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Appendix 3
The Impact of ICT in Scottish Schools Phase 3: The Case Studies

1. Introduction

In Scotland, the government has commissioned three national surveys to gather information on the ways in which schools, teachers and pupils have responded to the introduction of information and communication technologies ( ICT) to the classroom. The surveys have provided evidence of how computers and related technologies have become part of the everyday experience of pupils and teachers, within and out of school. The report of the third survey, The Impact of ICT in Scottish Schools: Phase 3, in 2004 gives a picture of the situation in Scottish schools, five years after the various ICT initiatives began to make themselves felt in school In addition to the survey of pupils, teachers and schools, the project team also identified a number of specific developments within individual schools which were investigated in greater depth. These five case studies are described here, together with a discussion of the challenges and benefits of integrating ICT into the curriculum.

Five schools, 'case studies', were identified in order that we might take a closer look at the impact of specific technologies on individual schools, to complement the data obtained from the survey. The schools selected, 2 primaries, 2 secondaries and one special school, were not representative of schools in the survey, or indeed across Scotland, but rather were identified through various means (from responses to the survey, personal knowledge or through contacts) as schools with 'good practice' in specific technologies (a 'reputational' sample). This section presents a summary report of each visit, indicating some of the issues that arose in the implementation of the technology and a number of common themes that emerged from the visits.

2. Digital video - oh so easy!

Digital video was a significant component of the MasterClass training programme. It is an aspect of information and communication technology that has been touted as 'the next big thing' in ICT across the curriculum, with potential for use with all ages and stages and in all subject disciplines. However, it requires careful, measured introduction in schools and, not surprisingly, its curricular impact has been limited. ( http://www.becta.org.uk/research/research.cfm?section=1&id=546)

In one East Dunbartonshire primary school it has been successfully introduced thanks to the combination of supported study and MasterClass initiatives. Its use is slowly spreading through the school as teachers and pupils develop confidence in handling the hardware, master the software and acquire the necessary technical expertise to complement their creative skills. MasterClass introduced the school ICT co-ordinator to the potential of digital video and she remains an enthusiastic convert. The supported study programme running in East Dunbartonshire schools offered an excellent platform for launching digital video activity to a small group of interested Primary 6 pupils. The programme financed a digital video camera (to match that provided by MasterClass) and PC-based film editing software. The volunteer pupils worked collaboratively with other children from a nearby school to gain the skills and techniques associated with planning, filming and editing.

The pupils were supplied with digital video cameras, a laptop, and an all-important tripod. It might have been anticipated that they would simply record their friends at play, but they created a skilfully edited and professional looking five minute video on 'a day in the life of our school' to promote their school to parents and prospective new pupils. As a result, they achieved national stardom at the SETT exhibition in 2004, involvement in the SETT film workshop and shared a stage with BBC's Jackie Bird.

During the visit to the school, the group spoke very confidently about their experiences and maintained that, overall, they found filming more difficult than editing. They considered that they 'weren't very good to start with' and had learned a lot from all the mistakes they had made along the way, especially about filming shots from different angles, panning and zooming. The discipline of storyboarding had also been very worthwhile. A lot of film had initially ended up in the computer trash can but they soon found they were making significant progress. Editing software ( PC-based Pinnacle Studio) had been remarkably easy to use and they found it simpler to integrate sound and titles at a late stage of production - rather than 'on location'. All of the pupils had been confident users of ICT (though not of digital cameras) at the start of the study support training programme and they had maintained their interest in digital video. One girl used it extensively at home. Subsequently, they were working with other pupils (and staff) to spread the use of digital video across the school and they saw many potential applications in drama and art as well as in the development of language-based resources for the younger pupils.

