2002 Scotland ICT in FE Report

The state of ICT in Scottish FE colleges
Report of a survey and qualitative interviews into information and communications technology (ICT)
provision, access and policy in further education (FE) colleges in Scotland,
Bob Powell
Steve Davies
July 2002
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Acknowledgements
Bob Powell is Associate Director: Lifelong Learning at Becta. Steve Davies, Senior Project Officer with the
Ferl team at Becta, carried out the bulk of the statistical analysis.
The questionnaire was based on one initially developed for the 1999 survey by Alison Page of Becta. This
survey, like its predecessors, has benefited from the comments and observations of a range of individuals
and agencies. These include officers of the SFEFC, in particular Bill Harvey and Mark Healy, and
representatives of many sector agencies and organisations.
The qualitative follow-up research project described in the appendix to this report was managed by Sarah
Swaney, Education Officer at Becta, and carried out by consultants Jenny Cronin (telephone interviews)
and Jan Simpson (college visits).
The on-line survey facility was provided by Infopoll.
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Contents
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................... 2
Contents ................................................................................................................................................... 3
1. Management Summary ...................................................................................................................... 7
1.1 The survey...................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.2 College computer infrastructure.................................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Access to computers ...................................................................................................................................... 8
1.4 Uses of ICT ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.5 Staff skills ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.6 Access in the community ............................................................................................................................. 10

2 Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Context and purpose of the study ......................................................................................................... 11
2.2 Survey methodology and response........................................................................................................ 11

3. Infrastructure ...................................................................................................................................... 12
3.1 College computer stock ............................................................................................................................... 12
3.2 Baseline specification................................................................................................................................... 13
3.3 Local area networks ..................................................................................................................................... 15
3.4 LAN performance ......................................................................................................................................... 16
3.5 Internet connectivity.................................................................................................................................... 18
3.6 Constraints on Internet use ......................................................................................................................... 18

4. Access to computers ............................................................................................................................ 21
4.1 Access for learners ....................................................................................................................................... 21
4.2 Managing demand for student access ......................................................................................................... 22
4.3 Location of computers for learners ............................................................................................................. 24
4.4 Access for staff ............................................................................................................................................. 24
4.5 Mode of access for staff............................................................................................................................... 25

5. Uses of ICT .......................................................................................................................................... 27
5.1 Staff use of the LAN/intranet ....................................................................................................................... 27
3
5.2 Access to e-mail ........................................................................................................................................... 29
5.3 Intranet and extranet use ............................................................................................................................ 30
5.4 Virtual learning environments and student records .................................................................................... 31

6. Staff skills ............................................................................................................................................ 33
6.1 Staff IT and ICT competence ........................................................................................................................ 33
7. Access in the community ...................................................................................................................... 35
7.1 Providing access in the community ............................................................................................................. 35
8.2 Uses of community links .............................................................................................................................. 36
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Tables
Table 1 Computer specifications ................................................................................................................... 14
Table 2 Prices for best-buy computer............................................................................................................ 15
Table 3 Connecting sites ................................................................................................................................ 16
Table 4 Network performance....................................................................................................................... 17
Table 5 Bandwidth ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Table 6 Ratio of FTE students to computers .................................................................................................. 21
Table 7 Meeting student demand for Internet access................................................................................... 23
Table 8 Ease of Internet use .......................................................................................................................... 23
Table 9 Ratios of all staff to computers ......................................................................................................... 25
Table 10 Staff access to computers .................................................................................................................. 25
Table 11 Priorities for staff access .................................................................................................................... 26
Table 12 Uses of the LAN/intranet by staff ...................................................................................................... 27
Table 13 Uses of the LAN/intranet by students................................................................................................ 28
Table 14 Uses of the Internet by staff .............................................................................................................. 28
Table 15 Uses of the Internet by students........................................................................................................ 29
Table 16 VLEs in use ......................................................................................................................................... 32
Table 17 Student-record systems ..................................................................................................................... 32
Table 18 Plans for community ICT access ......................................................................................................... 35
Table 19 ICT for learning in the community ..................................................................................................... 36
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Charts
Chart 1 College computer stock..................................................................................................................... 12
Chart 2 Change in computer stock ................................................................................................................. 13
Chart 3 Local area network – backbone ......................................................................................................... 16
Chart 4 Network capability to meet demand ................................................................................................. 17
Chart 5 Constraints on increased use of the Internet..................................................................................... 19
Chart 6 Constraints on increased use of the Internet (2001) ......................................................................... 20
Chart 7 Meeting student demand for computers........................................................................................... 22
Chart 8 E-mail access ...................................................................................................................................... 29
Chart 9 Intranet and extranet......................................................................................................................... 31
Chart 10 IT and ICT skill levels .......................................................................................................................... 33
Chart 11 Partnerships in the community .......................................................................................................... 35
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1 Management summary
Overall summary
The outcomes of this survey conducted in November 2001 give evidence of a computer infrastructure
now in place that is capable of supporting the sector's aspirations for the development of ICT in learning,
in management and in the management of learning. The overwhelming majority of colleges have begun
the process of embedding the use of ICT into the custom and practice of college life, with notable
progress among those that have taken early grasp of the possibilities.
Robust local area networks link nearly all of the sector's estimated 27,200 computers to the Internet
through 2Mbps JANET connections. The typical Scottish college has one Internet-enabled computer for
every 5.8 FTE students, a significant improvement on the 1999 level of 9.6:1. Sector colleges now have
one Internet-enabled computer for every 3.4 permanent teaching staff. The process of embedding ICT
into practice is beginning to grow, with information searching on the Internet and e-mail commonplace
among staff and learners. Other uses of the network for e-learning are in evidence, but on a relatively
small scale in most institutions.
1.1 The survey

35 colleges (74% of the sector) submitted completed questionnaires in time for inclusion in the analysis.
25 colleges (71% of the analysed data set) used the web-based version of the questionnaire to submit
their replies. The sample obtained closely reflects the characteristics of the larger population and gives us
a high degree of confidence in the data.
1.2 College computer infrastructure
Computer stock
The typical baseline computer specification quoted by colleges is 650MHz with 64Mb of RAM and a 10Gb
hard disk. 56% of the current installed stock of computers in colleges is baseline specification or better. A
further one third of stock is Pentium II specification or better. Pentium I machines have gone down from
36% of stock in 1999 to 7%, while the 486s that made up 16% of computers in 1999 now account for only
1%.
A rough estimate of the actual number of computers in the 47 Scottish colleges is around 27,200 – up
from 19,800 in February 1999. The average price paid for a middle-range specification computer is £700.
Local area networks (LANs)

92% of computers are networked and 43% of colleges have all student machines networked, while 60%
report that all staff computers are attached to the network.
Local area networks are more extensive, robust and able to support heavier traffic than in 1999. Two
thirds of colleges now have a 100Mbps Ethernet backbone and 6% have a gigabit LAN, compared to none
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in 1999, when 10Mbps was the most common bandwidth. Leased lines account for 43% of links between
different sites in multi-site colleges, while cable technologies make up a further 23%.
69% of LANs are at full capacity, and the number unable to cope with current demand has fallen to zero.
80% of colleges, however, restrict network traffic in bandwidth-hungry applications.
Only 9% of colleges now experience frequent problems of network performance. 49% describe their
network as working without appreciable delay, although 43% report the network to be slow at busy times.
Internet connectivity
All colleges have a 2Mbps Internet connection via JANET. 23% have additional bandwidth, and a further
29% find the 2Mbps link a bottleneck. All the remaining colleges expect to exceed the 2Mbps bandwidth
soon. This level of bandwidth is considered second only to the number of access points as a constraint on
increased use of the Internet in colleges, ahead of pedagogical issues such as course design.
1.3 Access to computers

The mean number of FTE students per computer has fallen from 6.6:1 in 1999 to 5.7:1 in 2001. The
median value (the ratio of colleges at the middle of the range of values) is 5.0:1 (6.1:1 in 1999). 22% of
colleges now have a ratio of 8:1 or greater (30% in 1999).
The median number of FTE students to computers with Internet access is now 5.8:1 (9.6:1 in 1999), with
only 26% of colleges reporting a ratio greater than 8:1, compared with 60% in 1999.
Managing demand for computer use

Student demand for ICT is widespread, with consequent strain on college stocks. Demand continues to
rise to swallow up new machines. None of the Scottish colleges say that they could satisfy an increase in
demand, while 37% report that they cannot meet current levels (down from 55% in 1999). 77% of
respondents say that students may find it difficult to get on a machine at busy times. Given that a student
can find a place at a computer, however, 63% of colleges can meet or exceed current demand for Internet
access.
22% of college stock is described as open access (17% in 1999). The volume of new equipment means that
the actual number of open-access machines has risen by a greater extent, a rise of almost three quarters
since 1999. 60% of colleges now make some part of their computing facility available at the weekend
(53% in 1999).
Staff access to computers

The median value of the ratio of all staff to Internet-connected computers is 3.4:1, down from 8.8 staff for
every machine in 1999. In 54% of colleges most staff share a computer in a staff room, though in 34%
most permanent staff have their own designated computer (8% in 1999).
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1.4 Uses of ICT
E-mail and Internet access are commonplace in most colleges (89% and 91% respectively). Since 1999,
staff use of the LAN for advice and guidance has grown from 48% to 80%. Around 90% of colleges now use
the LAN both for learning materials and for course-document storage and access (about 65% in 1999).
Student use of college LANs follows a similar pattern to staff use, though typically tracking behind staff in
the extent of use. For students, Internet access remains the principal use, though the other activities have
increased significantly.
The main Internet activities remain information gathering and e-mail. 77% of the sample use the Internet
to support distance learning (an increase from 60% in 1999), although it is common practice in only 9%.
Access to e-mail
There is a robust infrastructure in place for electronic communications among staff, with widespread
subscription to college e-mail supplementing well-developed intranets. 92% of permanent staff have a
personal e-mail address, only 6% having no access to e-mail. 63% of full-time students and 48% of part-
time students have a college e-mail address. This may understate the extent of access to e-mail, since
some institutions rely on Hotmail for students. E-mail provision for students is split between an internal
service (31%) and an external service like Hotmail (51%) or both (14%).
Intranet and extranet

