

stuck, and often it isn’t the teacher. We

really shouldn’t be afraid of handing

our classrooms over to our children

to learn in, rather than exposing them

to a Victorian model of learning.

The computer engineers who coded

YouTube, Blogger, Twitter and other

social media sites are changing that

outdated model of our schools. Social

media and sharing online is helping to

accelerate our learners’ progress.

GGROOWTTTH MMINNDDSEETTS Coding is tough. We need the children in

our classrooms to realise this, as they

are used to getting quality results with

little or no effort on their part. Think

about the easy-to-use video editing

applications, WYSIWYG website

builders and app design programs now

readily available for children to use. They

all give you quick, effective results, but

they never quite give you what you set

out to create.

Giving students an opportunity to

learn how to code changes all of this, as

it allows children to be creative using

the technology that they’ve always had

around them.

videoformyclassroom.blogspot.co.uk

‘Schoooolss hhhavvee tto tttry aand kkeeepp paacee wwwithh cconntiinnuoouus cchhaanggge aand nnott sseee iit aas a tthrreaaat’ AAnndyyy Callvverrtt, IIlklleyyy GGraammmmaar SSchhooool

‘Thhe tteaachhingg aand leaarnniingg sttarrtt aand eendd wwithh thee sstuudeeentts’ CClaareee Ellkeees, BBunttiinggssddallee PPrimmaaryy SSSchhooool


SHOW NEWS: BETT SHOW 2015

The UK’s largest technology and learning event is fast approaching. Michael Nicholson looks forward to this year’s Bett Show

he 31st Bett Show takes over

ExCeL London from 21 to

24 January and expects to

welcome more than 35,000

education industry professionals

through its doors. Through a mixture

of new product innovations, insightful

workshop and seminar content, plus

a range of networking opportunities,

the show has established itself as the

UK’s biggest technology and learning

event. And its significance stretches far

beyond these shores – Bett Show 2014

welcomed visitors from no less than

113 countries. Judging by the #BettChat

buzz across social media over the past

few months, don’t be surprised if this

year’s figures are even more impressive.

An interesting development for

2015 is the introduction of Futures – a

new platform to nurture innovative

education technology start-up

companies. The project – a collaboration

between Bett and leading education

think-tank, the Education Foundation –

aims to showcase budding businesses

that promise to have a significant

impact on education. Following a call for

entries, a panel of educators will select

the 30 new businesses that they feel

offer solutions that will have the most

impact in education. The 30 selected

ed-tech businesses will benefit from a

choice of two bespoke packages based

on their market status, involvement in

a range of Bett fringe events, specialist

business support and extensive

marketing resources.

Debbie French, portfolio director

of Bett, explains: “Nurturing ed-tech

businesses is a natural move for Bett.

Since its inception in 1985, the show

has been a launch pad for the best

education technology, and over the

years we’ve seen nascent companies

develop into major market players with

the support of the Bett community that

has developed alongside them.”

Speakers at Bett Futures include:

TV and radio presenter and founder

of TeenTech, Maggie Philbin; Miles

Berry, leader of computer education at

the University of Roehampton; Code

Academy’s head of UK operations,

Rachel Swidenbank; and Sam

Chaudhary, founder of Class Dojo.

Visitors wishing to gain insight

into policy changes and the statutory

requirements of the new SEND Code of

Practice will be able to do so by visiting

the SEN Information Point, which will

once again be hosted by nasen. The

special-needs information organisation

is also curating the show’s four-day SEN

CPD programme, comprising free-to-

attend seminars and workshops.

MINISTERIAL ADDRESSESWith the countdown to the general

election entering its final months,

many attendees will be keen to hear

ministerial addresses from the new

education secretary Nicky Morgan

and from shadow secretary of state

Tristram Hunt. Morgan’s speech

will outline her vision across critical

educational policy areas, the school

curriculum, school improvement and

the establishment of academies

and free schools. She’ll outline how

reform in these areas can be achieved

or enhanced through education

technology. Her opening address will

be given on Wednesday 21 January 2015

at 11:00.

Other speakers to look out for

include Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales,

gamification and innovation advocate

Ian Livingstone, CEO of Raspberry

SHOWCASING INNOVATION

T

When? 21-24 January 2015Where? ExCeL LondonTime? Wed 21 Jan 10:00 - 18:00 Thu 22 Jan 10:00 - 18:00 Fri 23 Jan 10:00 - 18:00 Sat 24 Jan 10:00 - 16:00


Pi Lance Howarth and director of

education for the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation Vicki Phillips. The show will

host more than 200 speakers across

two venues – Bett Arena and Learn Live.

Full details can be found on the Bett

Show website.

ON THE EXHIBITION FLOOROf course, like any exhibition, Bett

Show’s prosperity is securely tethered

to the strength of its exhibitor list. With

over 600 companies from every corner

of the technology and learning sectors,

there will be lots of food for thought

and new technology aplenty.

The show will see the birth of a

robot called Ohbot on stand BFS2. It

is the brainchild of teacher and former

advisor Dan Warner, and Mat Walker – a

roboticist and engineer who developed

the Inkha robot receptionist at Kings

College London. Ohbot’s inventors

believe that children should have

access to a creative robot system that

is modelled on themselves, which they

can program to talk, display emotions,

act, react and solve real world problems.

Ohbot comes with a pack containing

the constructible kit, various sensors,

straightforward making instructions,

software, speech capability and

projects. The projects focus on

developing computational thinking

skills and developing an understanding

of key programming concepts, including

sequencing, repetition, selection and

working with variables.

