Report by Independent Study Lee Ellis April 2003
“Used well [digital technologies] have the potential to improve
achievement in our schools and colleges, to boost the prospects of British
industry and commerce, to offer opportunities to all learners, particularly
those who would otherwise be excluded, and to significantly enhance our quality
of life” Tony
Blair, Prime Minister 1998
Introduction:
Since computers
first appeared in school in the late 1960’s, educational policies regarding
information and communication technologies (ICT) have changed a number of times
and moved through a number of major phases, including:
- teaching computing as a main subject
- using computers as learning resources within the
curriculum
- connecting computers locally within schools and
classrooms
- providing regional, national and international links
with other schools
Research through
the Internet and published papers show that nationally, many educational
establishments are embracing the challenges presented by moving the practices
of teaching in line with the advances in communication technologies. I chose to undertake this study locally (Isle
of Thanet – East Kent), to determine the level of impact ‘e learning
technologies’ were having on ICT provision.
This case study sort to trace any parametric statistic from the Governments’
National Grid for Learning (NGfL).
NGfL is a
Government initiative for improving ICT provision in schools, by developing a
wide range of digital resources for teaching, learning and equipping teachers
to be effective users of ICT. The NGfL strategy for information and
communications technology (ICT) in education and lifelong learning was first
outlined in the Open for Learning - Open for Business challenge document,
published in November 1998. The National Grid for Learning (NGfL) programme
underpins the Government’s vision for transforming education. (NGfL, 1998 [www.ngfl.gov.uk/].
Report by Independent Study Lee Ellis April 2003
“Analysis of the effects of E-Learning Technologies on pedagogical
National Curriculum ICT provision”
This case study was
undertaken with an open mind, but following some preliminary research I, like
most people presumably, had a preconception to what level ‘current’ e-learning
technologies were being employed in the Secondary school provision of
Information Communication Technologies (ICT).
The published data suggested that the general use of mixed media
technologies in schools nationally, was sporadic, with some schools excelling
in the integration and use of communication technologies, whilst others
appeared to be uneasy with the implementation and use of the said technologies. This report is mostly a representation of my
view or opinion, but I have in places used data returned from my questionnaire
survey to show actuality.
Having
studied the national curriculum for ICT [appendix:
B] and the Government proposed ‘National Grid for Learning’ (NGfL) [appendix: C], I set about undertaking
this study to explore what impact e-learning technologies were having within a
specific area of ICT provision. I
decided to narrow the research down to the Key Stage 3 ICT level, within a set
number of schools in the
Case Study
Modus Operandi:
The
study proforma [appendix: A] details
the reason for choosing Thanet as a study area.
Although Thanet is a ‘deprived’ area there are
very favourable aspects benefiting Thanet. There are the three main
roads and rail routes that lead to
The
financial assistance factors detailed above have provided numerous
opportunities for educational establishments within the area to benefit from
additional computer equipment supply and renewal and the upgrading of computers
and associated media within classrooms.
Many of the schools in the area boast well-equipped computer rooms.
In the primary
research for the case study, I looked at what impact 'e learning' technologies were
having on 11 to 14 year olds in both organisational-structured ICT provision in
Thanet secondary schools and at home with own computers. Areas of scrutiny included:
- Independent
study at home
- Study in
social groups outside of the school environment
- Independent
and group study at school
§
interview questionnaires and on-line questionnaires
§
case studies and individual feedback
§
focus groups (presentation seminar, with feedback form)
§
Focus group project (Blended Learning Exercise)
The collection of
qualitative data from the Thanet schools was very difficult to secure. Getting responses and agreed cooperation from
the schools was very tricky. Despite
immaculate planning, I had difficulty in getting any response initially from
the schools. Taking into account
curriculum activities and school timetables, I organised the contact I was to
have with the schools, teachers and pupils to be minimal, without the need to
affect heavily on normal school activities. Three questionnaires were designed, following
research through ‘Managing Information
for Research – Elizabeth Orna [Open University Press]’ and ‘Doing Your Research Project – Judith Bell
[Open University Press].
Questionnaire 1 [appendix: H1] was formulated to gain
suitable data return from KS3 pupils who are currently undertaking ICT lessons
at Secondary school. Questionnaire 2 [appendix:
H2] was designed for ICT teachers to complete and Questionnaire 3 [appendix: H3] aimed at parents of
children aged 11 -14 years who are undertaking KS3 ICT lessons at school and
completing homework assignments at home.
I failed to get any
teachers to complete a questionnaire, although I managed to speak with a number
of teachers ‘off the record’ so to speak.
I was careful with the wording of the ‘teacher’ questionnaire, not to
highlight any of the potential shortcomings of the teachers, but on reflection
I think that the questionnaire would have detailed areas where not only the
teachers were failing, but also the failings of the schools through the
management of the curriculum.