74% of colleges have an intranet that is local to the institution, while 17% have a shared facility (extranet),
often developed in parallel. 20% of Scottish colleges have neither. This situation is broadly similar to that
in 1999.
Virtual learning environments (VLEs) and student records

49% of respondents stated that they currently use a VLE, though only three colleges describe their use as
common practice. Total VLE use is down from 60% last year. However, clarification of the definition of
virtual learning environment over the last few years may mean that certain packages that colleges
included in 1999 are no longer considered VLEs.
All Scottish colleges use student record systems. FEMIS dominates, being used by more than half the
Scottish colleges, DITA and SITS account for most of the rest, with only one respondent not using at least
one of the three.
1.5 Staff skills

70% of staff are considered by respondents to be competent or advanced in their personal use of IT,
compared with 63% in 1999. However, in the use of ICT with learners, only 50% of college staff are
considered competent or advanced (44% in 1999). A small number of colleges (5 in this survey)
considered a greater proportion of staff to be competent or advanced in their use of ICT in the classroom
than in their personal use of IT. This is evidence of some staff development strategies that take learning
applications, rather than office applications, as a starting point for staff competence.
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1.6 Access in the community
57% of colleges provide community ICT access, up from 33%. Around 40% of colleges offer learning
programmes that include remote submission of assessed work and contact with tutors, with a smaller
number offering on-line advice and guidance, plus contact with peers. The results suggest an increasing
commitment in the sector to develop and extend on-line modes of learning.
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2 Introduction
2.1 Context and purpose of the study
Becta carried out this study in November 2001 on behalf of the Scottish Further Education Funding
Council in order to make an assessment of the current state of ICT provision in Scottish colleges. The study
follows a similar survey carried out in November 1999, and a series of surveys of English colleges carried
out between February 1999 and September 2001. Comparisons are drawn between the outcomes of the
earlier survey and, where appropriate, with the latest survey of English colleges conducted in September
2001. Where possible, the research asked the same or similar questions to those in the original survey,
but took advantage of experience gained from that exercise to refine the questions. Additional questions
were introduced to reflect the particular interest of the SFEFC in bandwidth issues.
2.2 Survey methodology and response
The study took the form of a survey by questionnaire of all 47 SFEFC-funded institutions in Scotland,
exploring quantitative issues relating to infrastructure and practice. The questionnaire was published and
disseminated in both paper-based and web-based formats.
35 colleges (74% of the sector) submitted completed questionnaires in time for inclusion in the analysis –
slightly down from the 85% response rate of the earlier survey. This is, nonetheless, a high response rate,
both in absolute terms and by comparison, for example, with the 57% response to the latest English
survey in September 2001. It leads to an expectation of extremely high levels of reliability in the data.
The survey was very detailed and was conducted within a tight time scale. It is understandable, therefore,
that some returns were incomplete in some sections. For this reason the basis of calculation in the report
varies from the sample maximum at times.
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3 Infrastructure
3.1 College computer stock
The original Becta survey of ICT in Scottish colleges, conducted in November 1999, found that only 43% of
computers available for learning purposes were of an acceptable standard for use with Internet
applications. The specification (arbitrarily) chosen was Pentium II/MMX.
This survey follows our more recent practice of asking colleges to use their own baseline specification for
an acceptable level of performance and to delineate stock against this benchmark. This is more robust as
a basis of comparison over time, since it matches the continual changes in technology of computers with
changes in user expectations and the increased technical demands of software. It will tend to understate
the proportion of machines capable of delivering an acceptable level of service for users if the baseline is
set against the rapid escalation of marketplace specifications, rather than a more humble, but serviceable,
notion of user requirements and expectations.
For reasons of comparison, we again asked respondents to count the numbers of computers built on 486
and Pentium 1 processors.
1% 4% Baseline spec or better

7%
Above Pentium I
Pentium I
32% 56% 486 and below
Apple
Chart 1 College computer stock
Base = percentage of respondents
Chart 1 shows that 56% of the current installed stock of computers in colleges is at or exceeds the
college's baseline specification for desired level of performance. A further 32% of stock is as good or
better than the Pentium II specification we set as the benchmark in February 1999. The comparable result
for English colleges show 63% at baseline specification or above. This difference is almost certainly
artificial. The baseline set by Scottish colleges tended to be at a higher level (see section 3.2 below), thus
12
understating the extent of up-to-date equipment in comparison with the English results. If we look at the
percentage of machines in both countries that are Pentium II or better, the outcome is identical (88%).
Chart 2 maps the change in computer stock over this period. The Pentium I machines that made up 36%
of stock in late 1999 had fallen to 7% by the end of 2001, and the 486 machines that made up 16% of
computers in 1999 now account for a mere 1%.
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Baseline Above Pentium 486 and Apple
spec or Pentium I below
better I
Chart 2 Change in computer stock
These relative changes are all the more dramatic when set against the increase in absolute numbers of
computers in colleges. A very rough estimate that can be inferred from the data is that the actual number
of computers in the 47 Scottish colleges is around 27,200, compared with around 19,800 in November
1999.
A more meaningful measure of the impact of new investment is to be found in the improvement in the
ratios of access to Internet-enabled computers for both students and staff (see section 4 below).
3.2 Baseline specification

Respondents were asked to describe the baseline specification that they would currently consider buying
for college purposes, in terms of its speed, RAM and hard-disk capacity. They were also asked to describe
what they would consider the current 'best-buy' specification. The three dimensions of speed and
memory were then weighted to produce eight bands representing machines of increasing capability.
Table 1 below shows a typical specification for each band.
37% of colleges describe as their baseline a 500MHz (or slower) computer with 32Mb of RAM. The median
baseline specification is 650MHz with 64Mb of RAM and 10Gb hard disk, one band higher than English
colleges. A further 37% of colleges regard a minimum of 128Mb of RAM as the benchmark, with
concomitant faster speeds and greatly expanded hard-disk capacity.
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Table 1 Computer specifications
Typical band specifications

Speed (MHz) RAM (Mb) Hard disk Baseline specification Best-buy
(Gb) specification
Band 1 200 32 2 17% 0%
Band 2 500 32 4 20% 0%
Band 3 500 64 6 3% 3%
Band 4 650 64 10 23% 11%
Band 5 650 128 15 11% 14%
Band 6 700 128 20 11% 11%
Band 7 750 256 20 6% 14%
Band 8+ 1000 256 20 9% 46%
The best buy, by contrast, is typically a significantly higher specification than the baseline. Although 23%
of respondents cite the same specification for both baseline and best buy, the average best buy is three
bands higher than the quoted baseline specification. This could simply reflect the continual upward
movement of technical offerings in the marketplace: colleges may define a baseline requirement in terms
of user needs, but find it cheaper to buy over-specified machines, or indeed impossible to buy the
baseline as the market moves rapidly on.
Colleges were also asked if there were any other factors that they considered critical when purchasing a
computer. The key issues remain the same as last year: robustness, support and price. 57% of
respondents identify build quality and reliability as a critical factor to be considered when buying a
workstation, while 60% cite after-sales care (warranty, maintenance, service and support). Price is the
only other significant factor, considered critical by 54%.
The market for computers in FE seems to be fairly sophisticated, with buyers clearly able to articulate
their needs and to resist hype. None of respondents rated a named brand as critical, though 11%
considered the continuing viability of their supplier an important factor in the context of a fast-moving
and volatile computer market that has produced more than its share of business failures. The lack of any
reference to future-proofing may also reflect this market volatility. Recent experience is that change has
been characterised by different technology, rather than the model of the same technology plus more
memory and add-ons that future-proofing often assumes. A more practical consideration may be that the
physical battering taken by heavily-used college stock puts it beyond resuscitation.
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Table 2 Prices for best-buy computer
Median price Lowest price Highest price
Band 3 £500 £500 £500
Band 4 £800 £700 £1,000
Band 5 £700 £600 £820
Band 6 £775 £700 £800
Band 7 £670 £600 £740
Band 8+ £750 £450 £1,200
Table 2 shows the prices colleges report as their best buy for machines in each band. Interpretation of the
data is conditioned by the small samples arising from spreading relatively low overall numbers across six
bands. This notwithstanding, the general picture is similar to that found in the far larger English sample.
The spread of the prices paid within bands by different colleges is more extreme than the spread of
median prices between bands. The extreme variation between highest and lowest prices of the highest-
specification machines arise from single outliers at each end of the scale.
The average prices paid for all 5 of the popular bands is covered by a £130 difference, from £670 to £800.
3.3 Local area networks (LANs)

