More learners to benefit from handheld technology
Released: 14 January 2008
Up to 350 youngsters and their teaching staff in Wolverhampton’s schools and the City College are soon to receive ‘state of the art’ handheld devices to support their learning.
Learning2Go Further! is a groundbreaking project, developed between the Wolverhampton Learning Partnership, Wolverhampton City Council and the City of Wolverhampton College which aims to help young people to learn not just in traditional classroom environments, but also in the workplace and other settings.
Councillors approved at Cabinet (Resources) Panel on January 8th, the purchase of over £300,000 worth of internet-ready devices which will enable 14-19 year old learners to study when, where and how they want to learn, beyond the school day and classroom.
The money has been awarded by the National Learning and Skills Council programme, MoLeNet, (The Mobile Learning Network) following a successful bid by the city council.
Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Paula Brookfield, said: “This latest ‘handheld’ project is great news for learners in the city.
“With this funding, we will be able to bring about further improvements in young people’s learning using state of the art mobile technology, building upon the expertise from Learning2Go with the excellence that already exists in 14-19 in Wolverhampton“, she added.
The project brings together two nationally acclaimed educational strategies in the city, namely Wolverhampton’s award winning Learning2Go project, and the work of the city’s 14-19 Development Team.
The Learning2Go project has already delivered a real boost to teaching and learning to over 1500 children in Primary and Secondary schools across the city through the use of handheld devices.
Wolverhampton 14-19 Development Team is a national leader in delivering the Government’s initiatives for 14-19 year olds, which have led to significant improvements in exam outcomes and more young people staying in learning.
The results of this exciting new Learning2GoFurther! Project will provide further evidence to national research regarding the impact of handheld technology upon learning.
Additional information
The Learning2Go initiative has been recognised as a leading example of mobile learning, winning a National ICT in Practice Award, a National People Moving Business Award, as well as earning praise from Government ministers, BECTA (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) and OfSTED (the Office for Standards in Education.)
Wolverhampton 14-19 team gained DfES (DCSF) Pathfinder status in 2002 and has built a national reputation since for its approach to improving learning opportunities through partnership and collaboration.
Wolverhampton has been a lead practitioner in the DfES (DCSF) 14-19 learning visits programme. The team were advisory members of the national Area Prospectus steering group and were a case study for the recent BECTA ‘Impact of e-portfolios on learning’ report (March 07).
City of Wolverhampton College has a track record in e-learning and innovation. The college continues to work on the development and deployment of e-based systems to support its strategic aims.
Wolverhampton Learning Partnership is a non-statutory and voluntary organisation dedicated to supporting the learning aspirations of all young people and adults in the City.
Issued by the press office.