The BESA research analyses the views and experiences of current users of learning platforms, along with identifying those that have not implemented a learning platform and the reasons why. The results showed that only 42 per cent of primary school teachers currently use learning platforms and 22 per cent of primary schools have no plans to implement one. The initiative has fared better with secondary schools, with 67 per cent using a learning platform in 2009 and a further 29 per cent that will implement the platforms later this year. Only four per cent of secondary respondents to the BESA survey stated that they do not plan to make use of a learning platform in the future.
Ray Barker, director of BESA explains: "The results of BESA's research show that significantly fewer primary schools are aware of the learning platform policy compared to secondary schools. Also, 36 per cent of primary school deputy head teachers feel that it is not important to have a learning platform by the 2010 deadline, compared to only five per cent of secondary school deputy heads. 25 per cent of primary deputy heads and 11 per cent of secondary stated that while learning platforms are important, they are not likely to reach the target. This is easier to understand when you consider that secondary schools have been longer implementing this technology."
Although learning platform targets are unlikely to be met by many schools, the research by BESA did show that there has been a significant year-on-year increase in the number of schools adopting the new technology. In primary schools figures have doubled each year, growing from 6 per cent of schools before 2007 to 42 per cent in 2009, while in secondary 67 per cent of schools now use a learning platform, up from 16 per cent prior to 2007.
