Study of UK Online Centres
A joint project with the British Educational and Communications Technology
Association (Becta) who received around £80k from DfES for the wider
Metadata for Community Content project. The project brought £30k
to LTRI. The study looked at how networked community learning centres
function and support informal learning within their community.
Duration
February 2002 to October 2002.
Terms of reference
The Becta /DfES Metadata for Community Content project has goals of developing
and delivering metadata to support UK online centres and to improve understanding
of the social context and features of the centres. The study of UK online
centres is aimed at the second of the goals – improved understanding
of the social context of UK online centres and issues around the creating
and exchange of knowledge within and between online community centres.
Pilot study
Following the successful bid to Becta for the project, and due to delays
with funding arrangements the main study started late in March. In order
to get some momentum going and to provide Becta with some early activity
and deliverables, a pilot study was separately funded by Becta to take
place at the end of February and the beginning of March 2002. The aim
of the pilot study was to work broadly and quickly to scope and offer
recommendations for the direction of the main study.
The pilot study produced a scoping report of the following:
- Context of study
- Identification of study aims and key issues
- Context interviews and their analysis
- Recommendations for a set of tasks for the main study
- Recommendations and draft questionnaire for the main study
- Contact list for project members and likely centres to investigate
- Recommendations for use of software for main study analysis and reporting.
Project staff
Principal Investigator: John Cook
Co-investigators: Matt Smith and Andrew Ravenscroft
Publications
Cook, J., Ravenscroft, R., Garnett, F. and Smith, M. (2002). Informal
eLearning Communities: The UK Online Perspective. Paper accepted for International
Conference on Computers in Education. December 2002, Aukland, New Zealand.
Smith, M. and Cook, J. (2002). Progress Report on Study of UK Online Centres.
Submitted to British Educational and Communications Technology Association
(Becta). Learning Technology Research Institute, University of North London,
March 2002.
Reports
Pilot study on progression in UK online centres, March 2003
Executive Summary - download
Word file
Report - download
Word file
Appendices - download
Word file
Final report on UK online project October 2002 (revised November 2002)
Executive Summary - download
Word file
Final Report - download
Word file
Appendices - download
Word file
Progress report on UK online project (June 2002) - view
PDF file of report
For more information about Becta and the wider Metadata for Community
Content project, go to:
http://www.becta.org.uk/
For more information about UKonline centres go to:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ukonlinecentres/
For copies of the above publications or more information about the study
contact John Cook from the details below.
Contact details
John Cook
Learning Technology Research Institute
London Metropolitan University
35 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AA
Email: john.cook@londonmet.ac.uk
Tel : +44 (0)207 133 4341
Fax: +44 (0)207 133 4348
WWW: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri
Last updated
21 December, 2010
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