Week 2 Group Task 2---Case Analysis

Case Study CN001---My pocket money
URL: http://sitesdatabase.cite.hku.hk/M2/case2/CN001/Index.asp?case_ID=CN001

The projects "My Pocket Money" was designed and implemented by a primary school and conducted by the ICT team members who acted as the pioneers tried to facilitate students to complete a project in groups with a self-selected topic for their extra-curricular activities. Apart from selecting their topics, these students had also to decide their ways of data collection and analyze as well as reporting of findings.
The ICT goals of the school:
l          using ICT in teaching and learning to establish the school as an energetic and innovative learning area and to cultivate students as active, explorative and creative learners;
l          encourage students to make use of ICT to explore information on the Internet;
l          cultivate students to make use of the information from the Internet and to take the information as their own assets;

l          provide computer access for students by opening the computer lab after school in such a way that an ideal environment for self-learning can be created and the notion of lifelong learning can be fostered.

The school mentioned in case was equipped with 155 computers. They were allocated to the classrooms, the Digital Music Room, the Computer-Assisted Learning Center, the Multimedia Language Laboratory, and the Library and the Computer Self-learning Center. All of these computers were connected to the school LAN and all of them were equipped with a CDROM drive and a sound card. In order to encourage the students to use computers, the school allowed students to use these computers after school. There was an annual inter-class project work competition in this school. As a whole, ICT was therefore used as the tool for students to carry out project work in CN001 like searching for information on the Internet, performing word-processing, using Excel to do statistical analysis, and doing PowerPoint Presentations.

In this project, ICT functioned as students' tool for documentation, data analysis, presentation, and publicity, as well as a media of demonstration for the teacher. Under teacher's facilitation, students learnt actively from peer collaboration in a variety of activities.

For Classroom Level Analysis

Goal

ICT empowerment, authentic problem, Collaboration, Development Values

Collaborative & organizational Skills , Information skills, Provide authentic learning contexts to students, Developing Values,

Teacher's Role -Resource Supported Learning

Monitor students’ task progression,

Support/model enquiry process for students,

Support team building and collaborative process of students,

Liaise with parties outside school,  

Student's Role -Collaborative Learning

Data gathering and processing,

Analyzing and drawing conclusion from data,

Search for information,

Presentation of own learning,

Electronic presentation of own learning,

Engage in enquiry,

Engage in collaborative task with other students,

Peer tutoring & Peer Evaluation ,

Determine own learning schedules and strategies,

Reflect on own learning,  

Manifestation of Learning Outcome -Group presentation (oral/written),

A production which integrated multimedia elements e.g. Video, animations, web page, web based publication,

Activities which demonstrate the application and integration of acquired skills and knowledge into new and authentic contexts e.g. fund raising activities,

Evaluation of Peers,  

ICT Use -Word Processor,

Web page/multimedia production tool,

Internet Browser and Search Engines,

Data analysis software,

Media Capture Equipment,  

For School level analysis

Dimension		Case Features
School Background		Experience of carrying out ICT innovation, The innovation is aligned with the Government initiative in ICT education, Use of ICT in other school activities for students, Collaborative work culture among staff in school , School vision and goal (non-ICT) - to emphasize students' personal development, School vision and goal (non-ICT) - to develop positive values, School vision and goal (non-ICT) - to cater for individual differences, Reputation for being an innovative school, School vision and goal (non-ICT) - to develop positive values & emphasize students' personal development,

School Strategies -Professional Development ,General training for teachers in school,  Principal as Leader
Initiator of changes/reforms/school activities , Initiator of the innovation , supporter of the innovation, Support professional development of teachers, Actions.




IT Infrastructure  

Basic ICT Infrastructure - Access to computers,

Internet/Intranet,

Specific ICT peripherals required for the innovation,

Physical renovation/new set-up required for the innovation,  

Support 

Provide funding for schools (ICT related-other than funding for ICT infrastructure),  

Success factors:
l         Teachers’ collaboration
l          The flexibility of the teachers to adopt and modify the activity plan of the project
l          Teachers’ understanding and appreciation of project-based learning to students’ development
l          Careful and detailed planning and preparation
l          Teacher’s pedagogical competence in facilitating students’ project work
l          Teacher’s competence in motivating students
l          ICT resources in school
l          Students’ ICT competence