Case study: education - sharing field trips

Finding new ways to engage and inspire students is a priority for all school teachers. Smaller class sizes, a greater focus on practical learning and the use of technology to assist learning are all approaches that schools are encouraged to adopt. Yet it is not always easy to implement in practice.

While technology has heavily shaped the way that many Australians work it has not been so readily and easily embraced by schools, particularly at primary level. In many schools information technology is taught as a lesson in its own right rather than being used as a facilitator of learning across different areas.

St Peter Chanel Catholic School in Smithton Tasmania, is one of the schools that has successfully used technology to adopt new ways of teaching. In November 2010 the school connected to the National Broadband Network (NBN) which provides access to high-speed broadband.

The school is one of the first in Australia to connect to the network and it has already used the internet to share field trip experiences with other schools. It is now trying to arrange a live link-up with NASA for a video conference on space travel.

Headmaster Clynton Scharvi has found that children are immersing themselves in new learning experiences and relishing the opportunities that the NBN offers.

"We anticipate a change in how children learn and retain information as the NBN provides them with a more well-rounded learning experience," explains Clynton. "It removes many of the barriers and limits to what children can investigate."

The NBN has enabled teachers to provide a more sensory learning experience in the classroom. This includes supplementing lessons with high-definition videos or live simulations and in the future there is the opportunity to establish online links with schools in other regions of Australia or even other countries.

The new approach is designed to increase enjoyment at school, expose children to new ways of learning and communicating, foster creativity and curiosity, and ultimately deliver better learning outcomes and results.

Prior to the NBN connection, St Peter Chanel Catholic School was using the internet for online learning in a very limited way. "Our download speeds were much slower and we had a lot of problems with our equipment," explains Clynton.

"Although we had budget for newer technology, we were still restricted by slow internet speeds and found it difficult to download large files such as videos and audio recordings."

"As anyone who has worked with children will know, getting information up on screen quickly is a must. Students quickly lose interest if they are waiting for images and information to download and we need to keep them engaged with what they are doing at all times."

The other challenge facing the school was the limited knowledge and understanding among teachers about how to use technology effectively in the classroom.

"There were basic IT training programs available for teachers but due to the network limitations it was difficult for staff to use this in the classroom effectively. Yet we recognised as a school there were many ways we could use technology more effectively to support teaching and increase learning across all subject areas, whether that was science, history or maths."

Since connecting to the NBN, Clynton says it feels like a new world has opened up for the children, their teachers and parents.

"Children are engaged and enthused and the NBN is outstanding in supporting discovery or inquiry-based learning," Clynton said.

Skilling teachers to be more confident with Information Communication Technology was also a key advantage. "The fact that the kids are so engaged motivates our teachers which drives the whole learning process. Going back three or four years, having a teacher set up a data projector and screen was a big deal. Now we have teachers using iPads, Google applications online and seeking out new ways to enhance online learning through the NBN."

"For example, we used the NBN to host an astronomy night at the school. We synchronised an iPad application with our location to produce a view of the night sky. Using telescopes we could then chart the stars we were seeing and identify them through the iPad. Parents joined in too.Students have also had the opportunity to have live linkups with a diver on the Great Barrier Reef and students in a remote community on the Tiwi Islands."

Clynton describes the NBN's ability to bring people together in an online collaborative environment as 'boundaryless.'

"We often take for granted that you can fly to Melbourne for a weekend. But some of our kids at Circular Head don't get the chance to leave Rocky Cape, just 40 kms away. The NBN increases the opportunities that every single child has to experience and learn about people, environments and cultures from around the world."

"The more we work with the NBN, the more potential we see for future learning experiences. It has, and will continue to transform the way we teach."

Company/Individual: St Peter Chanel Catholic School, Clynton Scharvi

Location: Smithton, Tasmania

RSP: iPrimus

Website: www.stpeter.tas.catholic.edu.au

Case Study Type: Education

Challenge:

• New technology use restricted due to bandwidth access
• Limited knowledge among teachers
  Inability to access video and audio content

Solution:

• Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) delivered via the NBN
• Wireless networks within the school campus

Result:

• Greater use of existing computer hardware
• Increasing enthusiasm of students due to engaging video-based content of remote locations
• Greater engagement with teachers and parents embracing new technology