There was only one
parental questionnaire return (not from the Thanet area), therefore, I have not
been able to create any meaning from parental support of ICT pupils.
On
On the 11 February,
I contacted the following schools by letter:
[Example of letter
in appendix: D]
- St. Georges
CofE Secondary School, Broadstairs
These were the
schools chosen for collection of the initial study criteria in the study
proforma. Their actual involvement was
always subject to approval. Included with the letter was a KS3 ICT introduction
pack [appendix: F]. This was contained
in a media folder which had a cd-rom program [700Mb], a floppy diskette
[1.44Mb] and printed information sheets detailing the contents of the disks,
and how to access the disks in the folder.
The cd-rom introduced the college, the case study and me. The disk also had full contact details to
enable the schools to contact me through the various formats available – email,
Web site, telephone, mobile phone and through surface mail. I created the
cd-rom program in Macromedia Director and programmed the disk to ‘auto-load’
when placed into the ‘end-user’ computer. Included in the media folder pack was a 1.44Mb
floppy disk, which contained a copy of the case study proforma, for ease of
reference. The proforma was saved to the
floppy disk under the Microsoft Word Document format. The diskette also contained Microsoft Word
document versions of the three questionnaires created to gain primary collection
data for the research. The purpose of
the ‘information pack’ was to facilitate ease of understanding and engender open
communication for the project. A few
weeks after contacting the five Thanet schools, and not hearing anything from
them, I followed up the initial contact letter, with a second letter. In the interim period, I was able to speak
personally to a number of the Head teachers concerned and various
representatives of the schools contacted me.
Despite verbal agreement for cooperation, I still failed to get any
responses. I wrote letters to an additional 8 schools in the Thanet and
One Thanet school
agreed to participate, but expressed concern at their pupils being able to
complete the questionnaire on-line, quote “even in this age of
technologies”. This act in itself
highlights a concern for the level of
ICT teaching in that school. I contacted
the school ICT co-ordinator and an agreement was made for printed
questionnaires to be delivered and collected from the school. 40 questionnaires were taken to the school,
with a large return envelope. The school
failed to complete and return any of the printed questionnaires.
I contacted 13
schools in total, as a representative of
In addition to the
contact with 13 Thanet schools, I also had letters printed in ‘Kent on Sunday’,
numerous KM group regional and local newspapers, The (TES) Times Educational
Supplement paper and on the notice board of the TES web site [see appendix: L]. I felt that lack of
support given by the local schools, could be balanced by additional data
gathered from other areas. The KS3 ICT
web site attracted many hits form the TES Web sites, but only two on-line
questionnaires were completed as a result of the notice.
I was unable to
gain a clear understanding of levels of teaching, teaching practices and
equipment use at any of the Thanet schools personally contacted. I asked each of the schools for the
opportunity for a visit to be made to observe the delivery of a typical ICT
lesson. No invites were
forthcoming. I invited 2 of the local
schools to attend an ICT awareness session at Thanet Campus (CCCUC), with
expenses to be met, but this invitation was not taken up either.
Prior to contacting
any school, I wrote to the office of Charles Clarke, Education Secretary DfES,
sending full details of the study scope, asking for a letter of support. This would have been used to gain the
co-operation of local schools. Mr
Clarke’s office failed to answer my letter.
Despite the overall
disappointing returns, I felt the 77 student returns provided enough data for a
reasonable level of hypothesis to be made, following analysis.
Results
from questionnaire returns
It was apparent
from the student returns, that the pupils who own or use a computer at home
have extended levels of computer literacy and understanding, than those that do
not own or use a home computer. Boys and
girls have different user habits, with the boys using the home computer for
mainly entertainment and file download purposes, with the girls concentrating
their use mainly on interaction with others, through email and chat sites. In this study, I have broken down many of the
results into two areas, in order to gain a clearer understanding of the
divisions between the home computer owners and the non-home computer owners.
With 77 returns
from KS3 ICT pupils, it was interesting to note some of the results from data
analysis. The full return results can be
viewed in [appendix: I] which are
represented by tabular and graphical depiction.
From the full
student returns, the following percentage results were calculated. First section reflects results from home
computer owners. The non-home computer
owner results follow afterwards.
[Home
Computer Owners]
Results from pupils using a computer at home,
giving a value to how they rate 10 given categories; with the value of 1 given
to the most important and the value of 10 given to the least important, I
recorded the following results: [Out of
the 61 home computer owners, 8.19% failed to complete, or completed this
section incorrectly]
Internet access: 21.31% rated access to the Internet as
the most important use of their home computer, whilst 22.95% rated it the most
important use in value 2. 9.83% rated
Internet access as the least important use of their home computer and the
lowest scores for this category were 1.63% recorded in the values of 8 and 9.
