Transforming Lives Through ICT Skills for Life: Implementing the 21st Century Skills Framework
The 2003 White Paper by NIACE highlights ICT as an essential skill for life, noting that over 800,000 adults participate in ICT learning programs annually, yet retention is low at around 54%. Many adults feel ICT is irrelevant, with 10 million deeming it unimportant. This initiative aims to define and implement an "ICT Skill for Life" standard, focusing on curriculum development, teacher training, and e-learning integration. Action research will explore best practices and pathways to enhance engagement, relevance, and accessibility in ICT education.
Transforming Lives Through ICT Skills for Life: Implementing the 21st Century Skills Framework
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Presentation Transcript
ICT Skill for LifeDevelopments Alan Clarke Associate Director - ICT and Learning NIACE
Announcement 2003 White Paper “21st Century Skills Realising Our Potential acknowledged that ICT was a new skill for life. How to implement this development?
Context • ICT – large numbers of adults participate in ICT learning programmes over 800,000 a year • Retention rates are low about 54% • Birmingham and Solihull 62% (over 19) and 81% (16 to 18) • Many adults do not see relevance of ICT to their lives (5 Million) • Many adults have decided that ICT is not relevant to them (10 million) • E-learning rapidly growing • E-government/E-citizenship
Implementation Process • Define “ICT Skill for Life” standard • Consultation on standard • Consultation on how to implement the standard • National ICT Skill for Life Curriculum • Action Research • New Entry Level Qualifications • Pathfinder
Standards • Entry level 1 to level 2 • QCA website • Changes in delivery compared to existing practice • Transfer of learning/Cope with change • Purposefulness • Independence (level 1)
Consultation Issues • Awareness raising strategy • Funding for ICT Skill for Life • Teacher/tutor/trainer training • Links between ICT Skills and the other Skills for Life • Preliminary research needed – Action Research pilots • Need to pilot implementation - Pathfinder pilot - September 2005
Action Research • 34 sites • Investigating a wide range of issues such as: - Purpose - Initial Assessment - Learning Resources - Staff Development - Curriculum - Relationship with other Skills for Life - Qualifications E-skills passport and BKSB assessment tools have been provided to Action Research sites
Action Research – Key Findings • Purposeful activity – help with designing resources • Wider range of learning methods need to be employed • Initial assessment (spiky profiles) • Potential of embedding • Report on NIACE website
ICT Skill for Life Curriculum • Curriculum available from QCA and NIACE websites • Paper copies from DfES
ICT Teaching Qualifications • LSDA and NIACE • Undertaking a project to investigate teacher training for ICT knowledge and Skills and also pedagogical skills • Possibly level III and based around ITQ • Pedagogical skills possibly level 4 • Pilot within ICT Skill for Life Pathfinder
ICT Skill for Life Entry Level Qualifications • OCNW approved (Entry to Level 2) • OCR • C&G • NOCN • Edexcel • Other Awarding Bodies later
Relationships • ICT embedded into literacy, numeracy and ESOL • ICT Skill for Life with Key skills • ICT as part of e-learning • Standards Unit ICT programme • MyGuide Pilot - Cybrarian
Pathfinder • Pilot implementation of ICT Skill for life, teacher training and new qualifications • KPMG • 100 sites • Regionally organised • Two years 2005/2007
CONTACTS alan.clarke@niace.org.uk
