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| Welcome | Help | Contacting SCET | Guest Book | Comments on this Page | Low Graphic Version |
This page was last updated: 4/4/96
I have attempted to steer SCET along a customer focused course and I have asked the organisation to look very hard at itself and take action to improve all aspects of its product development and delivery. The first indications are that this is bearing fruit.
I enjoy my work with SCET and I am very proud to be associated with an organisation that is palpably effective and making its own contribution to the quality of learning and teaching in Scottish schools and the quality of training in industry and commerce.
As a businessman, I judge SCET by the highest standards. I expect it to compete in a tough market place and to do this fairly and effectively. I want it to produce new products and market them well in the education community. I want the organisation to deal effectively with enquiries, visitors and requests for information. In short, I want SCET to be the learning through technology organisation in Scotland and I am pleased to say that it has taken solid steps this year in that direction.
Alistair Fleming
Chairman
SCET is now run by a smaller tighter team and I must firstly pay tribute to them for their ability to deliver on the one hand and absorb the considerable extra pressure on the other. We have seen change on many fronts; the multimedia revolution has altered the way software is perceived, and the huge debate on the Internet and Digital Superhighway has altered the balance once again between the respective power of ?on-line? and ?off-line?, and if these pressures were not enough, we have attempted to completely re-build our school administration software, SCAMP, into a brand new package, SCETWorks, which we are launching into a very difficult Local Authority environment.
We have, therefore, had to change the way SCET is managed, adjust our internal working practices to more accurately reflect the world outside and deal with changing markets. I think SCET?s 110 staff have performed remarkably well in such trying circumstances.
We have launched a brand new CD-ROM based information service for schools: ASSIST, set up a major on-line bulletin board service, which is already one of the biggest in Scotland, produced innovative CD-ROM based multimedia packages, and launched one piece of Special Needs software. We have transformed our Technology Centre into a very busy shop window for educational software for Scotland.
We are quite simply the largest provider of educational software in Scotland, from a standing Start 18 months ago.
We have taken on the franchise for Advantage, an exciting on-line training information service, which will have a major impact on the way companies access information about training provision, and three of our software packages were finally launched in the United States and in Canada, having been localised and manufactured there.
SCET increased its non-grant earnings by 19%, which allowed it to invest considerably in innovative products, staff training, new skills and new technology. This is a very fast moving arena, and I am proud to say that SCET is still ahead of the game, and looking forward optimistically to the challenges ahead.
Nigel Paine
Chief Executive
During the past year, resources have been developed for the benefit of many customers, from schools to external organisations, with us casting our net further to ensure continued growth. 1994 has seen us consistently develop innovative new products which meet the needs of different markets and achieve a standard which strengthens our position as the country?s national development and advisory body on the use of technology in learning.
SCET is not merely about developing the latest computer software, it is also about the people. The work which we have researched and implemented this year is a result of tuning in to what our markets? needs are and providing solutions. From this we have been extremely successful in taking current products a stage further in what they have to offer, as well as bringing new concepts on to the market which help provide assistance to certain client groups.
SCET?s customers recognise that educational technology has become an essential component of modern education and training and that our educational software supports effective learning for both teachers and pupils. We continue to work with the education community, teachers and technologists to ensure that everything we produce is to the benefit of Scottish education.
"Learning is an iterative process requiring highly complex interactions between the individual and the learning medium. Up until now, only the good human teacher could react at sufficient speed and with sufficient complexity to meet the needs of learners."
Through our consultancy role and close working relationship with the education sector, we have produced, this year, products which we recognise are needed in the market and which provide solutions to meet these needs. Our Writer?s Toolkit 2 and ASSIST packages are two which perhaps demonstrate our innovative approach to such development and illustrate our ability to use relevant technology to support different user markets.
Following the success of Writer?s Toolkit , our staff have taken the package a stage further and created Writer?s Toolkit 2 , which was on display at the BETT ?95 exhibition. The programme targets and supports different styles of writing, helping children to structure their writing skills and guiding them through all stages of writing from the original idea to the finished article. Since January this programme has steadily attracted and impressed countless numbers of people, making it one of SCET?s flagship products this year.