Their former class teacher - now teaching Primary 2 - is still responsible for co-ordinating ICT in the school and is particularly interested in promoting digital video activities, particularly thanks to the establishment of an East Dunbartonshire support group for MasterClass participants. The school policy (recently revised and rewritten) is geared to ensuring ICT permeates and supports all areas of the curriculum, stressing that pupil experience should not be solely ICT-skills based. The school is well equipped with computer resources (with mini-suites in some classrooms) and electronic whiteboards in all classrooms. An innovative feature is the installation of steps to ensure that even the youngest pupils can interact with the whiteboard. Word processing is used across the school and children from Primary 4 upwards create PowerPoint presentations to support investigative topic work.

The school has been the pilot school for East Dunbartonshire's upgraded server and the demands of the digital video equipment have resulted in the upgrading of some school computers. Following these developments, the school is well placed to expand the use made of digital video, especially as staff development has taken place, the digital video group has helped train other pupils and a new web-cam has been purchased so that 'plasticine-based' animation sequences can be created and filmed. They will be the result of proposed collaboration between the Primary 7 and Primary 1 pupils and will be the basis for subsequent language development activity.

The ICT co-ordinator sees many potential applications of digital video across the curriculum where the pupils can demonstrate the results of their investigations, illustrate their conceptual understanding of key curriculum areas/topics and evaluate their performance on specific tasks. All of these would go considerably towards meeting the many strands/targets of various 5-14 Guidelines.

3. Digital video and stills imaging with special educational needs

The school which formed the basis of this case study is an inter-denominational school catering for pupils with special educational needs (physically impaired with associated difficulties). All staff have what is considered to be a high level of skill in ICT and the development of ICT to support learning and teaching is an on-going priority. It has been identified as one means of addressing two of the National Priorities in particular (Achievement and Attainment and A Framework for Learning) as well as a range of performance indicators from How Good is Our School?

The school has a commitment to providing pupils with the opportunity to use ICT as a support for learning. The development of ICT was viewed by staff as a collegiate decision which was supported by funding from the local authority and the school itself. The quality of the staff, both in terms of specialist expertise and commitment to innovation through ICT, was seen as a significant factor in developments.

Each teaching area is equipped with multiple computer systems, all linked to the school's network, providing pupils with the opportunity to learn on-line and access the latest educational materials. The school has its own on-site server and is connected to the Educational Gateway system rather than the local authority network which is used by primaries providing mainstream education. This gives them greater freedom, they believe, in the ways in which they can use the computing technology. Interactive whiteboards are located throughout the school, together with a variety of specialist/customised peripherals, affording every child access to the computer system. The use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication Devices ( AAC) is a developing area within the school; essentially, electronic devices are used to support communication between individuals. During the visit, the use of digital video and stills imaging was in evidence throughout the school.

The on-site independent server was seen as important by staff. They perceived that this afforded them independence in loading/piloting new software as needed, without the need to wait for a system management service to carry out compliance/configuration checks. The service also seemed to provide greater stability when introducing new ICT elements to the school, reducing the frequency of network crashes and retaining consistency in the desktop interface. This gave teachers with relatively low levels of ICT skills more confidence in the equipment.

The server provides significant storage space which allows teachers, as they develop ICT skills, to store and view information and materials with greater ease. As this is a multi-agency establishment, the server can provide a means of communication between agencies and it is hoped that the pupil profiles will eventually go online, allowing access to the different agencies within the school, using a system of personal log-on/password procedures.

The particular focus of the visit to the school was to look at developments in video imaging. This had been particularly beneficial to the development of Hanen training within the school. This specialist training is aimed at providing staff with insights into the children's language development by videoing children's assessment activities and staff interactions to help develop improved learning and teaching strategies Video is used both as a record of the child's attainment and as an evaluation tool by staff. It is revisited several times and reviewed in relation to the methodology of the Hanen system.

Digital stills imaging is used in conjunction with interactive software to help language development in children with severe communication difficulties. This process involves the development of language skills in children from a literal image/sound/word match to an abstract symbol/sound/word match to the final development of sign language. The digital cameras within the school are used through a procedure of having children, staff and/or parents record images from their everyday lives which are then imported to interactive formats with the class as visual representations of word and sounds. Peripheral hardware ( e.g. specialist switches) is then employed to afford children the ability to respond to the image/symbol with a view to the development of more complex language skills over a period of time.

