Personalised learning initiative bags national industry award
Released: 7 September 2007
Wolverhampton City Council has won a prestigious national award from Microsoft for a groundbreaking mobile technology initiative which prepares young people for the demands of 21st Century working life.
The authority has been named as the Best Flexible Working Organisation at the inaugural People Moving Business Awards in recognition of the Learning2Go project.
Harnessing enthusiasm for mobile technologies, the council’s Learning2Go scheme enables school children to use handheld computers in a fun and interactive learning environment, giving them a real boost in their studies.
From video recording of science experiments to adding notes and questions to electronic versions of books, Learning2Go covers the breadth of the national curriculum. Pre-installed educational software and familiar Microsoft applications bring subjects to life - engaging pupils and encouraging them to further their learning while the highly portable devices mean pupils can continue to learn outside normal school hours.
Councillor Christine Irvine, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools said: “It's great to see the council’s Learning2Go initiative gaining the recognition it deserves.
“By enabling young learners to have these devices they have become much more involved and engaged at school as well as being far more proactive about learning on their own. It’s a great example of how technology and smart thinking can make a real difference to young people’s education.”
The award is a huge credit to both the council’s E-Services for Children and Young People department and Dave Whyley, the city's E-Learning head-teacher consultant who developed the initiative. There are currently 1,000 pupils and their teachers across 18 schools signed up to the scheme, with plans to extend to more primary and secondary schools.
Councillor Irvine added: “As well as being fun and interactive, the skills being developed through Learning2Go are essential for later life. Many families do not have computers so these devices enable all families to use and interact with technology in the home, giving all school children the same opportunities to excel. The award will raise the profile of the scheme even further.”
The award, chosen by a panel of experts in mobile working technologies, was presented at a prestigious lunch event held at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday 4 September. The Right Honourable Stephen Timms, Minister for Competitiveness, and Gordon Fraser, Managing Director of Microsoft UK, attended the ceremony and spoke about the importance of initiatives like Learning2Go, for the future of both British business and workers.
The award is not the first time the Learning2Go project has been recognised as a leading example of mobile learning, winning a National ICT in Practice Award as well as earning praise from Government ministers and the Office for Standards in Education.
Issued by the press office.