Expansive love of e-learning
A $97 million deal in Northern Ireland is being touted as the largest worldwide e-learning project ever. HP Services will manage and provide the technology infrastructure for Classroom 2000 (C2K), while Hyperwave will supply its eKnowledge Infrastructure software, worth about $15.5 million of the total package.
Both teachers and pupils are expected to benefit from the implementation of Hyperwave e-learning technology in the classroom, according to a news release from the company. Schools across Northern Ireland will be able to collaborate and exchange best practices, and consistent curriculum material will be delivered. The interaction between teachers and pupils will improve, according to Hyperwave, particularly with those students who cannot easily attend school because of special needs, illness or other reasons. In addition, the way in which pupil performance is monitored, measured and analyzed reportedly will be enhanced.
The e-learning system will cater to different age levels, allowing primary and secondary school children to interact with others in their age group across Northern Ireland. Parents, too, will be able to communicate with teachers through the new system.
"As well as reducing teachers' administration loads," says Hyperwave CEO Christoph Michel, "the opportunity of communicating through a digital medium will help break down social exclusion barriers by giving all pupils the chance to gain digital literacy. C2K is a major project providing the vital infrastructure to ensure that young people acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed beyond school and into their working lives."
C2K was commissioned by the Northern Ireland education department to change the way education is delivered to all of Northern Ireland's public schools. It involves 1,280 schools, with more than 330,000 students and 20,000 teachers. The initiative will provide every child in Northern Ireland with Internet access and an e-mail address from age one.