a case study of The Netherhall School and the Neon Partnership

The history of IT at The Netherhall School dates back to 1980 when we began experimenting with a BBC B computer. At this stage we and other schools were either using computers for computer studies or for computer assisted learning in some subjects. The early use of computers across the curriculum triggered the imagination of teachers in many subjects and as the user interfaces and software packages became more sophisticated, IT became firmly established in the school.

A whole series of initiatives and developments in IT followed the early research period, culminating in the placing of IT within the curriculum, first in Design Technology and now as a integral component of all Key Stage 3 activities as well as in our Key Stage 4 and Sixth Form curriculum. Having established a sound platform to ensure that our pupils were given opportunities, where appropriate, to develop and apply their information technology (IT) capability in their studies, we began to look at how pupils could gain greater access to IT resources beyond the capabilities of the school. This coincided with the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into our vocabulary which, by its very nature, demands networking and wider area connectivity, increased access, management and rising costs, all of which need to be carefully balanced against other curriculum needs.

How then can the growth of computers and communication technology be achieved effectively in a school with limited resources? How long will it take to reach the minimum communication infrastructure expected for a school to deliver ICT?

Our experience of this process to establish effective ICT has occurred in three phases:

Phase I - identifying the present status of ICT in the school

Phase II - assessing what you have and identifying good IT practice, both past and present

Phase III - creating an effective physical ICT infrastructure to enable good classroom activities

Phase I

The focus for developing this phase was the writing and review of a School ICT Policy. By reviewing the policy we had to consider issues such as an audit of existing hardware and software, expected growth, future hardware, software and maintenance costs, staff training, curriculum needs, targets and training. The review took into account the needs of all departments and involved Heads of Departments, IT representatives from departments and senior staff.

In order for the School ICT Policy to be effective it must have the backing and support of the Headteacher and the Governors. To ensure good communication we have set up a special Governors' sub-committee to discuss and plan our ICT strategy and this group meets on a regular, termly basis. Having completed a full review and update of the ICT Policy, schools should be able to identify where they are in an overall scheme to establish good ICT practice i.e. what does the school currently use, what is the next best step and how can the network eventually support full Intranet and Internet access and communication.

The Netherhall School has gone through just such a transition and has been working over a number of years to establish its current communication and ICT infra-structure at the centre of an online learning community so that pupils can gain access to online learning to support homework and coursework.

Phase II

This phase looks at good practice in the past as well as the present and tries to establish effective schemes of work using ICT. Looking to our past it all began by implementing effective classroom practice with BBC B computers in 1986. Initially the first developments were with stand alone computers encouraging different teaching styles and classroom organisation around a single computer - to which a printer was soon attached. Soon after, The Netherhall School became involved in authoring educational software under the government Micro Electronics in Education Programme (MEP) and encouraged teachers to design their own computer software applications. The first programs to be used widely were simulation and drill and skill packages. These were followed by content free utility software - databases, spreadsheets, word processors and desk top publishers. The content free software changed the way in which IT was being used in the school and saw the birth of administration software to run parallel with curriculum developments.

There was now diversity and a choice of software and services for education establishments including new peripheral devices such as control and data logging, sensors and scanners. Demand for computer access was rising and networking became a priority. This was initially an Econet network connecting all the BBC computers and soon became upgraded to an ethernet network. We now have a UTP CAT5 and fibre optic network in place - essential for speed of access and appropriate delivery of ICT. By the early 1990's multimedia software had become available and the school embarked on a period of authoring its own resources for use in the school. Together with additional hardware, such as interactive video and CD ROM systems, pupils were able to experience multimedia programs in the classroom.

The Netherhall School became very much involved with authoring multimedia applications in the form of Interactive Video disks or CD ROMs. Teams of staff and pupils produced several multimedia applications, including The Battle of the Somme interactive video for The Imperial War Museum, A Slice of the Action for the Flour Advisory Bureau, The MidBank Game for the Midland Bank.

At this point it became quite obvious that the school was able to create and publish its own materials and that other groups outside education were interested in contributing and making use of these skills. Contact was established with the wider community and experience in dealing with commercial companies and exploring shared needs developed into partnerships that have lasted many years. Indeed many of these companies have remained loyal supporters of the school.

