Reinforcement, recording and reporting

As we have already indicated, the potential for ICT to be used as a means by which children can record events and monitor changes during investigations is almost endless. This is a major step forward in helping to over- come some of the barriers to pupils’ learning. By building up a bank of information it is possible to help students look for patterns across a range of items in order to, for example, identify similarities and differences between organisms.

With appropriate support and guidance, pupils can build up their own records and reports of their investigations. Given suitable software, they can prepare good quality work for display because the difficulties of writing and drawing can be reduced. For those who find use of the written word difficult, the production of an audio or visual record is now a rela- tively easy option.

Vignette 4: Reinforcement, recording and reporting When studying floating and sinking, a group of pupils were given a collection of

objects and their task was to predict which would float or sink. The teacher had prepared an on-screen grid in the software with appropriate key words contained in the grid, and students clicked on words from the grid with a mouse to include them in the word processor part of the package. When the group had made a prediction for a particular object, they used Clicker 3 software (see Becta 2005 and Figure 4.2) to record their ideas.

MAKING SCIENCE INCLUSIVE

This use of ICT enables students to produce well presented, high-quality outcomes through the use of Clicker. This shows that the students have the ideas but barriers exist relating to them recording or explaining their predictions. The adaptability of the software means that teachers can use it in a variety of teaching topics across the curriculum.

Importantly, the use of ICT also provides increased opportunities for recording pupils’ progress, supported with evidence. In the day-to-day bustle of the classroom, it is all too easy to miss the small steps by which children with learning difficulties progress. By integrating the use of ICT, in its range of forms, as part of teaching and learning, evidence of such improvements can be gathered and, when necessary, reflected upon. For example, when exploring bulbs, wires and batteries for the first time, a group of pupils had to try to get the bulb to light by creating a simple complete circuit (ASE and NASEN 2003). As a student successfully completed this task they demonstrated this to the teacher who took a picture of them and their completed task. For students who were not happy to be included in the picture, the teacher took only an image of their hand push- ing the switch to complete the circuit. The pictures were saved for assess- ment purposes and some were used in a classroom display relating to the circuits work. This recognised the students’ achievements and provided a visual reminder of the work that had been completed, which could be refer- red to later as a reminder when revisiting the subject. Approaches such as

Figure 4.2 Using Clicker to support science writing.

Reinforcement, recording and reporting