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E-learning is seen as one of the building blocks for the implementation of electronic government.
To find out more about the importance of E-Learning visit a recent DfES publication: "Towards a Unified e-Learning Strategy".
Below is a related news items from the DfES web site:
Technology can Revolutionise Education for All Learners - Clarke
08 July 2003
Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke today set out the Government’s vision for making sure that everyone from primary pupils to adult learners has access to the latest technology to revolutionise their learning.
Mr Clarke said that, although there was innovation in many schools, colleges and universities, e-learning must now touch the life of every single learner. He challenged the education sector, employers and the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry to make sure it happens.
Launching the Government’s consultation document on its e-learning strategy, Mr Clarke said he wanted to build on much of the excellent work which is already happening in some areas. This includes:
Coopers Technology College, Chislehurst, Kent, has set up a programme of flexible study which means pupils can learn even when away from school. One Year 12 pupil who had to spend time in Australia during his A level course was able to continue his studies through the programme. Assignments were set by the teacher, marked and returned with feedback via the internet.
Liverpool children as young as nursery age are learning French, German and Spanish through an e-learning project involving e-mail links and video conferencing with bilingual schools in other countries.
A GCSE English course provided entirely online at the Sheffield College. It achieved a 100 per cent pass rate with 55 per cent of students getting an A or A*. The online course provided access to those unwilling or unable to go to the campus, including a 47-year-old diagnosed as dyslexic, and several learners from outside the South Yorkshire region who could not get the education they needed locally.
The Transport and General Workers’ Union and Manchester City College are working together to provide a range of accredited courses for members of the union. The courses are flexible enough to be taken at home, online, at the T&GWU education department or at the City College premises. More than 1,000 adults have achieved qualifications.
Mr Clarke said:
“Using interactive technologies can bring huge benefits to the way we teach and learn, but at the moment there is not enough of it happening in this country. All learners, from pre-school to lifelong learning, can benefit from mixing these new technologies with other forms of study. We must make sure those benefits are universal.
“We are committed to making e-learning a fundamental part of all education, and we want to hear the views of everyone concerned, including employers who want the best for developing their workforce. Online services are an increasing part of everyday life, and education and training must mirror these changes to revolutionise all learning.”
The consultation document - Towards a unified e-learning strategy - will seek the opinion of everyone involved in education. The consultation runs until January 2004, and the final e-learning strategy will be unveiled later that year. |