Education:Teaching and technology
Friday, May 14th, 2010Education policy advisor Richard Hanna explains the importance of ICT in education and outlines ways in which schools can be more “sophisticated” in using technology to support teaching and learning. Policy makers in education have always aspired to “prepare young people for life” but the social and economic context in which they work has changed and the role of technology has become “critically important,” according to Richard Hanna. Addressing an agendaNi forum on ICT in skills and education, the CCEA’s Director of Education said that despite its importance, technology...[full story]
ICT Policy:Incorporating ICT
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010Learning restrictions can be removed by using ICT, according to two principals who spoke to Meadhbh Monahan about the effects that embedding technology in their schools has had on their pupils’ performance. Jon Barker and Johnny Graham have a number of things in common. They are principals at non-selective post-primary schools; they incorporate ICT into most of their subjects; their schools have recently undergone a complete re-build through PFI initiatives; they send text messages, rather than letters, to parents and they have received BECTA awards for their use of technology in...[full story]
ICT Policy:The alternative
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010While not a traditional political sticking point, ICT has become a vital part of the public sector. Ryan Jennings looks at what a Conservative government could have in store. The Conservatives’ technology document ‘Make IT Better’ was released alongside a leaked copy of government proposals in December but offers only little as to how that party would change technology’s path. That the document was published in the name of Philip Hammond, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, could be a sign of things to come. It centres on the problems associated with the projects overseen...[full story]
ICT Policy:ICT: a strategic summary
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010The Government’s ICT strategy promises large savings but got off to an unpromising start, Peter Cheney reports. While branded as a ‘smarter’ plan for how government uses its computer networks, the UK Government’s new ICT strategy itself succumbed to that most ordinary and low-tech of journalistic devices: the leak. A draft of the report was passed to the Conservatives, who duly published it on 1 December. The actual strategy was published on 27 January and covers the whole UK public sector, including the devolved administrations. Cabinet Office Minister Angela Smith’s foreword...[full story]
ICT:Quantifying data
Monday, April 5th, 2010An information explosion is well under way. Peter Cheney looks at its causes and effects. The near-collapse of the world’s banking systems, in the not too distant past, was partly triggered by vast amounts of financial data being misread by the computer models designed to analyse risk. Such a major crisis illustrated the scale of data in today’s world and also the problems when the information is not handled properly. Digital information is now increasing tenfold every five years as more is accumulated, stored and shared through the internet. The number of blogs alone is also thought...[full story]
ICT:Data & democracy
Monday, April 5th, 2010How open government and data releases make opportunities for developers, citizens and journalists. Data release is not a natural vote-winner but for governments on both sides of the Atlantic, it is increasingly a way to demonstrate openness, a quality clearly valued by voters. The state has long been the largest collector of statistics but has been traditionally less keen on releasing them to its citizens in a way they can understand. Barack Obama’s first presidential memorandum committed his administration to being transparent and open. In particular, information would be disclosed...[full story]
Corporate agenda:Essential innovation
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010Randox Laboratories founder Dr Peter FitzGerald talks to Gary McDonald about innovation’s importance and its application in the business he started from scratch. “An established company which, in an age demanding innovation, is unable to innovate, is doomed to decline and extinction.” Dr Peter FitzGerald can’t, nor won’t, lay claim to that quote (in fact, it’s attributable to a namesake, the acclaimed business thinker Peter Drucker) but it’s a mantra the founder and managing director of Randox Laboratories obdurately adheres to as his company continues to pioneer the development...[full story]
:Smart meters
Monday, December 21st, 2009The smart meter has been heralded as a key building block in our low-carbon energy future. agendaNi looks at the future plans for smart meters. In December the UK Government announced that every home must be fitted with a “smart meter” by 2020 in order to help reduce energy use and to help the development of a low-carbon “smart grid”. These new meters will send information on real-time electricity and gas use in households and small businesses directly to utility companies, which will remove the need for the companies to read meters or issue estimated readings. The main benefit...[full story]
:Powering government reform
Monday, September 1st, 2008Darren Lemon leads eircom’s operations in Northern Ireland and Owen McQuade met up with him to discuss the Network NI contract, which the telecoms company was awarded last year, and the wider government reform agenda. As observers of reform in the Northern Ireland Civil Service will know, Network NI is a major part of the move towards better efficiency in government. The contract for the £70 million project, which will modernise the Civil Service’s internal telecommunications network, was awarded to eircom in September 2007 following a competitive tender process. eircom’s solution...[full story]
:Partner in government
Monday, June 2nd, 2008Cable&Wireless is one of the world’s leading international communications companies. It has been operating in Ireland for over 40 years and has a long-standing operation in Northern Ireland. Owen McQuade caught up with Sean Mahon, who leads its operations on the island of Ireland, to discuss how the telecommunications company is supporting government with its reform agenda. Unique Delivering services in 150 countries, Cable&Wireless is one of the world’s best-known telecommunications companies. It is unique in that, in addition to land based telecommunications services that...[full story]
