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Government policy on e-learning |
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Although we thoroughly approve of the sentiment behind Tony Blair's 'education, education, education' speech of 1997, and the perception that technology had a key role to play in the delivery of that goal, the implementation of an e-learning strategy for schools has been woefully deficient. Alpha Learning is at the forefront of attempts to lobby the government to adopt a more coherent policy towards e-learning in UK schools. We have sat on Curriculum Online's Technical Standards Working Group, we were instrumental in the establishment of the Learning Platform Stakeholders' Group in 2003, we have contributed extensively to technical documents produced by Becta and the DfES. At the policy level, however, officials are still pursuing a failed, top-down, prescriptive approach. In particular, they continue to procrastinate on the provision of a robust framework for interoperability, a vital requirement for a healthy and innovative market in learning software for schools. Alpha Learning's MD put argument for better interoperability standards in a speech to the European Education Partnership in October:
If you want to know more about interoperability standards, we are giving a seminar 'Open standards for interoperability in e-learning: IMS, AICC, SCORM, QTI and SIF' at 3 p.m. every day on stand S95 at BETT. Do come along a few minutes early to be sure of a seat. Much of the current difficulty stems from the missed opportunity represented by the DfES' report Harnessing Technology, published in March 2005, following a protracted consultation period. Our response to the original consultation is copied below.
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