Executive Summary
The current five-year Technology Plan for Northland Pioneer College was developed over the past year and a half with input from a variety of college sources and focuses on developing, implementing and managing technology for teaching/learning activities, student services, institutional data management and communication. Primary planning activities for academic years 1999-2000 through 2000-2005 include: (1) implementation of six to eight new T1 circuits within the College WAN, replacement of multiple T1 circuits connecting Campuses on the WAN with single data circuits capable of accommodating a greater degree of network traffic, upgrading the two 56 kilobytes per second data circuits providing connectivity to the Internet with two or more T1 circuits, and development of alternative solutions to WAN ground lines for connecting rural sites that lack sufficient public telecommunication services; (2) increasing the number of network users with Internet access by 30 to 40 per semester and upgrading or replacing client PCs to meet College standard specifications by approximately 30-40 per semester; (3) improving interactive video system components by providing computer hardware and software for teaching/learning and presentation activities at all sites; (4) extending the telephony system to reach additional Northland sites and improving the process for analyzing telephone usage; (5) improving resources and services for supporting faculty in developing and implementing instructional media; (6) enhancing technology training programs for staff and students; (7) establishment a new facility for housing of all network servers and central switching equipment within a single building on one NPC Campus; (8) improving the method for collection, documentation and analysis of network usage patterns to schedule more effective use of network bandwidth; (9) completion of the College Y2K plan (appendix x). Outcome assessment studies for evaluating planning activities will be determined through student and staff surveys, Information Services performance and reliability statistics, and other routine technology systems studies. Participants charged with directing implementation, modification and assessment of technology planning initiatives include: Presidents Staff, Management Council, Instructional Technology Action Group, and outside evaluators associated with technology grants.
Past planning efforts leading up to the current
plan began in 1986 with the preparation of a Title III grant for developing a
College-wide technology infrastructure.
During academic years 1989-90 through 1994-95, the College completed
major planning activities including:
completion of a wide area microwave network for delivery of distance
learning through audio and video transmission; establishment of a college-wide
telephony system; development of computer labs; and implementation of a
centralized mainframe administrative system.
Outcome assessments conducted at the close of this planning period
identified the following achievements: (1) ability for students throughout the
service area to attend NPC classes in locations remote from the instructors
Campus/Center; (2) expansion of the scope and level of curriculum available to
students; (3) reduction in travel time for instructors enabling more effective
use of professional service; (4) more efficient use of administrative staff in
date entry, retrieval and record keeping by decreasing the number of manual
print-based activities; (5) improvement in College-wide communication for staff
connected through the telephony system.
While planning initiatives led to the establishment of the first
College-wide technology infrastructure, the final 1989-90 through 1994-95
planning assessment study identified critical issues to be resolved. These issues included: (1) the need to
improve the quality, reliability and functionality of the primary systems --
distance learning technology, telephony, and data transfer to meet emerging
academic and industry technical standards; (2) ) the need to further extend the
infrastructure to strategic areas throughout the service area; (3) the need to
establish a formal set of college-wide technology standards to ensure that
students and staff from all locations have comprehensive access to resources
and services; (4) the need to develop and implement new forms of instructional
delivery including online courses and computer-assisted instruction.
Based on the needs, recommendations and
observations from the previous planning period, the College established two critical
activities to be undertaken during the first part of the technology plan for
academic years 1994-95 through 1995-2000: (1) the College would employ
consultants with expertise in developing instructional and telecommunication
technology to assist in re-engineering Northlands networking, systems, hardware
and software applications; and (2) the College would actively pursue additional
funding through grants and bond proposal to complete technology planning
activities.
The Current Technology Plan is organized as follows: overall planning objectives in relationship to NPCs mission and purposes; overview of NPCs technology infrastructure; planning vision and goals; strategies for achieving goals; methods for evaluating progress; issues, concerns and recommendations. To implement NPCs technology vision and goals, five main areas will be addressed: (1) the College network infrastructure; (2) curriculum technologies; (3) administrative services; (4) student services; and (5) partnership with the wider community.
In order to provide a background for the current technology plan, the following section summarizes planning goals, strategies, implementation outcomes, and issues for the previous two planning periods, Academic Year 1989/1990 through Academic Year 1994/1995 and Academic Year 1995/1996 through Academic Year 1999/2000).
1990-1995
Background Title III Grant, College Operating and Capital Budget
goals develop a distance learning system(audio/video), stand-alone computer labs, administrative system for registration, computer service division.
1995-1999
background Bond Passage, College Operating and Capital Budget
develop a infrastructure to support interactive video, audio, voice and data transferred over single medium (ATM), convert from microwave to land lines, bonding grounding, improve reliability and performance of data transfer.