Retro futurism is also at the core of

zSpace’s Science Lab, which promises

to give students the ultimate immersive

learning experience – dissecting human

hearts, diving into volcanoes and

testing physics outcomes in Jupiter’s

gravity. The Science Lab, which will be

on zSpace’s stand at D284, consists of

a set of student virtual reality stations

and a teacher station, each outfitted

with a custom stylus and a wide variety

of educational software. The system

tracks head movements to provide the

user with a personal and immersive

virtual reality experience. Virtual

holographic images can be ‘lifted’

from the screen and manipulated

with the stylus.

More than 20 years since introducing

the world’s first interactive whiteboard,

SMART Technologies is focusing on an

emerging market. The company will

use the show to emphasise its offering

of interactive flat panels. According

to Futuresource Consulting, more

than 60% of all the interactive

displays purchased in the UK

over the past year have

been interactive flat

panels rather than the

traditional interactive

whiteboard, which

requires a projector.

The SMART Board

6065 interactive flat

SPEAKERS WILL DELIVER OVER 200 SEMINARS

Maggie PhilbinRadio/TV presenter and founder of TeenTech

WHO WILL BE SPEAKING AT BETT FUTURES

Miles BerryLeader of computer education, University of Roehampton

Rachel SwidenbankHead of UK operations, Code Academy

Sam ChaudharyFounder, Class Dojo Ohbot can be programmed to talk,

display emotions, act and react

zSpace’s Science Lab produces holographic images that can

be ‘lifted’ from the screen and manipulated with a stylus

panel, which is a finalist for a Bett 2015

Award, will be on display at stand F228,

along with brand new models that are

set to expand the size, feature and price

options for customers. For the first

time in the UK, Bett attendees will be

able to see the new SMART kapp digital

capture board, which was launched in

North America in 2014.

Touchscreens of a different variety

will populate LearnPad’s stand at

C116. The company will celebrate its

remarkable success over the last four

years by occupying one of the show’s

largest stands. Its team will be on hand

to demonstrate how the LearnPad

solution is simplifying the use of tablets

within the classroom and to discuss a

number of new product launches. Nik

Tuson, founder and chief operating

officer of LearnPad, comments: “We’re

very excited to launch a number of

new innovative product lines to the

market that will not only support our

existing devices and solutions, but also

address a number of practical issues

of technology integration within the

classroom. Bett is an excellent platform

for us to demonstrate our existing

solution and introduce new concepts

and products to teachers.”

Another company in celebratory

mood is Casio. The company will mark

five years of lamp-free projectors at

Bett Show 2015 on stand E200, and

promises to unveil a surprise that

will further revolutionise the learning

environment. Phil Clark, head of

projection at Casio, comments: “At

Casio we understand the ever-growing

pressure on school ICT and business

managers to cut costs, so are proud

to deliver industry-leading total cost

of ownership on our products, without

compromising on the output quality.

“Each year, we have built upon our

achievements and are delighted to be

celebrating five years since eradicating

mercury-based lamps, through a

showcase of our innovations. The Ultra

Short Throw projector encapsulates

just how far we’ve come,

facilitating a large-scale image

projected from just 27cm, virtually

eliminating shadowing on screen

and enabling teachers to interact

with the screen at close range.”

Sony will showcase its full

range of education technology

innovations on stand C488,

demonstrating its vision of

technology as an enabler of

engaged learning. The company

is keen to demonstrate how

multimedia content and

interactive learning can be

implemented through the latest

technology. It will showcase

its newest developments

for the education

sector, including

the world’s

brightest

3LCD laser

installation projectors, Vision Presenter

– its 4K compatible presentation and

collaboration solution – as well as

the smart 4K BRAVIA touchscreen

solutions.

Damien Weissenburger, business

head for presentations and

communications at Sony Europe, says:

“The past year has seen us breaking

through technological boundaries

to improve our product offering. The

growing use of new technology within

education is already incredibly exciting,

and as a result so is the potential for

development in the market.”

Ahead of Bett 2015, Epson has been

challenging UK schools to ‘Exceed Their

Vision’ in a competition celebrating

creative, original projects. Entries will

be displayed on Epson’s stand at D240

and the winner will be announced at

the exhibition on Friday 23 January. The

winning school will also receive a suite

of Epson products worth £7,500.

Epson’s UK Ambassador for its

Runsense range of GPS sports

monitors, Professor Greg Whyte OBE,

will take to the Bett Arena on Saturday

24 January to deliver a keynote

speech on how the role of physical

activity, exercise and sport can help

in creating a successful culture. He

will delve into key lessons that can be

used to improve student and teacher

productivity through activity, optimising

time management and understanding

practical reasons why people are more

motivated and efficient when physically

active. Greg is an Olympian, physical

activity expert, world-renowned sports

scientist and the man behind iconic

Comic Relief Challenges.

Tripleplay will add to its array of

educational technology solutions with

the launch of TripleShow Live Presenter

on stand F85. The new product is a

high-quality lecture-capture solution

that enables any institution to record,

stream and archive lectures or lessons

simply and easily using a web browser

for control. Tripleplay’s chief technical

officer, Peter Martin, is delighted

to add to the company’s product

portfolio: “Educators are real leaders in

technological investment and adoption,

driving change that many other

industries avoid. So, it is important

that people such as us are providing

high-quality solutions that cater to

those needs. By introducing TripleShow

we can now offer any school, college or

university an entire, end-to-end, digital

media learning platform, saving the

need for expensive and time-consuming

integration work and centralising all

control and operation.”

Visitors will have an opportunity

to meet the people behind Teachers Plus – a professional development,

social learning platform for coaching

technology integration to educators.