The specification of college LANs has risen in line with the specification and volume of the computers that
they support. 92% of all computers are networked; 43% of colleges report that all machines for student
use are networked, while 60% report that all staff computers are attached to the network.
Ethernet technology dominates college networks. Chart 3 shows the dramatic increase in LAN bandwidth
since 1999, when 50% of networks had a 10Mbps Ethernet backbone. Two out of every three colleges
now have a 100Mbps Ethernet backbone, with 6% having a gigabit LAN. The 'other' category consists of
mixed systems, mainly 100Mbps/gigabit combinations.
70%
60%
50% 10M Ethernet
40% 100M Ethernet
30% Gigabit Ethernet
20% Other
10%
0% 15
2001 1999
Chart 3 Local area network – backbone
17% of colleges have only one site. The remainder face the problem of extending their LAN to connect
different sites. 31% of respondents have four or more sites, with the largest college that responded to the
survey having seven major sites.
Table 3 Connecting sites
2001 1999
None 11% 15%
Leased line 43% 35%
Modem 9% 15%
ISDN 14% 35%
Microwave and laser 9% 3%
Cable and fibre optic 23% 20%
Table 3 shows the percentage of colleges reporting each type of network connection. 25% of the multi-
site colleges utilise multiple technologies to connect their sites, though none employs more than three
separate technologies. Leased line has become the single most common technology, with ISDN and
modem links declining from use in around half of Scottish colleges to little more than one in five. The
wire-less technologies – microwave and laser – have increased in use, but remain at a low level. This may
reflect problems of maintaining the clear line-of-sight required by such technologies, particularly in
remote and rural areas.
3.4 LAN performance

The improvement in LAN specification leads to an expectation of a concomitant improvement in
performance and in capability to meet demand. Chart 4 shows that there has indeed been such an
improvement.
In 1999, only 18% of colleges had the capacity to meet an increase in demand on the network, while 23%
could not cope with existing calls on them. 31% of respondents now say that they could cope with a
significant increase in traffic. The number struggling to deliver has fallen from one in four in 1999 to zero
in 2001. Despite the improvement in LAN specification, over two thirds of the sector is still stretched to
full capacity. This seems to confirm that the notion of a 'motorway effect' –traffic rapidly adjusting
upwards each time an additional lane is opened – is still an appropriate description of the nature of
demand for ICT in colleges.
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The data must be seen against a back-cloth of substantial increases in demand on networks. Not only
must each college network support its share of the additional 7,000 machines we estimate to have been
added since 1999, but it must also deal with the increased proportion of the total that are networked
(92%) rather than stand-alone. The burden is further increased by the growing use of networked
applications.
Chart 4 Network capability to meet demand
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2001 1999
Over-stretched 0% 23%
At capacity 69% 58%
Spare capacity 31% 18%
Colleges continue to restrict network traffic in bandwidth-hungry applications. Almost four out of every
five colleges identify large files as an actual or potential source of problems on the network, and hence
look to control their use. However, this is much fewer than the 95% citing large files as a problem in 1999.
Table 4 Network performance
2001 1999
Always smooth, without appreciable delay 49% 20%
Generally works well, but slow at busy times 43% 65%
Slowness/unreliability a frequent problem 9% 15%
The rate of improvement in network performance reflects the improvement in capacity. The percentage
of colleges experiencing frequent problems has fallen to 9%. More dramatic has been the rise to 49% in
the percentage of colleges describing their network as always smooth, without appreciable delay, and the
decline to 43% of colleges reporting the network performance as slow at busy times. Those students
17
whose networked learning is scheduled at busy times, however, almost certainly find their experience
systematically worse than winners in the 'lottery of timetable slots', who are scheduled to use the
network when traffic is low. Nevertheless, the improvement since 1999 is impressive – particularly given
the increased demands on the network described above.
3.5 Internet connectivity

All Scottish colleges have a 2Mbps Internet connection via JANET. Table 5 shows that just over a half of
colleges identify this as a bottleneck on their activities, with nearly one in four having already acquired
additional bandwidth. Two colleges in this group have increased their total bandwidth to 4Mbps, while
the other six have gone to 8Mbps or more.
Table 5 Bandwidth
No. of colleges % of colleges
Increased bandwidth not a priority 0 0%
Will exceed 2Mbps soon 16 46%
2Mbps is currently a bottleneck 10 29%
Have already purchased additional bandwidth 8 23%
Base = number of respondents
The contrast with English colleges in this matter is interesting. All have a 2Mbps connection to JANET, like
their Scottish counterparts and 41% have bought, or intend to buy, additional bandwidth. 85% of this
group are above median size, with only half of the largest 10% of colleges planning to increase bandwidth.
Many very large colleges in England, therefore, are content with 2Mpbs bandwidth. More detailed
examination reveals their number to include some colleges with a reputation for excellence in ICT
matters, suggesting that they are looking to resolve need in the first instance by better management of
existing bandwidth, rather than by expansion.
3.6 Constraints on Internet use

Colleges were asked to rank a list of possible constraints on expansion of Internet use in the order of their
significance in the college. Weighted scores are derived by giving a score of five for every time a
constraint is ranked first, four if it is ranked second and so on. An additional constraint, '2Mb bandwidth
of current JANET connection', was included in the 2001 questionnaire. As this prevents comparison with
1999 data, the constraint was removed for this purpose and the rankings adjusted accordingly. Bandwidth
constraint was then reintroduced into the analysis to give an idea of its relative importance in 2001. The
results are shown in Chart 5 and Chart 6.
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Chart 5 Constraints on increased use of the Internet
Access points
Course design
2001
Access speeds
1999
Student skills
Lack of interest
0 1 2 3 4 5
W eight ed score
The relative importance of the five constraints remain unchanged from 1999, the number of access points
and course design have declined slightly in importance, while access speeds and student skills have
increased in importance.
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Chart 6 Constraints on increased use of the Internet (2001)
Access points
2M b bandwidth
Course design
Access speeds
Student skills
Lack of interest
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0

W eight ed score
When we include the 2Mbps bandwidth question, it emerges as the second most important constraint,
behind access points. This echoes the result reported in section 3.5 that found 2Mbps to be considered a
significant bottleneck by a majority of colleges.
Colleges were invited to list other factors restricting growth in use of the Internet. A major issue cited was
that of inappropriate use, including restriction of access to unsuitable sites, reported by 17% of
respondents, the same proportion as in 1999. A growing element was the problem of access for remote
sites, noted by 14% of respondents, increasing from 5% in 1999. References to other issues commonly
cited in previous years have fallen in number. The mentions of technical concerns have fallen from 18% of
respondents in 1999 to 6% in 2001, while the cost issues which concerned 15% of colleges in 1999 are no
longer reported.
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4 Access to computers
4.1 Access for learners

The survey requested an actual count of computers available in the college. Based on this data,
calculations were made of the availability of computers for both students and staff in colleges. The proxy
variables that have been calculated to estimate this are the ratios of computers to students and to staff.
These measures were used in the 1999 study and allow comparisons to be drawn.
There is no single, unambiguous measure of student numbers that can safely be used to calculate access
ratios. The use of FTE-student data as a basis for calculations reflects a recognition that they make an
allowance for total hours of attendance, which other possible measures such as a simple count of student
numbers do not. This allows us to get closer to the underlying question of how easy it is for a student to
access a computer in the institution. We have not attempted to distinguish particular groups of students,
nor to separate out attendance mode, pattern or site, although we recognise that in practice these may
have a significant influence in determining access.
The analysis used the latest complete set of FTE-student data available from the SFEFC, which covers
student numbers for the academic year 1999–2000. If student numbers have changed dramatically over
the period, then comparing them with computers in 2001 will distort the apparent ratio. Information
about changes in enrolments in the intervening period suggests that any such effect is likely to be
minimal: that is, the calculated ratios are a true reflection of the actual situation in colleges in September
2001.
Table 6 Ratio of FTE students to computers
All computers Networked Internet connected
1999 2001 1999 2001 1999 2001
Mean 6.6 5.7 22.3 6.7 26.7 6.7
Median 6.1 5.0 8.5 5.7 9.6 5.8
Minimum 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 3.1 1.3
Maximum 19.6 15.9 361.8 19.8 361.8 19.8
We have examined two key statistics:
FTE students to all computers in the college
FTE students to Internet-enabled computers.
As can be seen from the convergence of the data in Table 6, virtually all networked computers are now
Internet-connected.
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The mean average number of FTE students per computer has fallen from 6.6:1 in 1999 to 5.7:1 in 2001.
The median value (the ratio of colleges at the middle of the range of values) is 5.0:1 (6.1:1 in 1999). The
dispersion of values is far less than in 1999, with fewer colleges having very high ratios. The highest value
calculated for 2001 was 15.9 at a single college, compared to 19.6 in 1999. There has only been a marginal
improvement in the numbers of colleges with higher student computer ratios: 8 colleges (23% of the
respondents) now have ratios of 8:1 or greater compared with 30% (12 colleges) in 1999. The median
value, which unlike the mean is not distorted by the pull of extreme values, is nonetheless likely to be the
better estimate of the typical situation in Scottish colleges.
The rate of improvement in access to Internet-enabled computers is relatively greater than the
improvement in access to all computers. This suggests that the improvement in Internet access has been
achieved both by purchase of new machines and adaptation of existing stock. The median number of FTE
students to computers with Internet access is now 5.8:1, compared with a median of 9.6 in 1999. 75% of
colleges have now achieved a ratio of 7.6:1 or better. In 1999, by contrast, the 75 th percentile was 13.7:1.
The median value of this ratio in English colleges is 4.95:1, showing that the typical college has now
achieved the Funding Council target of 5 FTE students for every Internet-connected computer. 85% have
achieved 7:1 or better.
4.2 Managing demand for student access

