Broad Aim: To improve the quality of teaching and learning methods when children are learning and

practicing new computer programmes/ skills.

Research Question: What method(s) of delivery best assist children in learning new ICT skills?

Baseline Data
We surveyed the children about their perceived learning preferences in ICT; what programmes they
were familiar with and ones they would like to know more about. We also measured their level of ability
to work reasonably independently (reasonably independent means they would only need to refer to teacher for support
on minor issues in completing achievement on a task.) with computers, digital cameras and digital movie cameras.
This level of ability was recorded as anecdotal notes as we observed children moving through set tasks.

Results from Survey Questions

Question 1
When learning a new skill on the computer
what do you prefer?

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To learn as a class With a buddy In a group Teacher, Observer, Worker

• ‘To learn as a class’ - the teacher would model the desired outcome via the activboard with
students interacting with questions and answers. Students would then have time to develop
their skills in performing the task independently.
• ‘With a buddy’ - required students to learn firstly though modelling on the activboard and then
to work with a buddy to support each other through the new task. Both students were
expected to complete the task.
• ‘In a group’ - meant that children worked 3-4 around a computer whilst teacher was giving
direct instructions.
• ‘Teacher, Observer, Worker’ - children were assigned one of these titles. Each title had a job
description which children had to adhere to. The computer tasks were completed throughout
the day with children moving through each role and swapping once the task was completed.
(Refer to attached template.) Children had limited experience with this method prior to
starting.
 Ques tio n 2
When learning a s kill fo r the f irs t tim e do yo u learn bes t by...

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watching a demonstration? reading/ listening to instructions? finding out through
experimentation?

Question 3
When would you like to learn computer skills?

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Once a week Over a whole day Computer Tag

• ‘Once a week’ - two hour session once a week.

• ‘Over a whole day’ - an ITC project to start and complete in a day. Held two-three times a
term.
• ‘Computer tag’ - method of Teacher, Worker, Observer. Where class has set task and children
continually work through the tasks set throughout the day/ week as their turn arises.

Results from Anecdotal Observations

We discovered that there was a large discrepancy between the children's interpretation of
‘reasonable independence’ and our own. To achieve ‘reasonable independence’ it was our
expectation that children would be able to open, save, and make progress towards completion
of a task requiring minimal support from their classroom teacher e.g. two-three questions
per task. Most children could locate and open a programme but most would use their two-
three questions just in the saving process. Based on this task we quickly realised there were
some essential basic skills we needed to develop to enable children work independently. We
will incorporate these ICT skills into our Teacher, Observer, Worker tasks.
Academic Background Information

“Tell me, I forget, show, me I remember, involve me, I understand.”

This Chinese proverb appealed to us as a starting point for our research. In aiming to provide
ICT opportunities that are interactive and are the preferential learning styles of the children.
The proverb also supports our decision to base our survey questions around the concepts of;
to, with and by.

When planning to teach skills in ICT you need to start by ensuring your class has regular access
to computers. In the acquisition of any new skill, regular practice is essential. Having one
computer per student or having computers arranged specifically in a room is not paramount,
according to Key Skills - Information and Communication Technology. It also suggested that
discussion and sharing are two of the best ways in which children learn. In getting started you
need to gauge what your students existing ICT skills are. We also found it useful to survey
the students and gain information about what programmes/ skills they were interested in
learning over the year. In our experience students had been exposed to a wide range of ICT
skills thus far and were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn about specific ones.
When gauging your students ICT capabilities conducting a self-assessment is not sufficient.
What students think they can do often differs greatly from what they can actually do. Self-
assessment accompanied by some form of anecdotal observation would help to ensure you have
an accurate picture of our students capabilities.

In the article entitled Kids do more, when it dome to ICT it stresses the importance of
recognising that children are fast becoming the experts when it come to ICT skills. In our
research it will be important that the teacher/ learner role is shared between teacher/
student. It also states that “Every subject can use ICT to develop the knowledge and skills
students need for living in the digital age.” In establishing our instructional ICT tasks we will
aim to look at the knowledge and skills required in curriculum and link this to the best suited
ICT programme to develop that task. We want to achieve authentic uses of ICT to teach
across curriculum rather than teach programmes in isolation.