ICT was seen by staff as an extremely efficient method of developing both the Hanen system (essentially, family-focused early language intervention programs -http://www.hanen.org) and the language programme within the school. It was recognised by staff that, although it may have been possible to develop both without the use of IT, the process would have been far slower. In some cases the progress of children was significantly related to the ICT developments, in the view of staff.

Discussion with the pupils (P4-5) indicated that they saw ICT as supporting a wide range of activities, although the most common use was in language work. It was also associated with an element of 'fun' in lessons. The use of 'toys', CD- ROMs and supported study featured as examples of how ICT was integrated into their day-to-day experience. Some involvement with outside agencies was also identified. For example, one child spoke of his participation in a programme, assisted by a local theatre group, which involved the production of an animated sequence using digital imagery. Children also spoke of using control technology and interfaces, whereby they would control self-constructed models. They were aware of the involvement of peripheral hardware ( e.g. switches and sound recording) in the development of their own and other children's language skills and mention was made of home-school links here.

Within school, pupils reported using digital imaging for a range of purposes:

• creating school records of class field trips for access by all children in the school
• transferring from digital video tape to DVD by senior classes
• using digital video/stills camera to create animations within classes
• using software to support aspects of mathematics lessons within school
• using digital still images in the design/construction of presentations to pupil council, e.g. playground improvements.

Out of school, pupils used ICT for similar purposes to those who responded to the questionnaires (Section 5): downloading music, using broadband Internet provision, search engines and email. They used word processing and Internet searches to complete homework activities and some pupils reported the availability of take-home laptops and mini-laptops/tablets, which were useful in the completion of homework exercises. Away from homework, a frequent use of the Internet was playing games.

Benefits and limitations

Overall, ICT was perceived as having a positive impact on teaching and learning within the school. It encouraged critical reflection on the effectiveness of the learning and teaching process through the use of digital video technology. This led to the transference of skills developed within language to other areas of the curriculum, resulting in an overall perception of greater pupil attainment and improved learning and teaching practices.

In addition, teachers perceived children's motivational levels to be higher when using ICT and there was some evidence of increased independence and confidence in the children with regard to ICT use in school. Staff also felt that Individual Education Plan ( IEP) targets were being met more efficiently.

Two limitations were identified by staff:

1. The high profile given to the ICT initiatives within the school was seen to have contributed to parents seeing ICT as a possible panacea to many of the severe difficulties experienced by their children, raising false expectations. Teachers considered ICT to be a more effective tool in their work rather than a 'cure-all' approach.
2. The rate of change in new technologies was challenging in that staff skills needed updating regularly. In order to maximise the use of ICT within the school, it is essential that staff skill sets are well matched to the hardware and/or software being used. This is daunting in terms of the organisation and practicalities of staff development.

Pupils also identified benefits and limitations. ICT provision was seen as good regarding review and display of coursework and it was motivational - ' getting away from normal maths'. The main frustration was again one that was mentioned frequently by pupils in the main study - old computers in school that tended to 'crash' while working.

Looking to the future

The key targets on the Improvement Plan for 2004-05 were to:

• purchase video equipment for each class
• purchase television/video units for each class
• improve language and communication resources
• establish a CPD programme to raise skills and understanding of video recording, editing and CD/ DVD creation.

These were being addressed at the time of the visit to the school. A further priority was the development of video assessment as an integral element of the development of Pupil Profiles and enhanced IEPs.

Pupils did not feel that drastic improvements would be necessary, but suggested that perhaps the anti-virus protection should be updated. In addition, they suggested that additional provision, for example the introduction of more interactive whiteboards, would be beneficial.

4. Tablet PCs

In one Highland secondary school (roll circa 420) an evaluation of tablet PCs is in its second year. The tablet PCs are being used by both teachers and pupils to determine whether paperless courses are feasible and if the tablet PC is a viable classroom alternative to the electronic whiteboard. The aim is to implement these in all areas of the school and with all classes.

