[Technical] Ultranet

Sat Apr 30 10:08:49 EST 2005

Hi Stephen,

Why don't you get in touch with both:

a) Daryl for an overview of the future (he was very helpful when being the
"IT AP" at Glen Waverley SC)
b) some of the LTCs at the pilot schools for a rhetoric-free, coalface view
of the progress so far.

Cheers,
Clarky

  _____  

From: tech-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:tech-bounces at edulists.com.au] On
Behalf Of Stephen Digby DEET
Sent: Friday, 29 April 2005 11:31 AM
To: ultranet at edumail.vic.gov.au
Cc: Kelly, Mark; BOR; CRK; edulists.com.au Tech; Gesthuizen,Roland; SAN
Subject: [Technical] Ultranet

How is it going ?  Any update ?  Have found ......

 <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp>
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp  and

http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/projects/ultranet/

Interested conceptually :

*	are you writing applications in all areas mentioned as a singlke
integrated product OR 

*	are you interfacing existing database applications (e.g Timetabler,
Markbook, First Class etc) within an Oracle framework

Interested practically

*	ETA for rollout of "Beta tested" stable product 

*	Likely pricing structure/ approach

These questions are very important to many schools who are researching,
experimenting and even developing software in this area when perhaps they
should be leaving this area alone until the ultranet project bears fruit.  
Duplication of effort and re-invention of the wheel remain the two most
costly budget items in the education.  Wherever we can reduce them, we allow
other fruit to ripen.

Thanks

==================================
Stephen Digby, Learning Technology Manager
 <mailto:digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au>
digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au
Cheltenham Secondary College
 <http://www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au/> www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au
Ph: 613 955 55 955  Fx: 9555 8617
==================================

Students at Centre Ultranet

 <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#background> Background
|  <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#objectives>
Objectives |  <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#benefits>
Benefits |  <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#functions>
Functions |  <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#schools>
Schools in the Project |
<http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#updates> Project Updates
|  <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#contact> Contact 

Background 

The Victorian Department of Education and Training is undertaking a joint
Research and Development Initiative with the Oracle Corporation to help
support a number of the key flagship strategies outlined in the Minister's
Blueprint for Government Schools. Specifically, the Research and Development
Initiative aims to produce the prototype for a student centric system that
supports teaching and learning, curriculum delivery and the management of
knowledge in Victorian schools. The prototype, to be known as the Ultranet,
will be based on Oracle's L360 design and provide the functionality of the
Glen Waverley Secondary College intranet. The Ultranet will be developed and
tested in twelve Primary and Secondary schools (to be known as R&D Schools)
over a 12 month period to provide the information required for the
implementation and evaluation of the prototype solution in a range of school
settings. Phase 1 implementation is scheduled for July 2005 and Phase 2 in
January 2006. 

*	 <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/docs/background_paper.doc>
Background Paper (Word - 163Kb) 

*
<http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/docs/what_is_the_ultranet.ppt> What
is the Ultranet Powerpoint (PPT - 296Kb) 

 <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top> Back to Top

Objectives 

Victoria has been a world leader in the provision of technology to
government schools. Several initiatives undertaken by the Department of
Education and Training have been essential in developing schools' and
teachers' capacity to engage with ICT. The challenge is to now shift the
focus from one of peripheral engagement and supply to holistic intent and
demand; to provide an ICT framework that allows the whole school community
to engage with learning in ways not previously possible; to foster a culture
of collaboration and sharing. 

The Ultranet provides the fabric upon which organisational intelligence can
be created. One of the ways by which this is accomplished is by building a
rich picture of the student, tracking his/her progress from class to class,
year to year and school to school. The development of this longitudinal
record is an essential part of the Ultranet. 

 <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top> Back to Top

Benefits 

Students can access their classroom activities and resources from anywhere
at anytime. There is greater opportunity for collaboration, reflection and
personal interaction with their teacher. There is a greater emphasis on
their learning and more opportunity to reflect upon their progress. 

Teachers are provided with a better understanding of their students. They
are able to collaborate far more effectively with their colleagues and there
is greater transparency. This fosters an environment where programmes are
continuously improved and extended, where the knowledge base of teachers is
captured, organised, shared and utilized so that it incrementally builds the
organisation's knowledge base. 

Parents gain a much richer and timely insight into their children's
progress. They do not need to wait until parent-teacher night or for an end
of semester report to receive feedback on how their child is progressing.
They can log on to follow the activities and the interactions with teacher
and peers that their child is undertaking at school. 

Schools have the capacity to readily identify students in an at risk
situation and design appropriate interventions as the Ultranet integrates
data from a range of sources. Schools have access to real-time and
longitudinal data that enables them to effectively monitor, measure and
evaluate the impact of their programmes. 