Tim Van Heule wrote an article about his experiences of what worked well in his classroom in
teaching with an activboard. He stressed the importance of lessons involving an activboard as
being ‘interactive.’
“I took a varied approach, beginning with brief displays of information, guided practice and independent activities,
and finished with some form of assessment. Students should be up at the board, working independently, in groups,
as a class, etc. The teacher should never be in full control of the board throughout the lesson. It’s important to ask
yourself, "how have I engaged my student’s today?” (Van Heule, 2008)

These readings have given us a good insight into what is required before we begin our research
and some useful ideas to guide our practice. How have I engaged my students today?

References
• Key Skills - Information and Communication Technology., (2008).
www.keyskillssupport.net/teacandlearkeya/infoandcommtech/teach.aspx
• Kids do more, when it comes to ICT., (2007). Schools+Parents magazine>Issue1.
http://education.qld.gov.au/publication/schoolsand parents/2007/issue1-3kids.html
• Van Heule, Tim., (2008). Interactive Whiteboards.
http://tcubed.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/interactive-whiteboard-lessons-best-practices/
Practical Tasks

Term Two

• Digital Photography Unit - Eight two hour sessions taught weekly.

• Kidpix—Iain modelled an hour and a half session where students worked in groups
around macs. The pod of computers were all made available online and could connect to
the mac attached to the interactive whiteboard (IWB) . Through this method we could
also padlock students screens which allowed for tighter control during instructional
times. Students were taught how to use Kidpix on the IWB via a flipchart. The online
connection of the computers allowed all students to view the work of others on the
IWB screen.

• Teacher, Observer, Worker tasks— importing a photo from photobooth to iphoto,

saving a file and retrieving it, how to use itunes, using sound on Kidpix;

• Claymation— Taught over one week, two hour sessions each day.

• Kidpix—Iain modelled an hour session. Students learnt how to take a photo of

themselves in photobooth and then import it into Kidpix. Once in kidpix they were
shown how to cut around their heads and insert it onto a background. Iain modelled the
process first to the whole class in the Kiva then they were given practice time in small
groups.

• Artist study. Children created a painted and a kidpix image of a famous artwork.

Term Three

• IMovie interviews—Five one hour sessions taught over one week. Sessions involved
teacher demonstrations and experimental time in groups (three children). All students
were able to complete an independent interview.

• Teacher, Observer, Worker tasks— Word processing tasks eg wordart, font, size and
positioning skills for layout and presentation, powerpoint or keynote (creating slides),
creating flipcharts on promethean programme, research /gathering information on an
athlete from Official Olympic website.

• Publishing narratives

• Calendar art
Baseline Survey Revisited

Qu est ion On e
Wh en lea rn in g a n ew skill on t h e comp u t er wh a t d o y ou p refer?
refer

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To learn as a class With a buddy In a group Teacher, Observer, Worker

Qu est ion 2
When lea rn in g a skill for t he first t ime d o y ou lea rn best b y ...

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wat ching a demonst r at ion? r eading/ list ening t o inst r uct ions? f inding out t hr ough exper iment at ion?

Qu est ion 3
Wh en wou ld y ou like t o lea rn comp u t er skills?