The school has invested in significant ICT provision, entirely PC-based. Three computer suites, principally used by computing studies and business studies, are each equipped with 20 systems. Design and technology has 20 PCs with 2D/3D modelling software and the school has two wireless-based mobile 'classrooms in a box' - one of 10, the other of 15 machines. The Learning Support area has eight PCs, the Library has six and other systems are in various study bases or classrooms. Every teacher (including the three members of the Senior Management Team) and all four office-based support staff have their own computer - desktop, laptop or tablet - and the school is working towards the provision of a digital projector in every 'non-practical' room by the end of session 2004/5. There are electronic whiteboards in computing studies and Learning Support and a wireless network is established across the school. ICT is embedded in the work of all departments, there is a comprehensive Intranet, internal memos and documents are distributed by First Class and the school website is used extensively.

The tablet PCs are viewed as an integral part of ICT provision. Currently ten teachers are piloting and appraising their use across the curriculum - in mathematics (all four teaching staff), business studies, chemistry, modern languages, biology, social subjects and RME. All the teachers are receiving appropriate staff development support. The tablet can be the only tool the teacher needs - whiteboard, OHP, computer, filing cabinet, web-access device, communication system and recording, planning and preparation resource rolled into one! The teachers share the conviction that the tablet PC, with its wireless connection to a digital projector, means they have a more versatile and adaptable resource than that offered by the interactive whiteboard.

For the pupils the tablets were seen as an integrated resource displacing the traditional requirement for textbooks and jotters. To date the principal users have been students of Advanced Higher Mathematics. This course is well served with web-based SCHOLAR resources, other downloadable materials from the Higher Still Development Unit ( http://www.mathsroom.co.uk) and the school's mathematics Department web-space. Essentially, the pupils download materials, particularly the SCHOLAR materials, and import them into the Microsoft Journal facility. They can then, with a stylus, annotate course notes, sketch and label diagrams, create solutions to problems, compose individual notes, write essays and complete homework tasks. The homework can be sent to the school network website for teachers to pick up and correct. Other common Windows software such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel can be used and some students have used their tablets in computing, philosophy and chemistry. Other computing classes have used the tablets for investigations and PowerPoint presentations to their peers.

In 2003/4 the mathematics course was completely paperless and this year pupils have used a combination of electronic and printed resources. From the teachers' viewpoint tablets save time, resources can be delivered as and when required, pupils can focus on teacher-led exemplars and can develop their note-taking strategies - developing valuable skills for university. Teachers interact with the pupils' tablets using Ultra VNC software to check problems and deliver appropriate, targeted remedial advice.

The pupils were objective in their appraisal of the tablets. They were supportive of their use and recognised the desirability of a paperless course. They had found the tablets robust and very easy to use. They were particularly impressed with the Journal facility and used it extensively with the SCHOLAR materials. They liked not having to copy out extensive tranches of content or large complex problems. Two pupils had used the Journal software for essay writing in philosophy and chemistry. The mathematics course relies heavily on worked examples and short, written statements - the stylus, with its extremely accurate handwriting recognition software, was considered excellent. However, the lack of a keyboard on the older model tablets available to the pupils inhibited their use in other subject areas for essay writing or extended note taking. All of the pupils would have preferred the keyboard option. Also, where they were the only pupil in another subject class with a tablet or personal computer, they were embarrassed to take them out and use them. The pupils also found the older tablets were heavy to carry back and forth, would not accept USB connections, had a small (10-inch) screen (which made split-screen use with SCHOLAR materials difficult) and had a limited two-hour battery life. This meant they had to be shut down after every class and the start-up time delayed proceedings of the next lesson by up to five minutes. Not surprisingly, pupils preferred the newer, slimmer, large screen models with enhanced XP Professional software and a stand which meant the tablets could be used at an angle - making it easier to view text and diagrams on screen.

