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1.0 Executive Summary
2.0 Introduction
3.0 The Seminar Process
3.1 Participants
3.2 Seminar Structure
3.3 Reflections on the Seminar Structure & Processes
3.4 Recommendations for Improving Structure & Processes
4.0 Outcomes
4.1 Foundation Work
4.2 Current Trends & Opportunities
4.3 Objectives of Future Development
4.4 Imagining the Future
5.0 Key Recommendations
6.0 Summary
7.0 Appendices
7.1 List of Delegates
7.2 Recommended Reading
7.3 Interesting Projects & Websites
8.0 References
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides a summary of a seminar organised by Futurelab exploring how ICT can be designed and used to help young learners from minority ethnic backgrounds achieve their full potential.
Statistics show that certain ethnic minority groups are currently underachieving in terms of school standards. In tandem with other initiatives, the DfES is keen to explore how ICT might offer an effective tool in improving the participation, motivation and empowerment of young learners from ethnic minority backgrounds. As a result, the DfES ICT in Schools Division invited Futurelab to organise a seminar to bring together interested stakeholders to examine this issue.
Futurelab was keen to avoid the traditional seminar format and instead chose to experiment with the Futuresearch approach, designed by The New Economics Foundation, which brings together relevant stakeholders to identify common ground and affect change.
The seminar, held in Bristol in May, brought together 50 participants from seven stakeholder groups: teachers, young learners, community educators, content developers, national policymakers, local policymakers and academics. This was the first time such a diverse group - all of whom are passionate about education, ethnic minorities achievement and ICT - have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate.
While there were many lessons to be drawn from the seminar structure and process (as detailed in 3.4 in this report), the event gave rise to a series of specific recommendations (listed in 5.0 in this report) as well as to the formation of a new community committed to affecting change in this area.
One of the key learning points from the seminar is the critical need for improved focus when exploring learning for those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Delegates stressed the need to specify which groups are being addressed; to identify openly the specific educational needs of learners from different backgrounds; and to examine the role of ICT in supporting learning for these groups. There was a consensus among delegates that it was vital to tackle this head-on as continued generalisations would fail to meet the needs of those young learners from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently being excluded by the school system.
It is also important to place any discussion around the potential of ICT into context by acknowledging structural and societal issues that contribute to inequalities. While ICT might be used to empower ethnic minority learners, it is clear that the fundamental questions of equality cannot be addressed simply by the design and implementation of ICT.
Given that further development work addresses these key issues, it is apparent from the recommendations arising from the seminar that effective use of ICTs can enable new approaches to learning that are participatory, inclusive and empowering to all learners irrespective of race, class, ability or age. It is also apparent that ICT has the potential to link together different social groups and communities and to act as a focus around which groups can collaborate. Finally, the seminar confirmed that effective and relevant use of ICTs has the potential to facilitate the development of learning cultures that are playful, creative, exploratory and an enjoyable experience for all.
The proposed recommendations and actions emerging from the seminar include the creation of a knowledge management system, the development of stronger home-school links, further training and support for teachers, guidance for content developers, a mobilisation of technology companies to support education and a commitment to further research.
Futurelab and the seminar participants look forward to the DfES response to the proposed recommendations as detailed in the following report.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
In March 2003, the DfES ICT in Schools division invited Futurelab to hold a seminar examining how ICT might raise school standards and improve motivation among young ethnic minority learners. With its core remit 'to partner with the creative, technology and educational communities in pioneering ways of using digital technologies to enrich and transform the learning experience', Futurelab was ideally placed to organise a seminar on this issue.
Futurelab was keen to avoid the traditional seminar format that tends to invite the same representatives and can result in the same, predictably safe outcomes. Instead Futurelab wanted to break new ground by including a wide range of stakeholders with a passionate interest in the subject who might not always been included in such debates. Futurelab also wanted to bring these people together in a format that supported debate and collaboration rather than simply the delivery of set presentations.
As the seminar was required to take place within a very short timeframe, Futurelab sought the input of external facilitators. The Futuresearch approach, designed by The New Economics Foundation, was recommended as a method of bringing together representatives from interested stakeholder groups to explore, collaborate and affect change on a specific issue. This seemed an ideal format for a seminar topic which was of direct concern to a variety of stakeholder groups who did not generally have an opportunity to work together.
On Futuresearch's recommendation, a steering group was convened to help guide the development of the seminar programme and to propose participants. Some members of the steering group were concerned that the seminar aimed to address all ethnic minority groups rather than focusing on a specific group. Others felt that there was value to be drawn from exploring the overarching issues around how ICT can support the teaching and learning of ethnic minority groups.
Some members of the steering group expressed concern that the seminar focused purely on ICT rather than addressing some of the wider socio-economic issues. However it was agreed that, while it was important to recognise some of the fundamental issues contributing to inequalities, the seminar would be more effective in looking specifically at the role of ICT in teaching and learning.
It was agreed that the seminar should proceed with the topic 'how can we transform the way ICT is designed and used to support young learners from ethnic minority groups to achieve their full potential' acting as a useful starting point for further discussion and action. Despite some reservations about the focus, the steering group generally agreed that the event should proceed on May 14-16 in Bristol, employing the Futuresearch approach.
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