Starting with a 'new' perspective on what qualifies an implementation of digital
technologies as successful, this paper outli
nes a process developed through a design
research project whose aim is to support and improve the professional practice of schools'
leaders, advisors and consultants in ICT. In particular, the aim of the research is to
facilitate the move away from technology-centred implementations to more empowering,
user-centred implementations that are personalised to each school's particular way of
doing school - and to do so by designing and refining a formative, holistic process that a
school can use to evaluate and
develop its implementation.
The evaluation process makes use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to draw out
a picture of how the school 'does school', and then compare that to a similar picture of how
the school's implementation of digital technologies 'does ICT'. Of primary importance in
this process is the value and respect it affords teachers as professional pedagogues. While
it does not expect teachers to be experts in using ICTs, it credits them with the competence
to assess the extent to which the school's im
plementation is empowering them as they carry
out the core business of the school – teaching and learning.
Other significant features of the process are
the emphases on full-staff participation, on
obtaining both group and individual data, and yet on minimising the disruption to the
school's teaching schedule