The pupils would have liked access to the school website from home to submit homework or receive teacher comments. Interestingly, despite being children of the ICT revolution, they preferred to revise using paper rather than electronic format materials. They felt that if tablets were introduced lower down the school (to 'responsible' pupils), this reservation would swiftly disappear.

The use of the tablets, driven by a Faculty Head who has considerable experience of NOF and MasterClass training, has had a profound impact on the work of this school, according to those interviewed. With new, lighter models, integral keyboards, extended battery life making a full day's use a viable option and the eradication of technical server-software problems (which have caused problems in the current evaluation phase), it seems inevitable that the tablets will exercise a more pervasive and important role in the learning and teaching processes within the school.

5. Interactive whiteboards

The case study school in this instance was a non-denominational, mainstream primary school in the west of Scotland. The school was seen as supporting work in relation to the National Priorities in Achievement and Attainment, A Framework for Learning and Skills, Attitudes and Expectations. In addition, developments in ICT were addressing a number of performance indicators in How Good Is Our School?

The key target for the school was to raise teachers' and pupils' competencies in computing/ ICT and thereby pupils' overall attainment. This was being tackled through a series of tasks:

• a programme of CPD and agreed collegiate activities in ICT to match the needs of all teachers, as evidenced by an audit of competencies conducted by the HT
• the negotiation of a 'Classroom of the Future' in the school, where the medium-to-long term concept is to embrace how pupils will learn in the next 2-5 years using ICT. Two 'lead teachers' were willing to take on a staff development role to support this
• the identification and acquisition of hardware needs to establish the 'Classroom of the Future' which can be accessed by other colleagues and pupils
• the negotiation of continuous support for lead teachers with regard to the development of their skills and competences so that they might in turn cascade their expertise to others.

The visit to the school involved an interview with one of the 'lead teachers' identified in the development plan who believed that ICT could have a positive impact on children's learning experience within the classroom, including children's motivation and the clearer exposition of difficult concepts/skills. Examples given included the classroom use of interactive whiteboard technology ( http://www.smarttech.com) and the pupils' use of PowerPoint in reviewing and reporting activities in Environmental Studies. Further development depended, in her view, on a continued commitment to staff development and hardware procurement. (Her views were supported by a member of the Senior Management Team who was also interviewed.) Particular reference was made to the 'Classroom of the Future' initiative within the school - the details of which were clearly explained within the school development plan.

The focus of the visit was on the use of interactive whiteboards within the context of the 'Classroom of the Future'. Interactive whiteboards were seen as providing a number of benefits, with particular reference being made to:

• the exposition of difficult concepts for children within mathematics, such as the link between analogue and digital time
• their use within language for storing drafts that would usually be lost when using standard chalk or dry-wipe boards
• the use of interactive features for large class and small group lessons
• the clearer display of pupils' presentations on PowerPoint, e.g. in science lessons
• the perceived motivational aspect of maintenance of children's interest/ participation in lessons.

Headway had been made towards the implementation of more 'homogeneous' software provision and 'interface' commonalities as a first step in working towards the 'classroom of the future' by means of the procurement of a mobile PC suite. This was undertaken following advice from the regional advisor and other outside agencies. The interactive whiteboard was seen as key element in establishing class lessons of a modern interactive nature.

The initial interactive whiteboard had been supplied by the local authority as part of the 'Classroom of the Future' initiative, with a second one funded in part by the school. The mobile PC suite had been purchased from a commercial company

The main impact on teaching and learning was perceived to be the way in which the interactive whiteboards could help teachers to elucidate difficult concepts and provide exemplifications that allowed pupils to grasp the ideas and understand them. The pupils could interact with the boards, aiding understanding. They were more efficient than the traditional chalkboards in this respect. One issue was in ensuring staff development kept pace with ICT developments.

A group of P4 pupils were interviewed and, although initially reticent, they did identify experiences of using ICT in school, both in relation to the interactive whiteboards and more generally. Examples given included:

• the use of PowerPoint to create displays in science
• the use of a language CD- ROM in P1
• the use of laptops and older computers in school
• mention of 'webquests', i.e. access to the Internet through a context-based platform
• some recollection (eventually) of learning about analogue/digital clocks with an interactive whiteboard in mathematics.