Gaming: 21.31% rated gaming as the
most important use they put their home computer to, although it was interesting
to note that 18.03% also placed gaming as the least important factor of home
computing. The lowest percentage for this
category was recorded as 3.27% in value 7.
On-line gaming: This category gave a variety of
returns. 13.11% was the choice of the
group when rating on-line gaming. This
percentage was attributed to the 3rd, 7th and 10th
values, thereby accounting for the highest and lowest choice of the pupils. 8.19% chose value 1 (most important).
Research: 27.86% rated research as an
important use of their home computer, with a small percentage of 3.27% rating
research in categories 6 and 7. This
category recorded the second highest overall positive choice.
Email: Surprisingly only 13.11%
rated the email category as their highest choice of use in values 2 and 3. The lowest percentage for this category was 1.63%
in value 8. The percentage return for
value 1 was 11.47%.
Entertainment: From the student returns, 18.03% rated
entertainment as an important use for their home computer at value 5 (middle
road). 1.63% selected values 8 and 10,
whilst the choice for value 1 came in at 9.83%.
CD-R Information: With 79.22% of the home returned questionnaires
belonging to home computer owners, only 8.19%% rated resource cd-roms as an
important feature of home computing. The
highest score for this category was 16.39% at value 4. The choice for value 10 (least important) was
4.91%, which was also recorded at value 2 (second highest).
Hobby: 13.11% was recorded
as the most important use, with 9.83% recorded as the least important. The 13.11% was also recorded at value 9 and
11.47% was recorded at value 4.
Family Use: 9.83% was the
choice for the most important use for this category, with 4.91% recording as
the lowest. 4.91% was also recorded at
value 2. 13.11% was the highest choice
recorded at value 5. It would appear
that most pupils see the computer as their domain at home, and are not readily
willing to share it with other family members.
Other: The category of
other was included in the questionnaire for the pupils to include any uses not
covered by the scope of the survey. This
category recorded the single highest return of 31.14% as the least important
use of the home computer. Only 6.55%
recorded the category of ‘other’ as an important use of the home computer.
For a full synopsis
of percentage returns for home computer owners, see [fig:
[Non-Home
Computer Owners]
Results from pupils not using a computer at
home, giving a value to how much they rate 10 given categories; with the value
of 1 given to most important and the value of 10 given to the least important,
the following results were recorded:
[Out of the 16 non-home computer owners, 62.5%
failed to complete, or completed this section incorrectly. For the purposes of this study, the
differential value is worked out by subtracting the most important use value
(1) from the least important use value (10)].
Internet access: 31.25% rated access to the Internet as
the most important use of a computer, whilst 6.25% rated it the least important
use of a computer.
This gave a differential of 25%, which compared to a
differential of 11.48% in the same category for home computer owners.
Gaming: 6.25% rated gaming as the
most important use for a computer. 6.25% also placed gaming as the least
important factor of computing. The highest
percentage for this category was recorded as 12.5% in value 3.
This category had a differential of 0%, which compared to a
differential of 3.28% in the same category for home computer owners.
On-line gaming: This category gave a variety of
returns. 6.25% was the number 1 choice
of the group when rating on-line gaming.
This percentage was attributed to the 3rd, 5th, 7th
9th and 10th values, thereby accounting for the highest
and lowest choice of the pupils.
This category had a differential of 0%, which compared to a
differential of -4.92% in the same category for
home computer owners.
Research: 6.25% rated research as an
important use of a computer in categories 4 and 6. This category recorded 12.5% as the least
important use of a computer.
This category had a differential of -6.25%,
which compared to a differential of 13.11% in the same category for home
computer owners.
Email: Non-computer owners
rated the email category as their highest choice of use in value 1 and 4 at
6.25%. The lowest percentage for this
category was also 6.25% in value 10. The
highest percentage return was 12.5% for value 5.
This category had a differential of 0%, which compared to a
differential of 1.64% in the same category for home computer owners.
Entertainment: 6.25% rated entertainment as the most
important use of a computer. From the student returns, 12.5% rated
entertainment as an important use a home computer at value 4. 6.25% selected
value 10 as the least important use for this category.
This category had a differential of 0%, which compared to a
differential of 8.2% in the same category for home computer owners.
CD-R Information: 0% rated resource cd-roms as an important
feature of computing. The highest score
for this category was 18.75 % at value 10, the least important use for
computers. The highest choice was at
value 5, recording 6.25%. An alarming
fact that both computer owners and non-computer owners do not see any value for
cd-rom based resources.
