…is going to be the working title of our longitudinal study tracking a secondary school Biology year group over their complete standard grade course, with one of the classes using GLOW to deliver regular embedded ICT content. This is a continuation of this year’s research and should address, amongst other things, the issue of sustainability of attainment gains demonstrated by the first part of this studypublished by the GTCS in July as well as discovering a lot more about just how the gains in attainment came about. I’m collaborating on this with Dr Stephen Draper, a leading academic with a research interest in human-computer interaction in education

We’ve just started work on analysing the classroom coding data on teacher activity and teacher/pupil and pupil/pupil interactions. This has revealed some pretty interesting information about the change in classroom dynamic, particularly time on task and formative assessment. the study also involves work diaries looking at the amount of time taken to plan and administer classes using GLOW/ICT compared with other classes. This might allow us to come up with a cost/benefit analysis with regard to embedding ICT into the secondary subject curriculum, and give some more detailed information about the implications with regard to teachers time spent setting up and using ICT in teaching and learning situations. In other words, is it worth the time and effort involved? This is important as the research shows that time and effects are two of the biggest stumbling blocks to greater ICT use by classroom teachers.  Anyone who can help by completing a daily but simple work diary for non-GLOW lesson planning and administration (particularly if you’re in your first or second year of teaching science) please get in touch.

The latest assessment results from the classes in this study indicate that the original attainment gains from the use of ICT (delivered using GLOW) this year are being maintained. That’s good news for many reasons, but particularly at this time of the concerted national effort to roll out GLOW across LA’s all over Scotland. Adding the use of GLOW learn into the mix over the next few months should be interesting as well-I think it’s going to allow even more individual self-paced learning.

We are currently looking for more funding to help us take this research forward (the GTCS funded the initial research activity) – all ideas welcomed. We have a few irons in fires, but the more the merrier…

Interesting times ahead, particularly next August/September when the research should be completed following analysis of the standard grade results for this cohort of pupils. I’m no fan of summative assessment but we do have this system at the moment so best to make it work in some way that suits the learners. So far the data shows a raise in attainment based on summative assessment. This looks like it’s due in part to a new or different way of learning which is deeper and longer-lasting. Killing two birds with one stone as it were. And as, unfortunately we work in an education system geared towards examination attainment, this is how it has to work until it can be changed for something more effective and relevant to a 21st century society.