The pupils were aware of the different levels of provision across classes, e.g. that they had access to an interactive whiteboard while other classes did not. They were also aware of the different types of ICT provision in the school, e.g. the various types of computer available throughout the school. They reported that in school they seldom or never accessed the Internet, had never sent email nor used digital imaging in the classroom.

The pupils interviewed considered the interactive whiteboard as 'the best thing in the world' and were able to discuss its use in very specific terms. They were able to identify its benefit within an interactive class/group lesson and they were able to recall their own personal use of the board and how they carried this out. They were able to recount how, if the board perceived 'no signal', this was rectified (and by whom). They gave a general impression of the motivational aspects of their use of the board, recounting interest in the interactive nature of the board lessons. More specifically, they described how they had used the board for:

• mathematics (times tables, sums, clocks)
• science (PowerPoint - 'epidermis')
• language (saving group 'drafts').

Out of school they used computers to play games, to access the Internet (for games and homework) and used word processing for homework tasks. In addition, they regularly used mobile phones, particularly for text messages.

Benefits and limitations

In summary, the key benefits were identified as:

• the interactive whiteboard (and ICT provision in general) were seen as having a positive effect on children's motivation during lessons
• the ability to explain and demonstrate difficult concepts for children
• the ability to save drafts of class lessons which made for more efficient and meaningful lessons
• the purchase of the mobile PC suite, with a business support contract which guaranteed next day repair/replacement of the laptops.

The main limitations cited were threefold:

• It was felt that every class would benefit from the introduction of an interactive whiteboard, but there were limited finances available
• Staff skills would have to be developed in line with the introduction of such hardware and this would take time
• It was inferred that there were limitations to standard support, such as the repair of existing hardware, and that this would have an impact on teaching and learning.

The pupils identified a number of benefits and limitations of interactive whiteboards. In their view, the best things about them were:

• the interactive nature of lessons was generally motivating
• the way in which difficult aspects of concepts were exemplified more clearly, benefiting them as learners
• the definite benefits of being able to save (and return to) records of lessons and drafts of group/class collaborations in language.

The pupils identified two limitations to their use:

• not every class in the school had an interactive whiteboard
• sometimes the interactive whiteboard would relay a 'no signal' message and only a visiting technician/one member of staff knew how to reboot the screen. They found this delay frustrating.

Looking to the future

The school is committed to the 'Classroom of the Future' and developments reflect this. Pupils also suggested that there should be:

• interactive whiteboards for all classes in the school
• more laptops/ PCs in school
• more TVs in school.

6. Integrating technology into classroom practice

In one secondary school in the east of Scotland, significant progress has been made in integrating ICT with classroom practice in a number of departments in innovative ways. At the heart of the developments lies the school website, which has only been in existence for about 18 months. Although relatively young, the website has received considerable acclaim, with Learning and Teaching Scotland's 'Website of the Month' award in March 2005 and an ICT Enhancement Award in 2004. (See http://www.ltscotland.org.uk for details of these awards.)

Much of the success of the website is down to the enthusiasm and expertise of one of the teachers in the modern foreign languages ( MFL) department. This individual is responsible for driving much of the innovation and in gaining funding from Learning and Teaching Scotland to develop the concept of putting the school online. He has contributed to seminars and conferences, indicating ways of blending ICT with learning and teaching and disseminating good practice. In addition, he was recently awarded one of the four John Dickie ICT Awards for 2005 to support research into ICT in schools ( http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/about/johndickieaward.asp).

The website highlights the innovations that have been introduced to the school. It features a ChatZone section (for interactive pupil activities), a LearningZone (with materials for Staff Development in ICT as well as subject resources) and a InfoZone (with policy statements and other information for pupils, parents and staff). The website is a portal for most of the ICT activities of the school and has proven to be popular, with around 16,000 page views a month and approximately 5,000 regular users. All aspects of the site are readily accessible to users and steps have been taken to ensure that they need very few clicks before they can find the information.

