Project Overview

Summary
This was a combined ICT and MFL project designed to build links between a secondary and a primary school using videoconferencing.

Purpose

The purpose of the project was to combine ICT and language use whilst encouraging cross phase links between schools.  For KS4 students, the project utilised their GCSE language abilities and fostered confidence in speaking and listening skills.  For KS2 students, the project was a chance to practice their fledgling language skills within their own classroom environment in addition to giving them the opportunity to ‘virtually’ meet some secondary students.

Who was involved?

The project was between a year 5/6 students in a primary school and post GCSE year 10 students in the secondary school. The secondary students who participated in the project were a class of year 10 students who had recently taken their GCSE in French.  The primary pupils were a mixed class of year 5/6 students attending a local primary school.  The project involved one MFL teacher from the secondary school, a hands-on support teacher from the secondary school as well as the primary school teacher and TAs.  ICT support required was minimal and made use of the existing interactive whiteboard facilities within the schools involved.

Project Aims
The purpose of the project was to combine ICT and language use whilst encouraging cross phase links between schools. For KS4 students, the project utilised their GCSE language abilities and fostered confidence in speaking and listening skills.  For KS2 students, the project was a chance to practice their fledgling language skills within their own classroom environment in addition to giving them the opportunity to ‘virtually’ meet some secondary students.  The chance to build upon KS2 to KS3 transition awareness was a supplementary benefit of the project.

ICT Requirements and Considerations
The project was based around the use of a free, browser-based videoconferencing software called ‘FlashMeeting’.  There were many advantages to using this software; cost, no need for additional software installation as it runs within a browser and the fact that it made use of established classroom hardware; the interactive whiteboard, speakers and PC.  All that was needed in addition was a basic web-cam with built in microphone.  No additional ICT support was needed other than to install the web-cam. 

Choosing a Partner School
The primary school selected was a local feeder school which had already been involved in joint projects with Weald.  The main criteria was to choose a primary that was already confident in its use of the target language and would not need additional support to meet the language requirements of the project.

What happened in the lessons?

Students from both schools shared a ‘virtual lesson’ using a videoconferencing link via the interactive whiteboard.  Groups of students had conversations in the target language following scripts which made use of common words and phrases.  A bingo game followed which was based on role plays delivered by the secondary students, designed to challenge the primary students’ listening skills.  Language was provided by the primary school to make use of recent learning.

Skills address by the project

1. Authentic use of foreign language in an ICT context
2. Videoconference skills (ICT in action)
3. Public Speaking Skills
4. Peer to Peer Assessment Skills
5. Troubleshooting in a team work setting

The Importance of Planning
This kind of project does require planning.  In the initial instance a face-to-face meeting was held between the primary and secondary school to establish the project aims, identify classes to be used, discuss teaching and learning ideas, identify ICT requirements and schedule possible lesson times when the conferences could take place. Following this a ‘timetable’ was drawn up which was agreed by both schools. The schools then worked on setting up the resources and activities for the conferences. Once these were agreed, the students were involved in practice sessions – both in terms of the language use and the use of the videoconferencing software. Trial conferences were held internally at the schools and between the schools to gain confidence in the use of the software. One of these took the form of a virtual meeting between the schools. Only once both schools were happy with the software and the pupil preparation did the conferences go ahead. 

Preparing the Pupils
Pupils at both schools spent time practicing their language skills – primary students to learn the required language, and secondary students to become familiar with the role-plays and questions.  Pupils were also given time to use the software internally.  At the secondary school, the students were actively involved in evaluating its use and making adjustments to get the best possible environment for the conference, for example where to place the web-cam and how to handle pupil changeovers.  The pupils were also given an opportunity to have a trial video-conference in English where primary pupils were encouraged to ask secondary students questions about life at secondary school.  These sessions ensured that any technical issues were dealt with prior to the ‘real’ conferences taking place.

The Activities
These were chosen to make use of the vocabulary being taught in the primary school.  There were two main activities within the conference sessions – an initial question & answer session using a pre-prepared list of questions and then a role-play acted out by the secondary students during which the primary pupils played ‘Bingo’.

Managing the Videoconference
Having trialled the software with the classes, it was clear that in sessions only small groups of pupils could be involved in the question & answer activities for both schools.  To allow for all pupils to have a chance to be involved a series of conferences were arranged.  This meant using additional adults in both classrooms to manage the remaining students.  At the secondary school, students were asked to peer assess and evaluate the sessions that they watched in class and provide feedback at the end of each session.  In the primary school all pupils were involved in the Bingo activity.

Benefits of Videoconferencing for the Pupils
The sessions were an opportunity for the pupils to use their language skills, but also to develop their presentation and public speaking skills within an ICT context too. All useful skills both for school and future working environments. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive from pupils.

Feedback and Evaluation Survey
At the secondary school, in order to make pupils aware of what they had achieved, an online survey in the schools’ recently set up virtual learning environment platform was
created. This provided an opportunity to reinforce to the students what they had learned, whilst also providing valuable feedback for the teachers.

Things to Consider

• Make it a whole class activity – if the camera is not focused on the class as a whole, what are the other pupils doing? What is their focus? Try peer to peer assessment.
• How to develop presentation skills – body language / confidence in front of camera…
• If using foreign languages consider – clarity / pace / repetition
• Reduce screen traffic – pupils speak for longer before leaving their seat on screen (unless a camera focused on whole class)
• Keep web cam steady to avoid “motion sickness” for viewers the other side.
• The position of the web cam in the classroom – i.e. pupils facing wall away from distractions of other classmates.

Tips

The lesson resources section contains sample scripts, peer assessment sheets and evaluation materials to be used directly with the students.   The teacher resources section contains general guides, a timeline and a presentation that can be used to raise staff awareness of your project. 

Our view

This type of project does take time and effort but is definitely time well spent as feedback from all involved was overwhelmingly positive.