e-Learning in New Zealand Schools

Howard Baldwin
Manager, e-Learning Innovation

KANZ, Hobart, April 2011

 The past 25 years in NZ schools
1985: The
BBC standalone school
computer

From the 1990s: The

computer room

The school
LAN:
1995-2010+
Potential
education network
2012???
Adapted from Becta 2004
Teaching and learning tools
1980/90s Now Next?
Then
• Pen • Txting/Pxting • Virtual reality
• Chalkboard/ • Blogs/Wikis • Wearable PCs
Whiteboard • Pod/Vod-casting • Ubiquitous identity
• Banda • Data projector • Voice recognition
• Gestetner • LMS/e-portfolios • Agents, avatars
• 16mm projector • IM/SMS • Visualisation
• Slide shows • Digital cameras • Miniaturisation
• Telephone • Video Conference • Reusable paper
• Fax • Google/Youtube • Semantic web
• Library • Peer2peer networks • PLEs
The last decade…
 From the NZ Curriculum
“…e-Learning may:
• assist the making of connections by enabling students to enter and explore
new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time;

• facilitate shared learning by enabling students to join or create communities of

learners that extend well beyond the classroom;

• assist in the creation of supportive learning environments by offering

resources that take account of individual, cultural or developmental
differences;

• enhance opportunities to learn by offering students virtual experiences and

tools that save them time, allowing them to take their learning further.

Schools should explore not only how ICT can supplement

traditional ways of teaching but also how it can open up
new and different ways of learning.”
The New Zealand schooling system
• 2650 state and state-integrated schools, 750,000 pupils.
120 Independent schools, 40,000 pupils
• Schools are self-governing and self-managing
• There are no layers of interventions between the ministry
and schools
• Schools make their own decisions regarding purchase
and use of ICT
• Schools decide the amount of e-Learning they will use in
delivering the NZ Curriculum
• The ministry provides a range of support programmes to
all schools
• “Innovation occurs at the edge of pedagogical practice”
Current uses of technologies in schools
• Regular in-classroom use of web and network resources
• Delivering specialist teaching remotely (VC and web)
• Increasing use of online assessment tools
• More sophisticated data collection and analysis for
student outcomes
• Learning management systems, including e-portfolios,
which include ‘dynamic’ learning information and ‘what
next’ functionality
• More direct parent, family, and whānau access through
on-line portals
Connectivity. Where are we now?
• Vast majority of schools are now on broadband

• Speeds range between 0.5 to 5.0Mbps – increasingly

inadequate for many online services to work effectively

• Fewer than 200 New Zealand schools have the

bandwidth required for streaming video, web
conferencing or applications such as Google Earth

• Next generation of applications require high speed,

symmetrical internet connections

• An increasing number of schools are implementing a

wide range of pupil-owned digital devices
Barriers
• Fragmented ICT approach has resulted in a variety of
network architectures – a challenge to connect

• Schools purchase individually – limits opportunity to

centralise procurement and reduce cost

• Digital divide issue nationally – is now access to the

internet at high speed, not access to computers

• Limited opportunities for remote support/provision of

off-site support
The Government’s commitment
• 97% NZ schools (99.7% of students) will have
access to ultra-fast broadband (capable of
100megabits/second) by 2016

• 3% remote schools will have access to fast

broadband (up to10Mbps) by other means e.g.
satellite or point-to-point wireless

• $1.5 billion investment overall

• $150 million investment signalled to prepare

schools for the rollout

• Schools will receive fibre into their

communications rack at no cost to them
How?
Ministry of Economic Development responsible for
Government policy on fibre rollout

Urban areas = Ultra Fast Broadband Initiative

• 61% of schools (but 75% general population)
• Crown Fibre Holdings (CFH) set up to manage the $1.35
billion ‘Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) Initiative’.
• Two regional providers selected so far; Northpower
(Whangarei) and WEL Networks (Hamilton, Tauranga,
Whanganui, Tokoroa, Hawera and New Plymouth
• First fibre deployed in Whangarei in April 2011
How?
Rural areas = Rural Broadband Initiative
• 39% schools (25% population)
• Separate $300 million Rural Broadband Initiative
(RBI) overseen directly by MED
• Telecom/Vodafone successful providers
• Negotiations completed April 2011
• 500 rural schools will get fibre in the June 2011/2012
year. 200 in following years
When will schools be connected?
Depends on outcome of UFB/RBI procurement processes
and subsequent order in which successful providers choose
to connect schools. Completion planned for end 2016.
What is the Ministry of Education doing?
Ultra-fast Broadband in Schools (UFBiS) programme

