PHOTO REDACTEDPHOTO DUE TO REDACTED THIRD PARTY DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES The impact of ICT in schools – a landscape review January 2007 The impact of ICT in schools – a landscape review The impact of ICT in schools – a landscape review Professor Rae Condie and Bob Munro with Liz Seagraves and Summer Kenesson Quality in Education Centre, University of Strathclyde PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES www.becta.org.uk/research To order further copies of this publication or to download an electronic copy visit http://www.becta.org.uk/publications © Copyright Becta 2006 Millburn Hill Road You may reproduce this material, free of charge in any format or medium without specific Science Park permission, provided you are not reproducing it for profit, or for material or financial gain. Coventry CV4 7JJ You must reproduce the material accurately and not use it in a misleading context. If you Tel: 024 7641 6994 are republishing the material or issuing it to others, you must acknowledge its source, Fax: 024 7641 1418 copyright status and date of publication. Research email: [email protected] While great care has been taken to ensure that the information in this publication is Main email: [email protected] accurate at the time of publication, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. URL: http://www.becta.org.uk January 2007 Where a specific product is referred to in this publication, no recommendation or endorsement of that product by Becta is intended, nor should it be inferred. 01/DD06-07/145/PC/2k Contents page no. Executive summary 3 1. Introduction 9 1.1 Background to the study 9 1.2 Approach to the analysis of the literature 9 1.3 Reflections on the literature 10 2. Setting the context: ICT provision and access 13 2.1 Policies, management and leadership within schools 13 2.2 Access to information and communication technologies 15 2.3 Teachers’ confidence and competence 16 2.4 Summary of key points 20 3. Impact on teaching, learning and attainment 21 3.1 Use of ICT in teaching and learning 21 3.2 Impact of ICT use in teaching and learning 21 3.3 Impact in specific subject areas 30 3.4 Impact of specific technologies and strategies 40 3.5 Impact on specific groups of learners 56 3.6 Personalisation of the learning experience 60 4 Impact on practitioners and schools 63 4.1 Impact of ICT on practice: integrating ICT into learning and teaching 63 4.2 Impact of ICT on administration and overall workload 67 4.3 The e-confident school 71 4.4. Impact on communication with home and the wider community 71 4.5 Summary of key points 73 5 Conclusions and implications 75 5.1 Reflections on the literature 75 5.2 Reflections on the impact of ICT in schools 76 References 79 Annex 1 Bibliography 84 PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES Executive Summary Introduction The impact of ICT in schools report was commissioned by Becta on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to analyse the impact of ICT on the schools sector across the United Kingdom. Over 350 published literature sources were consulted, ranging from policy documents, professional journals, research reports, reviews and digests to commercial publications. These have been listed in the bibliography although not all are referred to explicitly within the body of the report. This summary sets out the key messages from the literature, focusing firstly on the infrastructure to support the use of ICT, secondly on the impact on learning and teaching and, thirdly, on the extent to which ICT supports communication and links within and across schools and into the wider community. It concludes by drawing out several issues for further exploration and research. Setting the context: ICT provision whiteboards and the internet. Such combinations and access of hardware, software and connectivity allow them to develop innovative approaches to In recent years there have been numerous surveys learning and teaching. designed to give information on the extent to A critical factor in the effective use of ICT is the which schools are developing the capacity to existence of a school-level e-strategy that integrate ICT into learning, teaching and addresses future development and sustainability management processes. The evidence gathered and includes some means of monitoring progress has shown a steady increase in the number of against identified milestones. While innovations computers and other technologies over time, with often begin within a key stage or subject most schools achieving the baseline targets for department, they require a whole-school computer-to-pupil ratios. This finding, to a degree, commitment if they are to become embedded in masks considerable variation within and across the daily experience of pupils, providing schools with regard to regular access to reliable continuity and coherence across the years. While technologies and broadband connectivity. champions can, and often do, lead the way, new Evidence of the impact on learning and teaching developments need leadership and strategic indicates that, where the use of ICT is most planning to ensure sustained changes in practice. effective in enhancing the learning experience, teachers have been able to integrate a number of Teachers’ confidence and skills levels have technologies such as laptops, interactive improved significantly in recent years, in part due 3 to the provision of more relevant and appropriate BESA (BESA, 2006) provide quantitative data staff development opportunities. The newer on access, provision, attitudes and preferences programmes, such as Hands on Support (DfES, using samples that can be defended statistically, 2004) and Masterclass (Granville et al., 2005), are much of the evidence of impact on attainment more flexible and targeted than before and there and a range of intermediate outcomes such as is a wider range of ways of learning about the motivation and engagement is derived from small- new technologies and their implementation, scale case studies which are often snapshots of including through the use of ICT itself. As a result, impact early in the life of the implementation teachers – and school leaders – are able to identify of a new technology. The number of different the kind of training they want and need as well as technologies available and the rate at which they how they can acquire it. Trainee teachers and the are developing provide considerable scope for teacher educators have differing needs and these researchers although this has tended to result in a are beginning to be addressed. fragmented and unsystematic evidence base from which to evaluate the impact of ICT more generally. Teachers’ skills in working with ICT have developed significantly over the years and they Impact on attainment, motivation and are using ICT to support a range of planning and engagement with learning administrative activities at both class level (in planning and preparation and report writing, At present the evidence on attainment is for example) and school level (in attendance somewhat inconsistent, although it does appear and assessment records, and timetables amongst that, in some contexts, with some pupils, in others). There is some evidence that, as teachers some disciplines, attainment has been enhanced. have acquired and developed ICT skills and There is a need for more systematically gathered confidence in using the technologies, they have evidence although it is already apparent that, experienced a reduction in some aspects of where ICT has been successfully embedded in their workload. the classroom experience, a positive impact on attainment is more likely. Impact on learning and teaching The body of evidence on the impact of ICT on in the classroom intermediate outcomes, such as motivation, engagement with and independence in learning, The considerable investment that has gone into is greater and more persuasive. The benefits introducing ICT into schools – hardware, software, identified in the literature include increased networking and staff development – will be collaboration, greater engagement and deemed worthwhile if there is evidence that it persistence, more on-task behaviour and better has made a commensurate impact on the conceptual understanding. Understanding of performance levels and progress of pupils. In the extent to which ICT can support creativity, drawing conclusions from the available literature, including critical thinking skills and problem- it is necessary to acknowledge the extent and solving abilities, is developing, although some of nature of the evidence available. the evidence appears contradictory. In the studies While large-scale surveys such as those undertaken encountered, positive findings were associated as part of the evaluation of Curriculum Online (see with a range of technologies, particularly those for example Kitchen et al., 2006), the Impact of with strong visual elements such as digital video, ICT in Scottish Schools (Condie et al., 2005) or by drama-oriented software and multimedia 4 presentations. Much of the evidence is drawn Impact of specific technologies on from small-scale case studies and there is a paucity learning and teaching of large-scale, methodologically rigorous research The range of technologies available for use in the from which generalisations may be drawn. classroom has increased rapidly as the infrastructure In general, impact is most clearly observed where in schools has developed. Interactive whiteboards tasks have clear educational aims, are designed to (IWBs) have been the focus of a considerable maximise the potential of the ICT in use and are number of studies, large and small, in no small perceived as purposeful by pupils. part due to government endorsement and support for them. They are relatively common in schools Impact within specific subject areas compared with other technologies and the reports from studies of their impact draw similar Some areas of the curriculum have been the focus conclusions.