An introduction to the e-Learning Planning Framework online tool

If your school is in the situation of being able to use the online version of the e-Learning Planning Framework, a few things to bear in mind are – why you might bother to use the framework and to conduct a self-review in this way? First of all, it allows every member of staff, and learners, and members of your whānau and community to have a voice, and have a say as part of the review. And the way the online tool works is that it, allows really rich capture of a huge amount of data, which will be a great starting point for conducting a self-review. Because people can complete it at anytime, it offers flexibility and an inclusive approach so that everybody can get involved with the self-review. It doesn't all have to be done at a single time or place.

If you're about to take the online survey or to answer some questions based on the e-Learning Planning Framework using the online tool, here are a few things to bear in mind before you get started. First of all the process is anonymous. It should take between 30 and 40 minutes to work through depending on how many comments you choose to leave. Two more things to bear in mind is that it's really useful once each of you as an individual begins to complete the responses in one hit. It's also important to bear in mind that as you begin the survey, you'll be promted to email a PIN number to yourself. Don't forget to do that, you'll be able to access your information for your own inquiries at a later date once you've completed the process. 

As you work through the survey, here are one or two things for you to bear in mind, first of all as you work through, it may feel a little bit repetitive at times. There might be questions where you think, I've just completed this question, it's asking for the same information again. The survey asks for two points of view, your own as an individual and also your view of the school as a whole. And both types of information are really important to help evidence based decisions get made once all the information is in. So even though there are questions that may feel familiar, answer them both. It will be very clear whether you're being asked for your own view or for your view on the school as a whole. Secondly, schools have found that the most useful types of information that they've received from the survey are when staff have taken some time to add comments. So if there are questions where you're unsure of something or you have a strong view on something where you feel the leadership really needs to know about a particular aspect of your practice or what's going on around the school, do take time to leave a brief comment as well.

The survey is not a yes no response as such, you will be given a series of statements and consider to yourself whether they are a best-fit for what you know to be true for yourself or for the school. The more that the statement feels like a best-fit, the more you can indicate that you agree. The less it feels like a best-fit then move the slider towards disagree. If you're unsure of whether something is happening in the school or if you're just unsure of the statement generally and what it might mean move the slider down towards disagree and that will begin to highlight areas where the school perhaps needs to explore some ideas in more detail.

Once everybody in the school community, leaders, teachers, learners, members of the wider whānau and iwi have had an opportunity to share their responses to the e-Learning Planning Framework, whether it's the paper version or the online tool, it's worth going into Enabling e-Learning on TKI again to have a look at the resources and the supports that are there. Enabling e-Learning is organised around the five dimensions of the Framework and provides an invaluable resource for schools that are looking to support and foster e-capability across their community. Equally the Virtual Learning Network, the VLN groups have a number of areas and discussion threads to support staff and leaders as they begin to focus on particular priority areas as highlighted by the Framework. So good luck with completing your school's review and do stay in touch with those wider resource networks that are available for you.