Similarly launched during last year was ASSIST , which was produced as a result of co-operation between SCET and a number of key partners, including SOEID, Scottish CCC, SEB, SCRE and HEBS.
The ASSIST project demonstrated the need for partnership to produce an effective product, in this case for Scottish teachers.
ASSIST is a CD-ROM based information service for Scottish teachers which allows them to supplement their teaching programmes with previously researched information which directly relates to the curriculum. This subscription based information service has been well received since its launch in October 1994.
"Writer?s Toolkit has been developed to teach writing as a series of stages which can be learned and then applied to writing tasks...pupils are encouraged to concentrate on the reason for their writing and the audience who will read it."
MacUser 1995
Extending our services further
Our ability to produce high quality products is being increasingly recognised by external bodies who are now seeking our services. During the last year we have produced an interesting software package for SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund). "The Horn of Africa - People, Poverty and Environment" is a unique CD-ROM which brings Third World issues home to children in a way which combines interactive multimedia with lively text and visuals, making the package an enjoyable learning experience for the pupil.
It is the user-friendly design of our products and the way SCET communicates effectively with the end user through technology, which perhaps attracts interest from third parties.
Strathclyde Regional Council and Strathclyde Police were confident that this approach could be employed to develop a CD which tackled the drugs issue, which is particularly acute in today?s schools. They therefore requested SCET?s services to produce an educational resource which communicated the dangers of drugs to teenagers in an effective yet unpatronising manner.
"Real Deal" was launched in schools at the beginning of 1995 and is an example of our innovative approach to using technology to promote effective learning. Our role in this case extends beyond simple development to incorporate the distribution of the package throughout schools in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
"The classroom...a powerful resource for learning."
In August 1993, we were approached by BBC Education Scotland after the BBC moved the transmission of its educational series from Radio 5 medium wave to Radio 3 FM. Due to the poor quality of FM transmission within certain areas of the country, the BBC had to instigate a cassette service for any school which could no longer receive the programmes. SCET was approached to take on this task.
The number of schools making requests, and the number of series requested, far exceeded expectations, but SCET was so successful at copying and distributing the tapes throughout Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, that we were asked to continue the service for the duration of the 1994/95 school term. This time, however, we were asked to include requests from England.
This project has since been extended to include recording 'live? programmes off-air instead of receiving master copies from the BBC, and providing an ?emergency? service for any school which for any reason misses a broadcast. By the end of the 1994/95 term we were supplying requests from over 2,500 schools on a fortnightly basis. The management of this project has satisfied the BBC to such an extent that the relationship will continue throughout the 1995/96 session.
SCET has been Scotland?s leading developer of management information software for 15 years and in creating SCETWorks has developed a product designed by education and programming specialists who are fully familiar with the Scottish education system. SCET has researched and piloted this software over the past two years, to ensure that the final product is fully compliant with all aspects of managing a school in the Scottish education arena.
SCETWorks is the indispensable management tool to support senior management teams in schools in their decision making and accountability.
An extremely user-friendly interface, with a graphical look and feel enables you to look at the information contained in the database in whichever way you require and to draw this information across into your preferred choice of spreadsheet, database or other management tools.
This means that data can be analysed and sorted in a way which supplies the final information in exactly the format needed.
So, whether you are presenting information to SOEID or the school board or simply producing information for inclusion in the school handbook, SCETWorks will give you all the help you need!
SCETWorks will provide a core administrative system which will support the day-to-day running of a school. User-friendly screens will allow information on pupils, curriculum, assessment and attendance to be accessed and maintained.
To help you carry out the myriad of reports which need to be produced, whether statutory or informal, SCETWorks comes complete with a core set of standard reports and analysis functions.
"In developing SCETWorks we involved a large number of managers and operators to ensure that it will help them to do their job better and more easily. SCETWorks is flexible, user led and has been designed to accommodate the changing requirements of the Scottish education system for years to come."
