In 1999, the United
Kingdom Education and Research Networking Association (UKERNA),
now JANET(UK), was commissioned by the Higher Education Funding
Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Further Education Funding
Council for Wales (FEFCW), now the Welsh Assembly Government’s
Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills
(DCELLS), to undertake a detailed study covering the use and
potential uses of videoconferencing across the Higher and
Further education sectors in Wales (http://www.wvn.ac.uk/study/welshvid.pdf).
UKERNA recommended the establishment of a Welsh Video Network (WVN)
and during 2000 the WVN service was commissioned by the Funding
Councils supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Since 2000, there have been three independent studies of the WVN,
'Review of the Video Services Network' (2005), 'Welsh Video
Network Looking to the Future' (2007), and ‘The Future of the
Welsh Video Network Support Centre’ (2009).
‘The Future of the Welsh Video Network Support Centre’ (2009)
In February
2009, OldBell3, in association with Dateb and Enid O’Shea, was
selected by HEFCW and DCELLS to undertake a study to investigate
the impact, strengths and weaknesses of the WVN Support Centre,
recommend whether a service should continue to be provided and
recommend models for future service provision, if appropriate.
The consultants used a combination of desk-based research,
document review and fieldwork to reach twelve recommendations,
which were published in their report. The final report was
completed and presented to the funding bodies in June 2009.
The key recommendations for the Network were:
-
DCELLS and HEFCW
should make a commitment to providing on-going core funding
for the WVN Support Centre for the next three years, with an
option to extend for a further two years
-
DCELLS and HEFCW
should work with the PSBA’s Benefits Realisation Team to
bring the WVN Support Centre under the auspices of the PSBA
as soon as practicable
-
DCELLS and HEFCW
should work with the PSBA team, the WVN Support Centre and
Local Authorities to assess the resource implications of
extending the service currently provided to HEIs and FEIs to
all schools in order to come up with an indicative three
year ‘core funding’ allocation for the WVN Support Centre
-
The
WVN
Support Centre should be charged with advising institutions
on the most appropriate videoconferencing solutions for them
The report ‘The
Future of the Welsh Video Network Support Centre’ is available
for download in Adobe® Acrobat® pdf format by clicking on the
name of the report.
'Welsh
Video Network Looking to the Future' (2007)
In December 2006 the National Foundation for Education Research
(NFER) was commissioned to prepare a report based on up-to-date
data collected from further and higher education institutions in
Wales about the current and potential future use of
videoconferencing. This research was commissioned by UKERNA, at
the request of HEFCW and the Department for Education, Lifelong
Learning and Skills (DELLS)* of the Welsh Assembly Government
(WAG). NFER delivered its report early in 2007.
NFER
used face-to-face interviews and focus groups to collect data,
along with an email survey.
NFER
draw a number of conclusions, including that:
-
The
studio equipment should be updated, with the studios being
retained and additional functionality being added
-
Videoconferencing
was beginning to develop as a means of providing courses
through the medium of Welsh
-
The
role of the WVN Support Centre was central to the smooth
running of videoconferencing in Wales
-
The
work of the teaching and learning advisors, although at an
early stage, was having an impact by raising its profile and
developing staff capacity
-
The
use of videoconferencing was developing where senior
managers were committed to its development
The
report ‘Welsh Video
Network Looking to the Future’ is available for download
in Adobe® Acrobat® pdf format by clicking on the name of the
report.
'Review
of the Video Services Network' (2005)
At the beginning of 2005, five years after the commissioning of
the WVN project, HEFCW and Education and Learning Wales (ELWa)*
commissioned NFER to carry out an independent evaluative review
of the WVN. In May 2005, NFER delivered its final report to the
Funding Councils.
NFER convened focus groups and carried out face-to-face
interviews and e-mail surveys to gather the views of
representatives from the Higher and Further education sectors
throughout Wales. In its report, NFER identified the key
benefits of the WVN and also the main factors that led to the
current usage pattern.
NFER concluded that:
-
The WVN facilitated meetings very effectively and had the
potential to impact further on teaching and learning
-
The use of WVN has confirmed the anticipated demand for the
technology
-
The compatibility of all its studios underpinned the success
of the WVN
-
The move to IP videoconferencing would continue to offer
cost savings for institutions
-
The establishment of a WVN Support Centre managed by UKERNA
had been crucial in ensuring the robustness of the network
The report, ‘A
Review of the Video Services Network’, is available for
download in Adobe® Acrobat® pdf format by clicking on the name
of the report.
* Now the Welsh Assembly Government's Department for Children,
Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS)

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