Education

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a core component of learning and teaching in today’s modern curriculum. Austerity measures placed upon Local Authorities has meant that continued investment in new school owned equipment is likely to decrease as budgets get tighter. As a result, exploring how innovative and creative solutions can address the shortfall is essential if the same benefits of increased ICT access are to be offered to future learners.
Our solution designed to address this challenge, Learning On The Move ("LOTM") could be the answer in helping to address the funding shortfall and also help to bridge the “digital divide” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8568681.stm.

CPU’s expertise helps Schools & Universities introduce laptop finance schemes that enable all pupils, not just those with affluent parents, to bridge the gap between school and home learning by providing an inclusive provision through their learning establishment. We bring clarity where confusion exists by providing a seamless and transparent scheme for parents and carers that is both cost effective and fully inclusive of software, support and maintenance; offering peace of mind and excellent value for money.

LOTM focuses on students' needs - that their laptop must be more than just an educational tool if they are to perceive a benefit in participating in the scheme.
We achieve this, first and foremost, by encouraging it to be utilised as a vital educational resource centre - providing access to school/university and a host of other learning resources. Secondly the provision must ensure that it is an enabler for their social networking and access to their leisure pursuits, so as to offer genuine appeal. This is crucial, given that in today's connected world, a student's laptop is considered as a gateway for communication, networking and entertainment with their peers.

With the line between ICT use in school and the home blurring and as Web 2.0 technologies are incorporated into Learning and Teaching, offering a personal device such as a laptop encourages students to take a positive attitude to their education and take control of their learning needs. This is an important point given that for many, the ICT equipment in the school is only accessible for seven hours a day, worse still only term time.
Parents and carers have important needs too. After all, if they are going to commit their hard earned cash into any ICT resource, - their child's laptop must be utterly reliable, cost-effective and fully featured with the necessary educational, security and e-safety software to make for a safe, hassle-free ownership experience. Furthermore, if a laptop is lost, damaged or stolen, they need the reassurance of a Lloyds insurer standing behind them to put things right, in an efficient and timely manner.

Fulfilling all of these requirements can be costly and complex to facilitate, often difficult to arrange for someone who is not necessarily IT savvy. CPU addresses this by providing a central conduit “or one stop shop” through its hub, GENIE to make it all happen – simply.
Building on our experience of designing the first inclusive student laptop programme for the Higher Education Market in 2001, we have developed the LOTM scheme to ensure that it remains the UK's leading Learning On The Move scheme facilitator in the schools arena too.

When you are reviewing laptop acquisition schemes available in the market, it is equally essential to consider what a “similar” scheme may not be providing. The overall cost of the scheme needs to be measured against the quality and appropriateness of the products. All those goods and services offered through the LOTM scheme are reviewed for their suitability in both the educational and home environment; all being underpinned by systems, processes and support to help IF things go wrong.

For  Educators

LOTM is a scheme that helps to provide an fully inclusive ICT laptop programme that ensures all students involved gain from 24x7x365 access to ICT resources rather than being limited to accessing ICT when in school. Given that many children are still deprived from the benefits of ICT in the home http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12075057, the LOTM scheme could be an innovative way to provide access and address budget pressures.

With access to computers in school still being rationed despite a very significant and sustained investment by Local Authorities, choosing to offer the LOTM programme may help in increasing ICT access exponentially with a reduced cost to the school. This may seem impossible to achieve, but by using future ICT budgets to partially fund the LOTM scheme and create the infrastructure necessary to accommodate such 3rd party devices this can be achieved. Whilst a Business Manager may look at this carefully in order to reduce budgetary pressures, It’s important to remember that any investment in ICT devices installed in schools today only allows for those resources to be used for 19% of the year.Clearly this is not the most efficient use of a limited budget, especially if that investment could go four times further if allocated to an LOTM programme.

Learning platforms and other Web 2.0 technologies offer genuine potential in enriching and enhancing curriculum delivery, offering improved engagement opportunities for even the most fickle learner. Extending access and availability to invaluable resources, protected by advanced e-safety systems will ensure that students are encouraged to remain on task when required to do so and also protected as they develop their ICT expertise. If you choose to deploy an LOTM programme, you will help ensure that all of your students have access to the ICT resources that you offer, as and when they choose to access them. ·Empowerment is important, an inclusive approach helps you to facilitate it.

The hidden benefits

For educators

Imagine all students having access to personal ICT resources in all lessons? Pervasive ICT brings benefits to almost all aspects of today’s curriculum and using a technology that is second nature to most 10 year olds will offer a compelling attraction for most curriculum managers. By taking an inclusive approach when looking at your ICT strategy, you can help ensure that no student gets left behind, regardless of their personal circumstances.

For ICT strategists

From a technologist’s perspective, using a well thought out scheme such as LOTM, parents are provided with a limited but attractive portfolio of devices that are designed to be managed with “enterprise computer management” in mind. Rather than a network manager having kittens at the thought of having to deal with disparate, configurations, they can be safe in the knowledge that enterprise security, antivirus and e-safety systems can be deployed and managed easily, along with the early notification technologies that can warn of impending device failure so that warranty arrangements can be utilised to ensure minimal adverse impact on curriculum delivery.

For School Leaders

From a Senior Leader’s perspective, LOTM offers the opportunity to provide an inclusive ICT resource program that can help improve efficiencies in terms of budget utilisation and increase Value for Money return on investment. Making limited finances go further in times of austerity is essential; increasing inclusion and an enriched curriculum is a most welcome outcome when using Learning On The Move from CPU.