The school has an ICT Working Group which was established when ICT was first identified as a priority on the Improvement Plan. Although ICT is no longer on the Plan, the group has remained in place, albeit less active than previously. This in part reflects a shift in emphasis from the technologies themselves to learning and teaching through technology, which is being addressed through more curriculum-oriented working groups on, for example, citizenship, again involving the ICT 'champion' from modern languages.

Although the main focus tended to be on modern foreign languages in the first instance, developments related to citizenship have involved members of staff in other departments including geography, history, English language and drama. It is reported that almost all departments are showing an interest in developments and are seeking to develop in similar ways.

Specific uses of ICT include the use of PowerPoint presentations to deliver individual lessons and the use of the Internet to research, to communicate with schools in other countries and to seek information from outside the school. Links have been established with schools in, for example, France, Poland, Germany and the USA. In addition, the website is used to support regular overseas trips by pupils to, for example, France.

Examples of specific projects

(For an explanation of terms used below, see Glossary at the end of this section.)

a. geoBlog

This involves S2 pupils, with a curriculum focus on geography, modern foreign languages and citizenship. Pupils exchange basic geographical information with pupils in schools in other countries on a regular basis, undertake local area studies and use the information from the weblog to compare their geography and way of life with teenagers of the same age in another country. The technologies used include Weblog, Internet research, digital photography and PowerPoint creation by pupils and an Audio (Podcast) by pupils is scheduled for May 2005. The project will support the creation of resources for BBC Scotland Education's Digital Curriculum Service.

b. Using ICT to support overseas trips

One example is that of the trip to Paris and Normandy in 2004-05, designed to provide learning opportunities in both history and French culture and involving staff in French, English, history and mathematics departments. Pupils, and staff, used a range of technologies including laptops, mobile phones (texting), digital cameras, weblog, moblog and Internet cafés. The whole school and the local community became involved as pupils maintained journals, in both a foreign language and their mother tongue, summarising what they had experienced. These were uploaded to a weblog that was then used back home, mostly by MFL and history teachers, as a stimulus for lessons. However, other teachers have found a way to use the site in their lessons: for example, through mathematics puzzles based on speed/distance/time/fuel consumption and physics questions based on velocity from the Eiffel Tower's toilet to the ground.

c Citizenship studies

Projects under the citizenship heading include a study of Krakow-Auschwitz by S4-6 pupils in 2004 and Berlin in 2005 (S5-6). Both studies involved a number of curricular areas including English, philosophy, history, citizenship, drama, art and German. Technologies utilised included: website, weblog, laptop, mobile phone, word-processing, digital video and digital cameras.

The Krakow-Auschwitz project involved pupils in examining the 'Human Spirit Under Persecution' before going on a trip to Auschwitz, Krakow and Prague. The trip was documented in a weblog. The weblog, photo albums and essays were published on the web and a video was produced by pupils. These were used by American students at South Cobb High School, Georgia, USA, in a link established via the website, to produce two plays, which were recorded onto video then sent back to Scotland for viewing.

In a follow-up to the Auschwitz-Krakow trip of 2004, the Berlin project continued the theme of examining the 'Human Spirit Under Persecution' in 2005. Pupils are following a similar pattern, studying the effects of barriers, writing essays and publishing them on the web. There are plans to undertake a wiki-based website editing project with seven other schools - four based in Graz, Austria - to further study the theme of Europe without frontiers, once the trip to Berlin in October 2005 is completed.

d. Day-to-day classroom practice

ICT has also been used to provide day-to-day activities within the classroom and at home to support learning in MFL. Examples include interactive computer-based activities, worksheets, further reading, external links to study aids and RSS feeds. The website also provides staff development materials and is used as a resource of materials and important documents for staff (policies, etc.).