This category had a differential of -18.75%,
which compared to a differential of 3.28% in the same category for home
computer owners.
Hobby: 0% was recorded as
the most important use, with 12.5% recording as the least important. The 6.25% was recorded at value 2.
This category had a differential of -12.5%,
which compared to a differential of 3.28% in the same category for home
computer owners.
Family Use: 6.25% was the
choice for the most important use for this category, with 6.25% recording as
the lowest. 12.5% was recorded at value
9.
This category had a differential of 0%, which compared to a
differential of 4.92% in the same category for home computer owners.
Other: The category of ‘other’
was included in the questionnaire for the pupils to include any computer uses otherwise
not covered by the scope of the survey.
This category recorded the most important use at value 1 of 6.25%, and the
least important use of the home computer at 6.25%. 12.5%% was recorded at value 8.
This category had a differential of 0%, which compared to a
differential of -24.59% in the same category for
home computer owners.
For a full synopsis
of percentage returns for non-home computers owners, see [fig:
What are
e-learning technologies?
For the purpose of
this study, the phrase ‘e-learning technologies’ are used to describe either
communication technologies and digital media, or the use of such media at
school in a classroom setting or at home through individual contact. In the study, E-learning technologies are assumed
to be:
1. THE INTERNET
- Web sites
- learning resources
- Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)
- Email
2. CD-ROM
- applications (programs)
- resources (information)
- mixed media (audio, video and animation)
3. DVD
- applications (programs)
- resources (information)
- mixed media (audio, video and animation)
4. LEADING MEDIA
AUTHORING TOOLS
such as Macromedia:
- Authorware
- Dreamweaver
- Flash 5
5. ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE
- e-book applications
- learning applications
Why are e-learning technologies important to ICT Provision?
The Internet components, such as the World
Wide Web, e-mail, and chat room facilities, allows school communities to
collaborate and share resources and in new ways with not only individuals, but with other school
communities, such as libraries, universities, museums, businesses, and governments. This is one of the aims of the NGfL
initiative.
As schools invest more of their
educational time in the Web, the resources that will be contained on the local
computer network will become an increasingly significant complement to the traditional
curriculum enhancement resources. A
direct result of this growth would be the pupils having the opportunity to
develop their capability and confidence in the use of the Internet.
The
World Wide Web (www) is the organisational structure of the Internet. The Web
is as the nature of its name reflects, a collection of files gathered from all
over the world, linked together through Hypertext Mark Up Language (HTML),
amongst other things, so they become accessible to other users, with the
ability to receive the information. The Web can be used to:
- receive and send text, pictures and sound
- download information, copy images, or print details
from Web pages
- search for information held on other computers anywhere
in the world
- publish resources created in the form
of web pages.
The Internet is at
the pinnacle of the integration of technologies into the learning process. It is by far one of the most important
elements of the communication technologies. The Internet provides pupils with
inspiration and engagement. ICT Teachers are challenged to assist pupils to deal
with the large amounts of information available and to ease communication. The
multimedia presentation format of the Internet suits a range of teaching and
learning styles and can be highly motivating for pupils. The Internet creates possibilities
for pupils to increase skills in information handling, communication and familiarity
of using various computer-based technologies. It has been proved through other
studies that the Internet can also increase access to learning for pupils with
special needs, by providing an alternative and accommodating access platform to
the curriculum, reflecting on the particular needs of pupils.
The major impact of
new technologies on teaching ICT is in redefined modes of representation. Hypertext has been said to put the future of
printed media in question and in the same fashion digital graphics could be
said to effect the future of visual representation. ‘The
issue is not so much a conflict between ink on paper and pixels on a computer
screen; it is rather a conflict between contrasting modes of representation’
[Bolter 1996]. Technology itself, in the form of the
‘microchip’ has brought about these changes.
Visual literacy is now just as important as textual literacy and when
used effectively, it has the ability to go through the given parameters of
curriculum boundary.
Infographics is not
a new idea, but it is one of the latest keywords. It suitably self-describes what is in effect
‘explanatory graphics’ produced by communication technologies, primarily
digital media. These include any graphics
that support or relay information. “Often more powerful than words or imagery
alone, infographics utilize visual elements of design and words to convey a
message in such a way that context, meaning and understanding are transcended
to the observer in a manner not previously experienced” [Nixon, Paul 2003].
This change of
representation should be embraced in schools.
All subjects will benefit from the use of infographics, such as interactive
timelines in history, and interactional diagrams or cell structures in science
or biology. In geography, for example,
hyperlinked image maps (diag: 1) showing a grid
marked off in increments. Each yellow square links to a web page that lists the
available images for this quadrangle, with supporting texts and other relevant
information. Grey blocks indicate areas where no map is available.