1999-2003
background Title III Grant, FISPE Grant, College Operating and Capital Budget
enhance/expand the infrastructure to support interactive video, audio, voice, and Internet instruction; increase and improve digital resources and services; expand Internet services and increase LAN, WAN and Internet bandwidth;
Current Plan
Goal 1
To provide a quality learning environment:
Students must be able to
use information technology to locate, evaluate and use
learning resources, and
to communicate with academic and administrative staff. Ensuring success for
every student means that adequate services and environments must be provided
for students at all service area locations.
Goal 2
To promote excellence in all aspects of student
learning:
Teaching must include a
variety of strategies and technologies, actively
involve students and
fully support them in achieving academic objectives.
Goal 3
To support quality teaching and professional
development in all learning areas:
Technology resources and
services must enable staff to advance their own computer skills to develop new
teaching and learning methodologies; develop and distribute distance learning .
Goal 4
To improve institutional communication, record
keeping, reporting and student service through technology:
The creation of a
positive work environment which promotes staff
effectiveness,
creativity, and improved productivity.
The Bendigo Senior Secondary College seeks to:
convert staff paperwork
to computer processes that simplify
processes associated
with:
absentee recording,
interim and semester
reports,
student reporting and
monitoring.
Goal 5
To involve the wider educational community and
general community in the College:
Strong, productive
partnerships with parents, community, business and
staff promotes
initiatives to assist students to succeed.
NPC seeks to provide: a vehicle for collaborative partnerships with
tertiary, community,
business, government
agencies and industries in accordance
with the Governments
Industry development strategy;
greater interaction and
collaboration between parents and
schools; maximum access
to information by networking the College with
other institutions and
sources of information.
To implement the vision five main areas will be
addressed:
1. College and District-wide Computer Network
A comprehensive computer
and telecommunications network to link
users with quality
information is vital for tapping the potential of
educational technology.
A computer network communications
strategy will be
implemented within the College and between other
schools, homes and
businesses to provide the infrastructure
necessary for electronic
communication.
2. Curriculum Technologies
To accelerate the
implementation of curriculum use of information
technologies within the
College, all teachers and learning areas will
be provided with a
baseline of equipment and software.
3. Teaching and Administration Productivity
The integration of
teaching and administration uses of technologies
is a priority for
streamlining the many manual data bases and
communication and
information methods. A comprehensive
administration package
for the College to manage student interim
and semester reports,
absentee reporting, and other administrative
aspects to complement
CASES. This will greatly assist with
productivity incentives
and greater understanding of student
outcomes as a priority.
4. Partnerships with the Wider Community
The development of
partnerships with the business community are
central to wider access
to information technologies. The ability to
share resources,
expertise and collaborate on new technologies and
directions are of
strategic importance to the future learning outcomes
of students in this
College and the wider community.
5. Student, Staff and Community Education
Year-round training and
support will be provided to ensure teaching
and office staff have
the necessary competencies to use
technologies
effectively. Students will receive additional support and
services. Students,
parents and members of the wider community
will have access to
training and the resources available within the
College.
Produce commercial curriculum materials:
Curriculum materials
will be developed by the College and
disseminated through
professional development activities,
publications, and online
access in conjunction with the other
Colleges.
Generate quality multimedia products.
Produce educational software:
Reporting and monitoring
software packages will be developed
and marketed to other
schools and these schools will provide
feedback for further
development.
Produce and deliver remote learning packages.
Provide Internet access to others.
Deliver professional development:
Through International
conferences in the College.
Contribution to
statewide conferences associated with cross-curriculum
education as presenters
in relation to the goals of
constructivist
teaching and learning methods across all
learning areas, using
technologies,
multimedia
development,
business tools.
Provide consultancy on:
turnkey computer
networks (LAN/WAN),
multimedia production,
facility design,
resources to implement learning areas.
Provide innovative community support:
The technology enhanced
district will provide access to reference
materials, online
connections, coordinated curriculum programs
and student academic
progress and monitoring through programs
such as KIDMAP over the
wide area network (WAN).
Recommendations:
To establish a comprehensive Local Area Network
(LAN) computer infrastructure throughout the
College.
To make every classroom in the College
state-of-the-art by:
interconnecting them
all to the computer network;
ensuring the network
can support the simultaneous integration
of audio, video, data
and graphical information and
communicate it anywhere
within the College.
To install computer file servers and
administration software
for specific tasks for:
student file and
software access;
automatic
administration of students;
Internet Host support
of individual e-mail address, local and
global information.
To provide network solutions that support the two
major
computer platforms by:
ensuring both Apple
Macintosh and IBM compatible
computers are supported
over the network through use of
the same software types
on all machines.
