Scottish Virtual Advisory Service

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Scottish Virtual Advisory Service

• Tommy Doherty
• National Coordinator
• September 2008

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Reasons for creating VAS

• Value of the role of a specialist adviser
• Shift of emphasis by local education authorities
  - challenge not support
• Research evidence shows the need for advisers
• The emergence of the need for integrated service
  provision
• Curriculum for Excellence

Learning and Teaching Scotland
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Why Now?

• Implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
  generates support needs
• Significant change in the composition of the
  teaching force across the UK - need to provide
  CPD
• Need to design educational provision to suit the
  needs of learners creates demands on teachers
• Major development of the tools of the trade,
  especially ICT

Learning and Teaching Scotland
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How can this be delivered?

• The creation of a robust online service
• Use the emerging Glow network to deliver it
• Ensure that advisory staff possess quality,
  credibility and experience

Learning and Teaching Scotland
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Why LTScotland?

• LTS is in prime position to deliver a major
  national initiative on the required scale
• Vital to have ability to access the range of
  resources required, particularly ICT
• The challenge is enormously varied and affects
  every part of Scotland in one way or another

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LT Scotlands Remit

• Promotion of a climate of innovation, ambition
  and excellence throughout the Scottish education
  system
• Support for teachers, schools and local
  authorities to improve the quality of education
  and raise levels of achievement of all learners
• Ensuring that the curriculum and approaches to
  learning and teaching, including the use of ICT,
  assist children and young people in Scotland to
  develop their full potential
• Work in partnership with Scottish Government and
  other key stakeholders to build capacity and
  support the delivery of a first class education
  that is recognised as such nationally and
  internationally.

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Virtual Advisory Service

• Plans to deliver on each of these aims in order
  to have a major impact on the quality of the
  teaching and learning process in all
  establishments

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How It Works

• Each user has username and password (GLOW link)
• Simple system allowing search for QA plus
  discussion forums
• Advisers Support Officers to provide advice
• 72 hour turnaround time on questions
• Questions and answers added to database
• Participants contribute to evaluation as they use
  system
• Summative evaluation for all participants.

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Timescale (Phase 1)

• National Coordinator to manage project (June
  2006)
• Steering Group (Oct 2006)
• Preparations and training (Dec 2006 - Jan 2007)
• Pilot Phase (Feb - March 2007)
• Evaluation (Feb - June 2007)
• Review/Improvement (June - Sept 2007)

Learning and Teaching Scotland
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Pilot Phase 1

• Science, Numeracy and Literacy
• 3 - 18
• 4 Authorities
• 100 volunteer teachers to test run the project
• 6 Advisers Support Officers
• Project Administrator (LTS staff)
• Evaluation throughout pilot summative
• Report by evaluator (June 2007)

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Pilot Phase 2

• As Phase 1, but also
• Social Subjects, Modern Languages, Creative
  Aesthetic, Technologies
• 8 new Authorities
• 350 volunteer teachers to test run the project
• Larger team of Advisers Support Officers
• Report by evaluator (June 2008)

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Timescale (Phase 2)

• Aug 2007 - June 2008
• Recruitment (from Aug 2007)
• Training (Sept - Feb 2008)
• Operation of site (Nov 2007 - April 2008)
• Review and preparation of next phase (April -
  Sept 2008)

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Virtual Advisory ServicePilot Phase 2 Evaluation

• Prepared By
• George Street Research
• 24 Broughton Street
• Edinburgh EH1 3RH

SLF 2008
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Pilot Phase 3

• The challenge of providing for Glow members in
  all authorities plus other users from Phases 1
  2
• Training face-to-face and online
• Increased capacity of Advisers team CfE staff
• Evaluated as part of Glow provision

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Timescale (Phase 3)

• Launch at Scottish Learning Festival (Sept 2008)
• Phase 3 (Aug 2008 - June 2009)
• Recruitment (from Aug 2008)
• Training (online by arrangement)
• Operation of site (Nov 2008 - April 2009)
• Review and preparation for full rollout
• (April - Sept 2009)

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Noticeboard
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Search and Browse
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Ask a question
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Useful Links
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The Advisers
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About the Pilot
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Discussions
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What users said
Its always quite nice to be involved at an
early stage of something and I know VAS
intrigued me it sounded like a good idea like it
was going to be something which would take off.
Time is always of the essence and if you have a
certain amount of time you are going to go to
somebody who can give you the answer or get
the response you need.
The answer gave me ideas for things to do, which
I thought was greatI thought its obviously a
professional whos doing this It really did give
me the enthusiasm to go and do that.
I think the discussion forums will be very
important its important that we move as a
profession to a much more sharing culture and
where we actually recognise that everyone has
some expertise.
Its straightforward to navigate. Its not one
of those sites that get you frustrated early on.
It seemed to follow a very straightforward menu
that you use to access and navigate the site.
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Contact Us

• Tommy Doherty
• National Coordinator - Virtual Advisory Service
• Phone [phone]
• email t.doherty_at_LTScotland.org.uk
• Learning and Teaching Scotland
• The Optima, 58 Robertson Street, Glasgow G2 8DU
• www.LTScotland.org.uk

Learning and Teaching Scotland