The improvement in the number of high-specification computers available for use by learners has
transformed the capability of colleges to deal with a level of demand for ICT which they overwhelmingly
describe as widespread. Over half of institutions (55%) reported that they could not cope with the
demand for computers in 1999. As Chart 7 shows, this now stands at 37%, or just over a third of colleges.
Chart 7 Meeting student demand for computers
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Cope with m ore
Unable to cope Able to cope
dem and
2001 37% 54% 0%
1999 55% 38% 0%
22
Despite the scale of new investment, none of the colleges say that they could cope with more demand for
computers, reinforcing the notion that the motorway effect is still in evidence.
The same general picture applies to meeting demand for Internet access. Table 7 indicates that the
number of colleges unable to meet current demand has fallen from a half in 1999 to around one third. 6%
report that they can cope with greater demand, despite describing themselves as unable to cope with
greater demand for computers per se.
Table 7 Meeting student demand for Internet access
College capability 2001 1999
Cannot cope with current demand 34% 50%
Can cope with current demand 57% 38%
Can cope with greater demand 6% 0%
An important distinction separates colleges' ability to meet demand from the conditions of access.
Queuing remains a feature of learners' access to computing facilities. Nearly four out of every five colleges
(77%) say that students may find it difficult to get on a machine at busy times. 40% of respondents see
unrestricted access for learners as a priority, though the continuing encroachment of the motorway effect
into new stock may make this more difficult to sustain than to achieve.
Access to the Internet has improved somewhat on 1999, assuming that a student has found a place at a
computer. One in five respondents describes use of computers for Internet access as easy at any time,
compared with half that number in 1999. However, nearly three quarters (74%) now report that learners
are likely to queue at busy times, compared with 83% in 1999. All the evidence in the survey points to
enthusiastic take up and use of new computing capability.
Table 8 Ease of Internet use
2001 1999
Easy at any time 20% 10%
Wait or queue at busy times 74% 83%
Difficult outside lessons 3% 5%
Limited access 0% 3%
23
4.3 Location of computers for learners
On average, 22% of college stock is described as open access, compared with 17% in 1999. The inter-
quartile range suggests that from 10% to 27% of stock is made accessible this way in the middle 50% of
colleges. Only one college manages all the stock as open access, while two colleges report no open-access
facility. The sheer scale of new equipment means that the actual number of open-access machines has
risen by a larger extent than this. A rough calculation based on the estimated computer numbers given in
3.1 suggests that there are now just under 6,000 computers managed as open access compared with
3,400 in 1999 – a rise of over 75% in the number so managed. There are typically physical limits imposed
by the architecture of existing buildings to the number of new computers that can be absorbed into open-
access management. In England, where in the past two years the 420 colleges have added 100,000
computers to stock, the percentage managed as open access has fallen from 25% to 20%, while exhibiting
a similar rise in numbers to that in Scotland.
The survey explored conditions of access to stock, rather than computer use. The data suggest that at
times when only part of the stock is in use, as may be the case at lunchtime, twilight sessions and at the
weekend, it is the classroom-based stock, managed as restricted access, that is used disproportionately
less. College policy almost certainly supports this to the extent that a small number of large open-access
areas are more efficient to staff and administer than a larger number of relatively small classrooms.
It may be inferred from this that while a typical college makes 22% of stock available as open access, the
proportion of use falling on open-access machines is much greater. This may offer an explanation for the
preponderance of colleges that cite queues at busy times, yet declare themselves more than able to meet
demand. If only one machine in five is available on open access, a large number of the new machines are
locked away behind classroom doors when learners want to use them. This clearly is not a simple problem
to resolve. Accommodation is one of the more intractable elements of change within the ICT equation.
There is evidence of greater accessibility for learners to stock throughout the week. 60% of colleges now
make some part of their computing facility available at the weekend, an increase on 1999, when the
figure was 53%. About one third of the weekend colleges offer open-access facilities only, while the same
number offer classroom access (and by implication, tutor-directed activity) only.
4.4 Access for staff
The provision of computers for the exclusive use of staff has made a steady improvement. Only two
colleges reported having one Internet-connected computer for every member of teaching staff. However,
the actual achievement of colleges in providing computers for staff is better reflected in the median value
of the ratio of Internet-connected computers to permanent staff, which has fallen from 8.8 staff to every
Internet-connected machine in 1999 down to 3.4 in 2001. This is almost identical to the situation in
England, where the ratio stands at 3.5:1.
24
Table 9 Ratios of all staff to computers
All computers Networked Internet connected
1999 2001 1999 2001 1999 2001
Mean 7.1 4.2 14.6 4.7 35.6 4.7
Median 5.0 3.1 8.2 3.7 8.8 3.4
Table 9 shows the extent to which staff computers are networked and connected to the Internet. 92% of
staff machines are networked and virtually all are connected to the Internet, along with a small
proportion of stand-alone machines.
4.5 Mode of access for staff

The improvement in staff access has accompanied a move towards giving staff their own designated
machine. 34% of colleges now report that all or most staff have their own designated computer,
compared with only 8% in 1999. Sharing a computer in a staff room remains the characteristic mode of
access for staff, with 54% of colleges reporting all or most of their staff accessing computers in this way.
This figure has decreased from 68%, reflecting the move towards designated machines in 2001.
Table 10 Staff access to computers
All/most Some/few None
Own designated computer 34% 54% 0%
Shared office computer 54% 43% 0%
Shared staff/student 3% 37% 43%
No access 0% 9% 74%
Table 11 reveals college priorities changing in the light of the increase in available resource. Sole use of a
computer for all staff remains a relatively high priority for colleges (34%), while the achievement of a
shared office computer is reported as a priority by 37%, a figure that has fallen from just over half of
institutions in 1999.
25
Table 11 Priorities for staff access
Priority 2001 1999
To a computer 26% 25%
Shared office computer 37% 53%
Sole use 34% 30%
Numbers of computers and conditions of access for staff and learners have improved in both England and
Scotland. One interesting contrast emerges in the relatively greater improvement in conditions of access
and numbers of machines for staff in Scottish colleges, while in England the comparatively greater
increase has been in machines for learners. A strong theme to emerge from strategic plans for ILT (ICT) in
English colleges was a higher priority given in the first instance to achieving the target for learners of 5:1
than to the staff target of 1:1.
26
5 Uses of ICT
5.1 Use of the LAN/intranet

The survey asked respondents to distinguish whether particular applications were in use (intermittent,
occasional, small in scale) or whether they could be described as common practice in the institution.
Use by staff of the college LAN for e-mail and Internet access is now universal, both being reported by all
colleges. Both have become extensively embedded into organisational culture: staff accessing the Internet
is described as common practice in 91% of colleges, a rise from 63% in 1999, while staff use of e-mail is
common in 89% of colleges (63% in 1999). Video conferencing is in evidence in over one third of colleges,
a similar level to 1999, and has become common practice in 11% (up from 3%).
An interesting anomaly has occurred in the reported use being made of networked applications to directly
support learning and teaching, through storage and delivery of learning materials, advice and guidance
and as a repository of course documentation. Total use of these applications by staff has increased on
1999, whereas common use has either remained at a similar level or actually declined. Anecdotal
evidence here and elsewhere suggests that this may be accounted for by greater realism and/or
understanding of the issues by respondents in 2001. A cross-check is provided by the similarity in values
reported by English colleges.
Table 12 Uses of the LAN/intranet by staff
1999 2001
Total use Common use Total use Common use
E-mail 93% 63% 100% 89%
Learning materials 65% 10% 94% 11%
Course documents 65% 20% 86% 6%
Advice and guidance 48% 10% 80% 0%
Internet access 98% 63% 100% 91%
Video conferencing 33% 3% 37% 11%
Table 13 shows student use of college LANs following a similar pattern to staff use, though typically
tracking behind staff in extent, most notably in the use of the LAN for e-mail traffic. Internet access
remains the principal use, though the other activities have increased significantly. In contrast to reported
staff usage, the extent of reported common usage among students of networked learning support has
remained roughly at 1999 levels or, in the case of accessing learning materials, has improved on the 1999
situation.
27
Table 13 Uses of the LAN/intranet by students
1999 2001
E-mail 83% 30% 74% 31%
Learning materials 65% 5% 89% 17%
Course documents 50% 5% 69% 3%
Internet access 98% 60% 100% 86%
Video conferencing 28% 0% 14% 9%
Tables 14 and 15 show the uses made of the Internet by staff and students. The main common activities
of both staff and students remain information gathering and e-mail. The marketing potential of the
Internet is now exploited by virtually all colleges, typically through the medium of the college web site.
Over three quarters of the sample report using the Internet to support distance learning, while 80% use
the medium to offer advice and guidance. The number who use the web as common practice to support
distance learning is a modest 9%, suggesting that those newly engaged in the field are yet to convert
small-scale activity in distance learning into mainstream practice.
Table 14 Uses of the Internet by staff
1999 2001
Total use Total use Common use
College marketing 88% 91% 43%
Information resource 95% 100% 89%
Support distance learning 60% 77% 9%
Administration and management 55% 74% 31%
Advice and guidance 43% 80% 3%
E-mail 88% 97% 86%
Table 15 again shows a picture of use by students similar to that of staff. Colleges that offer a distance-
learning facility on the Internet all have students actively learning, and almost one in ten describe it as
common practice. This may be an early indicator of the development of an active community of on-line
tutors and students engaging remotely in learning throughout the sector's colleges.
28
Table 15 Uses of the Internet by students
1999 2001
Total use Total use Common use
Information resource 100% 100% 80%
Support distance learning 58% 74% 9%
Advice and guidance 45% 71% 9%
E-mail 93% 91% 57%
5.2 Access to e-mail

Chart 8 shows the condition of access to e-mail of different user groups in colleges. 92% of permanent
staff now have a personal e-mail address, while only 6% have no access to e-mail. Over three quarters of
part-time staff have a personal address and a further 5% share one, leaving nearly one in five part-time
staff without a college e-mail address. If this simply reflects automatic allocation of an address as part of
the contract process for these staff, it may overstate the actual degree of engagement of part-time staff
with e-mail in college. This notwithstanding, there is clearly in place a robust infrastructure for colleges
wishing to rely on electronic communications with staff; widespread subscription to college e-mail now
supplements well-developed intranets. 66% of colleges have all full-time staff on the e-mail system, with
40% reporting full coverage of part-time staff. The respective values for full-time and part-time students
are 29% and 17%.
30% of full-time students and 44% of part-time students have no access to college e-mail services. This
may be a measure of the degree to which colleges rely on some types of external service to meet these
needs and therefore understate the true extent of access to e-mail for students. E-mail for students is
provided via an internal college-based service in only 31% of colleges and an external service like Hotmail
in 51%. 14% of colleges make use of both types of facility.
Chart 8 E-mail access
29
Part-time
students
Full-time
students
Part-time
staff
Permanent
staff
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Permanent Part-time Full-time Part-time

staff staff students students
Personal address 92 78.2 62.5 48.1
Shared address 1.7 4.7 6.9 7.5
No access 6.2 17.1 30.6 44.4
5.3 Intranet and extranet use

