Using hardware to access virtual learning

Using hardware to access virtual learning

short time. With funding dedicated to installing them in classrooms in

Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) have become an ICT ‘essential’ in a very

every school in the UK through the Standards Fund (DfES 2003) and research showing that they can have benefits for both pupil motivation and teaching strategies (Becta 2003b), it may not be long before most teachers have access to this type of technology. In addition, with the increase in wireless technology, portable ICT devices such as laptops and – crucially for the primary school sector – tablet PCs are increasingly common. Used together, these devices allow primary aged pupils to see and interact with online resources in ways that were not previously pos- sible. The ability to use ‘touch screen technology’, both in groups using an IWB and as individuals using a tablet PC, means that children need not wrestle with input devices such as mice or keyboards which are designed

VIRTUAL LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCIENCE

for adults. Small keyboards with fewer keys and pen technology mean that even when text is needed, there are fewer possibilities for mistakes to be made. In short, tablets, laptops and IWBs have made virtual learning more accessible.

In addition, increasing bandwidth has led to the development of web resources that are more suited to primary aged children because they util- ise still and moving images to support learning. More imaginative website design that exploits words and icons also means that web-based resources are less reliant on text. Thus the multi-modal nature of the tools that might engage children’s learning is strongly emphasised. These develop- ments, coupled with the developments in hardware, mean that the tech- nology is well suited to the introduction of more virtual learning in the primary classroom.

As with all technological developments, teachers will only really inte- grate them into their practice where real benefits for teaching and learning can be seen. The answer lies in the link between the underlying themes of this chapter: the uses of VLEs, the developments in hardware provision and good practice in science teaching pedagogy, based around the practical skills of scientific enquiry.

A VLE in primary science

The push to get broadband into UK schools has led the Regional Broadband Consortia to investigate what kind of teaching and learning tools can util- ise the power of broadband, not simply by allowing schools to access the Internet quickly but also by making full use of the available bandwidth. Most of these consortia are now providing a VLE with a range of content, such as access to video and audio resources, as well as the opportunity to create individually tailored learning units and objects for pupils.

Like websites, VLEs have a homepage which children would see when they log on. This interface can be easily changed to reflect the users, using text or pictures to indicate links and adding or reducing the tools available to users as required. In addition to the notice board, pupils’ files, a calen- dar, students’ folios and text and image files known as ‘learning objects’ are shown in Figure 10.2.

Indeed, one of the most powerful tools of the VLE is the ability to create learning objects. In essence, this is a way to package up information, images and web links so pupils can access all they need from one page. This has advantages in that it saves time and keeps pupils on task. In its simplest form, the learning object would contain a question or task and

a link or picture to use in answering the question (for example, Figure 10.3). Pupils can then either use paper or digital media to record their findings and post their responses to the teacher via the VLE.

E-mail is a powerful tool for communication and it is also one of the

HELENA GILLESPIE

Figure 10.2 Example homepage for a VLE (created via the Netmedia Virtual

Learning Environment).

simplest and most useful tools available via the VLE. This is a simple way for pupils and teachers to communicate with one another in a secure environment. A teacher might e-mail the class to remind them of home- work or an assignment. Alternatively, imagine a teacher is working with

a mixed Key Stage 2 class on a project about animals and finds a useful website. She e-mails this site as a link to all pupils (Figure 10.4), who are able to log on to the VLE at home. This supports their homework for the week, where they are collecting animal names and trying to classify them.

Let us consider some other simple examples of how a VLE could be further used to support primary science, with an emphasis on aspects of the science enquiry process. They do not represent complex or apparently ‘advanced’ use of ICT. In fact, using a VLE should make incorporation of ICT into primary science much more straightforward. However, they do show the range of opportunities that could be provided by a VLE.

VIRTUAL LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCIENCE

Figure 10.3

A simple learning object containing a question, a link and a picture (created via the Netmedia Virtual Learning Environment).