The platform’s content delivery

strategy is based on the idea of social

networking – combining collaboration,

sharing and gamification. The company’s

aim is to support teachers by showing

them how to effectively use the

dynamic tools available to them. A one-

month free subscription is available to

educators who visit the Teachers Plus

stand at B551.

Assistive technology specialist

Texthelp will showcase a variety of

existing and new software products on

its stand at C151. The company provides

teachers with tools that are designed to

boost reading and writing confidence. It

will demonstrate its Read&Write family

of software products for education

and will introduce Snapverter, which

is said to transform classroom papers

into readable files for easy sharing with

Google Drive.

For learning technology enthusiasts,

Bett Show offers a feast of creativity

and a world of possibilities. Very often,

technology is the beginning of a creative

journey that can lead to new methods

and practices. There is so much on offer,

in terms of both exhibiting companies

and professional development content,

planning your visit is essential. For more

information and visitor tips, head over

to the show’s website.

www.bettshow.com


The show lets visitors get hands on with new

technology

VISITORS WELCOMED AT BETT SHOW 2014

Casio will mark five years of lamp-free projectors at the show

Tripleplay will add to its array of educational technology solutions with the launch of TripleShow Live Presenter

SOLUTIONS: UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

The University of Leeds has remodelled its learning spaces with a signifi cant investment in lecture capture technology, reports Michael Nicholson

SONIC TRANSFORMATION

n September 2014, the

University of Leeds

embarked upon one of the

most ambitious rollouts of lecture-

capture infrastructure that the UK, and

Europe, has ever seen. An investment

of more than £2 million transformed

250 teaching spaces, resulting in one

of the most advanced systems in

the world.

Perhaps most impressive of all was

the manner of its implementation.

Rather than launching in phases, the

new technology came online at the

same time, testing the nerve of its

advocators and the scalability of

the technology.

When it comes to a project of this

nature and size, the term ‘lecture

capture’ can seem a litt le too generic.

Technically, a student recording a

lecture on his or her cameraphone

[smart phone?] falls under the

same umbrella. But Sonic Foundry’s

technology off ers capabilities that

stretch far beyond recording an event;

it provides a fl exible solution that

equips both the educator and the

learner with a suite of functionality and

an expanse of possibilities.

“It was about enhancing the student

experience,” explains the University

of Leeds’ Professor Neil Morris.

“We’ve had a number of trials with

lecture capture in faculties across the

school on a small scale and we’ve been

monitoring competitor universities and

the literature. We’ve been looking at

the impact video capturing and audio

capturing lectures and other teaching

sessions has on student experiences

and their att ention, their att endance

and att ainment. The evidence

suggested that we needed to do more.

Our student body was very heavily

supportive of us doing more of this,

so we took the decision to roll it out

across the institution in one big bang.

We just felt it was so important for all

aspects of our student experience.”

The university initiated two

separate EU procurement processes

– one for a lecture-capture system and

another for a multimedia management

system. It quickly became apparent

that Sonic Foundry could provide

an answer to both briefs, as Morris

explains: “We were looking for two

systems that perhaps spoke to each

other. Sonic Foundry, as far as I believe,

is the only supplier that can provide

an integrated lecture capture and

multimedia management system that

actually works seamlessly.

“For us, it was a really easy decision

because we wanted our staff to have

something seamless, integrated and

easy to use. Providing one interface

across diff erent platforms is the best

solution for staff . When you’ve got

2,500 staff using the system, the fact

that they only have to deal with one

interface, and it’s completely seamless

and integrated across all of our

channels, is a fantastic benefi t. That’s

why we chose Mediasite.”

I

Professor Neil Morris believes lecture capture

enhances the student experience (©University of Leeds)



Sonic Foundry’s Mediasite solution

gives the university the ability to

capture, manage and distribute

content. Each of the 250 rooms is

fi tt ed with a Mediasite RL recorder,

which is activated by a red butt on on

the presenter desk. The RL captures

the live content, which might be audio,

video, slides or all three. In 12 rooms,

Vaddio tracking cameras take dynamic

footage and a further 30 rooms have

been installed with fi xed cameras. The

remaining 208 rooms are equipped

with mics and screen capture. Video

footage can be added to the content

haul in these rooms using a webcam.

My Mediasite allows staff and

students to create and share

video, training modules, lectures or

assignments wherever they are, via a

cross-platform interface. The desktop

recorder enables users to create

content on their own device, then edit

it and distribute it using the

Mediasite Enterprise Media Platform,

which is secure, fully indexed and

searchable. The university expects

to capture about 50,000 hours of

content annually.

Implementation was carried out by

two diff erent companies. Universal

AV installed most of the rooms with

lecture-capture infrastructure and

additional audiovisual equipment.

AV2000 overhauled the remaining

rooms, outfi tt ing them with new

audiovisual kit, including lecture

capture. As well as the Sonic Foundry

system, a large range of equipment

has been deployed, including EyeLine

screens, Panasonic projectors, Vaddio

cameras, Clockaudio microphones,

Wharfedale speakers, ClearOne

and Peavey digital signal (audio)

processors, and Extron and

Crestron control.

As part of the

Sonic Foundry

agreement, the

Mediasite system

comes with a

four-year support

programme,

which includes the

maintenance of

the equipment. If

there is a failure,

equipment can be swapped with

onsite spares and sent to Sonic

Foundry for repair and maintenance.

Aft er four years, a refresh of

technology is recommended.