This was clearly the beginning of exploring opportunities in the wider world outside the classroom in order to bring expertise from companies into the school and raise the quality of learning and resources for pupils and staff. By the mid 1990's IT companies were developing partnerships and shared initiatives to deliver even better IT hardware, resources and services to schools - something no single group was likely to establish on their own. The Netherhall School was invited to participate in the Online Media Cambridge Trail - a superhighway project delivering IT into the home through a set top box and the living room television. Digital video, software, home shopping and banking together with Internet access were all packaged together and delivered via cable - an essential component of our extended network into the community.

With the support of the Independent Television Commission the school authored its own interactive television materials and explored the potential of the delivering curriculum materials to the home. This in turn demanded a conceptual appreciation of wider networks beyond the school and an awareness for the type of education resources families wanted to use in the home.

The Cambridge Trial established a long working partnership with Cambridge Cable - a period of research and development that is still continuing. For the Cambridge Trial a broad band cable link was established to the school to explore the potential of superhighway technology and interactive digital television. This link remains but we are also currently exploring the minimum requirements for the effective delivery of ICT through a 64K leased line. This is proving extremely successful and allows us to implement an effective ICT system in the school with Internet access to 100 computers. By identifying what actually works in practice we want to share our experience with other schools so that a replicable model can be implemented quickly and effectively by schools wanting to embrace ICT. The use of the Internet and email soon became the focus of attention in school - partly through exploring its potential with the Online Media Cambridge Trial. The resources available via the Internet were exciting and instant multimedia and images and text were downloadable, increasing the quality of resources available to students and teachers. The school soon recognised that the Internet was going to be an important resource and so began using a single dial up modem connection to make use of the Internet. This rapidly expanded to two dial up modems and demand was increasing for more. Establishing large numbers of single dial up connections was not a sensible way forward - a network solution was required.

The school recognised that much of the interactive television materials developed for the Cambridge Trial could be delivered by creating our own website so a Sun Netra webserver was installed in partnership with Sun Micro systems. The Netra also delivers our Internet access to 100 computers on the school network which includes computer rooms, libraries and offices. The school network was further expanded and UTP CAT 5 twisted pair established as the backbone for the school extending to a wide range of classrooms and offices. The school now needed cost effective terminals on the network for access to the Internet and World Wide Web, a need that coincided with the arrival of network computers on the market. Amadeus and NetChannel are exploring the potential of network computers for online learning.

A design team of well over 40 staff and students currently create the school website pages and maintain and update materials. The current website took some 18 months to design and establish and new routines are constantly being written to improve on interaction with our users of materials.

Phase III

The focus of our current phase is creating a good ICT communications infrastructure and delivering ICT in the school. These are very important as are the associated management issues and costs. Demand for ICT in the school is rising rapidly, as too is interest amongst parents in getting connected to the Internet. Requirements for cross curricular use of ICT are increasing and most environments in the school have been equipped with appropriate hardware. So where is the necessary growth going to be achieved? Clearly pupils need greater access to ICT beyond that which the school can offer - so access in the home is clearly needed where possible. The school can direct the pupils to quality learning sites, via its own website and can support the pupils' learning in the home via Internet chat and conferencing or tutorial work. Pupils without home access are given priority use of computers during lunchtimes and after school. Large scale Internet access focused on one site within the community is likely to put a large demand on the network and service provider, for example if large numbers of students logon together at about 4.30 pm when they arrive home to check their emails. UUNet have joined forces with the school to explore the needs, growth rate and potential demand of the online project as a means of establishing its own growth and upgrade needs for the future.

The final stage of implementing the ICT model will be the sharing of initiatives and the development of quality learning materials between educational establishments, whilst also integrating the interest of parents and their children in the education process as a whole. This will mean that wider networking solutions will be required and NTL is supporting and exploring the potential of the Netherhall model as a means of connecting and establishing a good communications network for other schools throughout the country. Oracle are exploring even wider networked computer issues with the school. The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate is involved in evaluating the potential of online interaction between pupils and their school.