The extent of the development varies according to department. MFL has moved to completely online courses at all levels, supporting study outside the classroom, and encouraging it by introducing a fun element into many of the tasks. One example observed was that of a French 'challenge', where pupils had to go online to a website for tourists in Paris (in French) and find various places to visit and how to get there, all within a fixed period of time. Some tasks are designed for individuals, while others involve small group work. History is another strong department in terms of resources for independent study at certificate level.

e. Pupil Council Online

Any pupil can post a comment to express their view on an ever-changing list of topics within the school. The comments are not pre-moderated, to encourage participation and responsibility in pupils' democracy. Only a handful of comments have had to be edited or removed to protect pupil identity or the credibility of the site. The Head Boy and Head Girl, together with staff moderators, can post messages to encourage discussion of any particular topic.

Further developments

There is considerable enthusiasm within the school, from both staff and pupils, for further development of the use of technology to support learning and teaching. The research about to be undertaken through the John Dickie award should be of interest to teachers and curriculum developers across Scotland.

One of the strengths is the use of ICT to support learning rather than learning about technology. While a brief visit to a school can provide only limited evidence of the effectiveness of the initiatives adopted, there were a number of features of the developments worthy of note. Observation of pupils working with the technologies in MFL indicated that boys were as motivated as girls and pupils across the ability range engaged purposefully with the tasks. Pupils were very adept at negotiating websites, downloading relevant material and moving between different technologies. Most had access to computers and the Internet out of school and the reported uses matched the responses given by pupils in the questionnaires. Many of the innovations focus on moving out of the classroom and using available Internet resources. In addition, the website provides information for parents and allows pupils to show their work to a wider audience, including their parents. Developments also use technologies such as the pupils' mobile phones and MP3 players for school-related activities, both powerful technologies that can be used to support learning and teaching in a range of ways.

A number of obstacles to further development were identified during the visit. The main constraint observed was the accessibility of computers and technologies more generally; the school had only recently achieved the desired ratio of 1 computer to 5 pupils. There was very limited access to technology within classrooms other than computing and business studies, although a suite of computers (approximately 12) in the library could be booked for use. A new bank of pupil laptops had just been acquired for classroom use. There was limited access to other technologies; for example, there were no whiteboards or video-conferencing equipment in the school. This limited the potential for extension of ICT-related activity into other departments and areas of the curriculum. In addition, there was little or no interaction with associated primaries in relation to ICT developments.

7. Summary

While the case studies described here are drawn from a small number of schools, several common themes emerge from the findings:

• The emphasis in these schools has been on technology as a means of supporting learning and teaching within the curriculum, i.e. learning through technology rather than learning about technology
• In each instance there has been at least one enthusiastic member of staff who has led developments, involving others as appropriate
• The pupils in each school were enthusiastic and positive about the impact of ICT
• Teachers perceived growing confidence and independence in pupils when working in the ICT environment
• Schools are beginning to break down the barriers between what happens in school and what happens out of school, in terms of the pupils' learning experiences
• Schools are beginning to communicate with others (schools, agencies and individuals) in meaningful ways through the use of ICT.

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blog: See definition under weblog below.

moblog: A mobile weblog (see below). A blog which is updated by mobile phone, for example by uploading text and pictures from a camera phone to a website.

MP3: A digital audio standard commonly used for storing music on computers and digital audio devices such as the iPod.

Podcast: Like an audio broadcast of a blog. A podcast's audience subscribes to a service. Whenever a new audio file is created, all subscribers can access and listen to the file. Files are often distributed in MP3 format so that it can be distributed to digital audio devices such as the iPod.

weblog: Often referred to as a blog. This is a collection of web based log entries that are usually organised according the order the entries were created. Often the work of an individual who is reflecting on a subject that interests them, but can be collaborative with many people contributing on a common theme.

wiki: A collaborative set of web pages where many users create, delete and edit the web content. Typically pages are perpetually being updated and the content can change radically from one revision to the next. Usually there is no one person responsible for approving or finalising the content.

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