Approximately 1,200 schools,

colleges and universities around

the world are currently using the

system. Despite this prominence, the

University of Leeds project required

some special att ention, as Sonic

Foundry’s CEO Gary Weis explains:

“This was our largest implementation

of that many recorders in rooms, all at

the same time. We have a number of

very large customers. The diff erence

with most of the other projects is that

they were implemented school-by-

school in each of the universities. They

also run our solution on a school-

by-school basis, so each school has

its own Mediasite server, if you will,

and the number of recorders that

are connected to each one of those

servers is somewhere between 20 and

40 recorders per server.

“The diff erence at Leeds, which

really caused us to ensure that our

solution would scale to a larger

number of recorders, was that Leeds

decided to implement Mediasite

technology across the entire

university at one time. So, beginning

in September and extending as school

fully opened in October, they began

to basically turn up lecture capture in

250 rooms. And all of this happened

on a single server image across the

entire university. So, as you might

imagine, while our technology has

always been intended for large-

scale implementation, we wanted

to make absolutely sure that we

supported this implementation in a

very high-quality way, to ensure the

performance and everything else was

the way it should be.

“The other diff erence with the

University of Leeds is that they have

done a lot of automation, connecting

their room scheduling systems

directly to Mediasite. In that particular

case, that was a custom application

that we did for the university.”

The scale of the project was bound

to have an eff ect on the customer too,

with 2,500 teaching staff adapting to

Sonic Foundry’s CEO Gary Weis

Sonic Foundry Mediasite will capture around 50,000 hours

of material every year (©University of Leeds)

A total of 42 rooms have been installed with cameras (©University of Leeds)


the new technology, but Morris reports

that it was a surprisingly smooth

process. “It calmed down amazingly

quickly, to be honest,” he says. “We went

fully live in the last week of September

and we’d been live since 1 September,

just on a very small scale. By the last

week of September, we were recording

about 250 events per day, so it ramped

up very quickly. It’s pretty much become

business as usual. Most people have

accepted it. It works as we expected it

to. The academic intervention is very

minimal but people are very pleased

with the system because they can

do what they’re good at, which is the

teaching, and not have the technology

interfering with their lives. I’m delighted

with it. By seven weeks in, I wasn’t

getting any emails reporting problems,

people were just saying ‘It’s really good

and we’re using it’.”

With the implementation complete

and the system running smoothly, there

will now be a period of exploration

as the teaching staff absorb the

technology available to them and allow

it to shape their lessons differently.

Some will use it more than others,

of course, but in many ways, the

technology is just the beginning.

Morris continues: “At the moment,

people are mainly doing the standard

thing of recording the whole lecture and

making it available to students, which

is the traditional way of using lecture

capture. But we are already seeing

people doing what we actually wanted

them to do, which is be selective about

what they capture, so maybe take 10

or 15 minutes at the beginning that

they record, then they stop and have

a discussion, then they might record a

summary at the end. We’re starting to

see people doing that and also lending

the materials they’ve produced at their

desk – it’s the same system.

“They can create something at their

desk in advance and make that available

to students, and then use the class time

to actually have a discussion and do

questions and answers, and perhaps

record something at the end of a lecture

as a summary or an activity for next

time. We’re starting to see really nice

examples of people doing that already,

across campus. We’re delighted at the

way it’s being used by the academics

because really my role was to provide

the toolkit and the examples of

technology and let people do their

thing, because that’s what they’re the

experts in.”

It will be interesting to see how

far teaching styles develop at the

University of Leeds. With blended

learning and the flipped classroom

gaining prominence among tech-

enthused educators, it seems like the

face of teaching is changing forever.

Gary Weis certainly seems to thinks

so: “My personal view is that I think

we will see continuing migration to

the flipped classroom model, as the

educators themselves change, meaning

older educators retire and younger

educators who are more familiar with

the technology come in to the schools.

We’re working to ensure that our

technology stays abreast of

that movement.

“In business schools in the US,

particularly business schools that

are doing continuing education for

executives, that continuing education is

delivered to students in a classroom on

campus and it is also done electronically

because there will be some participants

in those classes who will be travelling

due to the fact that they’re working

at a job while taking their education.

Typically, most leading business

schools in the United States today use

Mediasite technology to capture the

lectures themselves. But as we see more

collaboration being done, meaning as

we see more flipped classroom activity,

capturing what goes on in the classroom

becomes much more important.

“It’s pretty simple if you think

about it today. The focus is on the

educator at the front of the classroom,

so that’s where you want the audio to

be the best, that’s where you want the

video to be focused and you want to

capture the presentation materials

that are being presented by the

educator at the front of the classroom.

As you begin to move in to capturing

collaboration, you have to focus on

capturing the student interaction as

well, and that’s leading us into some

interesting software and technology

innovations, which will obviously

happen over a fairly extended period

of time. But if you think for a moment

about having a remote student from

the collaboration process, it’s really

important that they can see what went

on in that process if they happen to miss

a class.”

www.sonicfoundry.com

Teaching staff can control the lecture capture system

with the touch of a button (©University of Leeds)

Sonic Foundry Mediasite RL recorder (©University of Leeds)

he fi rst thing to do when

reviewing Sphero for a

magazine like Tech&Learning

UK is to remind yourself that you are an

adult and this is not a toy, it is a learning

aid. An aid that seems to be causing

quite a stir in the world of education,

particularly when it comes to teaching

coding. But, actually, it is a toy as well.

And that’s important.

The Orbotix Sphero 2.0 is a robot

ball with several features that can

be controlled through mobile apps,

including computer programs that

students build.