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Once a week Over a whole day Computer Tag

Evaluation/ Reflection

Results from Repeated Baseline Survey combined with Teachers anecdoctal observations and
recordings

When learning a skill for the first time what do you prefer?
To learn as a class and then work independently was scored low by the children. For some reasons
this was pleasing to teaching staff. For management and hardware reasons, children working one on
one with computers means that half the class can access computers at a time. This means remaining
children need work set to leave the teacher available to work with those on the computers or
alternately the children have no access to the teacher while he/she works with the remainder of
the class. . Children working independently were much more demanding on teacher time to problem
solve and complete a task in a given time. Having a buddy keeps children moving through the task.
The buddy is trying to move the worker toward completion so they get their fair share of the
computer time.
This survey showed a marked change after two terms of focussed learning on ICT. To work with a
buddy remained high in the children’s working preferences. Children like this method as they learn
first, get to try with a buddy who can help them problem solve, where they get stuck or can’t
remember and with only two at the computer they get a significant amount of “hands on” time to
work, complete a task and experiment.
Working in a group was an option chosen by only 3. Children sited reasons mainly of co -operation,
ability to see the screen and to all get a turn to operate the computer as a downfall to this method.
The “teacher, observer, worker method” was newly developed during term 2 as an instructional
method. This scored lowly in our baseline data as only some children had successfully experienced
this method of instruction and learning. Children now understand this process more thoroughly and
have enjoyed working through a series of new learning tasks. If most tasks take ten minutes to
complete, by the time a student has been all three roles—worker, observer and teacher, they have
only lost 30 mins of class time. Management wise the whole class gets through the key task within a
week and often gets a second turn to practice after the initial task has rotated through the whole
class. Popularity of this option grew as children enjoyed doing ICT when others were doing work on
something else. It also became more favoured when the children became more familiar with the
three roles and realised that they would get a turn in each role. From a teaching point of view, it is
good to see more reluctant learners taking a leadership role in having to instruct others as an
observer.

When learning a skill for the first time do you learn best by ….

Watching a demonstration is the preferred starting method for learning. This gave the students
the base line knowledge to then go further through experimentation.
Demonstrating in conjunction allows students to come up to the IWB and go through skills before
returning to their independent or buddy activity.
Second option was to learn through experimentation. This method was predominantly more popular
with the higher ability ICT students as they have better problem solving abilities when faced with
unknown concepts. Interestingly it became a more popular option on the repeat survey. This backs
up our earlier statement that with increasing confidence the children’s preference for learning
methods changes as they become more independent.
Reading listening to instructions from teaching observations was not a the best delivery method for
learning a new skill. With computers children want to be hands on . It is like putting them in a
workshop and saying you can’t use the tools. Instructions were read minimally and then the children
immediately want 1:1 support to access support. Lowest scoring option for children and teachers.
Evaluation/ Reflection

Results from Repeated Baseline Survey combined with Teachers anecdoctal observations and
recordings (continued)

When would you like to learn ICT?

Three choice options were given in this question. The children were asked to choose one.
However the reality of the classroom practice is that ICT is modelled and taught daily
through the use of the IWB and classroom computers. Computer tag occurs on a regular basis
and a new task is worked through on a weekly or fortnightly basis depending on the task.
Classroom computers are used daily and the pod of laptops is booked for specific teaching
times.

The option of Once a week was most popular. This option is experienced by the children as 2
hours once a week on the apple macs to learn a specific task, usually related to integrated
topic in some way. This option encompasses demonstration, practice and completion of a set
task. The children all look forward to this on a once a week basis. This dedicated time has
allowed teachers to develop sequential steps in learning new programmes and developing
degrees of difficulty in the features of programmes that children are now using. As an ongoing
practice students independence when working in a programme has increased and between the
children they are problem solving to reach their own conclusions. From a teaching perspective
it is also a great way to integrate theme lessons in an interactive way and to encourage
children to research further beyond the classroom. It is also resulting in an improving
standard of presentation of written work.

Over a whole day This option was the lowest scoring but I stress again the children could only
choose one option. From a teaching perspective, accessing the pod for a whole day is difficult
if not near impossible but it has been done. During our teaching of the claymation unit and
legomation topics , whole day computer use was used. Management and completion of the
claymation task was only achieved through whole day access. Children working at different
stages and making various modifications or improvements kept most children purposeful
throughout these whole day tasks. For those that drift off task whole day computers required
greater management.