Diag: 1
These artefacts are
effective and relatively simple to produce.
Microsoft FrontPage™ and Microsoft Publisher™ are suitable tools for the
job. Most schools have these
applications. Tools such as this will
help pupils engage with the lesson. The
hands on approach makes learning fun and this approach is just as valid as
reading from a book, or copying diagrams from the board, the only difference is
that it explains the information visually.
This is why digital media is an important progression route for
advancing ICT in education. To be able
to produce advanced, multimedia infographics, the teacher or technician needs
to have the skill required to produce the artefact and the software for
production. The following infographic
(diag: 2), is from the CNN Web site, and was used during the Iraq War. It was fully interactive, with every
‘clickable’ zone revealing pertinent information.
Diag: 2
Image © 2003 CNN
This type of
infographic would be produced with applications such as Macromedia Director™,
Flash™, Fireworks™, Freehand™ or Dreamweaver™.
Infographics can take many forms, but the archetypal ones are those that
make their point clearly, using visuals.
These visuals can be diagrams, charts, photographs, etc.
Email in the
classroom. Email provides a number of learning opportunities for
students across all Learning Areas. Students use language to comprehend, expand
and communicate ideas and information to interact with others. Through email, students are able to interact
with people and cultures other than from their immediate society. Teachers who encourage and support the use of
email in education are allowing their pupils to contribute to the global
community and empowering them with the technology to bring down barriers
of distance and culture.
Email
is very versatile. It can be very formal
or informal. It can be a very short note
or even contain links to files or web pages.
Attachments of files are possible (limited by local file attachment
quotas), including video, audio and digital pictures. Email in education is of equal importance to
that of the Internet. It provides the framework for a blended learning
environment within ICT, which is unaffected by the boundaries of home or school
environments. In my survey, 73.77% of
home computer owners had Internet access and 100% had school Internet
access. It is difficult to gauge the
actual percentage figure for the home computer owners who elected email as an
important use of the home computer, because 62.5% of those surveyed in that
section, failed to complete, or completed that section incorrectly. However, 11.47% rated email as an important
feature on their computer, which equated to the 5th most popular
answer out of a possible 10. It was
interesting to note though, that a high majority of home computer owners, with
Internet access choose to visit and use chat rooms, which is, in effect a
natural progression from email.
Schools
should not be afraid of the ‘nasties’ of the Internet. There are protocols and software applications
[firewalls] that can filter Internet use, to assist in making it safer. Technician and teaching monitoring also
helps. The general distrust in this side
of the Internet can be to the detriment of ICT learning, as can ineffectual
housekeeping. I attempted to answer most
of the Internet questionnaire returns I received from schools, to thank the
sender for their participation. The ISP
administrator, stating insufficient memory capacity present to allow delivery,
returned all emails. The return emails
were 34Kb. This was indicating either
that the email accounts were not maintained regularly or that the school
Internet server was not allowing incoming email. Carefully monitored, open communications
should be encouraged. This only serves
to support the notion of effective ICT.
One school visited on the Web has identified the importance of
email. In their National Qualifications
agenda, they stated, “Every student has a network log on, internet access and an email address,
all of which are filtered and monitored in-house. Increased use of ICT through
the Pathways project enables students to integrate the skills that they learn
in the ICT classroom with all areas of the curriculum. We are also developing
our website and adding in several portals to aid student learning and to
encourage contact with parents and alumnae.” [NGfL Scotland 2003]
Chat Rooms. These have had some bad press, but used
properly, they can be very effective in the provision of ICT. A chat room is a location on the Internet where verbal communication
can take place, in ‘real time’. When connected
to other users, everything a participant types appears on the screens of
everyone else who is active in that chat room.
Each participant’s statements are labelled with his
or her nickname to identify who is talking. Participants choose their own
nicknames and often decide against sharing their real names, either to preserve
anonymity or to take on a new persona. This in itself can be very liberating
for shy or insecure pupils who fail usually to participate in classroom
discussions and activities. Chat rooms are usually organised around a
particular subject and provide a place to “meet” people who share similar
interests.
In
a classroom environment, the careful use of chat rooms can be of real
educational advantage. If controlled, in an educationally focused environment, pupils
can chat with invited guests who have been chosen by the teacher for a specific
reason. This could be to cover a
specialist area of study or to get firsthand information from a representative
of an organisation that is being studied. These chat sessions can be pre-planned,
the pupils can decide beforehand what they want to ask the guest. Because Internet chat is more instantaneous
than email, they can practice the skill of asking follow-up questions in the ‘live’
online environment. This is effectual ICT in action. When the Internet is used in this way, ‘chat’
can improve pupils’ reasoning and literacy skills, and it can help to expand
critical literacy.