The Neon Partners have worked very closely to develop a business model in which revenue to finance the large scale costs of a fully integrated network and Internet services in any school can be borne by the local community through local education services focussed around a school or cluster of schools. Without such a mechanism the costs of effective 'industrial strength' Internet access and networking in a school will not be possible and the development of ICT in schools will be limited. There needs to be long term strategic thinking and implementation for ICT in all schools and especially those with little or no physical or strategic infrastructure. Careful long term planning is necessary not only for setting up ICT in schools but also for good classroom practice using ICT. This will necessitate teacher training in ICT which in turn will increase demand for resources, access and even more training. When this is combined with the necessary growth of the network and hardware upgrades or replacements, long term funding needs careful planning. It is something which can't be supported with quick fix investments of money.

Online learning is guaranteed to have a major impact on schools and communities in the near future and strategies must be in place now to ensure schools benefit from the new technologies, that they can identify good practice, know the value of online learning and are able to share experiences of educational and community developments through ICT.

A.J.Wells

www.netherhall.cambs.sch.uk

Netherhall Education Online Partners

The Neon project is made possible by the continued support of its partners. Neon partners have committed essential resources but a key element in the success of the project is that they have become actively involved. The Netherhall School would like to thank all those from the following partner companies who have provided time and resources to help make Neon effective.

Cambridge Cable

The Cambridge Cable Group has revolutionised cable communications in the East Anglian region. From its inception as a single franchise based around Cambridge in 1987, the Group grew to encompass four franchise areas. Over 105,000 customers are already enjoying the benefits of Cambridge Cable services, which range from residential telephone services and multichannel entertainment through to business telecommunication services. Cambridge Cable recently became part of the NTL group. The Cambridge Cable Group has aided the Online City Project which provides community information and Internet access at five public places in Cambridge.

Cambridge Cable have been highly involved with The Netherhall School for several years and provide technical and commercial advice to develop the project. Cambridge Cable provided the cable installation for the Cambridge Trial and for the school's Internet access and services. In addition they have been willing sponsors in connecting cable services to the Primary Link schools involved with the EC Socrates mailbox project. Cambridge Cable are providing second telephone connections for homes in the school community and offer a telecommunications service that is reliable and cost effective. Cambridge Cable have undertaken detailed market research with The Netherhall and other schools that supports the view that there is a commercially viable school centred model that also enhances learning for pupils and families of the school and its community.

www.camcable.co.uk

Education Online

Education Online is a non-profit organisation that has been supporting The Netherhall School for several years and is a founder member of the Neon Partnership. Education Online provides funding and consultancy to the project. Particular interests are in the development of a replicable model for school based community learning. Large scale, nationally managed services are important parts of a National Grid for Learning but will not provide a complete solution. Community and local grids need to be encouraged. Small, collaborative, grassroots ventures, such as at The Netherhall School, will be essential to enable communities to become involved and to contribute. Online learning must have elements of participation for learning to be most effective.

Education Online aims to stimulate the development and application of information and communication technologies to improve learning and to promote innovative uses of online technologies through partnership and appropriate open standards. The company operates with the close co-operation of many organisations that provide a wide range of resources and expertise. Education Online offers consultancy in the field of online education and support for the development of innovative web based learning materials.

Consultancy is provided to publishers, educational organisations and businesses with an interest in innovative online learning. As well as Neon, the many projects or organisations that Education Online is actively involved with include BESA, Education Extra, the European Education Partnership, European Schoolnet EUN, IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee, TeacherNet UK and the Technology Colleges Trust.

www.edon.org.uk

NTL

NTL delivers electronic learning solutions for education through a wide range of communications services including voice, data, vision and Internet. Internet is available via a single PC, computer network or television screen, anywhere in the UK at connection speeds from dial-up modem through ISDN to leased lines of all sizes. NTL's new interactive services on TV or PC enable access for everyone, allowing learning to take place where and when it is convenient for the student. NTL delivers connectivity solutions to meet the educational demands of the future, today.

NTL provides services over advanced broadband fibre networks in six major regions in the UK. NTL's award winning internet service provides internet access to individuals directly through providers such as Virgin.Net and Which?Online. NTL provides transmission and broadcast services for the whole of ITV, Channel 4, S4C, Channel 5 and most UK independent radio stations. NTL is at the forefront of digital broadcast and telecommunications development, ensuring NTL education, business and consumer customers will be amongst the first to benefit from digital technologies.

NTL is the UK's leading integrated communications company, offering alternative telecommunications solutions, broadcast and transmission services. NTL's capabilities centre on its Digital TeleNetwork, the only national fibre-optic network in the UK with the high capacity necessary to deliver multiple services including telecommunications, internet services, mobile radio communications, international satellite links and visual communications.

