Maggie Philbin, Jim Fraser, Fintan Donohugh

1. Welcome to the NIACE
Digital Learning
Conference
14th November, 2014
The Skills Show, Birmingham
#niacedigi

2. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Welcome & Introduction
David Hughes
Chief Executive, NIACE
#niacedigi

3. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Bridging the e-skills gap
Maggie Philbin
Chair, UK Digital Task Force
Chief Executive, TeenTech
Technology Broadcaster
#niacedigi

4. Bridging the Digital Divide
Maggie Philbin
CEO TeenTech
Chair UK Digital Skills Task Force

5. From TW to Bang Goes The Theory

8. The Focus
What can we do to help develop home talent for
the digital industries and for the growing IT
needs of all industry?

9. Perception and Reality
We know careers in tech are still misunderstood. How
can we change this?
The Digital Challenge for Schools and Colleges – What
are the barriers preventing young people gaining digital
skills? How can formal/informal education better support
this? What is the role for business?
Apprenticeships for a Digital Economy. How can we
make it easier for companies of all sizes to take on
apprentices? What would a really good apprenticeship in
digital skills/IT look like?

10. The Tech Third Sector Is there room for better signposting of
opportunites? How can the learning of organisations inform
and shape mainstream education.
Digital by Degree. What can we do to ensure people have a
better chance of gaining the skills which are actually needed?
Digital Skills for Life. How do we up skill the existing work
force - those in and out of employment? Can we provide
better opportunities for career transitions, career pathways
for all ages?

11. • Young Digital taskforce video?

12. Do they understand the opportunities?
Cyber
Internet of
things

13. Do parents and teachers understand?
• EU could face a shortage of up to 900,000 ICT
professionals by 2020 (E-skills for Jobs in Europe)
• 47% jobs will disappear over next two decades
due to technology but for every job lost two will
be created (Frey and Michael Osborne, University of Oxford)
• The ICT workforce is likely to increase by 39% by
2030 (Science Council )
• 132,000 job opportunities possible in big data
over the next 5 years (E-skills)

15. ‘Fancied Runners’
ZNets analysis of Gartners Hype Cycle – November 2014

16. July 1965

17. The bad news …
• 23% of parents believe digital skills to be
irrelevant to their children’s future career
success.
• 18% of parents think employers do not care
about digital skills.
• 38% of parents admit they do not know
enough about the digital economy to help
their children make informed career choices.
O2 survey June 2014

18. The good news ….
• Social Encouragement
• Self-perception
• Academic Exposure
• Career Perception
Google 2014

19. Social Encouragement

20. Self-perception

21. Academic Exposure

22. Career Perception

24. Digital Skills for Life
• Government should invest in helping all the UK population
acquire basic digital skills by 2020, sharing the cost with
businesses and the charitable sector.
• Government should ensure job seekers are offered digital
skills training to help them back into the workforce.
• Government should mount an awareness campaign about the
need to improve digital skills among SMEs and charities. This
should include piloting of voucher schemes to access digital
skills training.
• Government should commission a major review of the
provision of lifelong learning for digital skills across the UK.

25. As a region …
• Regional groups should collaborate to
establish ‘dating’ websites
• This could be led by local enterprise
partnerships, councils or self-organising
collaborations.

26. What can I do as a company?
• Make tech roles visible and better understood
• Align your CSR with your company business
• Set up on-going relationships with local schools, colleges and
universities to provide work experience and work placements
• Alert to recruitment and retention
• Diverse board and senior management
• Ongoing training to keep skills relevant

29. As a school …
• Encourage all teachers to develop their digital
skills and understanding of contemporary
workplace
• Ensure work experience benefits every
student regardless of gender and background
• Promote all pathways that benefit the student
rather than the educator
• Promote cross curricular, project based work
• Review policy on digital devices

30. Apprenticeships
• Simplify the apprenticeship system
• Government must champion models which allow
microbusinesses and SMEs to either share digital
apprentices or to collaborate
• All employers should ensure that their training
providers are developing their apprentices’ digital
skills.
• All apprentices should be offered remedial digital
skills training if they have limited digital skills.

