Introduction | Who we are | Peer to peer| Activities | Project Findings
Innovation for community regeneration: bridging the digital divide
In the Minerva Programme's Web@Classroom project, teachers, students and researchers at schools in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom have worked together collaboratively to use wireless technology in innovative ways. They have maintained e-mail contact, exchanging information, ideas and cultural detail which has encouraged discussion and promoted greater cross cultural understanding which the students, in particular, have valued. As one 11-year-old student said: "We can all learn about other countries and the way people live".
In the UK primary school, the use of laptops allowed the students to have greater access to a computer in order to work individually. Previously, there had been limited access to an old computer suite or to a single stand-alone computer in the classroom. This made it very difficult for a whole class to be set an ICT task. Using the laptops and the wireless technology, as one teacher explained: "We often see students (in yr. 6) walking around the school with a laptop, making measurements or conducting a survey and inputting the data as they go. It has made the ICT much more accessible. The student's skills have improved so much that they have much higher than expected skills, especially compared to students from other schools, when they move on to their secondary school."
Access to the technology and a network of support has emerged as critical factors supporting change. The head teacher explained "Its part of being part of the school, wanting to show the children that we're all learners. I don't mind going to ask someone if I can't do something on a laptop. We try to promote that openness so that they don't feel threatened when they don't know, then they're more likely to ask. Again, through the laptops, ICT has helped us to become a true learning organisation."
Community regeneration
The school's ICT initiative in the UK is to build a connected learning community in an area of considerable social and economic deprivation. The aim is can provide a model for bridging the digital divide through facilitating collaboration between the school and its local community to support not only the learning of children, but lifelong learning for the whole community. The headteacher had a clear vision; "I discovered issues such as the digital divide which divides society. We felt that if we could bridge that divide, some of the other social exclusion issues could start to be addressed".
Access to laptops was provided at school and at home and is raising the profile of learning in the community. The head teacher reported "the parents felt quite complimented that we thought they were worth the investment because they were taking this high tech expensive kit home and we were saying to them 'you are worth it'."
E-mentors from industry were enlisted to provide online support and encouragement for pupils who may not have a male role model in the family. An E-learning foundation provided laptops through a low cost scheme. The laptop initiative has facilitated parents learning about ICT, and encouraged parents' ICT skills and confidence, raising their self-esteem. Parents and grandparents were undertaking ICT courses provided through adult education courses run at the school and encouraged to build on them by continuing at higher education centres in the area. Certificates to recognise their achievements were presented in the school assembly.
The head teacher explained "once the laptops started to go home, the parents became interested in the new technology. They didn't feel threatened by it because it was in their own home. They were coming to school saying 'my year 4 child knows more than me' etc. We could tell them about the ICT courses for adults and they would come along." The overall effect was to raise the profile of learning in the community and to provide a network of support for pupils and parents learning together. The evidence shows that 61% of pupils borrowing a laptop received help with their work from family or friends. 46 out of 47 pupils borrowing laptops reported that family and friends also used the laptop. ICT has been a catalyst for positive change in parent and pupil attitudes to school, schoolwork and to homework.
For further information on the findings of the EU Minerva 'web@classroom' project please visit the MirandaNet website - www.mirandanet.org.uk
Acknowledgements - we are indebted to Christina Preston, Director of MirandaNet as the UK partner organisation for this project and for Christina's commitment and support.
Sarah Younie, UK Project Director and Karen Cameron, UK Research Officer.
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