VLE – Case Study

Title:   Who were the Ancient Greeks?                         

Date: 21/01/10

Executive Summary

This unit was designed based around the Unit 14 History topic “Who were the ancient Greeks?” It includes an introduction to Greece the country and Ancient Greece, Sparta Vs Athens, Greek Warfare, The Battle of Marathon and Greek Gods and Goddesses. This can then be linked to DT, drama, dance, art and literacy opportunities, including myths and legends, newspaper report writing, letter writing, Ancient Greek plays, making God and Goddess masks, making shields and helmets, making Greek vases, etc.

Aims and Objectives

• To place the ancient Greek civilisation accurately on a time line.
• describe important features of life in ancient Greece, and compare life in different city states
• explain some of the beliefs of the ancient Greeks and why they held them
• understand the reasons for and results of key events
• interpret an event from one perspective and in so doing show an appreciation of other possible interpretations
• select and combine information from written and archaeological sources

Key Stage: 2

Subject: History

Participants: 2 partner classes – Year 5.

Timescale: 6 weeks

Equipment used: ICT suite (30 computers), Class set of notebook laptops and router. 

Description of activity

A teacher based course with a section for each planned lessons as well as ‘things to do at home’ section. Contains videos, Google map, forum, wikis, pictures and photos and a hot potato quiz. Includes

Outcomes

I began using the VLE in class as a teaching point for the first few lessons. At the time, we weren’t ready to introduce the VLE to children to use themselves. When I introduced it to the children to use, I covered over all the lessons except the one we were using that lesson/week. Or there was too much going on on the page! We used laptops in class for our introductory session. With their logons and passwords, they were able to log on with relatively few problems.  I had been through the use of the VLE prior to allowing them on it, showing them all the components – what a wiki is, hot potato quizzes, forum etc. I also explained that they would only be able to get on certain sections of it at certain times. I think introducing them to all the different activity types at once may have been a mistake as I had to reintroduce wikis the week after and explain what they were again.

The objectives of the course in terms of the topic were covered within the activities via the VLE and also the related in-class activities. My personal objectives were to simply have a try at the VLE – firstly using it in class as a teaching point until we got used to it, then to get the children to use it. I therefore kept it quite simple and the children didn’t have a lot of opportunity to be involved on it, except for a simple forum question, one wiki and one hot potato quiz. My year partner also used my VLE course and enjoyed using it.

Benefits

• Created for lessons – I could put videos, pictures, info, website links, smartboard links and anything else for one lesson in ONE PLACE – rather than having open a PowerPoint, smartboard, Google map, etc separately on the desktop. So much easier!
• Independent learning – children can access from home. Tasks can be set via VLE.
• ‘Fun’ factor – the children really enjoyed having their own special website to interact with.
• Ability to lock, edit, set tasks. Flexible and can keep track of what you are doing with children. Can delete links and other parts that proved to be not useful in lesson evaluation.

Drawbacks

• Creation time – a good course does take time to create. Concern over teachers who may not be willing to use the VLE due to this. Wish I had more time to make more courses!
• Link changes – when websites go down links do not work. This is inconvenient in lessons! Need checking beforehand to ensure each part works on that section.
• Initial excitement – although not a bad thing in regards to enthusiasm, the children were trying to find ‘cracks’ in the VLE – e.g. changing their personal pictures, adding their own topics to forum. I’m sure there are ways to prevent this so this might be my own personal learning aim!
• Some children with no internet access at home felt left out when others talked about using the VLE at home. Got around this by allowing children to use VLE in school at available times.

What next / follow up

Follow up work was the second term of Greeks which I now wish to develop on the VLE also.

My next steps: develop Greeks second unit, geog unit for next year with more child based involvement. Use other courses developed by other VLE developers. Get children used to using it out of school.

Schools next steps: Spread use of VLE to next year’s y4/5 year group (3 classes) to use with geog unit.

Mrs Smith and Mrs Longely attending VLE course – more courses being developed for our children.

Implement throughout whole school – introduce to staff, load courses onto our VLE for other year groups and subjects

Quotes and comments

“Miss, will the VLE have a new question on it tonight (Friday) because I’m going to research some stuff this weekend.”

Contacts

Miss Lomas Waterloo Primary School.