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Virtual Learning Environments
The virtual reality
H
ow much of your life is lived “virtually”? Do you which uses Capita’s Sims system. “We had conducted a survey
shop in your favourite stores online, socialise on of parents and it confirmed our belief of how little of the
networking sites and read paperless newspapers on information sent home via students actually reached its
screen? If so, you are among the majority who use the intended audience.
internet to give their lives greater flexibility. “We set up an online parent portal that allowed parents
Although we have become used to booking our holidays or with internet access to get up-to-date information about their
doing our banking online – the thought of using the internet to child from home or work by publishing student data direct
get closer to our children’s education is a new one. Most from our management information system (MIS). Since
students are familiar with working in cyberspace already – as launching the portal in September 2007, we have discovered
the majority of schools now have a Virtual Learning that parents like access to a wide variety of information on their
Environment (VLE) – sometimes called a Flexible Learning child’s school life. However, two areas that draw them back
Environment – meaning they can access their timetables, into the site over and over again are information on homework
homework and lesson notes online. and attendance,” he adds.
But now, the Government wants to extend the role of the Attendance is of particular concern to parents for a number
VLE to include parents. Greater frequency and quality of of understandable reasons. Parents need to know that after
communication with parents is a cornerstone of the they say goodbye to their children at the door, they have made
Mark Leighton of Government’s education policy and features in The Children’s
it safely to school. Now that teachers can take electronic
Blatchington Mills Plan, Every Child Matters, Extended Schools, Sure Start and the
registers, parents should be able to see immediately online if
School, which uses Respect Agenda.
their children are in class and more importantly if they are not.
Capita’s Sims system The information that parents want to know about their
Serco – a leading supplier of VLEs has already noted several
children, on their achievement, behaviour and whether they are cases where their online attendance system has led directly to
attending lessons, is already being gathered in schools’ improvements in student behaviour. “Our system allows parents
management information system (MIS). The challenge for to obtain regular updates of information directly from the
schools now is to present it on a timely basis, in a way that school. This has led to many examples where parents have been
parents can understand and gain value from. able to directly improve student behaviour in school, which in
By September 2010, Becta – the Government's ICT partner – turn improves learning. Two such examples are where a mother
expects all schools to be engaging with parents online, giving discovered her son was arriving late to school most days from
them real-time access to achievement, progress, attendance, the online attendance information and where a father restricted
behaviour and special needs information wherever they are and pocket money to his son depending upon the conduct log
whenever they want. Primary schools must meet this real-time reports available online,” says Serco’s Laurie Chivers.
requirement by 2012. Homework can be the bane of many parents’ lives. Having
This is not just about getting parents to visit a school’s to rely on a child’s account of what must be done and when
website, it’s about being able to give them something can be less than ideal. In addition, it can be difficult to know
meaningful when they get there. Reporting achievement, how best to help with today’s homework, which can bear little
attendance, SEN and behaviour information will – the theory resemblance to that remembered from one’s own childhood.
goes – give parents what they need to get more involved in Unfortunately, this can lead to misunderstandings and frayed
their child’s education. More involvement, means more support tempers.
and a child that learns effectively, which is good news all round. Marica Walker, a parent at Blatchington Mill school says,
“Even before Becta announced their deadlines, we were “Where both my daughter and I found (the VLE) useful was if
already exploring how to involve parents more in their child’s she had perhaps not fully understood her homework
school life,” says Mark Leighton of Blatchington Mill School, assignment. Previously it would have been difficult to help, but
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www.education-today.co.uk November 2009
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