The impact of ICT in schools - a landscape review - nationalarchives ...

and higher education. In the late 1990s, many of
the Superhighways Initiative projects (Scrimshaw,
1997) involved the use of video conferencing and
major research lay dormant until the evaluations
of the Motivate Project (Gage et al., 2002) and the
DfES Videoconferencing in the Classroom project
(Comber et al., 2004).
The research indicates that a wide range of social
and educational benefits can accrue from the use
of video conferencing – benefits in curriculum
learning, the development of social and
communication skills and increased cultural
awareness. Conclusions from the DfES videoconferencing
evaluation were based on an analysis
of projects in 28 schools, with varying lengths of
video-conferencing experience, and principally
from the subject areas of English, geography,
history and modern foreign languages (Comber
et al., 2004). Video conferencing was highly
motivating to students, it enabled links and
cultural identities to be formed with other
cultures, supported a shift to learner autonomy
and enabled authentic learning experiences.
The evaluation team noted that provision of
equipment varied widely, along with stand-alone
mobile systems and internet connectivity. The
most frequent forms of use were those of
conferencing with outside experts and small group
working, where video conferencing was used to
enhance or add value to existing activities.
Teachers’ perceptions were that it had raised
attainment but there was no statistical evidence
to support this.
Video conferencing appeared particularly suited
to modern foreign languages where synchronous,
face-to-face interaction with native speakers
helped develop student confidence and
competence above the level expected in
traditional lessons. A number of examples
reflected its value in raising cultural awareness,
often as a result of exchanging environmental
information, through linking rural and urban
communities together or establishing links to
major science investigations, such as those with
NASA undertaken in Birmingham and Glasgow
schools. The evaluation team identified a number
of factors that were associated with its effective
use, which together formed a ‘fitness for purpose’
framework (Comber et al., 2004, p.10). The
recommendations included suggestions for action
at national level, including support for the
dissemination of good practice and a directory of
expert guidance and advice, as well as at authority
and school level. More pertinently, they identified
areas for further research such as longer term
investigations of schools where video
conferencing was embedded in practice in order
to look more closely at the impact on attainment
and to determine the long-term effects of its use.
Rural schools have used video conferencing
successfully to share lessons and communicate
with other schools and external agencies (HMIE,
2005) and it has been used effectively in a crossborder
project aimed at promoting citizenship and
tolerance in Northern Ireland and Eire learning
(Austin et al., 2003). Exploiting broadband
connectivity has also been used effectively to
promote multi-cultural education (Thurston, 2004).
Reporting on a study involving pupils in a Scottish
school conferencing with a school in the USA,
Thurston noted that attitudes to ethnic minorities
became more inclusive and pupils developed a
better understanding of their community
environment and ethnicity issues. Essentially,
pupils interviewed individuals from ethnic
minority groups living in Britain and subsequently
edited the video footage for presentation to the
American pupils. This involved consideration of
what to leave in or to cut, reflecting on the issues
that they wanted to raise and report during the
video conference. While the pupils in this study
recorded their own video, the findings also
indicated that the judicious use of news footage
could be used to develop critical thinking skills
and improve perceptions of diversity.
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