An intranet is essentially a web site that is internal to the institution. It has all of the capability of the
Internet for storing information in a variety of forms and for access and dissemination throughout the
network. The sharing of such a facility, or part of it, with external partners, such as other colleges or local
businesses, may be termed an extranet.
As Chart 9 shows, intranet skills and technology are widespread in the sector. 74% of colleges have an
intranet which is local to the institution, while a further 17% have developed a shared facility. The
numbers in Chart 9 total more than 100% because some colleges reported both an intranet and an
extranet.
30
Chart 9 Intranet and extranet
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Intranet Extranet None
2001 74% 17% 20%
1999 78% 13% 13%
5.4 Virtual learning environments (VLEs) and student records

The survey used the term virtual learning environment (VLE) as the sector's preferred term for a software
package that constitutes an environment in which to deliver on-line learning.
49% of respondents stated that they currently use a VLE, a decline on the 60% who reported using such
packages in 1999. Clarification of the definition of virtual learning environment in the intervening period
may mean that certain packages that colleges included in 1999 are no longer considered VLEs. The
percentage of colleges reporting a VLE in place in 2001 is identical to the proportion of English colleges
citing VLE use, suggesting exactly parallel development in this area.
Table 16 below lists all the cited VLEs in use in colleges. The most commonly cited commercial systems
were Blackboard (9 colleges) and WebCT (7 colleges). Pioneer was cited much more widely in 1999 with 6
colleges using the system, but its use has now declined to one college. In 1999, First Class was cited by 12
Scottish colleges, with two saying it was in common use, but by 2001 this had fallen to a single college.
Similarly, Lotus Notes was well used in 1999, though users of this package may have migrated to Learning
Space. One interesting difference between Scotland and England is that the biggest single group of VLEs in
English colleges (20%) was made up of in-house systems, often developed with a view to ensuring
interoperability with existing MIS systems and based on a well-developed intranet.
31
Table 16 VLEs in use
VLE product 2001
Total use Common use
Blackboard 9 2
WebCT 7 0
In-house system 4 0
Lotus Learning Space 3 1
Learnwise 2 0
Fretwell Downing LE 2 0
Top Class 2 0
First Class 1 0
Pioneer 1 0
Solstra 1 0
Doddle 1 0
CISCO system 1 0
All Scottish colleges use student-record systems. The packages DITA, SITS and FEMIS dominate the
Scottish colleges, with only one respondent not using at least one of the three. Other systems, therefore,
are almost entirely used in addition to the big three. As Table 17 shows, FEMIS is the largest player, used
in more colleges than the other two put together.
Table 17 Student-record systems
Record system
Total use Common use
DITA 7 3
SITS 9 1
FEMIS 20 5
Capita Class Meetings 3 2
Others 3 1
32
6 Staff skills
6.1 Staff IT and ICT competence

Respondents were asked to estimate the proportion of staff with low, medium or high levels of skill
(beginner, competent, advanced), both in their personal use of IT and in their use of ICT with learners.
Definitions within these broad classifications were left to the judgement of respondents on grounds of
practicality. The research team considered the identification of suitably bounded criteria to be a daunting
task, if not impossible within the time scale. More telling, however, was the belief that while respondents'
assessments of the categories would not be identical, they would share sufficiently similar common
understandings of competency to enable comparison and judgements to be drawn from the results. An
average of the values estimated by each college was calculated for every category. The results are shown
in Chart 10.
Chart 10 IT and ICT skill levels
60
50
40
% of staff
30
20
10
0
Low Medium High
IT 30 51 19
ILT 49 31 19
Across the sector as a whole, 70% of staff are considered by respondents to be competent or advanced in
their personal use of IT, compared with 63% in 1999. However, in the use of ICT with learners, only 50% of
college staff are considered competent or advanced (44% in 1999). This suggests that one in three staff
who are competent or advanced in their personal use of IT are regarded as low-skilled in the application
of ICT with learners. The results are the same in nature and similar to those found in Becta surveys of ICT
in England and Wales.
As in both of those countries, a small number of colleges (five in this survey) considered a greater
proportion of staff to be competent or advanced in their use of ICT in the classroom than in their personal
use of IT. In all cases the difference was only marginal. It is evidence, nonetheless, of some staff-
33
development strategies that take learning applications, rather than office applications, as a starting point
for staff competence.
A further 7 colleges considered the proportion of combined competent and advanced groups to be the
same in both skill sets, albeit typically with fewer advanced skills in ICT. However, the lack of a commonly
agreed and well understood set of definitions of ICT competencies, taken together with the uncertainty
about what constitutes good practice and effective pedagogy in e-learning, may have led many
respondents to overstate the ICT skill level of staff.
There is strong evidence from elsewhere to suggest that colleges' estimates of staff skill levels may be
based on staff competence in very restricted skill sets. Personal use of IT often extends little beyond use
of word processing (overwhelmingly Microsoft Word) and e-mail, while use of ICT with learners
encompasses Internet information searching and use of a small number of packages. It is almost certainly
the case that the set of skills required to make best use of the significantly improved ICT infrastructure in
colleges extends beyond these basic skills.
34
7 Access in the community
7.1 Providing access in the community
Table 18 Plans for community ICT access
2001 1999
No plans to engage 0% 0%
Future possibility 11% 8%
Firm plan 31% 58%
Currently engaged 57% 33%
Table 18 shows a substantial increase since 1999 in the percentage of colleges actively providing
community ICT access, with well over half of all colleges engaged, and a consequent fall in the number still
at the planning stage. The survey was not framed in a way that allows us to separate the influence of
College outreach centres
Businesses
Schools
HE centres
1999 Partnership
Local Authorities
2001 Partnership
Public libraries
SUFI learning centres
Other learning centres
Other colleges
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
initiatives such as SUFI on the raised level of activity.
Chart 11 Partnerships in the community
Chart 11 indicates the main types of partner organisation and shows the percentage of colleges having
formal partnerships with each type of organisation. The distribution of partnerships shows some change
from 1999, with a significant increase in links to outreach centres and because SUFI learning centres have
only come into existence since that time. Reported links with businesses, schools, institutions of higher
education and local authorities have apparently declined over this period, though from a low initial level.
35
7.2 Uses of community links
Over the last two years there has been an increase in the scale of use made of community links for
teaching and learning. Delivery of learning materials remains the prime use of these links, with just 57% of
colleges in the sample reporting some activity and 20% commonly using ICT in this area. Around 40% of
colleges offer learning programmes that include remote submission of assessed work and contact with
tutors, with a smaller number offering on-line advice and guidance, plus contact with peers.
Table 19 ICT for learning in the community
2001 1999
Access to materials 57% 20% 30% 0%
On line submission 40% 6% 23% 0%
Links to students 23% 3% 23% 3%
Links to staff 43% 9% 28% 3%
29% of colleges now provide access via ICT for home-based learners, and a further 23% report firm plans
to do so. The survey did not seek to measure the scale of these ventures, but rather the extent to which
colleges are using the potential of ICT to reach out into the community. The results suggest an increasing
commitment in the sector to develop and extend on-line modes of learning.
36
Appendix
Qualitative follow-up survey

During May and June 2002 a telephone survey of 23 Scottish colleges was conducted in parallel with a
series of visits to twelve of these colleges. Those taking part in these surveys were selected to represent a
geographical, urban/rural and general FE/specialist spread. The colleges participating also represented
the full size range of Scottish colleges in terms of student FTEs.
The telephone interviews were conducted with 2 different levels of managers in the colleges, around one
third were at Assistant Principal or Depute Principal level, and the remainder were ICT Managers or
Department Heads. This was at the choice of the individual colleges when at the introductory stage of
arranging conversations, the interviewer explained the nature and focus of the discussion guide. Face-to-
face interviews were conducted with a manager with ICT curriculum responsibility and a member of
teaching staff at each of the twelve colleges visited. The curriculum areas covered by teaching staff were
as follows:
 Business Management (2 staff)
 IT & Estate Management
 Hairdressing
 Pharmacy & Veterinary Nursing
 Horticulture
 Construction
 Psychology & Social Studies
 Agriculture
 Business Studies
 Health & Social Care
 Shipboard management & Marine Law
37
Qualitative follow-up survey .................................................................................................................... 37
1 Issues raised by the qualitative survey .............................................................................................. 39
1.1 Leadership/management ...................................................................................................................... 39
1.2 Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................................ 39
1.3 Content ................................................................................................................................................. 39
1.4 Practice ................................................................................................................................................. 40

2 ICT strategy and planning ................................................................................................................. 41
3 ICT infrastructure ............................................................................................................................. 42
3.1 Technical staff supporting the ICT infrastructure.................................................................................. 42
3.2 Sustainability of investment.................................................................................................................. 43
3.3 Updating and reviewing hardware and software.................................................................................. 44
3.4 Procurement ......................................................................................................................................... 45

4 Access to ICT.................................................................................................................................... 47
4.1 Student access to ICT ............................................................................................................................ 47
4.2 Staff access to ICT ................................................................................................................................. 47

5 Uses of ICT....................................................................................................................................... 49
5.1 Extent and type of ICT use .................................................................................................................... 49
5.2 e-learning for specialist use .................................................................................................................. 49
5.3 Virtual learning environments (VLEs).................................................................................................... 50