Bulletin Boards are
another method of communicating information about a specific topic. Bulletin
Boards are sometimes components of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), such as
‘Blackboard’ applications. They are notice
boards, which are normally dedicated to particular subject matter, where anyone
belonging to a particular group or cell, can read and post messages and
information. The benefit of the bulletin board system is that individual
members do not receive personal e-mail messages, and this system allows
messages to be:
- read by any members of the group (school or schools)
- posted by any member of the group
- reviewed and edited before posting to the bulletin
board.
Findings
from the study
I have had the opportunity during this study to speak with a
number of 11 to 14 year olds regarding the uses they put home computers to,
these pupils being friends of my two children who attend secondary school. In addition, I have worked with a number of
groups of KS3 pupils from local secondary schools, in digital media projects at
Thanet Campus CCCUC. During these
projects, I have been able to gain some additional knowledge not only of the
pupil’s home computer habits, but also the type of software and hardware they
were using. This incite has been very
helpful to me during this study.
ICT is very
important in schools. It influences
every strand of the National Curriculum and binds most subjects together. In this time of ‘league tables’ and
performance related teaching, teaching staff are judged on their ability to integrate
ICT into their teaching and into their pupils learning.
The questionnaire returns I received showed clearly that a
high majority of secondary school children have a home computer, or have access
to a computer outside of school. 79.22%
had a home computer, which equated to 35 male and 26 female pupils. These
pupils have improved ICT capability and the ability to use ICT resources with
discrimination. They have learnt a great deal from the uses they have put their
home computers to, and from the way they have created work on their home
computers, free from the time constraints of school, and not having to compete
for perhaps limited resources.
“The internet offers amazing educational opportunities. But
there is concern that it is creating a new "technology underclass"
for those children who have little or no access to it.” [BBC News 1999]
It is obvious
therefore, that those pupils who do not have access to a computer outside of
school are disadvantaged and the teachers are hopefully able to recognise this
and are compensating. The NGfL
initiative aims to tackle just this problem of computer inequities in the home.
A main priority is in the technology spending, in which it sets out to install
more computers and Internet connections in school buildings. This will allow for a higher percentage in the
pupil/computer ratio and school library computers will serve to assist non-home
computer owners in homework and assignment completion.
“At
My research has shown clearly, that the non-home computer
owners are unable to interact with ICT as effectively. On many levels of the questionnaire sections,
the non-home computer owners were unable to answer or refused to answer, and on
many occasions answered wrongly. These
types of error where considerably more prominent in the non-home computer
returns, than in the home computer owner returns. Another striking feature was the volume or
content of answers provided on the questionnaires, with the home-computer
owners providing substantial answers. [for reference of results, see Appendix: I, J, K]
“…..studies show that
pupils are making extensive use of ICT at home, for leisure purposes including
Internet searching, and to a somewhat lesser extent for school work. Some
pupils are making regular use of homework and revision sites, such as BBC
Bitesize and Channel 4’s Homework High. At present, their use of school-based
resources is low because few are available. Where schools have a clear policy
for developing web-based materials, these are likely to become extensive and
provide an important learning resource for pupils.” [DfES – NGfL Research
& Evaluation series. No: 4 - HMSO
2001]
When speaking to
pupils about their home computers, one of the first things that struck me was
their enthusiasm. They were putting the
machines to some excellent uses and where able to give clear details of
hardware, software and peripheral specification. Many were able to put forward a case on how
their personal computers compared with the school computers, many arguing on
the limits of the school systems.
During the study,
the home computer owners in my survey, which totalled 79.22%, showed that
73.77% had home Internet access and 96.44% had access to a CD-Rom drive. This shows that many pupils can now be in
command of their IT work. They are able
and confident to configure their computers to personal preferences and they are
happy that they do not need to compete at school for the undoubtedly, limited
resources. This is a major shift of IT
production from the school to the home environment.
“Teachers have said that pupils who do their
homework on the computer often get higher marks - not least, because the
presentation is better.” [BBC News
1999]
The pupils are in a
position to freely gain access to resources on the Internet, and many will
access and experiment with many of the software platforms, such as Microsoft
Office™. They work the programs, through
experimentation, and are then able to see exactly how the software works in
practice. Self taught, and confident,
each having perhaps learnt by following a different path, they can then return
to school and will openly trade the information within their peer groups.
The use of CD-Rom
software, which is freely available through weekly and monthly periodical
publications, allows the computer owners to trial software that they would have
otherwise been unable to experience.
Pupils load the software liberally, experiment with it and then if
unhappy, unload it. Secondary school
pupils are testing programs such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Flash™, at home.
These are fundamental tools of digital media development. I have spoken with some who have used them
and answered questions regarding their purpose.
