'On-line' support for homework
This innovative ICT homework project offers benefits - to pupils, parents and teachers - way beyond the
parameters of homework.
This collaborative one-year pilot project with NTL, ensures that all of the homes of the intake of
new pupils (Year 8) have access to the school Intranet and a pre-filtered service for the Internet.
Each pupil and parent/carer has been given an e-mail address for communication with each other and
staff. A member of staff is also 'on-line' to respond to requests for assistance or information
between 4.00 and 6.00pm each evening, Sunday through to Friday evenings. A record of the set
homework tasks is also available in case pupils miss school.
Pupils either use their own PCs, TV Internet or Digital TV, or are provided with free loan or rental
of a PC. Telephone charges are at local rate. However, funding from Education Extra, a charitable
organisation that supports out-of-school hours learning, has built in an element of subsidy into
phone line costs.
Teachers participating in the project have also been provided with Internet access.
Project aims to:
- improve the quality of support for homework
All homework tasks, with worked examples, are posted on the site. Back up support from the school's
resources, including access to 'Know UK' and 'Living Library', suggested CD-ROM titles, book lists
and revision tasks etc. are available.
- increase the use of ICT in the school
More regular use of ICT across the departments will reinforce the pupils' skills. They will also
acquire the skills required for information retrieval. In turn, this will promote more effective
independent learning, as pupils acquire the ability to access and manage resources and information
that are vital to their education. The staff's ICT skills will also be enhanced through training,
support and practice.
- create the school of the future
The latest technology used in teaching and learning is available both at school and at home. Learning
will also be promoted as a seamless feature of life for pupils and their families, unconstrained by
the traditional features of formal schooling.
- enhance parental involvement in their children's education
Parents will have better access to up-to-date information about schemes of work and their children's
homework. More parental involvement with homework tasks will be also sought. Information will also be
provided on a very wide range of school related matters, for example, school events, news, sports
results and examination dates.
Monitoring and evaluation
This will be undertaken as follows:
- pupils, parents and staff to participate in regular focus group meetings;
- 'on line' surveys and questionnaires;
- 'on line' feedback generated through the Website;
- electronic monitoring of access patterns; and
- the University of Cambridge will evaluate the impact of the project on teaching and learning.
At the end of the first year a decision will be taken to assess whether the project should be
continued, expanded or converted into a commercial project.
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