6 ICT skills .......................................................................................................................................... 51
6.1 Staff skills .............................................................................................................................................. 51
6.2 Skills of technical staff ........................................................................................................................... 52
6.3 Student skills ......................................................................................................................................... 53
38
1 Issues raised by the qualitative survey
1.1 Leadership/management
There is clear and unequivocal support by leaders and managers in all colleges for ICT. The college's ICT
strategy document drives the agenda as part of an overall college strategy, with all but one college having
an active implementation group.
There is a strong desire to embed ICT in the curriculum, with each member of staff responsible for
bringing ICT to bear in their day-to-day work.
Sustainability is a recognised problem in Scottish colleges, with many looking at their replacement policies
and seeking to extend the working life of their current stock.
1.2 Infrastructure
As indicated in the main survey, Scottish colleges have improved the specification of their PC stock and
the number of PCs available for staff and students. Although the computers are in place, however, the
additional equipment that takes e-learning into the classroom is in short supply. In many colleges,
demand for data projectors exceeds supply, and there are few interactive whiteboards. Furthermore, the
lack of network points in classrooms sometimes limits the use of ICT to stand-alone resources or forces
ICT into specialised environments.
Technical support is generally regarded as good, with praise for the support provided, even in colleges
with multi-site operations and at outreach centres in rural areas. Recruitment and retention of
appropriately skilled staff can present problems for colleges, however, as many technical staff leave soon
after completing their training. Training and staff development for technical staff is recognised as an on-
going need – often driven by the implementation of upgrades or new technology.
The sustainability of investment in ICT is a major issue for colleges. It is described as a balancing act
between getting maximum use out of the investment to date and meeting the technological demands
placed on the system by the implementation of a VLE. Some colleges state that they are at a 'plateau' in
ICT developments: this is partly due to the feeling that they need to consolidate following a period of very
rapid change and partly because they anticipate a slow-down in further capital spend.
1.3 Content
There is concern about the relevance to the Scottish curriculum of some bought-in materials. The time it
takes first to identify materials and then to evaluate them is a daunting prospect that puts off staff in a
number of colleges.
The marshalling of teacher-created materials is not universal, but there is evidence of some good practice
– this will be crucial if ICTs are to be an effective platform for learning. Many colleges are at the initial
stages of converting paper-based materials to electronic format. There is therefore only limited
39
assessment of learning methods such as on-line quizzes, although some colleges recognise that the next
stage of development will require the incorporation of this type of material.
1.4 Practice
There is very little true e-learning. Particular circumstances such as dispersed populations or the targeting
of specific occupational groups have tended to drive on-line solutions. There are pockets of excellence
here, nevertheless, with technology making the difference in enabling certain students to participate in
learning.
The focus of staff development on technical (IT) skills reinforces the finding of the quantitative survey,
where teaching staff have higher skill levels in the personal use of IT than in their use of ICT in a learning
environment.
40
2 ICT strategy and planning
Interviews were conducted with two different levels of managers in the colleges. The managers
interviewed by telephone either lead an ICT strategy group or some similar forum, or are key members of
such a group. All but one of the managers interviewed face to face chairs such a group. In all cases these
managers are responsible for managing the implementation of ICT in the college.
In most colleges, the ICT strategy group acts as the main forum advising on direction, focus and priorities
for ICT budgeting. However, small colleges tend to use their existing management structures to formulate
their ICT strategy, a process often led by a senior member of staff with responsibility for ICT.
In nearly all colleges, the process used encompasses strategy and planning for all uses of ICT and all ICT
users – curriculum and learners; teaching staff; management, support and administration – and their
technology needs, although these uses and users are not necessarily represented in the membership of
the strategy groups.
The level of the membership of this group varies – it is occasionally the principal who leads it, but most
often an assistant principal whose role includes responsibility for ICT. The number of members varies
from about three to 10. The breadth and depth of representation varies significantly. Some groups'
membership is mainly senior staff at assistant principal and head of faculty level with the ICT manager.
Others include either some representation at this level plus ICT curriculum co-ordinator/development
roles, or a vertical slice of representation that includes user groups.
There are two different types of role for ICT strategy groups in colleges:
advisory to senior management, sometimes through the academic board
strategic and decision making, directly feeding in to the college's strategic plan and budget.
Strategies are invariably curriculum led, but there are variations in the extent to which administration and
management needs are considered simultaneously or dealt with separately. Inclusion in the strategy
group of managers with particular responsibilities, for example, On-line Learning Co-ordinator, ICLT
Manager or Head of ICT Curriculum also signals the extent to which a college's strategy includes e-
learning.
In many cases ICT implications are included in forward curriculum planning down to course level, but
several interviewees commented on the risk during this process of ending up with a series of 'wish lists'.
These then have to be analysed and rationalised in order to identify commonly needed resources that can
be shared. Later in this report we discuss further related issues concerning the drivers for taking a more
strategic overview of needs, centralising more ICT resources (particularly PCs) and working towards a
college strategy which defines a need for fewer PCs overall than current projected numbers.
41
3 ICT infrastructure
Most colleges regard their networks and Internet connections as good and robust. All colleges taking part
in the telephone survey acknowledged that they have been able to improve the specification of their PC
stock and the number of PCs available to students and staff. They are all far more confident about their
network performance as a result of investments made, in some cases going back more than five years.
Most college interviewees described their network performance as good.
Eleven of the telephone interviewees used expressions such as: very robust; good, with plenty of
capacity; superb; very good; or good.
Eight used expressions such as: yes, not bad; in general, good; usually good; generally reasonably
good; yes, on the whole good.
Of the latter eight, most have upgrades planned for August 2002 or replacements are in the planned
replacement strategy over the next 18 months. In a couple of cases there was some uncertainty over
items such as old PCs, hubs and switches that need replacing but about which no definite decision has yet
been made.
Some colleges in rural areas expressed difficulties over the poor communications infrastructure in their
locality and the limitations that this puts on choosing technological solutions.
3.1 Technical staff supporting the ICT infrastructure

All colleges in the sample directly employ in-house technicians. Five of the 23 contacted by telephone
outsource some expertise through maintenance contracts, for network strategy, web development, or on-
line learning. Those in University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) partnerships also benefit from outside
expertise they can draw on.
The ratio of technical staff to computers varies from 1:50 to 1:150, with the average at 1:97. However,
this ratio should be evaluated with caution, since the multi-site operations of some colleges with outreach
centres or in rural areas affects the work loads of staff differently. Colleges with large multi-site
operations, especially outreach centres with ICT facilities, find that this makes extra demands on the time
of technical staff, who may have to visit more than one site to complete a task. Developments such as
outreach centres have often been a response to widening participation and inclusion initiatives, to which
the use of ICT and on-line learning makes a valued contribution.
Technical support is generally considered good, with few concerns expressed about the technical support
offered to staff. Several interviewees were full of praise for the support they receive from the technical
staff. Three of the colleges visited operate a helpdesk and in most colleges where there is none, staff
nevertheless feel they can get help when they need it.
Fifteen of the colleges in the telephone survey mentioned some difficulty recruiting the right kinds of
technical staff, eight colleges referring to salary levels for more specialised and higher-level skills,
including ICT management. Outlying rural locations and those competing with high-technology private-
42
sector industries can also have problems recruiting at this level. PC technicians are generally easier to
recruit. Colleges are finding strategies to overcome the problems but these come at a price – training up
young graduates from HNC or HND courses on the job, for instance, although the retention rate of such
staff can often be as low as two years. One college appoints PC technicians to Modern Apprenticeships in
order to provide them with training.
3.2 Sustainability of investment

Many colleges raised questions about the sustainability of their investment in ICT to date. This is in terms
of utilising their annual college budgets to achieve what they have planned as replacement cycles for PCs
in particular and to some extent the rest of the ICT infrastructure. This is particularly emphasised in what
many see as the next big step in ICT: commitment to a VLE and its technological demands. Some colleges
state that they are at a 'plateau' in ICT developments: this is partly due to the feeling that they need to
consolidate following a period of very rapid change and partly because they anticipate a slow-down in
further capital spend.
At the time of the interviews, colleges were anticipating no further ring-fenced monies for ICT from the
funding council, and most colleges were expecting to lengthen the planned replacement cycle for PCs. All
feel they are facing financial constraints and are therefore adapting their costed ICT strategies at the same
time as looking at what else they need to prioritise. The chart below shows the extent to which colleges
are considering extending the life span of their computer stock. Most colleges are currently expecting to
replace computers within four years of purchase, however in future most colleges forsee that period
being extended by at least a year.
Chart 20 Replacement policy for computers
43
16
14
12
No of colleges
10
Currently
8
In future
6
0
2 to 3 years 3 to 4 years 4 to 5 years 5 years and more
Reassigning older stock to less demanding tasks is commonplace. Some colleges are investigating leasing
equipment for the first time. One college is changing the emphasis of its curriculum strategy to a 'blended
learning' approach – introducing ICT and on-line learning only to parts of courses where it can add value,
rather than in entire courses. In this way they can have greater control over the ICT implications and
demands on the infrastructure. A number of colleges feel that they are at a plateau in their developments
as they go into 2002–3 and may struggle in 2003–4 to maintain the standards they have set in their ICT
strategy. Further improvements and new uses of technology such as the development of a platform for
distance learning are also called into question. Some are also looking at better distribution and
timetabling of PCs in labs, and increasing open access to improve occupancy and utilisation levels. The aim
is to reduce the stock of PCs rather than expand it further. They could then concentrate on adding higher
specification PCs for use with on-line learning materials.
3.3 Updating and reviewing hardware and software