NTL will be offering a filtered Internet service to homes in the Netherhall community and is interested in applying the lessons learned from the Neon experience to benefit other schools and projects.

www.ntl.com

Oracle Corporation

Oracle Corporation is the world's second largest software company, and the leading supplier of software for enterprise information management. The company has two major businesses: one aimed at providing the lowest cost information technology infrastructure, and the other to provide business and competitive advantage through high value applications. With annual revenues exceeding $7.5 billion, the company offers its database, tools and applications products, along with related consulting, education, and support services, in more than 140 countries around the world. Oracle has offices and staff throughout the UK.

Oracle is one of the first software companies to implement its model of enterprise software management through network computing capable databases and products, and the first major software company to make full-featured products available electronically on the Internet. It is the only company capable of implementing end-to-end enterprise IT infrastructure and applications solutions on a global scale.

Oracle is committed to supporting lifelong learning and is developing open standard technologies such as Oracle Learning Architecture, OLA. Oracle information management software is an essential component behind many National Grid for Learning services that structure and deliver multiple media online. Oracle is a leading industrial sponsor of UK projects such as TeacherNet UK and MirandaNet and is also active in European projects such as the European Schoolnet (EUN) and the European Education Partnership (EEP).

Oracle is pleased to be a supporter of the Neon project and is particularly interested in the outcomes of providing families with home access to school and community resources via cost effective Network Computer devices.

www.oracle.com

Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems, who supply the majority of the world's internet service providers with scaleable and reliable solutions, believe the same industrial strength technology should be made available to the whole learning community.

The opportunity to join the Neon Partnership allowed Sun to evaluate their technology within the school. The server needed to provide access to a diverse range of clients already installed throughout the school, including Network Computers, PCs, Apple Macs and Acorn equipment.

The exciting element was linking the whole school network to the Internet and the community around the school back to the same server. The system then allowed the school to provide information for their own consumption as well as allowing the same content to be made available to others on the external phasing side of the server.

In order to achieve this level of connectivity for the school, the Neon Partnership involved three Internet service providers, UUNET, Cambridge Cable and a local ISP, all of which were looking at the model and how it could be expanded over a wider community.

The conclusions that Sun have deduced from this project are that in order to provide effective access to web content to enhance lifelong learning, the appropriate technology needs to be provided and managed in the three key areas of the school, the local community and nationwide.

www.sun.com

UCLES

The ITAL Unit is part of UCLES Research and Evaluation Division. The UCLES Group incorporates Cambridge International Examinations and OCR: Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations.

OCR is the unitary awarding body formed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) and the RSA Examinations Board (RSAEB). OCR is committed to providing the best possible qualifications for all students, and to supporting teachers, lecturers in preparing their students for OCR qualifications.

The evaluation of the impact of new technologies on the process of assessment and learning is the responsibility of The Interactive Technologies in Assessment and Learning (ITAL) Unit.

The ITAL Unit is delighted to be a partner with The Netherhall School in the NEON project.

ITAL and NEON together will explore the role of computers and interactive technologies in examinations and assessment in preparation for the future.

www.ucles.org.uk

UUNET

UUNET is now part of one of the world's largest corporations - MCI WorldCom - and the first commercial Internet Service Provider in the world. But the company started in the UK in Cambridge in the mid 80s as Unipalm, a network supplier and then founded the first commercial Internet service in the UK as PIPEX in 1992. Later the company merged with UUNET Technologies in the US - the first commercial ISP in the world.

Today the UK company is the market leader in leased line Internet services and has approaching 400 employees at its headquarters on the Science Park and in regional offices.

During the formative years of the Internet the company supported many innovative projects and one which it was very keen to assist was the provision of networked Internet access at Netherhall School. The project provided an ideal opportunity to see how the benefits of e-mail and the World Wide Web might develop in education.

As the leading provider of business Internet services in the UK, UUNET's focus does not include the single home user directly so that the company's interest at Netherhall has been in assisting in the development of a fully networked solution - using the best practices from the commercial world.

A key has been helping develop a replicable model for schools by which they become capable of funding the ongoing costs of leased line access - the only practical solution to the high-intensity activity that education use of the internet implies.

www.uunet.com