KS3 ICT Pilot

[Frazer]

How about a forum/subforum dedicated to this pathetic piece of software while the pilot runs?
Dont know how many of you have started on this - just going through the registration process myself (initial server install).

[SteveT]

........it`s taken me two weeks to realise that I have to use IE for the Technical Audit rather than Firefox.......previously all attempts to complete...even when pop-ups etc allowed......failed!!!!

Doesn`t auger well!!!

Teachers don`t seem too keen on taking part in pilot but SMT are pushing.

Oh well..... :cry:

[Jake]

We have completed our pilot tests, and are awaiting the SMT decision on it

[CyberNerd]

We piloted it and failed - the clients don't even come close to the specifications,
RM don't suppy info on how to do it on Citrix / TS and it doesn't run on linux/mac.
I don't see why they can't do this all through a web-server ?!? - not like their actually going to re-write this rubbish so schools can use it.

[webman]

If enough people badger them for a cross-platform version I'm sure they'd have to give in eventually

[richard]

Just about to do my initial install next week

[russdev]

cross platorm is on way mac version in trails...

web interface - not going to work due to nature of test it is virtual enviroment would be to slow on web...

as for not liking it well get used to it as gcse will start being used for it as well...

To be honest people need to be involved in it as it is going to happen so you might as well get it right now before results are published...

also good indicator of if teaching levels are right and ks3 course content is right...

russ

[CyberNerd]

I'm the KS3 test have the potential to be a fantastic teaching resource.
I just don't trust RM do do anything properly, especially when cross-platform is concerned. Cross platform is something they should have though of before they began the trials - not as an afterthought. RM's record on this is pretty sketchy - I can't even update RM's web-filter without IE on windows.

[webman]

And RM's management console only works in IE. And Easylink requires IE. So does the learning resources area. 8O

[RoyG]

Suggestion - move this thread to FFS!!!

Hadn't taken a lot of notice until the Head of ICT mentioned that the school has received "requests" to participate in the Pilot. Apparently so far the Deputy with responsibility for ICT has fended off these requests, but I thought I'd better take a look.

Forgetting for a moment the technical issues (as I'm sure many of you would want to do!) the only thing the results of such tests will show is how much time schools waste in training the kids to use a pathetic bit of software. To describe it as donkey-crap is seriously unfair - to donkey-crap. Most of our kids will have lost the will to live in the first 5 minutes of the test. Pointless exercise or what!

Then - are the DFES & RM seriously suggesting they can make the thing work on the huge variety of systems in use in the country's secondary schools - I'm pretty sure I'll have retired before they make a Netware-compatible version!! No doubt RM will suggest that we migrate to CC3! Yeah, right!

Let's just hope that this farce goes the same way as various national mega-IT schemes - i.e. binned!

RoyG

[u8dmtm]

But it works like a dream!

[GrumbleDook]

@RoyG: Nope ... this one is here to stay, and it will probably be expanded to include other subjects too.

There is an NDA attached to the pilot which RM/QCA have not decided to enforce yet this year ... but they have in the past.

The test itself is not too bad ... most students I have seen in other schools struggle because it "'snot like what we are used to!" and so they hate it ...

At this point we can moan about teachers not making sure students have transferable skills so that the students are able to adapt, or we just accept that RM/QCA could not make it an exact mirror of M$ Office due to legal reasons and be happy that they haven't either ....

Then we whinge about it not working on anything other than CC3 or plain vanilla 2K3 domains ... get into a sulk for those using Macs / Linux / thin client / Citrix ... and then accept that we have to make it work and that the most we can do is see how bad it is and try and give feedback to RM/QCA so that they actually change things so it actually works.

I am having a serious feeling of Deja Vu from last year at this point and point out that it *is* getting better ... that there are schools doing alpha testing for Mac, etc ... and just hope that we can get it sorted in time for the compulsory testing in 2009 (presuming it suffers from "wembley" syndrome and runs late!)

[beeswax]

Then - are the DFES & RM seriously suggesting they can make the thing work on the huge variety of systems in use in the country's secondary schools - I'm pretty sure I'll have retired before they make a Netware-compatible version!! No doubt RM will suggest that we migrate to CC3! Yeah, right!
RoyG

I think my cold is getting to me. I've suddenly had this vision of RM and QCA approaching the government saying,
"How can you expect to run these tests successfully across the country when there are so many different Operating Systems running on 101 varieties of hardware? Minister, might we suggest you make your excellent BSF scheme compulsory? There are several very experienced companies ready and willing to step in to the breach at a moments notice."

to paraphrase someone,
"If you should find yourself in a field with the sun on your back, then you have reached Elysium, minister, having moved from a poorly paid job in Whitehall to one in the private sector with a seven figure pension."

beeswax, or am I really ill?

[russdev]

lol

always knew those people at dfes were on something

russ

[u8dmtm]

No seriously, it does work really well - even on <1Ghz Celeron 256mb machines - thats CC3 based machines or workgroup laptops. I was worried when I first heard about it but the biggest challenge associated with it is the teaching and learning ones.