31. Digital By Degree
• Universities should focus on supporting students through their studies to
reduce unemployment levels amongst ethnic minority computer science
graduates.
• Government should fund the National Centre for Universities and Business
(NCUB) to work with other sector bodies to establish a matching website
to connect students with tech businesses across the UK.
• Government should work with universities and industry to expand the
number of tech sandwich years and summer placements undertaken by
students.
• Universities should offer students of all disciplines the opportunity to
develop their digital skills outside of their core subject through
employability awards and other schemes.
• University computer science departments should have active Industrial
Advisory Boards to help keep them updated with industry developments.

33. What can I do?
• Become a school governor
• Sponsor as well as mentor
• Volunteer with organisations like TeenTech,
Code Club, Apps For Good
• Prepare for school visits – ongoing
relationships better than one-off

36. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Seminar Session 1
iWonder
Chris Sizemore
Executive Editor, Knowledge & Learning, BBC
Introduced & facilitated by:
Dr Fiona Aldridge,
Assistant Director, NIACE
#niacedigi

37. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Live Debate
What one key action would be most important to prepare
learners for life, work and learning in the digital age?
Debate Session
Chaired By
Rachel Neaman
CEO Go On UK
#niacedigi

38. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Live Debate
What one key action would be most important to prepare
learners for life, work and learning in the digital age?
“I would stop using the
term ‘digital native’.”
Josie Fraser, ICT Strategy Lead, Leicester City Council
#niacedigi

39. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Live Debate
What one key action would be most important to prepare
learners for life, work and learning in the digital age?
“We need to teach different approaches to
technology use so people learn how to
learn and see technology in an everyday
context.”
Dr David Hardman MBE, CEO Innovation Birmingham Ltd,
Birmingham & Solihull LEP
#niacedigi

40. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Live Debate
What one key action would be most important to prepare
learners for life, work and learning in the digital age?
“Learners need more hands on
experience. As an employer, the
more hands on digital experience a
learner has the better it is.”
Shomila Malik, Head of The Lab, Telefónica UK / O2
#niacedigi

41. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Live Debate
What one key action would be most important to prepare
learners for life, work and learning in the digital age?
“Learning Technology Self Assessment
provides the starting point for galvanising
individuals and institutions to change their
approach to delivering teaching and
learning”
Christina Conroy MBE, Director & Partner, Coralesce Ltd
#niacedigi

42. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Live Debate
What one key action would be most important to prepare
learners for life, work and learning in the digital age?
“Digital capabilities should be treated
as the third basic skill and career
progression pathways built across
sectors.”
Stephen Evans, Assistant Chief Executive, NIACE
#niacedigi

43. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Seminar Session 1
Jim Fraser
University of Strathclyde
#niacedigi

44. Murder, mysteries and MOOCs
Professor Jim Fraser
Centre for Forensic Science
University of Strathclyde
Digital Learning Conference 2014: Learning for a Digital Tomorrow’.

45. Introduction to Forensic Science

46. Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
Course structure – Telling the Story
Introduction Fingerprints DNA Toolmarks Drugs Trial
Google Poll
Hangout
Activity
Google
Hangout
Activity
Poll
Activity
Poll
Google
Hangout
The Case Study - Murder by the Loch

47. Introductory
video
Update on
case
Quiz
Themed
Discussions
Subject
specific
material
Activity
Week
1
TOPIC

48. Key Points
• Very high levels of initial engagement
• High levels of continuation and completion
• High levels of learner-learner interaction
• Multiple learning modes
• New technologies and social media a central
component

49. NIACE DIGITAL LEARNING CONFERENCE 2014
Learning technology – Developing the skills for the FE Workforce
Fintan Donohue
CEO Gazelle Group
#niacedigi

50. Technology & 21st Century
Learning
FINTAN DONOHUE, OBE
CEO
GAZELLE
14 November 2014

51. LITERATURE REVIEW
• NATIONAL DEBATE ABOUT THE FUTURE USE
OF TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING (FELTAG)
• CORALESCE Report 2014
Research into use of learning technology
has concentrated on learner impact
rather than challenges facing the
workforce.

52. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
• PACE OF CHANGE IS UNREMITTING AS INNOVATION
OVERTAKES ASSIMILATION
• TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES STANDARD PEDAGOGY
• DICHOTOMY BETWEEN STUDENT DEMAND AND
TEACHER ABILITY
• CULTURE AND SUPPORT DETERMINE BEHAVIOUR AND
PACE
• COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE ARE CRITICAL TO PROGRESS

53. THE SECTOR TO GET ITS “TECH ACT” TOGETHER
▶ 10% TARGET FOR ONLINE LEARNING BY 2015 WILL BE
TESTING FOR MANY PROVIDERS
▶ THE TARGETS ARE BOTH CHALLENGING AND
BEWILDERING
▶ THE AGENDA MOVES FROM INDUCEMENT TO
PENALTY

54. LIMITED IMPACT
▶ CIRCA £30m PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN LEARNING TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAMME OVER 7 YEARS
▶ DESPITE INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT
▶ ENDING OF GRANT FUNDING
▶ CLOSURE OF DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES
▶ STAFF CHURN
▶ ‘KNOW HOW’ IS LOST
INVESTMENT TO SUSTAIN GAINS IS NOT MAINTAINED

55. A £1M LEARNING TECHNNOLOGIES PROGRAMME
▶ TO DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY AND CAPACITY OF
THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE
▶ TO USE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE
OUTCOMES FOR LEARNERS AND EMPLOYERS
▶ 113 APPLICATIONS FOR 18 PROJECTS
▶ OVERWHELMINGLY FOCUS ON CPD FOR TUTORS
TO CREATE ONLINE CAPACITY

56. Successful Learning Futures
Projects
Project Title
ACER Digitising good practice in the delivery of Maths and English within
Apprenticeships and Traineeships
Blackburn College CultureShift: embedding technology in staff and student practice
Furness College Digital Learning Assets for Performing Engineering Operations
Gateshead Council NETSPass – North East Tutor and Student Passport
Harlow College Applying the successful KUBE model to 16-19 Study Programmes
Hull College Improving Success by Flipping the Learning
New College Swindon The e-Learning-Teachers’ staff development project.
Peta Limited Video Learning for Engineering Apprentices
Plumpton College Technology in Learning in Sussex (TILIS)
Runshaw College The innovative use of assistive technologies
The Oldham College Developing screen casting as a formative and summative tool.
Westminster Adult Edu. Service Developing Online Media (DO MeDia)
Workers' Educational Association Digital Diversity

57. CHALLENGES
▶ TO BE STRATEGIC AND TAKE WHOLE SECTOR VIEW
▶ TO RECOGNISE THAT INNOVATION WILL NOT READILY COME
FROM THE SECTOR
▶ TO INJECT NEW THINKING INTO PROJECTS AND WIDER
COMMUNITY

58. THE NATURE OF WORK
▶ EMPOWERS EMPLOYEE WORKING ANYWHERE,
ANYTIME OF THEIR CHOOSING
▶ LEVERAGING COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE THROUGH
COLLABORATION
▶ BUILDING SHARED OWNERSHIP AND
ACCOUNTABLITY

59. KEY TECHNOLOGIES

60. LEADERSHIP
▶ LEADERS NEED TO ASK WHETHER THE 5 TECHNOLOGIES ARE
LOCATED IN THEIR STRATEGIES AND INVESTMENT PLAN FOR
GROWTH AND DELIVERY.

61. “IF THE RATE OF CHANGE ON THE OUTSIDE EXCEEDS THE RATE OF
CHANGE ON THE INSIDE THEN THE END IS NEAR”.
Jack Welch

62. TECHNOLOGY DIVIDEND
▶ ONLY WAY GAZELLE CAN DELIVER ITS ENTREPRENEURIAL
AMBITION
▶ ENABLE SECTOR TO COMPETE IN A CHANGING FUNDING
CLIMATE
▶ CAN DELIVER GRETAER EQUALITY
▶ LOWER COSTS – ALREADY APPARENT IN OTHER INDUSTRIES

63. TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
▶ LARGER CONSORTIA
▶ COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP
▶ OFSTED CRITERIA
▶ QUALIFICATION REFORM
▶ SHIFT INVESTMENT

64. Fintan Donohue
fintan.donohue@thegazellegroup.com

65. DIGITAL CONFERENCE 2014
MORE AT
www.niace.org.uk/implementing-feltag
#niacefeltag
#niacedigi
www.niace.org.uk
@niaceHQ