To provide a comprehensive local and global
communications network by:
ensuring all
electronic-based library information such as
CD-ROM databases are
available throughout the College's
facilities;
providing access to
all relevant student administration
information to
classrooms;
providing the Internet
and other online services to every
classroom;
providing instant
e-mail and fax services to any room via a
computer.
To establish a Wide Area Network
(WAN) to interconnect
the College, other schools,
institutions and the wider
community.
through the use of
software such as KIDMAP and related to
the new Curriculum and
Standards Framework.
To provide comprehensive communication and
information
services to the College community by:
providing 24 hour
staff access to all College administration
and general information;
providing 24 hour
access to the Internet;
providing a
district-wide information bulletin board and
e-mail service.
That library information be
computerised and
distributed throughout the College
and wider
community.
To upgrade and computerise where ever
possible the
existing library computer system by:
replacing
the existing file server, desktop units and networking
software;
providing
the necessary technology for digitising and
cataloging
widely used resources such as extracts. Liaison
with
copyright experts will be ongoing.
To establish a comprehensive CD-ROM
multimedia
reference library to assist all
Learning Areas by:
providing
a centralised CD-ROM multiple drive jukebox;
establishing an extensive, user licenced, CD-ROM software
library.
To provide College-wide access to the
library catalog by:
locating
computers strategically throughout the College.
To establish online communications
by:
providing
online electronic information services training for
teachers and
students in accessing information.
.
That extensive local and global
communications and
online services be provided to
support the whole
College.
To provide telecomputing services to
teachers, students and
the wider College community through:
Internet
Access - local and global communication and
information
sourcing;
NEXUS -
access to AAP news services;
SOLAS -
VCE course materials and work examples;
I*EARN -
global collaboration on researching and writing
projects;
Global Lab
- collaboration on investigative science projects;
a local
bulletin board to facilitate e-mail connections and
curriculum
material transfer.
Recommendation 3
Recommendation 4
That a comprehensive computer program
be
established for classroom use.
To provide state-of-the-art Science,
Technology Studies and
Technical Graphics computer resources
for:
manipulating computer control, data acquisition, pneumatics
and other
high-tech equipment,
undertaking technical designing associated with Technology
Studies.
To trial a class set of laptop
computers by:
providing
a class set of laptop computers for teachers and
students,
establishing teams of teachers to undertake action research
on their
best educational applications.
establishing a loan system where they can:
- use the
computers during the day if available,
- take the
computers home at night during the week.
Recommendation 6
That specialised high technology
Science, Technology
and other learning area equipment
other than
computers be provided to improve
teaching
methodologies and learning outcomes.
To provide state-of-the-art Science,
Technology Studies and
Technical Graphics equipment in
addition to computers to
develop learning outcomes that will
be essential in an
increasingly technological world.
For example:
materials
testing equipment,
computer
controlled equipment,
pneumatics,
data
logging,
video
microscope,
atomic
absorbtion spectrometers,
laser test
equipment.
To provide high technology equipment
other than computers
for other learning areas.
For example:
media
equipment,
graphing
calculators.
That every staff member of the
College has access to a
computer and appropriate software at
school and at
home in order to have more productive
administration
methods and to promote more effective
curriculum
development and delivery.
Research has clearly indicated that
professional and
technical skills of teachers must be
strongly supported if
real and sustained changes to occur.
This is particularly
relevant and pertinent to new using
technologies.
To ensure every teacher has access to
a computer when
they need one by:
providing
a laptop or desktop computer to every teacher to
use for more
productive student administration and curriculum
development.
To ensure teachers have access to
curriculum and
administration software by:
providing
administration and curriculum software that is
standardised
throughout the College.
Recommendation 7
That a multimedia learning centre be
established for
students to have uninterupted access
to state-of-the-art
learning technologies.
To provide software learning packages
and modules that
can be used by the students and
community members for
developing competency skills.
To establish a facility which can be
used by students for
developing quality reports and work
requirements and for
teachers to develop.
To allow delivery of interactive
multimedia programs such
as SuccessMaker.
Recommendation 8
That specialist Information
Technology laboratories be
established incorporating a learning
environment which
supports leading edge technology and
software
applications.
Information Technology is an
important part of the CSF and
is a highly motivating aspect of
Technology.
To enable TAFE dual recognition
programs to be established.
To provide Information Technology
classrooms which give
students the maximum opportunities to
learn about and
through technologies by providing
industry standard
hardware and software.
To establish a learning environment
which will give students
the opportunity to extend the
possibilities of the VCE by:
providing
innovative software and hardware to engage
students in
meaningful learning and encouraging creative
application
of learning skills for all students through using
multimedia
applications.
