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technical support and the experiences of curriculum delivery. Encouragingly, application of FITS processes (such as establishing a help-desk function and logging faults) can not only lead to improved relationships between technicians, teaching staff and students, but can also support curriculum innovation by freeing up resources. Whatever the chosen technical support


model it is important to look beyond key performance indicators as the only criteria for measuring, rewarding or punishing performance – as this often results in a barrier to innovation. As an illustration of the value of a true partnership for developing responsive and flexible solutions, one local authority


centred learning portal for the school community;


• Adult Wigan Online: building the confidence of parents and carers of disaffected and excluded young people – enabling them to engage in the young people’s learning; and


• Doncaster North City Learning Centre: supporting local agencies to provide home e-learning for young people at risk of social and educational exclusion and their families.


These and all other case studies can be accessed at the Capital research website (http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/capital/). The final report and a host of supporting


“Leadership occurs on many levels, and it is the conjoined leadership of many rather than one individual that results in the more transformative use of technology for teaching and learning”


investigated in our research (Lewisham) has written an ‘innovation bubble’ into their contract. Despite concerns about technology


increasing exclusion, our research uncovered numerous examples of technologies reducing barriers to learning for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or those facing social or economic exclusion. These case studies illustrate the potential of technology to make learning more widely accessible. They include:


• Ealing City Learning Centre: ICT skills provision for learners aged 60-85-plus;


• RNC Hereford: Talking Tactile Technologies for the visually impaired;


• Portland College: investigating mobile and handheld technologies to support independent living for students with neurological conditions;


• Norwich City College: a physical and virtual learning space for students with an autistic spectrum disorder;


• Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing: supporting vulnerable young people (16- 25 years) through mobile learning;


• Shireland Collegiate Academy: a family-


documentation are also accessible at the site. We found wide variation in the successful


use of technology between contexts, and the factors that determine success are complex. The research illustrates the significant challenges in introducing technologies and encouraging innovation, whilst providing justification – based on successful cases – for taking on these challenges. We believe that understanding the most favourable conditions for the innovative use of technology in learning is the key to progress.


Nick Jeans is Senior Consultant in Learning Technology, Sero Consulting (nick.jeans@ sero.co.uk); Andrew Manches is Post-doctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Children and Learning, London Knowledge Lab (A.Manches@ioe. ac.uk); Eleanor Stokes is an independent research professional and education researcher at the University of Nottingham (eleanorjstokes@ hotmail.com); and Kim Balmer is an independent research professional and education researcher at Sero Consulting (Kim.Balmer@ sero.co.uk).


Details of the work of this project can be found at www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/capital.


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Volume 22, Number 5 January 2011


ISSN: 0955-2308 Designed and typeset by


Prestige Colour Solutions Limited, Leicester Printed in Great Britain by


The Russell Press, Nottingham JANUARY 2011 ADULTS LEARNING 31


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