Almost without exception, interviewees emphasised that decisions are curriculum-led and identified:
meeting the needs of the local economy; industry standards in relation to their clients' needs; versions
being used by home users; requirements dictated by the VLE they were adopting; applications software
which dictates the platform on which it can run. meeting the needs of the local economy
industry standards in relation to their clients' needs
versions of software in use on students’ home PCs
requirements of the VLE the college may be adopting
44
platform-specific applications software.'
(Even so, I'm not sure that the meaning of all those bullet points is clear…)
Many colleges have recently moved to Windows 2000 or are about to do so over the summer. Microsoft
Campus agreements enable them to keep fairly up to date. However one college expressed concern about
proposals to change from a flat fee to a payment by product per FTE, which could result in a 20%-50%
increase in the cost of these agreements.
The processes used for reviewing hardware and software in the colleges are relatively consistent. ICT
strategies and forums for implementing them incorporate action planning and review processes.
Alongside this, ICT managers are continually monitoring performance and demands and in many cases the
college development planning process considers aspects of ICT down to course level. In some colleges,
consultation with ICT user groups also produces monitoring and review information. Most colleges build
all of these processes into their annual review.
Several colleges are looking at ways to curb further increases in the number of PCs, instead achieving
better utilisation by means of more effective and efficient timetabling and occupancy strategies. Some
colleges also report the need for a culture change – moving away from departmental 'ownership' of
certain computers towards a culture of sharing. This is sometimes accompanied by concentrating on
improving the overall specification of the college PC stock rather than on increasing PC numbers, partly in
anticipation of VLE demands.
3.4 Procurement
All colleges but one use central procurement for hardware and software, although in consultation with
the ICT manager some teaching departments may buy additional specialised software for specific courses
from their own budgets.
Sixteen of the colleges in the telephone survey do not use consortium arrangements for bulk purchasing.
On the whole, the view is that these have not proved particularly useful and that tendering processes
and/or building relationships and negotiating with suppliers produce better discounts. The view of one
college is that consortia do not check the market often enough to get the best prices. For parts of their
purchases or services some colleges use consortia such as the Authorities Buying Consortium (ABC);
Glasgow Telecolleges Network; CHEST; Glasgow Colleges Group; UHI; Aberdeen Metropolitan Network
(ABMAN).
Twelve of the colleges in the telephone survey stated that they own all their computers and the
infrastructure. Four of these said that they have past experience of leasing. Nine colleges said they own
most of the computers and infrastructure but also lease some – for example a small number of items
through an EU project. One college does not own its ICT equipment, but uses lease finance to spread the
load as a short-term measure over three years, balancing the higher overall cost against the improvement
45
in cash flow. Another college has a mix of owned and leased equipment – the decision depending on the
market conditions at the time and cash flow.
46
4 Access to ICT
4.1 Student access to ICT

Most colleges are providing ICT facilities for students through a mixture of accommodation: ICT labs;
general-purpose classrooms (on single PCs or laptops with Internet access); open-access ICT centres;
learning resource centres and libraries. However, most colleges appear to be at a critical point in the
balance between the provision of labs and open access. Some colleges are limited in flexibility because of
the size of rooms they would need for sets of up to 20 PCs. Others are limited because of a long-standing
culture of 'ownership' of rooms and PCs. In some very specialised areas this may be unavoidable.
However, colleges are trying to overcome the problems in various ways:
through their accommodation strategy
a policy of redistributing PCs around locations
setting up more open-access areas
generally resisting any increase in the overall number of PCs.
Evidence of low levels of utilisation often justify this last tactic, with the acquisition of more PCs clearly
recognised as poor value for money.
Comments on these issues included several on timetabling and difficulties in finding computers for
students at the times when they need them.
'Yes, there's enough, but we've not got the access right – we need to move to more open access.'
'There's not enough provision for flexible access.'
4.2 Staff access to ICT

'I would like to see more ICT in general-purpose rooms, for example laptops, electronic whiteboard,
data projector.'
Staff access to computers is regarded as generally good – other equipment less so. Many staff think of ICT
as use of a laptop with a data projector. During the college visits, all managers reported having fixed or
portable data projectors available, though for some the number is limited. Managers see demand as high.
Staff themselves want more access to data projectors for use in classrooms. Seven colleges reported
having laptops available for staff to borrowing for use with data projectors. Most staff feel confident
about using data projectors: ten teaching staff interviewed feel comfortable with the technology, one
person does not and one always gets the technicians to set up the equipment because that is the college
system.
Not many classrooms have network points. One of the colleges visited said that every classroom has a
network connection, while two colleges reported very few networked classrooms. The use of display
47
screen technology is limited. There are very few interactive whiteboards and in one of the colleges visited
they are viewed as very expensive luxuries.
The extent of accessibility to PCs in staff workrooms is perceived as more complex than simply aiming for
a ratio of 1:1. The impression of assumed personal 'ownership' of access to an individual PC by individual
teachers can be an inhibitor rather than an enabler. Teaching staff are by definition teaching for large
parts of their time, during which time a PC in a workroom is idle. Additionally staff workrooms are of
varying sizes and some colleges do not necessarily provide one desk per teacher – let alone one PC per
teacher! This issue also relates to provision of PCs in teaching laboratories 'owned' by particular teaching
departments – the downtime, which colleges are now monitoring, can be significant in some areas. Some
colleges are starting to calculate this into their replacement strategies and moving more ICT resources to
centralised or shared facilities.
Other colleges recognise that the kinds of courses in which teachers specialise have meant that
historically some staff have been early and essential users of ICT. Now, as colleges work towards a culture
of ICT use by all, this precedent can also be an inhibitor.
Part-time staff are perceived as having the same entitlement to computer access as full-time staff. In
eleven of the twelve colleges visited, part-time staff are employed directly by the college. In the
remaining college they are employed by an agency
All part-time staff are entitled to the staff development and other activities offered to their full-time
colleagues, though they may not be paid for attending. Five colleges visited (which employ part-time staff
directly) are prepared to pay them to come in. This is especially true in one college where some part-time
staff are of long standing and work significant hours. In another college, part-time staff working more
than seven hours a week are entitled to a staff development review. In yet another college, staff
development is held at an outreach centre in the evenings so that the staff would be available and closer
to home.
For part-time teachers, access to computers in the staff room or classroom is generally the same as for
full-time staff. Indeed, in one college, part-time staff are entitled to a laptop. At one college, permanent
part-time staff have 1:1 computer access. Managers at seven of the twelve colleges visited report that
part-time staff use ICT in their classroom activities.
48
5 Uses of ICT
5.1 Extent and type of ICT use

Colleges indicate that there are pockets of highly skilled use of ICT in teaching and learning among some
teachers – not only in curriculum areas driven by ICT, but also in others. Six of the colleges visited said
that their use of ICT is targeted in particular programme areas, namely: business and management studies
(two colleges), textile and design, IT, care, forestry, music technology, engineering and fashion. Only two
colleges said that ICT is used 'everywhere'. The remaining four qualified their responses with statements
such as 'Some use in all sections', 'Patchy use, mainly in IT courses', 'Not 100% across the curriculum',
'Pockets across the curriculum'. One respondent summed up the situation as, 'The will is to ensure that
ICT goes across the curriculum but the reality is that it is patchy at the moment.'
On the whole, teachers are mostly using ICT in teaching and learning for:
word processing assignments, assessments and handouts
presentation software
spreadsheets and databases
sourcing information on the Internet.
Teaching staff at eleven of the colleges visited said that they use ICT in their teaching: this ranges from
simply using a data projector with presentation software in the classroom to using the Internet, learning
resources on the intranet, a VLE, CD-ROMs and video conferencing. The twelfth interviewee said that she
does not use ICT in the classroom but directs students to particular web sites in their own time. Overall
there is much use of the Internet with students or for their own research and lesson planning.
5.2 e-learning for specialist use

The colleges that are deploying on-line learning use it for specialist courses and/or remote learners. A
number of colleges are at a transitional stage – converting home-grown paper-based materials to on-line
resources, but realising that the next step will be to make these more interactive. The extent to which
colleges are using commercially available on-line learning materials appears to be concentrated in a few
specialised areas.
The greatest evidence of the development of on-line learning and associated materials is where colleges
have developed courses particularly for remote learners – either in specific industrial or commercial fields,
or to enable learning in outreach centres. These more advanced developments also correspond with the
particular colleges' strategies to adopt virtual learning environments.
All the colleges contacted indicated that they now have powerful and robust infrastructure and Internet
connections, which gives all staff and students greater confidence in the reliability and speed of the
network. This is a motivator for getting more involved.
49
Four colleges mention that they have bought in commercial ICT learning materials for core/key skills.
Most have bought in specialised materials for a few curriculum areas. Others have not sourced external
materials. These expressed views such as: there is an absence of good quality materials; the cost of buying
in and updating each year is too high; there are lots of materials available but they have not yet fully
explored the options. Five colleges have a strategy in place for supporting teachers in the development of
on-line learning materials.
5.3 Virtual learning environments (VLEs)

Over half the colleges in the telephone survey either have recently purchased VLEs or are about to, but
most are at an early stage of implementation and piloting. Eight of these colleges say they actually use a
VLE, although they are at different stages of piloting and implementing them. Where VLEs are being
introduced, training programmes in the implementation and use of VLEs are being introduced to
complement the rest of the ICT staff development activity. Those in partnerships with UHI are using
Blackboard. Others are using various products such as Technikal Campus, Doddle, Learnwise and SkillNet.
In the latter case, the college concerned has two learndirect centres, and this gives them not only access
to the VLE but also eligibility to access a range of on-line materials for their students. The Blackboard VLE
was the only one actively used in the colleges visited.
50
6 ICT skills
6.1 Staff skills