Recommendation 10
That all learning areas in the
College have access to
presentation technologies for
successfully
implementing new learning strategies.
To enable teachers to create learning
environments in their
own classrooms by:
providing
the necessary specialist software that is required
for all
learning areas;
providing
specialist technologies for their learning areas, for
example
science using computer measurement and control
equipment in
their investigations.
To ensure that computer screen
graphics can be displayed
in the classroom by:
providing
overhead, computer image projection facilities that
can be
shared between learning areas;
providing
high definition TV screens for lower resolution, more
cost
effective, image projection;
providing
portable CD-ROM disk drives for specialist
classroom
applications.
That a database be developed to
provide an integrated
method for productively managing all
of the student
reporting and administration
functions.
To ensure teaching administration
tasks can be undertaken
more productively by:
developing
a single student achievement, monitoring and
reporting
software package for streamlining all internal
administration
functions. Automatic extraction of CASES
database
information will be included to maximise efficiency.
Both Apple
and IBM type computers will be supported;
performing
automated student absentee functions through the
use of a
computer in each classroom throughout the College
to collect
absentee data.
That available technologies be used
to streamline the
daily administration of the College
by greatly reducing
repetition of tasks and providing
instant access to
information and better communication
within the
College and the wider College
community.
To ensure staff have easy access to
telecommunications
services by:
providing
all fax services via the computer network;
providing
e-mail and bulletin board services between all staff
within the
College;
providing
enhanced telephone communications;
placing
all common data such as student photos on computer
centrally;
providing
a computerised student administration system for
recording
all future student records onto CD-ROM.
To develop district-wide
administration strategies and
resource sharing by:
providing
the communication, software and hardware
infrastructure
to support cooperative ventures including;
common event
diaries, relief teacher contacts, common
student
databases, e-mail, College community information and
expertise
registers.
Recommendation 12
That leaders and teams throughout the College be
established and provided with sufficient ongoing
professional development to gain the necessary
basic
and higher level skills to manage and understand
the
change process associated with using technology
for
teaching and learning and general student
administration.
To provide a whole-College approach to basic,
educational
applications and specialist computer uses by:
appointing
Instructional Technology Coaches from within
the staff to assist
other teachers with professional
development in:
- basic computer skills,
- applications of
educational technologies,
- specialist skills,
- basic technical
trouble shooting skills,
- productivity and
creativity skills.
appointing all staff
to teams under an Instructional Technology
Coach to promote ongoing
technology leadership and
professional
development.
To develop expert teams for achieving long term
Bendigo
Senior Secondary College Navigator School program
goals by:
appointing leaders to
coordinate teams for overseeing and
development of:
- college and district-wide
educational technologies
infrastructure,
- curriculum
technologies in the classroom,
- teaching and
administration productivity,
- student, staff and
community education,
- partnerships with the
wider community.
The College makes a commitment to:
maximise internal
resources to professionally develop our own
staff - see financial
plan.
investigate and
implement innovative professional
development models such
as work shadowing and
professional development
programs for other teachers and
business.
ten teaching staff are
currently undertaking Master Degrees.
Seven staff have secured
0.2 study leave release in 1995.
Fourteen applications
were lodged to the Directorate of School
Education for study
leave.
That a Community Education Centre be established
in
conjunction with private enterprise to cater for
the
ongoing technology needs of students, parents,
teachers and the wider College community.
To assist with maximising the potential use of
the College
resources before, during and after College hours
by:
calling for
expressions of interest from outside educational
professionals to:
- develop a business
plan and run the Centre at a profit,
- coordinate
professional development needs of the College
and the wider community,
- coordinate the use of the
available technologies with other
district schools,
- identifying and
addressing the technology needs of the wider
community.
offering a 12 month
advertised program to the wider College
community with the
assistance of the private enterprise
partner(s).
Collaboration with Other
Navigator Schools.
The professional
development plan will be delivered and
administered in
conjunction with the Directorate of School
Education in
collaboration with the other Navigator Schools.
To establish a partnership with
businesses to provide
state-of-the-art interactive
multimedia content.
To establish programs which would be
available locally,
nationally and internationally via
CD-ROM, cable TV
networks and other services:
students
from across the curriculum working in conjunction
with
business and other schools will produce interactive
multimedia
CD-ROM materials.
content
materials for use in the new cable TV networks will be
developed in
conjunction with all learning areas.
links with
local business will be established to provide
experience
in multimedia production techniques as well as
employment
opportunities for students.
That a partnership with the
Government,
telecommunications companies,
hardware and
software producers and the College be
established to
investigate the use of cable TV
networks.
To investigate the following
possibilities:
provision
of learning programs, revision programs and
information
services into homes.
the use of
broadband services between schools and the wider
community.
Recommendation 16