In terms of physical product, there

isn’t a great deal to Sphero. It arrives

in a suitably quirky box, which contains

the robotic ball, a charging cradle with

various plug adapters and a couple of

plastic ramps. There’s nothing complex

about gett ing started – charge it up,

download the app or apps you want to

use, give it a double tap and pair Sphero

with your phone or tablet. Manually

pairing robot and device with every use

started to get a litt le bit tedious but in a

classroom full of devices, that may well

be the only logical method of avoiding

signal spaghett i.

The intricacies and magic

of Sphero are locked inside.

The technology can be

manipulated using the apps

and the user can explore

his or her imagination at

will. There are apps like

RollingDead and SpheroGolf,

which are fun, but the real

benefi ts of using Sphero in the

classroom come from MacroLab

and OrbBasic.

MacroLab can be used to teach

procedural thinking and basic

programming skills. With this app,

students can arrange commands and

sett ings in any combination they choose,

to let Sphero drive autonomously and

follow unique patt erns. MacroLab

introduces coding thought processes

and makes the user feel like a

programmer. Users can create a list

of commands and then watch Sphero

work its way through the instructions in

systematic order.

As competency grows and aspirations

get loft ier, it’s time for OrbBasic, which

really increases what the user can do.

It uses a text-based programming

to create and prototype autonomous

behaviours.

Orbotix’s SPRK (schools, parents,

robots, kids) initiative harnesses the

educational benefi ts of Sphero and

provides support for teachers. A series

of free lessons can be used to guide

the learning process. Starting out with

Core Lessons, teachers and learners

explore the principles of maths and

science through programming, using

MacroLab. Aft er fi ve of those, there is a

transition to OrbBasic to complete the

Core training, before moving on to Stem

Challenges, which involve multi-day

experiments that are designed to

foster creative problem-solving and

teamwork. There are eight lessons

and four challenges in total.

Like most things, when it comes

to Sphero you get out what you put

in. Really, that’s the point. The idea of

typing in line aft er line of code in a dull

offi ce somewhere, for no emotional

reward, is more than enough to turn

most people’s att ention elsewhere. Here

we have a hands-on learning experience

that is instantly fun and becomes more

satisfying over time. Generally, the

possibilities are hardly ever endless but

with Sphero it’s hard to see when the fun

and learning might stop.

www.gosphero.com

T

SPHERO 2.0

KEY FEATURES Rolling – at a given speed and

direction for a given amount of time

Colours – it can light up in a spectrum colours

Bluetooth – connecting to devices such an iPads, iPhones, Android phones and tablets through wireless Bluetooth connections

A robotic ball that can be controlled and programmed using various free apps, opening up a fun route to understanding coding

PRODUCT REVIEW


PRODUCT REVIEW

An all-in-one computer with a very attractive price tag

he LG Chromebase is an all-in

-one computer, which comes

with a wired USB keyboard

and mouse, and runs Google’s Chrome

operating system. With the hardware

and software being inseparable, it’s

impossible to consider one without

thinking about the other.

Assembling the Chromebase is very

straightforward. Provided you’re in

possession of a standard size Philips-

head screwdriver, attaching the stand

shouldn’t take more than five minutes

per unit, meaning a classroom’s worth

could be set up and ready to go in a

few hours. Booting up is extremely

quick – less than 10 seconds from a cold

start – and if you already have a Google

account, you’ll be fully operational in

less than a minute.

Inputs include three USB 2.0 ports

on the back – two of which are occupied

by the keyboard and mouse – alongside

a Gigabit Ethernet port and an HDMI

input, plus power. A USB 3.0 port and

headphone connection are positioned

on the right-hand edge of the screen.

The built-in webcam captures video at

720p and the system can be secured

using its Kensington lock slot.

For its size – 21.5in screen plus

base – the Chromebase is very light,

so compared to an iMac, for instance,

it doesn’t feel particularly solid. Yet

it gives the impression that, aided

by its sprung stand, it will cope with

standard knocks. It’s worth adding that

a comparison with any of the iMacs

currently available is generally unfair,

considering a price difference of at

least £500.

The name of the game here is

minimalism – both in terms of design

and operation – but that doesn’t stop

the Chromebase being extremely good

at what it does. The crisp IPS display, for

example, has a 1920 x 1080 resolution

and is a joy to view. The display’s Flicker

Safe feature is designed to protect eyes

from exhausting flickers and blue lights,

while Reader Mode, which is manually

activated, provides optimal conditions

for reading.

The Intel Celeron 1.4GHz processor

offers 2GB of RAM and is quick enough,

even with multiple apps running. Things

start to slow down a little if more

windows than you could ever generally

need at one time are open. A measly

16GB of storage will sound a little

scary if you’re not fully on-board with

Chrome’s commitment to cloud-based

computing. As a helping hand in this

brave new world, the LG Chromebase

comes with 100GB of Google Drive

storage for two years.

If you or your students are not

accustomed to the Chrome operating

system, which has been around since

2009, this will be something of a

departure from Windows or OS X. It’s

essentially like using the operating

system of a mobile device on a full size

computer. Users build their software

package with apps from the Chrome

Web Store. The thousands of apps

available, many of which are free, have

been designed for this platform, as

opposed to being crude scale-ups of

mobile apps.

It’s important to emphasise that it

isn’t possible to run software packages

like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative

Suite. Instead, apps that offer similar

functionality have to be sourced in the

app store.

The reliance on the cloud means

constantly being online but for a

static computer, this isn’t really an

unusual scenario. This set-up offers an

advantage to IT admins, who can add

apps to multiple devices at once. For

students and teachers, sharing is simple

and there is the security of knowing that

work is safely stored up in

digital heaven.

