10 January 2005

North Lanarkshire Education Department Cuts Training Costs With Internet.

North Lanarkshire, one of Scotland's largest Council education departments, is to carry out staff training across the Internet. Lying between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the Authority aims to reduce its travel budgets and improve communications between course participants, professional staff, librarians and technicians by using Marratech web conferencing and collaboration software.

The authority will benefit from improved communications as specialists attend meetings and create discussion forums on the web, using their existing laptops and PCs. An on-line auditorium function will enable group training in and out of school hours from home or office.

Said department IT advisor, Mr Bill Connolly: "Traditional training methods based on staff attending meetings and courses disrupts learning and teaching in the classroom. We looked at video conferencing but wanted a solution which more effectively supports training while significantly reducing the need for staff to attend formal conference sessions.

"The Marratech web based solution was more appropriate as our staff generally have dial-up facilities from home plus their existing office systems, and we can set levels of functionality consistent with connection."

He explained that the authority's first requirement was for a system to support continuing professional development which worked on both Mac and Windows, but which also offered complete functionality. Marratech's interactive whiteboard and application sharing made it ideal for North Lanarkshire's training and support needs.

Initial trials lasted two months and involved groups of up to ten people meeting over the Education Department's wide area network, from home and across the Internet. "It came together like a dream with no technical issues. Full evaluation will take place during the first quarter of 2005 to further assess the solution's impact on school networks and the broadband intranet.

"We will target specific groups such as specialists, librarians and technical support staff, and bring together staff who might otherwise feel isolated. We ultimately want to use Marratech to establish an on-line community environment with other schools to exchange ideas."

By moving their conferencing on-line, staff at North Lanarkshire's 175 secondary, primary and special educational needs schools can look forward to a reduction in the need to travel and attend centralised meetings.

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