This is the level of software that schools should be using in ICT
provision, but to my knowledge, no schools have access to it. This of course, is primarily a financial
consideration.
It was apparent
from the questionnaire returns that many of the home computer owners, who
regularly use the Internet, frequently visit ‘cheat sites’. These Web sites primarily provide access to
codes, and details required to open and play computer games, or access levels
of computer games, that would otherwise be protected. 93.40% of home computer owners, as well as
68.75% of non-home computer owners own and use game consoles. The home computer owners nominated 8 separate
cheat (code) Web sites in section 21 of the questionnaire. Interestingly, the
non-home computer owners did not nominate any such Web sites. The connection between the cheat sites and
home use of expensive, trial software is the possibility of cracking the
software. By identifying the serial
number of the software application and entering it on the trial version copied
on to a computer, it is possible to access the software permanently, completely
invalidating the ‘time restricted’ access imposed by the software vendor. Many cheat-code sites have or are linked to
the ‘crack’ sites where such serial information can be obtained. It would be naive to assume that the more
intuitive of IT proficient pupils were not able and actively pursuing this
practice.
Another
important area that should be explored briefly is the matter of breach of
copyright and intellectual rights. In
the pursuit of guiding pupils through ICT, plagiarism is an area that should be
considered carefully. Educational use of
many software applications and Web sites is generally covered by licence
allowing for the copying, downloading, and printing of most files and images,
as long as the files remain within the classroom environment and no one is set
to gain financially from it. Not all
sites and applications, including some sites aimed at the educational arena are
happy for the borrowing of assets.
Teachers should lead by example and ensure that these areas are
clarified and the pupils are aware of the issues. It is unwise to allow the pupils to complete
their education, leave school and join the commercial world, and think it is ok
to copy files. Generally, citation of
the owners of files, images and sounds is acceptable, but should always be
checked. Most schools operate Microsoft
Office™ applications, such as Word™, PowerPoint™ and Publisher™. In these programs, there are copious amounts
of ‘clipart’ images available to use in publications. However, the end user licence agreement (EULA)
for these files is clear in that users do not own any rights on the files and no
gain is to be sort from their use. Full
Microsoft ‘EULA’ in Appendix: M.
A very
simple remedy to this problem would be for the pupils and teachers, to produce
their own images. This can be done
simply with many of the programs available at schools and with the emergence of
cost effective digital technologies, digital photography can be easily collected,
manipulated and presented in many ways.
The same counts for digital audio also.
This is where digital media is an ally of information communication
technologies.
Digital media
production is essential to fulfilling the needs of bringing ICT provision in
line with technological advances in communication technologies, and with the
home computer owners taking control of their learning, it is important for
teachers to harness this growth and use it to the benefit of the collective. More importantly, there is an inherent danger
that if teachers fail to recognise the impact of the home computer learning,
and harness its benefits, a level of control will be imposed on the pupils
involved, that will serve to conflict with their knowledge of how the applications
could be used.
An importance to
the future of ICT in education is reaching out beyond the boundaries of the
school, with e-learning and digital media.
E-learning and digital media are directly linked and should not be rejected,
as they are progeny of basic communication technologies. The success of ICT therefore is dependent on
how it is used. To help pupils develop
an understanding of the bigger picture of ICT, teachers should recognise the
potential of the medium, through the interaction with and creation of digital
media. However, it is apparent that in secondary schools, there is still a
general distrust of computers and predominance for the non-technological has
remained. The subsequent failure of all
ICT teachers to complete the questionnaire I designed is proof enough that
there are failings in the current systems.
Whether this failure by teaching staff to contribute is a result of lack
of knowledge or perhaps a fear of being inadequate, and therefore an institutional
failing, I think it is fair to state that it would be ill considered for
teaching staff to ignore the educational and social significance of
communication technologies. ICT provides
the education system with an importance that allows pupils to objectify a
representation of their own way of thinking and of their basic cognitive
processes.
Teachers are under
enormous pressure to introduce technology into their teaching practices, but effective
education should always remain the priority, with the technologies supporting
that primacy. The improvement of the
quality of learning must be one of the central aims of ICT in the education
system. The focused transfer from
teaching to learning should be a plan for many schools, and this shift is
important because it supports the notion of personal development of the
individual. The NGfL initiative
proposes, “ICT has great potential to
nurture the development of the individual by encouraging pupils to take
responsibility for their learning and by providing enjoyable opportunities for
them to use their imagination and inquisitiveness for creative expression.”
[NGfL 1998]
Conclusion:
The NGfL targets
for 2002 were:
Connecting all schools, colleges, universities, public
libraries and as many community centres as possible to the Grid (via the
Internet).
Ensuring that serving teachers feel confident and competent
to teach using ICT within the curriculum; and that libraries are similarly
trained.