As a general use computer system,

the LG Chromebase gives you

everything you need and delivers it

with a touch of finesse. And there’s no

denying that its price point of £279.99

(RRP) is very attractive. Provided

Google’s operating system and

available apps can meet your needs, the

Chromebase will do everything you ask

of it.

www.lg.com

T

LG CHROMEBASE

KEY FEATURES Brilliant 21.5in 1920 x 1080 Full HD

IPS display

Advanced tech styling of design award winner

Intel Celeron Processor

Powered by Chrome OS

he NP-M352WS from

NEC Display Solutions

is a DLP-based portable

projector. It boasts a number of user-

friendly features, such as easy wireless

communication, maintenance-free

design and an ECO Mode. It is rated at

3,500 lumens brightness and offers a

resolution of 1280 x 800.

Getting the NP-M352WS out of its box

and into action is very straightforward.

Simply connect the power and chosen

input, give it a few seconds to warm up

and take to the controls to fine tune

the display. The projector can take a

variety of connections, including VGA,

composite video and HDMI. There’s a

USB Type A port for reading files from

a USB memory stick, plus an LAN port

that allows images and audio to be sent

across a network. The projector can also

be controlled over a network. The USB

Type B port means users can connect

a PC for display or for controlling the

mouse from the projector remote.

The NP-M352WS was trialled in

a small primary school, where it was

installed in a classroom. The projector is

designed for short-throw applications

– including interactive whiteboards – so

this environment was ideal. One of its

strengths as a short-throw projector is

the avoidance of shadows on the

screen or, indeed, the beam in the

presenter’s eyes.

Another advantage that the NP-

M352WS offers is 3D capability. Though

the operation of this mode is slightly

fiddly, the ability to use 3D in the learning

environment will be seen by many

as a positive. A recent study by the

International Research Agency on behalf

of Texas Instruments found that the use

of 3D in the classroom improves test

results by an average of 17%.

The projected image impressed

with its brightness and vibrant colours.

Though DLP projectors can’t generally

match LCD projectors for brightness,

this one fared well. Even in a high

ambient light, the picture was vivid once

the brightness setting had been adjusted

to the highest preset. Colour definition is

very good and text was displayed clearly

and without flicker.

In operation, the NP-M352WS isn’t

particularly quiet. The higher the setting

the louder the noise, naturally, but even

on low settings, such as ECO Mode, the

operational noise is still noticeable.

This won’t be an issue for most learning

environments, but it’s worth considering

if the setting demands near silence.

Sound can be played out of a 20W

mono speaker. While it’s a useful function

to have, it is unlikely to be your first

choice of audio, if you can help it. For a

fuller listening experience, the projector

can be connected to an auxiliary sound

system via the stereo output.

The NP-M352WS offers a number of

environmentally friendly features. ECO

Mode technology is said to increase lamp

life up to 8,000 hours, while lowering

power consumption. A carbon savings

meter calculates the positive effects of

operating the projector in ECO Mode,

with encouragement from an optional

message at start-up. Other green

measures include the quick start, which

lets you begin presenting in seconds,

thus minimising power-up energy; and

quick shutdown, which reduces power

consumption when switching off by

omitting the cooling period.

NEC Display Solutions’ NP-M352WS

is available for £747.50 (ex VAT). For that

price, the number of features and the

performance level, there aren’t too many

other projectors that can compete.

www.nec-display-solutions.com

T

NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS NP-M352WS

Impressive projector with a host of features


PRODUCT REVIEW

KEY FEATURES Automatic keystone correction

Auto power on

ECO Mode technology

Closed captioning

Variable audio out

Carbon savings meter

Virtual Remote

Sleep timer

Built-in wall colour correction

AutoSense

Kensington lock slot

Image magnification

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE: TABLETS

A round-up of the latest tablets available for education

Apple recently introduced the latest addition to its market-leading portfolio of tablets. At 6.1 mm, the iPad Air 2 is the thinnest iPad to date, and it’s also the most powerful. Weighing in at less than 500g, it features an improved Retina display for enhanced contrast and richer, more vibrant colours, plus bett er cameras for photos and videos. It is powered by the new Apple-designed A8X chip, which delivers a 40% improvement in CPU performance and 2.5 times the graphics performance of iPad Air, yet it still delivers up to 10 hours of batt ery life. Combined with Metal, the new graphics technology in iOS 8, the A8X chip unlocks realistic visual eff ects comparable to the most advanced gaming consoles. The device also features the M8 motion coprocessor

that gathers motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and an all-new barometer which senses air pressure to provide relative elevation. It delivers faster connectivity with 802.11ac WiFi with Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology for 2.8 times the WiFi performance of iPad Air at data rates up to 866 Mbps. With the education discount, the iPad Air 2 is £382.80 (inc VAT).

A knock-on positive for schools and other educators is that the release of a new iPad means a reduction in price for older models in the range. With iPad being the de facto tablet for so many, this may be the most accessible way of introducing a world of innovative apps to the learning environment. www.apple.com

APPLE IPAD AIR 2

Fourier’s einstein Tablet+ is an Android-based device that specialises in science. The tablet comes pre-loaded with multimedia experiments for biology, chemistry, environmental science, human physiology and physics. One example is the Terra Nova Solar Energy Kit, which teaches students the basic concepts and properties of solar energy.

