Sero
Sero Consulting Ltd
Sero is an education, skills and economic development consultancy specializing in the exploitation of ICT including e-learning, from the viewpoints of infrastructure, curriculum, awarding/assessment, delivery/pedagogy, and benchmarking/self-assessment. Formed in 2004 by former directors of Tribal Technology, Sero has 15 core staff, and a team of long-standing national/international Associates. See http://www.sero.co.uk
Sero’s relevant specialisms are blended and e-learning research, benchmarking and evaluation covering technology, pedagogy, learner experience, market requirements, business processes and e-maturity. In addition, it has significant background in digital and media literacy.
Sero clients include:
- Government, public agencies and non-departmental bodies
- Further and Higher Education Institutions
- IT and e-learning industry companies
- Sector bodies – e.g. Higher Education Academy and JISC.
- Education sector surveys and associated analysis
Since 2007 Sero has successfully delivered:
- 2007 – Survey and benchmarking of e-Readiness across all of Scotland’s VET institutions – Scottish Funding Council (public report)
- 2007-8 – Survey of ICT adoption Adult & Community Learning in England – for Becta (public report)
- 2008-9 (and 2009-10)– Annual Survey of ICT adoption in VET (Further Education) institutions in England – for Becta & UK Government (public reports)
- 2009 – Survey of 200 primary and secondary schools involved in the national Home Access programme pilot – for Becta & the government department (internal)
- 2010 – Comparative survey of ICT capability involving 2500 VET practitioners in 5 countries (Austria, Denmark, England, Portugal, Sweden), including translation and national reports – for Becta – see http://stage.feandskills.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?page=2121
- Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Research & Innovation for the schools and VET sectors
Sero and its staff have a significant track record, for example:
- Working in partnership with the University of Nottingham, Sero was chosen to deliver one of three research projects in Becta’s Harnessing Technology programme (value £1.2m) from April 2008 to August 2010. This involved a comparative international research strand led by Prof. Bacsich which including several references sections. See http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/capital/
- As a civil servant, Barry Phillips was responsible for developing the UK government’s first Harnessing Technology strategy in 2005 under Prof. Diana Laurillard.
- Sero undertook its own study visit to Colorado in November 2010 (prior to VISCED) to evaluate models for the delivery of virtual schools and colleges (David Kay, Prof Paul Bacsich).
- International benchmarking studies
- For the OU, 2010: VLE due diligence, with an international survey of major distance learning institutions running one of the four key candidates.
- For the OU, 2010-11: Library Management Systems pre-procurement study, including a survey of Library Support for Distance Learning across a number of distance and dual-mode institutions.
Sero has been previously a consultant to the HE Academy, in connection with support for the eMM benchmarking approach.
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