The perception of managers in the colleges visited is that the ICT skills of teaching staff are in general
higher than the perception of the staff themselves would suggest. The view management takes of staff
confidence is that confidence varies: 'using IT is one thing, using ICT is another'. 'Some staff are very
confident, with a great improvement over the last five years,' reported one college. Two colleges
highlighted a difference in confidence levels between older and younger staff. One college's view is that
staff development is helping to fill this gap. College managers on the whole tend to measure increasing
staff confidence in terms of demand for data projectors and laptops.
The staff response to the question about confidence is positive, though two said that they feel more
confident now than they have done until recently. Staff reported lacking confidence when using web
sites or software that they do not know well or if they have to set up equipment themselves. Confidence
is also lower where the students themselves are less confident: this may indicate a lack of solid grounding
in IT and ICT knowledge on the part of the staff. One staff interviewee was concerned that although he is
personally confident in using ICT with his students, he is not sure whether they are learning anything.
Staff motivation to make use of ICT also varies considerably. Respondents variously commented on the
presence of 'pockets of resistance', 'reasonable development', 'some use of on-line learning in most
curriculum areas', or said that use 'varies across the college', 'is improving', 'is gradually embedding', or
that 'some people are mad keen, some not at all'.
Basic ICT training is a common strand within in-house staff development programmes. Most training has
been in the use of software such as Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, spreadsheets, e-mail and Internet
browsers. The first areas in which these new skills are apparent in teaching are in PowerPoint
presentations, handouts, assignments or assessments and using Internet information sources. The skills of
most teaching staff in using on-line learning materials with mainstream full-time students are still at an
early stage. Some pockets of more advanced development are evident in the curriculum areas where this
might be expected: multimedia, computing, maths, business and administration.
There is widespread use of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) for staff development, but
there is little staff development in the use and application of ICT to teaching and learning. Of the colleges
in the telephone survey, eight have been using the ECDL over the last 18 months as the vehicle to engage
large numbers of teaching (and administrative/support staff) staff with ICT and its uses. In some colleges
that have set targets for achievement in this area, 75%–80% of teachers have gained the ECDL or are
working towards it. All the colleges visited are using ECDL as the means of raising the basic IT levels of all
staff, or filling in the skill gaps for others. In one college, ECDL is mandatory for all permanent teaching
staff: on completion of the qualification they will receive £150.
All but one interviewee believes that staff development benefits them greatly and appreciate what is on
offer. Views range from 'understanding the relevance of current staff development', to 'ECDL is giving me
51
confidence: I know a lot already but it fills in the gaps' to 'staff development makes you more confident,
more prepared to try new methods'. The final interviewee feels that she has benefited a little but staff
need to be self-motivated. Her college had a locked staff computer room.
Staff at only two of the twelve colleges visited reported receiving any training in using data projectors.
Staff at three colleges had received staff development in the application of ICT to teaching and learning –
in one case this was training in the use of interactive whiteboards.
Two of the colleges in the telephone survey described the use of 'ICT champions' in curriculum areas. One
of the two operates a planned and funded cross-college champions initiative in which eight staff (out of
20 internal applicants) have been charged with the role and receive some remission from their teaching
timetables to undertake the work with colleagues.
A few colleges indicated that pressure of time for staff development and ICT curriculum development is a
problem for teachers. To provide development opportunities, some colleges have adopted ICT staff
development rooms with open access as well as training courses. One college has an education
development unit with two staff to help teachers to develop on-line learning materials. Another college
has a cross-college timetable in which there is no teaching on Friday afternoons and this time is intended
for development work. Yet another college highlights the two-week period at the beginning of the
academic year which is for both planning and development.
6.2 Skills of technical staff

Colleges recognise the constant need to maintain up-to-date skills among technical staff. In some areas
colleges have difficulty in recruiting staff with higher skills. It can be difficult to retain IT desktop
technicians for more than two years, since they usually move on after completing their college in-house
training.
All colleges regard training and staff development for technical staff as an on-going need, which their ICT
strategies generally acknowledge. In late May and early June most colleges were in the process of
updating their ICT strategies, staff development plans and the related budgets. In the absence of ring-
fenced funding, there was some uncertainty about the extent to which colleges would be able to dedicate
the same level of funding to training of technicians and engineers in 2002–3.
However, on the whole colleges were upbeat about progressing further with training – not least because
of the implementation of upgrades or new technology over the summer. For example one college is now
upgrading to Windows 2000. Some colleges emphasised their use of training through the Regional
Support Network or SFEU. Others benefit from their partnership links through UHI. One college is a Cisco
Regional Academy and can utilise this mechanism in-house. Nearly all colleges indicated that they have
taken up some external training courses, as these are essential, if expensive. The types of training
mentioned most frequently were Cisco, Novell Netware, Windows 2000 and Microsoft Certified Engineer
training.
52
In general, ICT skills development is an important part of colleges' staff development plans and the
development of technical staff appears to receive due priority as part of the college ICT strategy. All
interviewees stressed the need to keep up this momentum, since technologies continue to change fast.
However, some colleges are too small to afford specialised expertise of their own, so continue to buy this
in where necessary. All stressed the need to continue in-house training, which includes sharing skills and
self-development. One college spends up to £2,000 every two years on technical books and manuals for
use in training.
6.3 Student skills
Student skills vary, depending on age, experience, school and home usage, but the overall impression is
that students are keen to use ICT in their learning. As well as timetabled usage there is a high demand for
open access. The most common uses are:
word processing for reports and assignments
spreadsheets and databases
information research on the Internet
e-mail.
Usage of ICT in subject specialisms is unevenly spread: ICT is beginning to be incorporated into vocational
courses, although few colleges would claim that this is yet extensive.
One college has introduced the ECDL for students and has adopted a range of further strategies, for
example the Scholar Project, which involves IT in biology, maths, chemistry; the Learning Advocates
Programme which introduces basic IT skills; and community education which offers digital and multimedia
courses. Another college has introduced an IT-entitlement strategy that includes IT literacy and web
literacy for students. This is linked to a development aim of incorporating a percentage of ICT-based
learning on every course. Remote learners who would be unable to access learning by any other means
recognise that ICT has great advantages for them. These students also learn transferable skills through
their communication by e-mail and the chat rooms set up to discuss their learning and progress
Increasingly, college intranets are being made available for students to access additional information and
learning resources updated by their teachers and other staff. Where pilots have been set up for on-line
learning and the students' responses in the evaluations have been positive.
53

2002 Scotland ICT in FE Report

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2002 Scotland ICT in FE Report

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The state of ICT in Scottish FE colleges

The on-line survey facility was provided by Infopoll.

1.2 College computer infrastructure.................................................................................................................... 7

1.3 Access to computers ...................................................................................................................................... 8

1.4 Uses of ICT ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

1.5 Staff skills ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

1.6 Access in the community ............................................................................................................................. 10

2.2 Survey methodology and response........................................................................................................ 11

3.2 Baseline specification................................................................................................................................... 13

3.3 Local area networks ..................................................................................................................................... 15

3.4 LAN performance ......................................................................................................................................... 16

3.5 Internet connectivity.................................................................................................................................... 18

3.6 Constraints on Internet use ......................................................................................................................... 18

4.2 Managing demand for student access ......................................................................................................... 22

4.3 Location of computers for learners ............................................................................................................. 24

4.4 Access for staff ............................................................................................................................................. 24

4.5 Mode of access for staff............................................................................................................................... 25

5.3 Intranet and extranet use ............................................................................................................................ 30

5.4 Virtual learning environments and student records .................................................................................... 31

8.2 Uses of community links .............................................................................................................................. 36

Table 2 Prices for best-buy computer............................................................................................................ 15

Table 3 Connecting sites ................................................................................................................................ 16

Table 4 Network performance....................................................................................................................... 17

Table 5 Bandwidth ......................................................................................................................................... 18

Table 6 Ratio of FTE students to computers .................................................................................................. 21

Table 7 Meeting student demand for Internet access................................................................................... 23

Table 8 Ease of Internet use .......................................................................................................................... 23

Table 9 Ratios of all staff to computers ......................................................................................................... 25

Table 10 Staff access to computers .................................................................................................................. 25

Table 11 Priorities for staff access .................................................................................................................... 26

Table 12 Uses of the LAN/intranet by staff ...................................................................................................... 27

Table 13 Uses of the LAN/intranet by students................................................................................................ 28

Table 14 Uses of the Internet by staff .............................................................................................................. 28

Table 15 Uses of the Internet by students........................................................................................................ 29

Table 16 VLEs in use ......................................................................................................................................... 32

Table 17 Student-record systems ..................................................................................................................... 32

Table 18 Plans for community ICT access ......................................................................................................... 35

Table 19 ICT for learning in the community ..................................................................................................... 36

Chart 2 Change in computer stock ................................................................................................................. 13

Chart 3 Local area network – backbone ......................................................................................................... 16

Chart 4 Network capability to meet demand ................................................................................................. 17

Chart 5 Constraints on increased use of the Internet..................................................................................... 19

Chart 6 Constraints on increased use of the Internet (2001) ......................................................................... 20

Chart 7 Meeting student demand for computers........................................................................................... 22

Chart 8 E-mail access ...................................................................................................................................... 29

Chart 9 Intranet and extranet......................................................................................................................... 31

Chart 10 IT and ICT skill levels .......................................................................................................................... 33

Chart 11 Partnerships in the community .......................................................................................................... 35

1.1 The survey

1.2 College computer infrastructure

Local area networks (LANs)

1.3 Access to computers

Managing demand for computer use

Staff access to computers

Intranet and extranet

Virtual learning environments (VLEs) and student records

1.5 Staff skills

2.2 Survey methodology and response

3.1 College computer stock

1% 4% Baseline spec or better

32% 56% 486 and below

Chart 1 College computer stock

Base = percentage of respondents

Chart 2 Change in computer stock