Enabling school leavers to have a good understanding of ICT,
with measures in place for assessing their competence in it.
Ensuring that general administrative communications between
education bodies and the Government cease to be largely paper based.
Making
The aims set out in
the NGfL initiative are important, because it presents teachers with a duty to be
able to verbally communicate details of the technological advances effecting
ICT provision, both amongst themselves, and to the children they teach. Schools will not be in a position to meet the
aims and deadlines imposed by the NGfL initiative unless teachers themselves
gain a clear and educated understanding of communication technologies [digital
media]. Teachers are paramount to the
success of NGfL, because they are in the position to highlight that it is not
only the importance of different hardware and software, but also the impact of
the technologies and practices at social and cultural levels. ICT is not just another curriculum subject;
this is a real skills branch of learning.
Through ICT, pupils need to be endowed with the practical skills,
knowledge and ability to be in a position to be able to interact through
computers and compete in the ‘real’ world, when they leave school. There are very few businesses and professions
that are not computer operated and maintained, and it is not just a case of
operatives tapping buttons, to produce pre-programmed results. One of the
positive benefits of the ‘wintel hegemony’ is that most pupils learn to use
most applications of the Microsoft Office™ Suite through IT lessons at
school. This gives them the ability to
produce simple, but effective spreadsheets and databases, as well as processing
word documents and producing efficient diagrams and graphics through Microsoft
Publisher™. That in itself places them
in a better position within the ‘business’ community, where many older, long
term employees were not taught such things when they were at school. I think it is a well-known fact that there
are a high percentage of ‘techno phobic’ adults in society as a whole. This as a fact lends itself to convinced
results in the further empowerment of the pupils who recognise that they
themselves have been able to learn to use something, which most adults in their
lives have not.
In the research and
limited contact I have had with local schools during this study, I think it is
fair to say that there is minimal integration of e-learning technologies in the
schools. A number of factors seem to be
creating situations that are preventing the advancement of communication
technologies in the schools. Financial,
curricula responsibilities, time and inexperience undoubtedly are all playing
their part. It
is apparent however, that pupils are developing their individual skills with
digital media hardware and software applications outside of the school
environment.
There is little
doubt that digitally created or digitally manipulated media is a major force in
today’s society. It affects every thread
of our daily lives, from mobile phone screens to digital televisions. More importantly, it is playing a central
role in all methods of communication.
Pupils completing secondary education today, need to have a clear
understanding of not only IT skills, but also how technologies impact and
effect daily lives. They need to be able
to survive and compete in the future commercial market place. Technology exists to entertain, educate and
inform us. If we choose to ignore, we
miss out.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Internet:
- National Curriculum On Line: http://www.nc.uk.net/nc/contents/ICT-3--POS.html 16.04.03
- National Curriculum On
Line: http://www.nc.uk.net/nc/contents/posandatt.htm 16.04.03
- NGfL: http://www.ngfl.gov.uk/about_ngfl/background.jsp 16.04.03
- Paul
Nixon [Nixlog] - Infographics: http://www.nixlog.com/infographics/ 24.04.03
- Infographics – Iraq War Map –
CNN http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/maps/fullpage.troops/index.html 27.04.03
- Infographics - Ordnance Survey
Map (St.Peters) – Street Map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=638836&y=168242&z=0&sv=ct10&st=2&pc=ct10&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&sq=1 27.04.03
- NGfL
- [DfES – NGfL Research &
Evaluation series. No: 4 - HMSO
2001] – pdf downloaded from DfES Web site - http://www.dfes.gov.uk/index.htm 20.04.03
- BBC News 1999 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/568359.stm
27.04.03
Text:
Bolter, J. (1996) The future of the book.
Orna,
Elisabeth (Graham Stevens) (1997) Managing Information for Research. Open
University Press
Appendices:
Appendix: A The study proforma
Appendix: B (Notes) The National Curriculum for ICT (KS3)
Appendix: B1 Four
general teaching requirements (NC)
Appendix: C (Notes) The National Grid for Learning (NGfL)
Appendix: D Letter to schools example (11.02.03)
Appendix: F KS3 ICT introduction pack
Appendix: G Main KS3 ICT Web Site
Appendix: H1 Questionnaire 1 (Pupils)
Appendix: H2 Questionnaire 2 (Teachers)
Appendix: H3 Questionnaire 3 (Parents)
Appendix: I Questionnaire 1 stats:
Appendix: J Synopsis of % returns – use of computers (Home Comp.)
Appendix: K Synopsis of % returns – use of computers (Non-Home Comp.)
Appendix: L (TES) Times Educational Supplement notice
Appendix: M Microsoft clipart (EULA)
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