ICT for communication

	The pupils in the twinned schools learn about, reflect on, test and draw conclusions on a number of communication tools. They will use these tools to communicate with each other on agreed subjects.

Summary: Age: 10-16

Duration: Two school terms if all the communication tools proposed are used. One if only some of them are taught.

ICT tools: email, videoconferencing, chat, forums, Internet calls (Skype), collaborative environments, web site creation.

Model: Teachers of the same subject in different countries work together, bringing a European dimension to their pedagogy. Its cross-curricular potential makes this kit easily adaptable to other collaborative models.

Subject: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Objectives:

• To make pupils aware of the possibilities offered by ICT for communication in teaching and learning in a precise and targeted way.
• To teach pupils to use and/or improve their communication skills using ICT.
• To bring ICT tools that pupils might use at home into the classroom.
• To communicate, exchange information, co-operate, share and collaborate using online tools.
• To work without constraints of proximity or time.
• To become familiar with basic norms and etiquette for virtual communication to be able to collaborate appropriately in a virtual community.

Pedagogical value: ICT literacy in general, and mastering virtual communication tools in particular, contribute to pedagogical innovation. This will hopefully bring about an improvement in the teaching and learning processes which will have a direct effect on pupils’ learning experiences. With ICT, the amount of information available is multiplied, as is the ability to produce and disseminate materials.

In addition, interactivity lends itself to online communication environments, such as virtual communities, collaboration teams, etc. that can help transform education.

Virtual communication empowers pupils to look for information, classify it, discern, comment and give opinions on it, to make comparative decisions and to make their voice heard.

Process

Initial phase:
In the initial phase pupils should reflect and learn about

• The characteristics of each communication tool.
• When to use them.
• How to use them.
• Technical requirements.
• Advantages and drawbacks.
• Registering and getting an account for each of the internet tools to be used.
• Installing all the necessary software, subject to school software and firewall policy.
• Using a calendar to plan dates and times (for those activities that need to be done simultaneously) when each of the communication tools is going to be used.
• Planning communication activities with twinned schools for pupils both in pairs and for groups.

Testing the tools:
In this phase, pupils will use each of the planned internet services: e mail, videoconferencing, chat, forum and news, collaborative environments and Internet calls (Skype). They will explore the options each offers.

Final results:
A web site that shows all the activities undertaken. Some of these, like emails, can be shown in a page created for that purpose, others, like the forums, will be done from the web site itself. A good idea is creating a section were pupils give their opinion and comments on the tools used.

Product
A web site. Other options could be a CD-ROM and/or DVD. Texts, images, sounds and videos can be collected here.

Similar projects
Any project that uses ICT tools for communication can be linked to this one. This project is an ideal introduction to any other online project where these tools are needed.

Evaluation
Formative evaluation to focus on process and improvement.

Summative evaluation at the end of the process to check whether the objectives have been fulfilled and whether the project has been effective for pupils. A questionnaire can be designed including an opinion scale to assess whether:

• There was a significant improvement in the way students work.
• These tools are effective and useful for curricular use.
• Interaction between pupils was enhanced.
• There was active participation of pupils.
• Significant learning took place.
• There has been notable changes in methodology.
• There was a good working atmosphere.
• The project design was useful.
• Pupils’ autonomy in using the tools increased.
• The tools were used after the end of the project.
• There were problems associated with using the tools.

Original idea:
Rosa Estragués Bonada, Head of the ICT Department Fundació Collserola (Barcelona), http://fundaciocollserola.com/.

Useful links

email:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/e-mail.htm#message
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/email.html

Chat:
http://myeurope.eun.org/ww/en/pub/
myeurope/home/activities/citizenship/chat_guide.htm
http://lpc1.clpccd.cc.ca.us/lpc/blackboard/chat/chat_consids.htm

Forums:
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/newsgroup.html

Videoconferencing:
http://www.global-leap.com/dfesproject/
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/conference.html
http://www.eyeballchat.com/
http://www.marratech.com/download/

Internet calls:
http://www.skype.com/http://www.voipbuster.com/en/index.html

Collaborative environments:
http://www.etwinning.net/ww/en/pub/etwinning/virtual_tour/work_together.htm

Web page design:
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/webpubl.html
http://www.oswego.org/staff/cchamber/webdesign/edwebdesign.htm
http://www.schoolrack.com/
http://www.blogger.com/start

	Web Editor:	Nuria de Salvador

	Published :	03/11/2005

	Last changed :	22/06/2007

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