Aim:

To enable schools to realise the potential of UFB to

improve outcomes for students

Vision: Learning without limits

Learning anywhere, anytime, from anyone, through

access to ubiquitous digital environments,
appropriate ICT tools, and the skills and knowledge to
use these effectively
How will UFB improve education outcomes?
Equity
• Reduced barriers of distance and travel costs e.g. virtual field trips
• Enabling sharing of scarce resources e.g. Māori medium teachers

Engagement
• Students using familiar (‘leisure’) technology to create and learn e.g.
gaming, simulations, virtual worlds, rich content libraries
• Particularly effective for previously disengaged students or students with
special needs
Learning
• Potential for 24/7 teaching and learning further for virtual professional
development
• Better data collection, enabling evidence-based policies
• Ability to analyse and identify learner needs and target support
What is the Ministry doing?
• Information and support for schools pre, during and post
connection to fibre

• Investigating viability of dedicated education network

• Building capability

• Provision of hardware and software

• Upgrading internal school network infrastructure

Preparing schools for the rollout
• Ongoing sector engagement programme including
annual ‘Learning without limits’ seminar series to support
schools in preparing for ultra-fast broadband

• Meeting held with first UFB schools in Whangarei in

March (deployment commencing April) to gather
feedback on schools’ needs

• Information pack provided to each school prior to

connection and dedicated MoE staff to assist and advise
schools throughout process
School Network Upgrade Project (SNUP)
• Provides subsidised upgrades to internal data and
electrical cabling infrastructure

• Over 500 schools upgraded since 2006

• Around 300 schools currently underway

• 80% costs for state, 68% for state integrated funded by

government.

• School’s contribution approx $100 per student

• By end of 2011 approx 1/3 of schools will have been

upgraded. Sector coverage completed by the end of
2016
TELA laptop scheme
• Available to all state and state-integrated schools

• Provides fully funded leased laptops to principals

• Subsidised leases are available for teachers working in

permanent full-time roles (or part-time over 50%)

• 86% of schools subscribe to the scheme

• Research has shown that 96% of participants agree
scheme has had positive impact on teaching and
learning
Software and support
Ministry of Education also provides a range of software and
support at no cost to state and state-integrated schools
including:

•Apple, Novell, Symantec and Microsoft software

•Telecom, Watchdog and Websense web filtering and

firewall products.
e-Learning Professional Development
• $11.2 million invested annually

• Current 3 yr ‘cluster’ based model in place since 1999

• 65% of schools have participated (15% at any one time)

• Now transitioning to new regionally delivered model to

better support the needs of all schools

• Current clusters will be phased out by 2012

– 2011 74 ICT PD clusters (588 schools)
– 2012 55 clusters ( 501 schools)
New ICT PD model
New provider ‘Leading Learning Consortium’ will

1. Deliver blended e-Learning programme

• To support existing ICT PD clusters
• Transition to regional delivery model
• Work with a range of regional PLD providers to deliver
coherent framework of services to sector

2. Manage content and communities on Enabling e-

Learning website, support Digi-Advisors

3. Develop e-Maturity Framework (to identify best practice)

4. Deliver Virtual Professional Learning and Development

(VPLD) programme
Other relevant Ministry initiatives
• TKI and online services
• Digistore /Digi-Advisors
• Student Management System support
• e-asTTle
• Virtual Learning Network
• eportfolio trial and online moderation using Mahara
• ENROL
NEN trial extension
• Investigating issues and opportunities for schools in
accessing online content and services over a dedicated
network

• Findings will inform implementation of a Managed

Network for Schools if this goes ahead

• Original 2008 trial with 23 schools

• Currently being extended to 102 schools
• KAREN research network – the backbone of trial NEN

24
NEN trial extension – content and services
(examples)
• Te Kete Ipurangi and sub-sites (Digistore, NZC etc)

• Virtual Learning Network (Moodle, LAMS, Elgg,

Mahara servers)

• Adobe Connect Web Conferencing

• Video Conferencing (Standard and HD)

• Three Learning Management Systems

• Mahara based ePortfolio (myportfolio.school.nz)

An Education Network (NEN) for NZ schools?
• Request for Information for ‘Managed Network and
Managed Services’ released last year

• Business case to government due end of May

• Recommendations to Cabinet June/July 2011

• Next stage, if approved will be a Request for Proposal to

vendors

• If approved a Network for learning (N4L) could be in

place mid-2012
 Howard Baldwin
Manager, e-Learning Innovation

howard.baldwin@minedu.govt.nz