Survey of Specialist

Colleges

Steve Davies
Project Officer, Becta
 Specialist Colleges

Survey sample

Colleges 27

Students 1,900

Full-time teaching staff 698

Part-time teaching staff 279

Base = No of respondents
 ICT spend
Survey sample

Hardware £378,000

Software £113,000

Technical support £390,000

Staff development £42,000

Base = No of respondents
 Baseline computer
specification
Delivering Administration
learning

Band 1 22% 15%

Band 2 11% 22%

Band 3 26% 33%

Band 4 22% 7%

Band 5 7% 0%

Band 6 0% 0%

Band 7 & above 0% 4%

Base = No of respondents
 Access technology
Technology Percentage of
colleges

Voice output devices 37%

Switching devices 37%

Other input devices 19%

Specialised display units 22%

Visual impairment equipment 11%

Symbols writing 7%

Environmental control systems 7%

Base = No of respondents
 Programme types

Course type Deliver this Use ILT % to use ILT

Independent living 96% 56% 58%

Vocational 96% 78% 81%

GCSE and A levels 26% 19% 71%

Basic and Key skills 85% 78% 91%

Communication skills 89% 63% 71%

Other Programmes 52% 37% 71%

Base = No of respondents
 Uses of computers by
students
Text-based interpersonal
communication

Internet access

Increasing leisure skills

Non-text interpersonal In common use

communication Is used

Physic al coordination

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

 Computer access for
teaching staff
80%
70%
60%
50%
Full-time
40%
Part-time
30%
20%
10%
0%
ALL MOST SOME FEW NONE
 Technical support
• 30 full-time and 11 part-time staff
• 33% have no tech. support staff
• Provided by parent in some cases
• Covered by IT tutor in others
• 74% have adequate daytime support
• Falls to 30% evening and 15% weekend
 Administrative and
academic record systems
System All records No Priority for
record
covered s Development
covered

Student tracking 11% 37% 74%

Student achievements 30% 19% 70%

Student attendance 15% 44% 30%

Student personal details 44% 11% 48%

Staff attendance 15% 52% 11%

Staff training 11% 30% 15%

Personnel 22% 26% 15%

Payroll 67% 11% 4%

Base = No of respondents
 Priorities for ICT
development - resources
Staff expertis e

Learning materials

Access equipment

Applicatio n software

Internet access

Other hardware

e-Communications

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Weighted Score
 Issues affecting ICT
development
• Up-to date hardware and software
• Awareness of what is available
• Resources need to be adapted
• Age-appropriate materials
• Access technology a lever to adopt
technology in learning
 Issues affecting ICT
development
• Staff commitment
• Need for training
• Time for training and adapting
resources

• Bottlenecks to access
• Accessible software and websites
• Access to expertise
 Internet access
• 17 colleges (63%) have a web site
• 44% consider Internet access adequate
for students
• 48% consider Internet access adequate
for staff
 Priorities for ICT
development - curriculum

Basic Education

Business and
vocational

Communication

Life and personal

skills

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%