It is equipped with eight built-in sensors, including humidity, UV, heart rate, temperature, light, accelerometer, microphone and GPS. Teachers and students can add an additional eight external sensors to run more complex and creative experiments. Fourier has developed three apps, which are available for free from Google Play. The einsteinWorld app allows teachers to run custom lessons that take students through self-guided tutorials, including sensor-based experiments. MiLAB is a user-friendly interface that enables

students to collect, interpret and analyse data. And the third app, TrackIt!, is a video motion analysis tool for teaching speed, acceleration calculations and the laws of motion.

With the einstein Activity Maker, publishers, educators and students can create multimedia, interactive and sensor-based science activities, which can then be shared through the einstein Activity Store to a global community of einstein users.

Awarding einstein with Best Digital Teaching Device at the Bett Awards 2014, the judges described it as: “A very good product which is ideally suited to supporting the UK’s new national curriculum. We like the design, branding and functionality and think the product is durable and robust. We particularly like the way it encourages students to interact and work collaboratively.” It sells for £214.95 (ex VAT).www.einsteinworld.com

FOURIER EINSTEIN TABLET+

GET HANDS ON

FUJITSU STYLISTIC Q584The Fujitsu Stylistic Q584 is a slim line 10.1in tablet, which the manufacturer says is capable of helping people to work in more intelligent ways, while reducing paper usage and allowing access to a wealth of soft ware and apps. Weighing only 640g, the tablet features a high-capacity batt ery, which can sustain 10 hours of continuous use. It comes with a neatly housed digital stylus for on-screen note-taking, annotation and drawing.

The Windows 8.1 Professional operating system allows for soft ware multitasking, data security and compatibility with legacy infrastructures, meaning users can easily connect with and access established Windows networks. A fi ngerprint sensor, embedded trusted platform module and traditional Windows protocols help protect sensitive user data against unauthorised third-party access.

Wireless connectivity, in the form of WiFi or up to 4G mobile broadband speeds, means users can access data on the move. An optional dockable slice keyboard means the Stylistic Q584 can switch to a two-in-one hybrid device, making it a versatile tool for productivity in any location.

The Fujitsu Stylistic Q584 is priced at £803.99 (ex VAT), which

will probably put it out of reach of most schools. As it is primarily a business tablet, it will fi nd appreciation in environments such as higher education. In particular, the addition of the keyboard pushes the tablet towards the functionality of a laptop.www.fujitsu.com



Globisens’ GlobiMate is an Intel-designed, science-ready tablet, which runs an Android operating system. The 10.1in captive multi-touchscreen device runs a 1.2GHz Intel Atom Dual Core processor. It has been designed specifically for education and offers a range of specialist science functions, as well as robust qualities, like being drop proof, splash proof and dust proof.

GlobiMate’s designer, Globisens, has built a reputation for producing science education tools and has integrated its industry knowledge into the device.

The GlobiMate offers a 10-sensor science lab when integrated with the Mini data logger, full wireless communication with all Labdisc models, an integrated GlobiLab data analysis application and a microscope application that can be realised using add-ons for the tablet camera.

Combining the tablet with tools like the Mini data logger gives it increased functionality. Globisens suggests that while many other tablets claim to have built-in sensors, it’s important to consider the type of sensor, its range and how practical it is for primary and secondary school science curriculums. Using the Mini together with Globisens data analysis software can make mobile and wireless interactive learning more relevant and engaging for students. Data can be transmitted to Google Maps and recorded within the context of longitude and latitude readings.

Globimate is available for £170 (ex VAT) and the Mini data logger accessory can be added for £15 (ex VAT).www.globisens.net

GLOBISENS GLOBIMATE

The HP Stream 8 is powered by an Intel Atom processor, which promises to deliver lightning-fast operational speed. It runs Windows 8.1 with Bing and comes with Office 365, so programs like Excel, Word, Powerpoint, OneNote and Access are at your fingertips and ready to go – for the first year.

The tablet comes loaded with a number of extras, including 250MB of free 3G+ each month, 1TB of Microsoft OneDrive storage for the first year and some attractive performance features. The HP DataPass is ready out-of-the box – power up, register and connect to 3G+ with no contracts, no credit cards, and no strings attached, which is useful for students and teachers on the move.

As the model name suggests, the IPS anti-glare display is 8in diagonal and is multitouch enabled, offering a resolution of 1280 x 800. Ports include

headphone jack and a micro-B USB 2.0 port. The Stream 8 arrives with Skype plus 60 minutes of credit each month, as well as a series of HP apps installed. More than 300,000 apps are currently available from the Windows Store.

It is, perhaps, the price point that will help set the HP Stream 8 apart from some of the competition. When the single unit cost of £132.50 (ex VAT) is thrown in with the features and extras, it may encourage a closer inspection from potential suitors. www.hp.com

HP STREAM 8 TABLET

The LearnPad Octavo is an interactive 7.85in touchscreen Android tablet, which has been specially designed for education. It runs a 1.5GHz quad-core ARM processor and includes a comprehensive suite of award-winning LearnPad classroom tools, which have been created using teacher feedback and an understanding of the challenges of managing multiple tablets within the school environment.

LearnPad helps embed tablets into day-to-day teaching and learning with over 11,000 free resources. LearnPad further supports its users with 103 resource collections for the Primary 2014 National Curriculum. To ensure teachers can use their existing resources and pupils can easily access their existing files and documents, the Octavo connects directly to network resources including curriculum servers, shared folders and workspaces, VLE and portal content and will support existing Flash-based eLearning content and websites.

To assist with differentiation of learning, teachers can create unique learning profiles for topics, year groups or for each child. These profiles can then be applied to any LearnPad via QrKeys – digital barcodes that can be scanned by LearnPad’s built-in camera. This enables teachers to personalise each child’s learning journey with a minimal input of time.

