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Needs Assessment
ICT Instruction at Secondary Schools (Grades 8-12)
Sample Needs Assessment Survey

These questions will help to determine what steps a school needs to take in order to successfully begin ICT instruction.

It is recommended that the school management review the "ICT policy for Education" guidelines if they have been published. This will give the school an idea of the Ministry's priorities and practical guidelines of the type, number, and content of classes based on school resources.

Course Content - General
The school can decide the type and number of classes they can offer based on the resources they have available.
- Will certification be awarded? What kind? What authority?

Course Content - Promotable
If the school wants to offer ICT as a promotable subject, then the syllabus will determine the resources the school should provide.
- Which subject would the school teach (Keyboarding and Word Processing or Computer Practice)?
- Has the school management reviewed the syllabi for all grades for which they would offer the subject?
- Does the school have adequate hardware and software to support the syllabus?
- Is there enough computer lab time available to provide for the required number of class periods per cycle for each grade?
- Does the school have an adequate number of teachers able to teach the subject and cover all the periods?

Hardware
- How many computers does the school have?
- Does the school need to purchase additional computers?
- Does the school have a secure area for the computers?
- Are there adequate power points and voltage?
- Is there adequate ventilation (A/C or fans)?
- How will the hardware be supported (maintained and repaired)?

Software
- What kind of software does the school have?
- If the school uses MS Windows, how will the school protect against viruses?
- Does the school need to purchase any software to support the class content?

Internet
- Does the school plan on having a dial-up or wireless Internet connection?
- If dial-up, does the computer lab have a phone line? Is phone service available?
- If wireless, has dish placement been taken into consideration when planning the computer lab location? Is the school within the wireless network range?

Teaching Staff
- How many teachers have ICT certification?
- What level of instruction can those teachers provide?
- How many class periods do those teachers have available for teaching ICT during a teaching cycle?
- Does the school need to hire additional teachers with ICT certification?
- Are there any current teachers that could teach ICT with additional training?
- Are there teachers able, available and willing to monitor the computer lab outside of school hours?
- Are there teachers able, available and willing to teach community classes outside of school hours?

Finances
- What will be the cost of the original hardware acquisition?
- What will be the cost of the original software acquisition?
- Will there be any ongoing software licensing, maintenance or support fees?
- What will be the ongoing cost of technical support?
- What will be the cost of electricity?
- What will be the cost of installing an Internet connection?
- What will be the ongoing cost of an Internet connection?
- What will be the ongoing cost of computer supplies (ink, paper, diskettes, etc.)?
- How will these costs be financed?

Cross-curriculum Use (incorporating computers into teaching other subjects)
- Will the computers be made available for cross-curriculum use?
- Will the computer teachers be responsible for training/supervising the learners or will that be the responsibility of the subject teacher?
- When will the computers be available?

Other Considerations
- Will there be open lab time (unstructured) when computers will be made available to teachers/learners/community? If so, who will be available to monitor usage and provide support during this time?
- Has the school calendar been taken into account when discussing computer usage and lab availability?
- What are the proposed lab rules?

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