Computer tag (worker, observer, teacher) This option has grown in popularity as the children
have learned the process and become more skilled in all of the three roles. The children enjoy
developing their own port folio of completed tasks as evidence of their learning. They enjoy
moving in and out of class activities to use the classroom computers during the day. From a
teaching perspective it is good to continue ICT development through the daily classroom
practice. Teachers have observed children growing in confidence in all roles of worker,
observer and teacher. Management wise it takes very little time to set up the first ‘teachers’
with knowledge of the task to lead others through their tasks.

Teacher Perspective—setting the whiteboard computer as the master computer where

the children’s computers can be viewed on the IWB was a feature enjoyed for control.
Ensuring everyone was on task when working with others was easily achieved. Being
able to pad lock the computers through this same system could direct attention
immediately back to teacher to explain further. This works particularly well in the
once a week , model , then explore method of instructions.
Parent Survey

To take our information gathering one step further than we had planned initially in this
research we decided to survey parents in regard to
• Whether their child discusses their ICT usage at school
• Do they use a computer at home to practice the ICT skills they have learned at school?
• Have they expressed an interest or enjoyment of ICT learning?
• Do thye use the home computer to gather information or research for school topics

The data below clearly displays the majority of children have talked about their ICT learning
at school. At least 2/3rd’s of the children practice school taught computer tasks on their
home computers. 2/3rd’s of the children have expressed enjoyment in their ICT learning.
Using computers at home to gather information for school is an increasing practice.

From the donut diagram of activities the children have discussed with parents, there
is a large range of programmes and activities. From incidental parent comments,
there is much evidence of children teaching parents and positive comments about the
integration of ICT skill learning to relevant topic tasks. There was even a comment
that “ Child A wants and Apple mac for Christmas!”

The responses from home have consolidated our feelings that ICT integration is alive
and thriving within these children’s classroom teaching and daily lives. This
enjoyment and use by choice, is a signal of achievement.

ICT and Your Child - Questionaire Results

a lot occassionally not yet

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Has your child mentioned Do they use a computer at Have they expressed an Have they used computers at
their ICT leanring? home to do activities they interest/ enjoyment in ICT home to gather information
have done at school? learning? for school topics?
 ICT and Your Child - Questionaire Results
What skills/ programmes has your child mentioned using/ learning at school?
Interactive Whiteboard
Grid Club
Word Art
Create a Claymation
ClickView
Publisher
Email
Using the Apple Macs
KidPix
Photography
Music Programmes
Word
Short Movies
PowerPoint
Computer Games
Search the Internet
Printing Documents
Keynote

Conclusions
As in all teaching and learning children have different and changing learning styles depending on the
existing knowledge they bring to a task and their ability to work co-operatively with others. In the same light,
teachers favour different teaching methods, often based around management principles.
In catering for all, variety is required. This research has lead us to find some strongly favoured methods of
teaching and learning for ICT in our classrooms with our students. It is evident in the shift from our baseline
data to our concluding results, that as new learning occurs and the students confidence has grown, so has their
preferred method of instruction and learning altered.

It has become increasingly obvious to us in the ongoing use of the IWB that all teaching creates ICT learning
opportunities. All the decisions we make on the IWB in front of the class provides them with learning
opportunities and modelling. It takes no longer to point this out as a teaching moment, as we create a flipchart.
We invite the children to verbalise how can we achieve the outcome or better still ask them to get the IWB
flipchart to that point themselves—true integration of ICT and everyday opportune teaching moments.
On reflection now that we are IWB confident, we very regularly pose the learning task to the children to talk
us through the task we are doing, whether it is finding and opening a file or manipulating objects on the board
or searching in the IWB library for a resource. This as a repeated process has resulted in a hugely increased
ability of the children to use the IWB functions but also to problem solve to complete a task. When children
have to verbalise what they are doing, they demonstrate true understanding.

On completion of this research, we can very clearly see teaching and learning preferences for the children. We
would strongly advocate that a huge amount of learning of ICT skills is incidental and arises from
increased confidence , experimentation in programmes once an initial understanding has been grasped and from
teacher modelling as the IWB demonstrates daily to all the class.