The LearnPad Octavo is priced at £149 (ex VAT) and includes the use of ClassConnect, InClass and ClassCloud classroom management tools. The ClassConnect suite is designed to reduce the overhead of managing tablets in schools, and the overall total cost of ownership, by providing access to appropriate digital resources.www.learnpad.com

LEARNPAD OCTAVO


The Prowise Windows Pro is a 10.1in 1-in-1 tablet that runs Windows 8.1. It comes pre-loaded with a bespoke application called Presenter, a host of interactive lesson tools and learning games that are designed for the contemporary classroom. The quad-core processor allows users to run any app from the Windows store without issue, while the dual-band WiFi supports an ever-increasing appetite for faster connectivity.

The device was barely off the drawing board when Microsoft saw its

possibilities and took it into its ‘Shape the Future’

scheme – an initiative aimed

at tablets that are designed for the

education market. This means licensing costs have been reduced,

which is refl ected in the single unit cost of £249 (ex VAT).

Prowise says that every product under the brand comes with two guarantees. The fi rst is that it has been developed with the end user’s needs at the forefront of the design, and the second is that it is not just a standalone solution, but part of a 360o system that includes hardware and soft ware. Hardware includes the advanced keyboard cover, which converts the tablet into a notebook, and a 5-megapixel camera for taking photos, recording video and conferencing.

Through Presenter, the tablet can connect to a large Prowise touchscreen – if the classroom has one – which in turn connects to a cloud community made up of schools, teachers, curriculum advisors and students from around the globe. www.prowise.com

PROWISE WINDOWS PRO

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition) is an Android tablet that has been designed for balancing productivity, content creation and consumption in one portable tablet. It is equipped with WQXGA Super clear LCD (2560 x 1600 pixels) resolution in a 10in display, 1.9GHz Octa Core processor and 3GB RAM.

This version of the tablet expands on the productivity and creativity delivered by the original Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. In addition to enabling productivity, the device has been redesigned with a sleek, light, slim frame that is both fashionable and portable. Its large screen delivers four times the pixel density of the original Galaxy Note 10.1.

The magazine-style user interface allows users to organise their favourite resources in an easy-to-use dashboard

and then access that content for a stylish reading experience. The device’s screen size enables enhanced multitasking. With Multi Window, users can separate instances of the same application, and use an enhanced S Pen to drag and drop content from one window to another. Pen Window enables users to simply draw a window of any size on the screen, and instantly access unique in-application features such as YouTube or calculator.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 integrates with Samsung School – a solution that supports teachers with teaching and learning tools. It is designed to off er more fl exibility in storing, managing, and sharing educational content and student information. The device is available for £374 (ex VAT).www.samsung.com

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 10.1

The Wordpad7 is an all-purpose Android tablet that has been designed specifi cally for the classroom. It comes with the Wordwall audience response app, which allows students to participate in whole-class activities. These activities include multiple-choice quizzes, student-generated spider diagrams, maths games, labelling diagrams and rank order or rating scale evaluations. Results can be shared with the class via the Wordwall PC soft ware and an interactive whiteboard and used to show progress during lessons. More apps are available from Google Play.

The device features a 7in 1024 x 600 pixel screen and Cortex-A9 RK3168 1.2GHz processor, 1GB memory and 8GB of storage, which is expandable using an SD card. Pictures and video can be captured via a 0.3-megapixel front camera and a 2-megapixel rear camera. Connectivity includes micro-HDMI, Bluetooth, WiFI and USB.

With the WebAnywhere option, tablets can be used in schools without WiFi. The WebAnywhere WiFi dongle allows tablets to access the internet through the teacher’s PC – the teacher can also control access by bookmarking and shutt ing

off particular sites. The management interface can deploy apps and sett ings across multiple devices. The tablet includes a DisplayNote collaboration licence, so students can interact with the teacher’s board, take notes and capture lessons.

Wordpad7 tablets also include a subscription-free mobile device management solution, which facilitates the deployment of apps and sett ings on student devices. It is available for £99 (ex VAT).www.getwordwall.com

VISUAL EDUCATION WORDPAD7

BACK PAGE PICKS

EICE 2015The Education Innovation Conference

and Exhibition 2015 takes place from

26-27 February at Manchester Central.

It’s a free-to-att end annual event

that’s designed to help education

professionals integrate innovation and

technology into learning.

Now in its third year, EICE gives

visitors the chance to get hands-on

with the latest learning technologies

and receive specialist advice on how

to boost achievement in their schools,

colleges and universities.

The event combines an exhibition

with a fully integrated conference that

includes free professional development

seminars and workshops, featuring

contributions from a wide range of

education experts.

www.educationinnovation.co.uk

Equate Formula SolverEquate is a free IOS app, which has been developed by Nurdture - nerds who

appreciate the wonderful world of maths, physics and chemistry. It is designed

for older kids and adults, who can use the app to solve formulas, while learning the

methodology behind each equation at the same time.

www.equateapp.com

APP

EVENT

Coming up in future issues of Tech & Learning UKAprilGett ing the most from your new technologyUsing technology to cope with growing class sizesTech focus: Projectors

JulyChoosing your integrator (planning for summer refurbs)The role of the library in today’s mobile worldTech focus: Real-time assessment tools

OctoberBringing new and supply teachers up to speed with your tech setupUsing Big Data to improve educationTech focus: Visualisers

Please send editorial submissions to [email protected]

EDITORIAL CALENDAR

Remember – you can follow Tech&Learning UK on Twitt er at @TechLearningUK and on the web at www.techandlearning.uk

tech&learninguk january 2015

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