(1888PressRelease)
April 01, 2008 - Addressing the government’s guidelines for personalized learning, Birchfield’s content is fully compatible with all Becta (British Educational Communications & Technology Agency)-approved and leading learning platforms and covers 15 secondary curriculum areas. LAs can now confidently purchase curriculum content for all their secondary schools without the hassle of adapting it to suit individual platform specifications. Jon Case, Chief Executive of Birchfield answers questions from Local Authorities on this important benchmark for educational ICT:
1. What is SCORM compliant software?
SCORM stands for Shareable Content Object Reference Model and is a collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning. It defines how content may be packaged into a transferable ZIP file and delineates communications between content and learning platforms or virtual learning environments. Birchfield’s VLE Content Packs and Games are all SCORM 2004 and 1.2 compliant which, put simply, means that our curriculum software is compatible with every learning platform recommended by Becta, plus many other leading platforms including the open-source application Moodle.
Non-SCORM-compliant curriculum content cannot function properly within a learning problem. Furthermore, if schools within an authority opt for different VLEs, the different ways in which these platforms interpret and apply SCORM could present technical problems. This also represents higher costs for LAs wishing to purchase high quality content for their schools. Over the last 18 months, we have worked hard to address these interoperability and SCORM issues, and can now offer a reliable, cost-effective content solution for LAs wishing to populate their learning platforms.
2. Why should Local Authorities consider it for schools?
The DCSF requires every English secondary school to have access to a VLE or learning platform by the end of 2008. This will help to facilitate pupil learning and assessment both inside and outside the classroom, 24 hours a day, thus making education more personal, more immediate and more interactive. However, the success of this technology is dependent upon the quality of the content uploaded. A learning platform without great content is about as useful as a car without fuel. LAs purchasing our SCORM-compliant content and games for their schools will not only ensure that teachers and pupils immediately start to benefit from learning platform technology. If they decide to bulk purchase, they will also be able to make their funds go much further and ensure that there is a consistency to the quality of resources used throughout their schools.
3. What does the government have to say on this subject?
The Government’s e-strategy, entitled “Harnessing Technology”, recognises the need for a common digital infrastructure with a collaborative approach to purchasing ICT equipment and services. As part of this, the government is currently working on its own set of guidelines for the creation of SCORM compliant content. Having already achieved this, we are making it much easier for schools and LAs to work together to purchase SCORM-compliant content and games at the best possible price.
4. What cost savings does this represent for Local Authorities?
The biggest cost benefit to both Local Authorities and its schools is the teacher time saved in the creation of this high-quality material. Our content has been prepared by practising, commissioned teachers, but illustrated by professional animators and film makers to produce something that’s far and away superior to anything most teachers could create.
In order to produce this content, we have had to overcome several challenges. First, there is a lack of expertise within the sector pertaining to learning platform technology and SCORM-compliance. Second, the cost of re-authoring existing content to ensure compatibility with learning platforms is prohibitive. Third, and arguably most important of all, there is a lack of commonality between learning platforms. All of the above represents an immense investment on behalf of Birchfield and as a result, huge cost savings to LAs and schools.
5. How will this type of content benefit schools and learners?
With this software, secondary schools today can populate their learning platforms with SCORM-compliant 3D animation, videos, text, voice-overs, drag and drop exercises, multiple-choice questions plus three great educational games: WordWebs, MegaMaze and Labyrinth. This equates to approximately 16,000 resources for 147 curriculum topics. Any school that uses its learning platform to simply host teachers’ Word® and PowerPoint® documents will not reap the full benefits of the technology, nor truly engage with their ‘PlayStation-generation’ pupils.
Tagged to learning objectives, the SCORM 2004 and 1.2-compliant content and games can be accessed by staff and pupils 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from home or school. At Birchfield we are passionate about improving standards in education and believe that our content and games will have a significant impact on teaching and learning. They will help encourage staff and students to utilise their learning platform from the outset, and hopefully also persuade competitors to keep up with the technological advances and needs of UK schools.
In LAs with high pupil and teacher mobility rates, where the need for standard technology is great, our content will aid the effective and efficient move to new schools. Uniform content across an authority will also encourage schools to collaborate and share information, without infringing software license agreements.
Learning platforms populated with our high-quality curriculum resources will be particularly useful for shared content and lesson preparation.
For further information about Birchfield Interactive and its range of services, please contact Anthony Evans, Head of Marketing at Birchfield Interactive; Tel: 0800 915 6616, e-mail: aevans ( @ ) birchfield dot co.uk or visit the web site at: www.birchfield.co.uk.
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