Centre for ICT, Pedagogy and Learning (Education and Social Research Institute), Manchester Metropolitan University; and Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University

This 38-page report, documenting a 4-year United Kingdom (UK) study into the impact of computers on educational attainment, concludes that having a high level of technology for learning equipment will dramatically improve performance, as long as there is the right support and enthusiasm to embrace it. The report provides evidence for policy-makers on the impact of providing very high levels of information and communication technology (ICT) to schools and further education (FE) colleges on: teaching and learning; leadership and management; workforce development; cross-cluster relationships; and home and community links.

As detailed here, the ICT Test Bed project (2002-06) was initiated by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to explore how ICT can be used to support the UK Government's wider agenda for education reform. Managed by Becta, the project took a holistic approach to ICT implementation in 28 ICT Test Bed schools (23 primary schools and 5 secondary schools) and 3 FE colleges within areas of relative socio-economic deprivation. The goal was to investigate whether making technology an integral part of learning in schools and colleges could improve learner attainment levels, classroom practice, and school and college development. Each of the schools and colleges drew up their own plans and were given money to install high levels of hardware and software. The funding also covered training so that the most effective use of the investment could be made.

Manchester Metropolitan and Nottingham Trent universities carried out an independent evaluation of the project based on 3 types of evidence: quantitative data, qualitative data, and action research. The key findings to emerge from this assessment include:

• As technology was embedded, a school's national test outcomes improved "beyond expectation." According to the results, boys made significant gains in writing skills - a key weakness nationally - when they worked on computers. The study found varying results, however, depending on the age of the students. According to the report, for students at Key Stage 1 (aged 7) there were "no significant differences" in terms of test results. But, for students in Key Stage 2 tests, (students aged 11), the rate of improvement was higher for Test Bed schools and some exceeded the national average for English. Also, the study results indicate that the use of computers did not produce major changes in learning attainment for secondary-level students. For students at Key Stage 3 (14-year-olds) there were no significant differences and at GCSE level (aged 16) there was no difference in the overall pass rate. But Test Bed pupils at GCSE level did better than those in comparator schools in getting 5 good grades, including in English and mathematics. The report explains the greater gains from computers in primary schools could be due to having more scope for flexibility in the curriculum at primary level. The report emphasises the need to utilise ICT across the curriculum rather than treating it as a separate subject.
• It was also found that the classroom atmosphere improved through the use of presentation technology, providing greater interaction between teachers and learner. Effective use of ICT personalised learning by enabling greater learner choice within the curriculum, improved assessment for learning, and more learner-directed teaching. In addition, technology facilitated more effective assessment for learning by making it easier for learners to be more involved in target-setting and for teachers to give individualised feedback.
• Rapid improvements in teachers' skills in using technology in learning and teaching were detected, as was improved management of workload. Shared server areas and virtual learning environments made it easier for teachers to find, store, share, create, and reuse resources and lesson plans, for example.
• Using technology for learning was found to have produced a fundamental change in the way teachers and other staff worked, with administration and support staff able to take on broader responsibilities. This cut down on the amount of administration that teachers had previously been doing, releasing them to spend more time supporting learning.
• The use of electronic registration improved attendance levels in some schools by 3%-4%, while behaviour management systems were perceived to have a positive impact on both behaviour and attendance.
• Various home and community linkages were detected; for instance, the majority of students in ICT Test Bed schools, as in other schools, now have access to computers at home. Loaning ICT equipment to learners was found to be helpful to bridge the digital divide. Schools slowly increased their use of email - and, in some cases, text messages - to communicate with parents, enabling them to respond to parental enquiries more rapidly; school websites and learning platforms were used to share assessment information with parents.