Dick Louden reports on the innovators at the centre of Scottish
education who help make teaching through technology tick
THE Scottish Council for Educational Technology (Scet) sounds like one
of those abstruse organisations forever destined to be cloaked in
mystique. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Scet's
objectives are essentially practical and its contribution to Scottish
education is highly valued. In the words of its chief executive, Nigel
Paine, ''Scet's role is simple: to use technology to support our
customers -- educators, trainers and learners -- in the most effective
way.''
From its base in the West End of Glasgow it achieves this in a variety
of ways. Staff of Scet devise quality software for education, distribute
training films and videos, and offer a range of consultancy services in
areas of technology where they have expertise.
Though it receives funding from the Scottish Office and the Convention
of Scottish Local Authorities, Scet is now increasingly self-financing
and this gives added focus to its commitment to quality. Customer care
and marketing structures are firmly in place. Nigel Paine emphasises
that ''we are now in a position to offer a quality guarantee, since
customer satisfaction is paramount to us. Moreover, we are seeking
BS5750 certification and an Investors in People award to recognise that
we are a quality organisation.''
Products are developed to link closely with nationally published
programmes such as the 5-14 Guidelines. For instance, the 1994 Resources
Catalogue contains details of such software packages, designed for use
with Apple Macintosh computers, as Writer's Toolkit, which supports the
5-14 Guidelines on English language, and Chronicle, which performs a
similar function in respect of social subjects.
The software is impressive in its depth, catering for all age groups
from four years upwards on varied themes, from Granny's Garden through
Weathermapper and Crystal Rainforest to Expert Home Designer and En
Ville/In Der Stadt. A number of packages have been devised for pupils
with special educational needs, such as Findword, Clocks, and Eating for
Health. Some of the software products can be used on AppleMac, others
with Acorn BBC microcomputers, others yet with IBM compatible machines.
Scet is enthusiastic about the potential for producing quality
educational software on CD-ROM. A single CD-ROM disc, similar to those
used by the music industry, can store vast amounts of information and is
simply inserted into a CD-ROM drive attached to the computer.
Already packages like Just Grandma and Me, Storybook Theatre, and The
Crucible (dealing with the Arthur Miller play) are available on CD-ROM
and Nigel Paine sees the next stage of development as ''the inclusion on
a single CD-ROM disc of not only the software itself but also the
back-up print documentation, staff training materials and even video of
the software in use. The potential is enormous.''
Scet is now involved in an exciting joint initiative with The Herald
and the Glasgow Development Agency to produce The Herald on CD-ROM. The
output of a full calendar year will be contained on one disc and archive
discs are also being prepared. The material on each disc comprises all
the stories and news features, editorial comments and selected
photographs, including the deathless prose of Barclay McBain and the
lifeless prose of yours truly.
With its emphasis on ''learning through technology'', Scet has
produced many resource packs for the classroom teacher in such areas as
differentiation, effective management, and staff development and
appraisal.
In an era of increased paperwork, it also regularly updates Scamp
(Schools Computer Administration and Management Programme), an
information package used by many schools to maintain their
administrative records, and the further education college equivalent,
CSCAMP. As with other Scet products, training workshops and consultancy
services can be provided to ensure that products are being used to
maximum effect.
For an organisation which cherishes the conservative virtues of
''prudence and efficiency'', Scet moves in innovative and imaginative
ways. In the past few years it has undergone a cultural revolution which
has seen it move from the periphery to the centre of Scottish education.
Realising the insatiable demand from business and industry for quality
training, it has devised tailor-made packages for such giants as United
Distillers. Its roadshows tour the country and it organises keynote
lectures by distinguished figures such as Tim Brighouse, chief education
officer for Birmingham, who will be speaking in Edinburgh next month.
Next month it inaugurates a technology competition for schools, with
computer hardware as the prizes. And, in this month's issue of Schools
Herald, to be published next Tuesday, we will launch with Scet a schools
software competition.
Emphasising its new central position, Scet will shortly set up a
schools information service helpline. ''Callers who subscribe will
receive core information on the curriculum,'' explains Nigel Paine,
''and the helpline will offer a one-point service to answer schools'
queries.'' Now, why did nobody else think of that first?
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