Acorn News - Acorn Backs OILS Standard (PR??/11.1.95)

Acorn Backs OILS (Open Integrated Learning Systems) Standard

Shows SIR's Global OILS Management System & Learning Software

11 January 1995

Acorn Computers, the leading supplier of computers to schools, is showing an Integrated Learning System (ILS) at BETT 95, developed in conjunction with Systems Integrated Research (SIR), the UK leader in ILS systems. The exhibition will see the first viewing of the Acorn RISC OS versions of SIR's Global OILS Management System, Global English, and Global Languages curriculum software, all of which will feature in Phase 2 of the National Council for Educational Technology ILS trials next month. Acorn is currently working with SIR to develop the potential of the Acorn Pocket Book within the ILS concept as well as a much wider range of OILS compliant learning software.

Acorn is backing the UK Open Integrated Learning Systems (OILS) standard, of which the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) is the custodian, and which has the support of most of the leading British educational hardware and software suppliers. Acorn is taking this route in order to ensure that the ILS systems and software which are developed in the UK will integrate with schools' existing technology investments and will meet the changing needs of the UK curriculum. Many of the developers which produce software for Acorn systems are now preparing OILS compliant learning products.

Roger Broadie, Strategic Marketing Manager for UK Education, comments:

"There is huge potential for the future development of ILS to provide even better support for teachers and students and to extend learning opportunities - the positive results we have seen so far are only the tip of the iceberg. Acorn is already exploring the potential of ILS running on personal IT tools like the Acorn Pocket Book, and for use in distance and home-based education, both learning environments in which teachers will require access to information on the activity of learners more than ever before. By working on projects of this kind with leading industry players like SIR, Acorn intends to develop world-class products for UK education and to be a driving force in the development of the ILS market."

Integrated Learning Systems typically enable curriculum software to be run on a network of classroom computers, with pupils guided to use learning units which match their individual ability and which feed back to the pupils while they work, and with reporting of the individual pupil's performance to the teacher. An ILS system consists of a delivery management system, which runs on a fileserver presenting the learning software and recording, diagnosing, and reporting pupils' work, and a set of learning software units running on the individual pupils' workstations.

Typically, each pupil spends approximately 30 minutes a day on the system. The system allows pupils to work at their own pace and, by helping them to work independently while tracking their progress, promotes personal responsibility for learning and increases motivation. It also handles some of the mundane tasks previously done by teachers, enabling them to spend more quality time with pupils. Early reports from the preliminary NCET ILS trials have demonstrated substantial learning gains and behavioural improvements.

Global OILS Management System

A fully compliant RISC OS software package offering:

Provision of planning, guidance and control over the access which students and teachers have to the computer-based learning material and software on the system, including allocation of start and finish dates.
Monitoring and recording student activity and progress, providing standard and custom reports on student/group performance and achievement for both student and teacher.
Support for the teacher in managing the system learning resources, including the ability to modify existing material and create new units.

Global English - Reading Development with Listening and Spelling

Global English is an interactive teaching supplement for National Curriculum English, developed in conjunction with leading educational consultants. The package uses multimedia technology to maximum effect in order to maintain student motivation and give clear guidance. The whole range of reading, spelling and listening skills are covered by eight sections, including: Word Links; Spelling Bank; Sentence Patterns; World of Words; Arts & Life; Read, Write and Remember; and Active Listening and Active Reading.

Global Languages - French, German, Italian, Spanish

The Global Language series offers an interactive multimedia boost to language skills up to GCSE level. Each language package has five different learning exercises, utilising listening, reading and speaking skills, with different themes at each of three levels to make learning interesting and fun. Students can record and compare their own speech with real spoken French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Founded in 1978, with 1993 revenues of £54.3m, Acorn Computers is the premier supplier of IT solutions to UK education and has been the world's first supplier of low cost 32 bit RISC based personal computers since 1987. Acorn works closely with a strong community of industry partners, users and software developers to provide innovative technology solutions for the education, consumer, publishing and international markets.

Acorn Computer Group plc is the holding company for Acorn Computers Limited, Acorn Australia, Acorn New Zealand, Acorn GmbH and Online Media. Acorn Computer Group owns 43% of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. Online Media, a division of the Acorn Computer Group, was launched in 1994 with the mission to design world class, interactive multimedia products.