Mobile support aids learning and security

Four colleges in South East England are undertaking a 12-week pilot to study how the use of mobile learning applications among students influences behaviour.
 

The news came as research revealed that it was more effective to make people the first line of defence against data breaches rather than rely solely on technology to safeguard corporate information.
 
Trials taking place at Barnfield, Aylesbury, Oxford & Cherwell Valley and North Herts Colleges will see 500 apprentice students being issued with Research in Motion’s Blackberry devices to understand whether being able to access applications while on the move helps them complete their qualifications more quickly and effectively.
 
The pilot is also assessing whether the use of mobile devices could have a formal role to play in supporting the UK’s qualification awarding bodies’ assessment processes.
 
The applications, developed by online learning firm X:OR, enable course tutors to create content, tests and knowledge-based resources, which learners studying a range of vocational subjects can then access via the mobile devices.
 
Terry Salt, head of computing, IT and e-learning at Barnfield College said: “Initially, we’re focusing efforts in areas like plumbing or hairdressing where skills are often developed outside of the college and in the workplace. It’s here we believe the new mobile education apps will demonstrate greatest benefit first.”
 
The trials will take place throughout the summer before the findings are assessed by both employers and tutors. A final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn.
 
A new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) revealed, meanwhile, that only 48% of UK employers have a staff information security awareness programme in place compared with 64% in the US and 59% in both Australia and India.
 
But the research entitled ‘Security Awareness: Turning your people into the first line of defence’ found that investing in such initiatives was more effective than simply relying on technology to safeguard corporate information.
 
Craig Lunnon, who works in PwC’s OneSecurity unit, said: “Technical solutions are too frequently being prescribed for people problems. Although technical defence is vital, systems are inherently vulnerable to both negligent and malicious acts by people. Ignorance, confusion, anger or even curiosity can all give rise to incidents.”
 
Moreover, security-aware personnel were often best placed to identify potential data breaches or weak links and to reduce or even prevent serious repercussions if security incidents did occur, he added.