"Technology will only be fully exploited when the role of the teacher fully exploits the technology."
Sir Graham Hills
(Richard Hooper)
In order that customers can fully utilise our resources and benefit completely from the services SCET has to offer, we are committed to providing not only the latest up-to-date software programmes but also the opportunity for customers to enhance their expertise and skills.
Over the past year we have developed software training in SCET to meet these requirements and achieve a complete service for the customer. To accommodate this training provision we have established a training room, which is attached to our Technology Centre. The training room provides us with the opportunity to run training programmes for those thinking of purchasing certain packages or for customers who require a proper briefing on products they have already bought.
"IT allows and encourages students to do different things, as well as doing things differently."
John Brown
By introducing these facilities, we have helped build and maintain an 'open-door? policy which succeeds in bringing educational technology and its benefits to everyone.
SCET recognises that training and development is an increasingly important aspect for any company, large or small, and as a result has expanded its role to meet this trend. No matter what kind of training situation an organisation is faced with, SCET gives all the help and support needed. The range of training materials that we carry is the most comprehensive of any supplier in Scotland and we have exclusive distributorships in our area for many of the leading producers of training materials in the UK. Our suppliers include BBC for Business, Gower Training, Video Arts and Xebec.
In order to accommodate this growth, the training resources department has re-located to a larger area within SCET?s premises and has implemented a more structured approach to dealing with customers. As a result of these added facilities and re-positioning, an even greater customer service is now provided, which has established this division as a clear front-runner in offering the most up-to-date and effective service in the training sector.
This department is a focused operation separate from our educational development activities, organising training workshops and other events throughout the year to help training professionals achieve the best possible advice and guidance for training their staff.
Although training and education operate separately, advances being made in technology are bringing the two sectors closer together. The continued recognition by employers of the importance of staff training and development, has meant that SCET?s expertise in information technology can be called upon as necessary to offer additional support to our customers in this area.
SCET is therefore able, to provide not only the product but also the training advice and guidance. This really makes us the one-stop base for all advice on training and technological issues.
Our staff provide guidance and solutions for every training requirement, placing us at the leading edge of this expanding industry.
We have taken part in some of the most highly regarded exhibitions and conferences throughout the UK, which involve not only British delegates but representatives from around the world. We have joined the leaders in educational technology at these events and are now recognised on a par with them. Our professionalism and innovative products have attracted and impressed members of the education and business communities, raising our profile and awareness within influential markets and taking our reputation further afield.
"IT...all our learning futures!"Not only have we attended these events but we have also been successful at planning and implementing our own conference for members of the public and delegates across Scotland. Our Tactics and Trends conference, titled ?IT: all our learning futures?? was held at Glasgow?s Royal Concert Hall in November 1994. During the two days, over 240 delegates attended the conference, which focused on the belief that technology will be able to transform the learning process rather than remaining a learning aid. The seminars were open to delegates and a free exhibition was open to non-delegates providing a "hands on" opportunity for teachers and parents to find out more about the technology which is increasingly prevalent in schools and homes. A collection of essays from key practioners across the entire education field was also published to coincide with the conference.
SCET?s professionalism and expertise is now widely recognised amongst key players in the field of educational technology. Through continued attendance at highly regarded conferences and successful management of our own, we will continue to communicate our message to the most important sectors and maintain our position as leaders in our field.
Our message and philosophy has attracted many prestigious speakers to our lectures which have been organised for the benefit of teachers and other members of the educational community.
"The teacher is a multifaceted individual... enabling, facilitating, guiding, mentoring, coaching and informing..."Such examples include, Professor Tim Brighouse, Chief Education Officer of Birmingham City Council, who delivered a lecture at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh during April 1994. Aimed at teachers, policy makers and those with a genuine interest in the way forward for education in the 90s and beyond, Professor Brighouse gave an inspirational talk, providing an insight into what we can expect education in the future to offer the next generation in terms of innovation and new technologies. His foresight was thought provoking and enthused the audience of over 250 teachers.
