eXact learning solutions and Link2ICT win Award using HarvestRoad Hive at the Birmingham City Learning Platform

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND, July 01, 2011 (Press-News.org) eXact learning solutions, a leading provider of learning content management, digital repository and mobile learning solutions and Link2ICT, a division of Service Birmingham, an innovative strategic partnership between Birmingham City Council and the Capita Group, won a prestigious Learning Impact Leadership Award at this year's IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS) Learning Impact Award (LIA) ceremony, in Long Beach, California, in May.

Facilitated by the IMS - which has over 160 member organizations - the LIAs recognize the most impactful use of technology worldwide in support of the global learning community, honoring outstanding applications of technology that address the most significant challenges facing today's global education and training industries.

The Leadership Award was assigned for the Birmingham City Learning Platform an initiative which currently involves over 190 Birmingham schools - Infants, Primary, Junior, Secondary, Special and Extended Schools - and is used by teachers, pupils, parents, governors and administrators - facilitates the sharing of information and is creating a Birmingham-wide social learning community.

The platform, which uses eXact learning solutions' HarvestRoad Hive digital repository and Moodle , aims to foster collaborative approaches to sharing content, best practice, training and functional improvements.

The BLP includes such activities as:
• A virtual transition programme which, for the last nine years, has helped Year 6 (ten year old) pupils, who are transferring from primary to secondary education, to make friends with others going to their new school in September, and find out more about the school from trained peer mentors (Year 7, 8 or 9 pupils).
• 'Brum Talks': a city-wide Moodle/Hive site which supports the teaching and revision of mathematics.
• The Birmingham Children's University, a Moodle/Hive initiative providing SCORM-compliant e-learning packages for non-curriculum learning to over 60 subscribing schools.

After the award, Link2ICT's managing director, Mark Mynard, commented: "We are delighted to secure such a prestigious award, in recognition of the innovation and best practice we have brought to bear in the creation of our learning platform capability.

"In today's digital world, collaboration and sharing content is second nature to businesses but this approach can also have a powerful resonance in a learning environment.

"Birmingham is a diverse city, with pupils from many cultures and social backgrounds so this collaboration with our schools is a valuable tool in sharing knowledge and experience, but also an aid in bringing communities together and promoting social cohesion.

"This Leadership Award is a welcome endorsement of the shared work we have done with Birmingham schools."

Carin Martell, Business Development Manager at eXact learning solutions, commented: "Storing content in a digital repository encourages the efficient use of resources - and collaboration between schools at cluster and collegiate levels. It gives greater visibility of content and enables schools to 'clean up' redundant and duplicated content imported from intranets, shared drives and legacy systems.

"Schools are using the repository for storing and surfacing learning objects; as a document repository for teachers and governors, and as a simple migration path from old systems. The modular approach means that components can be updated and the solution constantly reiterated and improved upon."

Fabrizio Cardinali, VP of Global Business Development at eXact Learning Solutions and CEO of eXact learning solutions APAC where Hive DR is designed and developed , commented: "Naturally, it's nice to receive recognition for our work - especially because this award focus on improving the quality of, and access to, education via the use of learning technology. This is the global challenge that underpins all other global challenges. Yet it's even more important that we continue to work with our clients to push the boundaries of what's possible, using learning technologies cost-effectively to enhance people's work performance."

eXact learning solutions is no stranger to picking up IMS Global Learning Impact Awards. In addition to this year's Platinum Award for its work with the UK's National Health Service's elearning for healthcare in developing the world's largest and most successful online medical content production initiative, in 2010 eXact learning solutions received a Learning Impact Leadership Award for 'Building Europe's largest lifelong learning for employment initiative'. The project - known as the Training Innovation Research and (job) Orientation (TRIO) - also uses the HarvestRoad Hive DR and Moodle and, to date, over 550,000 courses have been delivered to some 195,000 users since TRIO's inception in 2002, with some 65,400 people using the system last year.

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About the IMS Learning impact Awards
The IMS Learning Impact Awards are designed to recognise 'the most impactful use of technology worldwide in support of learning'. This awards programme evaluates established, new and research efforts in context at an implementing learning institution.

About Link2ICT
Link2ICT is a division of Service Birmingham, an innovative strategic partnership between Birmingham City Council and the Capita Group.
With a clear focus on learning and knowledge for all ages, Link2ICT provide IT solutions and support for Schools, Adult, Youth and Library Services,. Through our corporate approach, we deliver joined up solutions for connectivity and contribute to a city wide e-learning and community IT strategy to support a learning city for all. We work closely with the Directorate of Children, Young People and Families and Directorate of Adults and Communities to enable them to deliver the transformational benefits that IT can make to improve the outcomes of children, young people and adults.

About eXact learning solutions
eXact learning solutions, formerly Giunti Labs, is a leading online and mobile learning content management and digital repository solutions provider, which offers a wide range of tools and services for content development, content management and content delivery, covering:
• Learning content management and digital repository platforms
• Mobile learning technologies
• Consulting and professional services
• Multi-language bespoke learning content production

The company has over 15 years of experience and more than 100 customers worldwide. Its technological innovations allow enterprises to improve their organisational performance, and achieve significant reductions in business costs.

For more information, please contact:
Maria Teresa Rubino, eXact learning solutions, Marketing Manager
Mobile +39 389 4573163; Office +39 0185 4608; Email m.rubino@exactls.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR,
Office +44 (0)1727 860405; Email bob.little@boblittlepr.com