BBC Jam (formerly known as BBC Digital Curriculum) was an online educational service operated by the BBC from January 2006 to 20 March 2007. The service was available free across the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

offering multi-media educational resources. Jam was the BBC's provision for the Digital Curriculum, an initiative launched by the

British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

to provide computer-based learning in UK schools, and had a budget of £150 million. The service was shut down due to a legal challenge concerning fair trading by the BBC.

Content

The content of the service was connected with the

National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or other ...

for schools in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It covered school subjects such as maths, science, literacy, geography, business studies and languages, and was designed to provide free, independent computer-based learning for school children. The service was required to support users with disability by incorporating

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

features such as audible text, subtitles on videos etc. There were also subjects which were translated into

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

and Irish.

History

Prior to launch

BBC Jam was commissioned in 2003 by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and designed:- * to stimulate, support and reflect the diversity of the UK * to innovate continually and to promote technological and pedagogical experimentation * to be distinctive from, and complementary to, services provided by the commercial sector In consultation with

BECTA Becta, originally known as the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, was a non-departmental public body (popularly known as a Quango) funded by the Department for Education and its predecessor departments, in the United Kingd ...

, the Government's educational technology department, the service was allowed to cover no more than 50% of the learning outcomes that are amendable to ICT.

Closure

The service was suspended on 20 March 2007 at the request of the

BBC Trust The BBC Trust was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) between 2007 and 2017. It was operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and its stated aim was to make decisions in the best interests of ...

, in response to complaints made to the European Commission by a number of commercial producers of interactive educational products who felt that the BBC was exceeding its public service remit by offering free content to schools which could be provided commercially. This resulted in departmental restructuring and a number of job losses in the BBC. The Trust requested that the BBC management prepare a fresh proposal, including how the BBC should deliver its

Charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the re ...

obligation — promoting formal education and learning, whilst meeting the online needs of school age children. The new proposal was subjected to a full Public Value Test by the Trust and a market impact assessment by

Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...

, the United Kingdom's telecoms regulator. In February 2008 it was announced that the BBC's digital curriculum project would finally be closed.

References

External links

Digital agency Cimex builds e-learning resource for BBC JamBBC axes online education jobs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bbc Jam BBC controversies BBC New Media British educational websites Information technology organisations based in the United Kingdom Internet properties established in 2006 Internet properties disestablished in 2007 Internet services shut down by a legal challenge Irish-language websites 2006 establishments in the United Kingdom 2007 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Scottish Gaelic education Welsh-language mass media