Another such lecture, which resulted in SCET negotiating a deal for the benefit of Scottish teachers, was the one held at the Mitchell Theatre in Glasgow. This involved bringing 300/400 teachers together to listen to Mike Newton, Vice President and General Manager of Apple Computer UK, highlight the role of information technology in learning.
Following the lecture, questions raised by teachers indicated the need for technology to be supplied at an affordable price. SCET began negotiating the Apple Deal which was signed, sealed and delivered in March 1995. This initiative resulted in teachers having the opportunity to purchase an Apple computer with a range of bundled software for their own use at a remarkably low price, enabling them to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the education field. As a result, SCET has effectively made home ownership of information technology a reality for teachers. This clearly demonstrates our ability not only to recognise a market need, but also to fulfil this need through our expertise and understanding of our customers? needs.
Raising awareness about learning through technology is not just about maintaining a presence at one-off events throughout the year; it is also about creating and maintaining a relationship with customers with whom we deal with on a regular basis.
Our customer focused philosophy has been reinforced through the establishment of a Technology Centre which is now marketed as a ?drop-in? centre for teachers, pupils and parents and indeed anyone who wishes to find out more about the IT resources available for use in Scottish schools and colleges.
The Technology Centre was officially opened in 1994 by the Scottish Office Minister, Lord James Douglas Hamilton, who was introduced to what the colourful centre has to offer visitors. The whole focus of the centre is towards creating an interactive learning environment which is relaxed and friendly and where visitors are given the opportunity to ask questions and to try out the latest technology at their own pace.
We realise however, that to get the most out of our products the user should be fully conversant with their features and capabilities. To meet this requirement, we now provide a training suite, attached to the Technology Centre. This suite allows us to run a whole range of training programmes from basic Mac and PC skills to in-depth training on particular packages.
In order to provide a comprehensive technology-related information service, we have established a helpline for all teachers in Scotland. If they have the slightest problem or query, they can use the helpline to contact a member of SCET staff at the Technology Centre for immediate advice and support.
These features highlight our efforts to satisfy our customers. It is a trend which we will continue to work at, in order to give everyone the opportunity to learn through technology and benefit from it.
By creating this atmosphere and adopting this ?open-door? approach we will ensure that schools and teachers across Scotland can exploit our expertise to help them identify resources, find out about the latest technological initiatives and develop the skills they need to use information technology to the best advantage in their classrooms.
SCET sources of income
Income Total - ?3,758,460
SOEID general activity grant 37%Local authority general activity grant 1%Earnings for services to education authorities 15% (1)Contracts & consultancy 29% (2)Other sales & services 11%Premises 7%
Where the money goes
Expenditure total - ?3,737,339
Employee costs 58%Other costs 27% (3)Property costs 4%Asset costs 5%Travel/meetings expenses 4%Staff development 2%
Notes to figures:
(1) Includes some income from SCAMP, sales of software, training and publications.
(2) Includes contracts with SOEID, other government and corporate organisations, and income from the distribution of video and training materials.
(3) Includes the cost of materials production and general administrative costs.
Mr Alistair Fleming (Chairman) Ms Lyn TettChairman & Managing Director Head of Community EducationWeir Westgarth Limited Moray House College of EducationProf Andrew D McGettrick Mr Tom WilsonProfessor PrincipalUniversity of Strathclyde Glasgow College of Building & PrintingMr Tom McCool CBE Ms Celia UrquhartChief Executive Chief ExecutiveSCOTVEC C U DevelopmentsMs Pat Lowrie Cllr John FarmerAssociate Dean and Depute Director of CouncillorCraigie Campus, Paisley University KirkcaldyMr Duncan R Clark Ms Kathy Fairweather HMCIHeadteacher SOEID AssessorBurntisland Primary SchoolMr Tom MacDougall Ms Margaret Bell (Observer only)Education Officer Chief ExecutiveStrathclyde Regional Council NCETMr Richard StaiteHeadteacherBeeslack High School
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| Welcome | Help | Contacting SCET | Guest Book | Comments on this Page | Low Graphic Version |