The School System will also have accurate and real-time data on: student
attendance and achievement; time spent in key learning areas; courses and
activities undertaken in schools; extent of teacher engagement with
professional development and the use of digital resources. This data will
facilitate strategic planning allowing for more informed allocation of
resources to support system wide objectives. 

 <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top> Back to Top

Functions 

The Ultranet will build organisational intelligence and assume the central
focus for how all 'business' is conducted in schools. It is not about
'online learning' or 'content management'. It will integrate the key
processes involved in the day to day running of a school and a classroom. It
will redefine the nature and purpose of all interactions between members of
the school community. It will support teaching and learning, particularly
Flagship Strategy 1 - Student Learning. It will provide functionality in
areas of classroom and school administration, exploiting the synergy between
the two. Specifically the Ultranet will provide functionality in the
following areas: 

*	Professional Development 

*	Attendance and Roll Marking / Excursions 

*	Timetabling / Daily Organisation 

*	Bookings and Lists 

*	Notifications / Messaging 

*	Course and Lesson Planning 

*	Assessment and Feedback 

 <http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top> Back to Top

Schools in the Project 

S at C Research and Development Schools 

*	Ringwood Secondary College 

*	Koonung Secondary College 

*	Balwyn High School 

*	St Albans Meadows Primary School 

*	Debney Park Secondary College 

*	Fitzroy North Primary School 

*	Noble Park Special Developmental School 

*	McKinnon Secondary College 

*	Ormond Primary School 

*	McKinnon Primary School 

*	Murrumbeena Primary School 

*	Valkstone Primary School 

Project Updates

28 February 2005 

The project is well underway with Oracle in the process of developing
software for a staged implementation of Ultranet functions into the 12 pilot
schools. DE&T has initiated a professional learning program for the pilot
schools and a privacy impact statement for the project has commenced. 

Consultants engaged from Melbourne University are in the planning stages of
an extensive evaluation of the pilot, which will inform DE&T as to whether
there is a compelling enough case to secure resources for a public tender to
deploy the Ultranet in all schools.

Contact

For further information email  <mailto:ultranet at edumail.vic.gov.au>
ultranet at edumail.vic.gov.au 

 <http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/index.htm> McKinnon Secondary College

Ultranet

In 2004, McKinnon Secondary College and its cluster schools were chosen to
trial the Ultranet project. Involving wireless ICT and new intranet
software, the project is led by Darrell Fraser, Assistant Secretary to
Schools in Victoria.

McKinnon Secondary College and its partner Primary Schools have been
selected to trial this new government initiative which will streamline many
administrative practices and greatly improve the use of IT in classroom
teaching and learning. McKinnon Secondary College will have a wireless
network, with teachers and students having access to the internet and our IT
network everywhere in the college. 

The trial will begin in earnest in semester two, and we will be attending
regular briefings over
the first half of the year. We hope to devote our cluster conference day in
May to preparation for this exciting initiative.

More details of the project will be given when they are known. The project
is due to commence in June 2005.

Ultranet innovation for teaching and learning (From The Education News) 

Twelve Victorian government primary and secondary schools will be involved
in a major research and development 

(R&D) initiative that aims to produce the prototype for a student-centric
system that supports teaching and learning, curriculum delivery and the
management of knowledge in Victorian schools. 

The Department of Education & Training (DE&T) and software company the
Oracle Corporation have been working together to produce a prototype - to be
known as the Ultranet - that will combine features of a school Intranet,
learning management system and student administration system. It will also
link to other information systems such as school timetabling software and
DE&Ts CASES21 system. 

The Ultranet will integrate many administrative tasks, online roll marking,
course and lesson planning, assessment and feedback, and enable access to
students, parents and teachers. 

DE&T Deputy Secretary of the Office of School Education (OSE) Darrell Fraser
said a number of schools, including McKinnon Secondary College, Ormond,
Valkstone, and McKinnon primary schools, Debney Park Secondary College and
Noble Park Special Development School would be involved in the pilot. 

"Many schools are experimenting with their own [ICT] frameworks and have
done some very impressive work in utilising technology to inform learning,"
he said.

"However, this project aims to build a product that provides an ICT
framework that allows the whole school community to engage with learning in
ways not previously possible." 

Mr Fraser this week joined principals from the R&D schools to detail the
initiative and the potential benefits for the Victorian government school
system. He said the benefits of such an initiative were varied. 

"The Ultranet has the capacity to revolutionise how we work in schools. It
aims to simplify many administrative tasks as well as enhance cooperation
and collaboration between teachers, students and parents. 

"Over time, a picture of individual students is developed, which maintained
as students move fit class to class, between year levels and from school to
school. 

"This means that schools, clusters, regions and the Department will have
much richer longitudinal information." 

The prototype testing, development and evaluation with the pilot schools
will take place over 18 months and will inform possible system-wide roll
out.

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