IT goes top of the class

8 October 2003

Representatives from Microsoft, the BBC, BT and the Department for Education and Skills and many others are working together in the newly formed research and development umbrella group, Lab Group, to explore how Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) can transform the learning landscape.

The Lab Group, founded by Dr Sara de Freitas, Research Fellow at Birkbeck's School of Computer Science and Information Systems, held its founding meeting for its stakeholders at the College on 25 September 2003. It aims to integrate existing research and development across the UK and abroad from academic and research labs in order to explore future uses and applications of ICT in schools, colleges and universities. It will address such issues as social inclusion, literacy and numeracy, widening participation, equality and diversity.

Areas of current and future education research by the labs include a range of different programmes of research including:

Mobile learning - the use of mobile technology to deliver learning materials to learners on the move and to support distributed learning communities.

Wearable computing - small computers that can be worn such as mobiles, PDAs and smart buttons. Wearables are location sensitive and can provide two-way communications that may have benefits for a range of learners in the future, including older learners for cognitive assistance, and for unsighted learners who need to find their way around campus.

Pervasive computing - or ubiquitous computing, allows small microprocessors to be embedded into everyday objects, and may provide enriched learning experiences for learners exploring museums and art galleries.

Immersive education - includes the use of simulations, role play and games to enrich the learning experience, by creating a more realistic impression of an historical period, for example, learners may be able to experience a more life-like impression.

Multimedia - is being used in a range of learning contexts to both engage excluded learners and to supplement traditional teaching methods and practice.

"All of this research points to more engaging and interactive interfaces with information, which have clear benefits for teaching and learning practice, particularly when trying to engage new learners and widen participation," says Birkbeck's Dr Sara de Freitas. The Lab Group will provide a test-bed for these new technologies, addressing issues of usability to support learners of all ages.

Also in attendance at the Lab Group founding meeting were the Department for Trade and Industry, the Association for Learning Technology, Open University, Knowledge Lab, Joint Information Systems Committee, NESTA Futurelab, Ultralab and Media Lab Europe.

By exploring the potential alliances between education and industry, research and development, and funders and policy makers, Dr de Freitas hopes to produce a searchable database of research, a list of experts and a showcase for wide-ranging projects - including the European Union MLearning project, which explores mobile learning for young people, and the Not.School.net project for excluded children.

"It will provide a focus for the scientific and business communities at home and abroad, helping to create innovative solutions to a host of problems that face the rapidly evolving knowledge economy," says Dr de Freitas. "It will also provide a basis for more integrated collaboration between all the sectors and serve as a forum for the wide-ranging and varied educational and scientific research and development."

Professor Diana Laurillard, Head of the Department for Education and Skills e-learning unit, gave the keynote address. She discussed her new e-learning strategy consultation document, launched at Birkbeck, and the key role that the Lab Group might have in achieving the seven action areas, outlined in the strategy document as:

1) Help education leaders tackle the funding models that restrict innovation
2) Support people who want to be innovative in their teaching
3) Give teachers and lecturers career incentives and training for e-learning
4) Give learners better e-learning support for meeting their personal learning goals
5) Make assessment a driver of innovation
6) Build a better market for quality assured e-learning resources
7) Work out technical standards that we should all adopt

Contact:
Catherine Doherty, Media and Publicity Officer
External Relations, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7HX
Tel 020 7631 6569
Fax 020 7631 6351
Email c.doherty@bbk.ac.uk

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