Einstein Technology & Human Resource Audit

Each school or group that wishes to join or is considering to do so is asked to take the time to self-administer a brief ‘technology and human resources’ audit. The goal is to make a quick first determination of the school’s suitability for participation in the Beta Test phase of the Basque Global Laboratory Curriculum in 1996/97.

The audits are designed to be easy to do and entirely self-administered. The following represents the first draft of the guidelines that have been developed to guide the audit. It is intended at this point for comment and further development, with a view to a first set of trial runs of the audit beginning in December of this year.

Contents:

1. Introduction

A secondary advantage of the audit is that it provides the school with a basis for thinking about its New Learning and Information Society programs more generally. Since computers and telecommunications are, for better or worse, going to be a major part of the new education curriculum in virtually all of our schools, the resource audit therefore appears to us to be a handy thing to carry out under any circumstances.

These guidelines are now available in draft form in both English and Basque. In the drafts ample room is left for you to record your comments and suggestions, which we hope you will fax or email to us at the addresses indicated on the last page below. The first Beta Test audits are being carried out in close contact with the Einstein team, with a view to making real time adjustments as conditions suggest or warrant. When completed the results can be reviewed in conference with the school team and the local Einstein team, as a first step toward making decisions about what might best be done next.

2. Related Curriculum & Activities

At first view, many of the Einstein sub-programs may give the impression of being for the most part technology-driven. But this is not at all the case. In these projects and activities, computer and telecommunications technologies are seen not as ends in themselves but as mediating devices, and in particular as instruments which can fa-cilitate the transition to new approaches to learning, education, and personal development.

As a firm reminder of this, we suggest that the Resource Audit begin with a quick review of the school’s or place’s related activities and interests. Here are the sorts of questions that we suggest can be usefully considered in opening up the auditing exercise:

• Does the school presently offer any programs or classes that relate to the Global Lab skills and topics (for example, environmental studies programs)?
• Would the Einstein programs you are considering compete with or complement these on-going or planned activities?
• Does the school make active use of field trips and site studies such as the GLC uses?
• Are inter-disciplinary courses and projects accepted?
• Are there regional or national programs that support such courses or activities?
• Do you foresee any problem if students build their own scientific instruments and use them to monitor the conditions in their environment?

3. Learning Disabilities/Limitations

• What proportion of the students have reading or learning disorders such as dyslexia, auditory problems, attention deficit disorders, etc.
• Are there special remedial programs for these?
• Do any of these involve computers, more innovative media, etc.?
• Has any attempt been made to give students with behavioral problems some kinds of possibly privileged access to computers and other kind of alternative learning envi-ronments?
• Are there any faculty members, administrators, nurses, parents or community groups with particular interests in these areas who might wish to consider some modest test programs in these areas?

4. Computer hardware

Computers have been brought into our schools in many places since the late 1970’s, often in considerable numbers. Today they are used for a variety of administrative functions, as well as for research and class support. Many schools have computer labs in one form or another, usually places in which computer skills are taught, more often than not however with only minimal if any relationship to the rest of the curriculum. The audit should make an attempt to identify every computer with reference to the following criteria:

• Type: (IBM PC, Mac, other, including portables.)
• Specifications: (OS, RAM, HD, video/color capability,
• Peripherals: (Video, sound, scanners, input devices, etc.)
• Age and condition:
• Where located:
• Used by whom/for what (educational, administrative):
• Approximate number hours used/week: days/year:
• Conditions of availability and access:
• Who provides maintenance?
• Approximate local price of new installation in support of GLC?
• Plans for new acquisitions?
• What does school do with old computers?
• Is there a plan or program for student purchase at good prices?
• Can community use computer facilities when not used by students?

5. Software & Supporting Learning Materials

• Main programs, version numbers and year of purchase?
• Used by whom, for what?
• Does school make effort to ensure that manufacturers’ license agreements are fully respected?
• Does school belong to a consortium of computer users for group purchase, support?
• What is done with old programs that are no longer used?
• Would school be willing to give older software to other, less advantaged users?

6. Telecommunications

• Number and type of phone lines coming into the school?
• ISDN?
• Cable?
• Fiber optics?
• Availability in class rooms?
• Internet access?
• World Wide Web access?
• Use of the above?
• Time and cost for installing new lines? (of each main type)
• Does local phone company provide technical support, training or special prices for school?

7. Other Related Hardware

• Scientific and testing instruments that might be useful in support of school’s Global Lab field projects?
• Is television used as an instructional tool in any of the courses? Which ones and how?
• Learning and instructional programs involving video or audio cassettes?
• Learning in which the use of media plays an important role
• Other forms of "distance education"?

8. Human Resources

• Teacher skill levels?
• Teacher attitudes and role expectations (including openness to new pedagogical models)?
• Training programs for teachers and administrators?
• Who has taken the lead in developing such programs thus far?
• Is interest likely to be confined to science teachers and courses alone?
• Or can social sciences, the arts and other teachers and courses be persuaded to participate as well?
• Student skill levels
• Parent skills and capabilities?
• Home use of computers?
• Technical backup and support from outside the school (neighboring universities, business groups, local government, etc.)?
• Who is going to provide the necessary leadership?

9. Financial Resources & Support

It is often claimed that not much can be done with these new technologies because they are simply too expensive for schools that already have enough financial problems of their own. In point of fact, this may or may not be true. The range of learning and remedial programs that Einstein encompasses can often find funding and support in other places than the traditional educational budget. Then again, it may be possible to do a lot more than you might think with relatively little money. In any event a very careful and highly imaginative look at the financial side is much recommended.

• Who pays for the above hardware, software, and services?
• Routines for purchasing new hardware, software, support services?
• Is additional financial support available for any of the Einstein programs ? From whom?
• Is it possible that there may be yet other sources of financial support, equipment, etc. that are worth looking into?
• Is local government a potential partner?
• Who locally might be a source of additional (used) equipment?
• Are their parents or parent groups that might be interested in helping such a program along? How?
• Computer clubs or user groups who might be interested to help out?
• Local businesses, institutions of higher education or training, foundations, banks, etc., prepared to help?

10. For further information & comment

In the Basque Country & Spain:

For Global Labs generally:

For Einstein in Europe & International:

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