Some key questions for the common recommendations from Ofsted with regard to innovative solutions for learning.

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Review of Ofsted 2013: Viewpoints
Illustrations of how technology can play a part in enhancing key
recommendations made by Ofsted

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ILP and monitoring
“A few important aspects are not monitored rigorously
enough”
“Does not yet capture progress well”
 Electronic individual learning plans (e-ILPs) are used to share disclosed learner
information with teaching staff involved in the learners’ course or programme (C9)
 e-ILPs are used to collect particular learning requirements (for example dyslexia
support or other learning difficulties) to identify additional support needs. They
connect to the courses of study and any specialist communities in the VLE (D11)
 e-ILPs assist in monitoring the progress of the learners receiving the support: all staff
with a role in ensuring individual learner progression are able to see and contribute to
ILPs (D11)
 e-ILPs are used to share disclosed learner information with teachers and appropriate
support staff involved in their learning journey (E16)
 e-ILPs are made available to all those responsible for the progression and success of
each learner (E16)
 Electronic registers supply personal data to the e-ILP and returns to the learning
provider records (E17)
 Sound files, images and video are used to support assessment and to show
progression in e-ILPs (F21)
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ILP and target setting
“Improve target setting for learners”
“Set frequent, precise and challenging targets for learners “
 Both teaching staff and the learner are able to contribute
to the ILP by way of comment and target setting (D11)
 e-ILPs allow the setting and checking of targets over time.
Learners participate in setting and review (E16)
 Learners are able to contribute to the ILP by way of
comment and target setting (E16)
 The content of ILPs is a focus for tutorials in terms of
issues, targets and achievements (E16)
 Learners have access to their e-ILP and participate in
review of progress towards their targets (E19)
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Stretch and challenge
“Able learners are insufficiently challenged “
“Improve the underperforming “
 The VLE is used extensively to provide specific course
support for learners including additional materials to
stretch and inspire; and catch-up materials to
accommodate absences and different pace of learning
(B7)
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Equality and diversity
“Plan for learners to embrace cultural differences “
“The promotion of E&D at reviews of learners’ progress and
during taught sessions”
 e-Learning materials and learning assignments promote equality and celebrate
diversity (F21)
 e-Learning materials broaden learners’ horizons and challenge their assumptions
about different groups of people (F21)
 Sound files, images and video are used to support assessment and to show
progression in e-ILPs (F21)
 Technology helps to identify and address individual and collective learner needs and
contributes to the personalisation of teaching, learning and assessment (F21)
 Equality & diversity is celebrated using electronic publicity, in social media, on the
VLE front page, posters and on promotional and marketing web pages (F21)
 Support and resources are made available in communities on the VLE that learners
can join, supported by specialist teaching staff (F21)
 Any relevant induction materials relating to equality and diversity are available via
the VLE (F21)
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Lesson plans
“Need to plan sessions to meet the needs of learners”
“Ensure all lessons are planned”
 There are examples of lesson plans, which describe
group work activity completed during and between
learning sessions (A2)
 Because of work completed through the VLE, lesson
plans are written to show the connection between
activity in and beyond learning sessions (B7)
 Lesson plans are rewritten to reflect these changes
and learning session time is used to support what has
happened on-line and to plan for future on-line
activity (G22)
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English and math’s
“Opportunities to develop learners’ literacy and numeracy
skills are occasionally missed”
 Learners are able to use resources on the VLE and beyond
to revise, repeat and find contextual illustrations as part of
individual study packs that augment formal study (D15)
 Teachers can draw on common English, Maths and
functional skills resources through the VLE and the wider
educational on-line community (D15)
 Technology is used to accommodate different levels,
different skills gaps and different ways of learning through
a wider range of learning material (for example.
interactive, video-ed tutorials, etc.) (D15)
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Teaching and learning staff
“The quality and effectiveness of theory teaching are
inconsistent”
“Varied quality of learning”
 Teaching staff arrange to teach and support learners on-line as part of
their course or learning programme (C9)
 Hand-held and mobile technologies are supplied to teaching staff to
support the delivery and administration of learning (C9)
 Teaching staff’s confidence to experiment with technology is positively
encouraged and there is a good awareness of their support needs in
terms of the hardware and technical support (C9)
 Staff are encouraged and supported to seek out communities of
interest beyond the organisation (C9)
 Appropriate and effective use of technology is included in lesson
observations, review and feedback (C9)
 Staff support learning and its administration through social media (C9)
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Assessment management
“The quality of assessment is not consistently good”
“Poor assessment of learning”
 Learners are able to submit assignments on-line in a variety of ways (C9)
 Back up paper-based processes are being reduced so technology replaces
rather than adds to administrative processes (C9)
 Technology is used across the organisation to track completed assessments
and this information contributes to the monitoring of learners’ progress
and achievement at both course and organisation level (E18)
 Assignments are submitted and marked on-line (E18)
 Technology is used to track learner targets that the learner can participate
in their review and to assess overall progress and achievement (E18)
 Features include allowing the use of personal and handheld technology,
submission of work and assignments using personal spaces (for example, eportfolios), software and social media (E18)
 Formative assessment on assignments in progress is given to learners (E18)
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Feedback
“Feedback on formally assessed work does not provide
enough detail”
“Learners don’t know what to do to improve work “
 The teaching staff provide learners with timely
feedback, both formative and summative, via the VLE
on assessed assignments, attendance, punctuality and
other factors relevant to making progress (E19)
 Learners have access to their e-ILP and participate in
review of progress towards their targets (E19)
 Assessment results and progress are available to the
learner via, for example, an e-portfolio (E19)
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Performance management (organisation)
“Improve management information to support decision
making “
“Underdeveloped performance management “
 There is a published learning technology strategy that describes the contribution of
technology to success and encourages all staff to aspire to its vision. Managers contribute
to its delivery and update. Staff at all levels are consulted and contribute to its content.
The strategy fits with the learning providers quality improvement plan and the teaching,
learning and assessment plan (G22)
 Emerging new technologies are explored and tested for their overall potential benefit to
teaching, learning and assessment (G22)
 WIFI is available across all the learning provider premises (G22)
 Appropriate safeguarding policies are in place to protect all learners, in particular young
people and vulnerable adults, when using internet and social media (G22)
 Managers make resources available through the VLE and help to support individual
teaching staff’s improvement plans (H24)
 Mentoring schemes are established that make use of technology to communicate and
share information (H24)
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Performance management (curriculum)
“Insufficient self assessment of the quality of learning “
“Poor lesson observation process “
 Learners are encouraged, through appropriate channels in
the VLE, to contribute to the assessment of teaching and
course administration (H24)
 Observations are scheduled and enhanced through the use
of appropriate technologies to facilitate greater flexibility
in observation, review and feedback (H24)
 Staff are set stretching performance targets and these are
actively monitored throughout the year. They are an
integral part of the self-assessment and quality processes
and the supply of data for this purpose is timely and
reliable (H24)
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