Education Recommendations in National Broadband Plan Revealed
Recommendations in the National Broadband Plan on education include upgrading the E-rate program, supporting and promoting online learning and unlocking the power of data to personalize learning and improve decision-making, said Steve Midgley, the FCC broadband team’s education director. He spoke at a Wednesday briefing hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the State Educational Technology Directors Assocation (SETDA).
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The plan would propose increasing flexibility and bandwidth, including things like permitting off-hour community use and setting goals for minimum school and library connectivity, Midgley said. It will also propose supporting more flexibility in infrastructure development like internal connections, he said. Also in the E-rate recommendations would be improving program efficiency, meaning streamlining application process, improving cost efficiency and better data collection, he said. Innovation with pilot programs is critical to support wireless connectivity to devices on- and off-campus, he said. That would begin laying a path towards the future of “anytime, anywhere” education, he said. Improving connectivity at community colleges is critical for job training and workforce development, he said.
Increasing the supply of digital content, promoting digital literacy skills and expanding online learning are key to online learning, Midgley said. The plan would propose developing standards for government-generated content, making federal content digital and simplifying the copyright regime to encourage contributions. Recommendations also include supporting standards for digital skills and removing regulatory barriers such as allowing teacher accreditation harmonization across state lines and course accreditation for online learning via capability or mastery rather than seat-time.
Funding for research and development and investment, particularly multi-year investments, is important, Midgley said. The plan would also encourage adoption of electronic education records, developing standards for financial data transparency and creating an online request for proposals for broadcast service to increase market information. Midgley pointed to gaps that prevent educators from taking full advantage of broadband, including insufficient connectivity, limitations on online learning systems and content and some regulatory barriers.
Karen Cator, the Education Department’s director of education technology, underlined the connection between the plan and the department’s newly released draft of a five-year National Educational Technology Plan. The department’s plan is all about learning, she said. The goal for learning is to ensure all learners have an engaging and empowering learning experience both in and outside of school, she said. The education plan also outlined recommendations to use technology to improve teaching, infrastructure, productivity and assessment, she said. The goal for assessment is about using technology to measure what matters and use assessment data for continuous improvement.
Technology is key to personalized learning, said CCSSO President Susan Gendron, also Maine’s commissioner of education. Schools there took advantage of government funding programs like E-rate, the Universal Service Fund and the stimulus effort to offer in-school connectivity, said Jeff Mao, vice chair of SETDA and Maine’s learning technology policy director. Regulators should be aware of state education technology trends, including rising student expectations, teacher/administrator effectiveness and new models and processes, said Douglas Levin, SETDA executive director.