ICT AND MOTIVATION

1. ICT AND MOTIVATION Based on Research and Evidence from the MEd Can the use of ICT improve pupils’ motivation and achievement? This research seeks to identify links between the use of ICT, pupils’ attitudes and the potential for teaching and learning Keywords and Phrases Motivation Achievement Interaction Role of teachers and teaching strategies Integration within the classroom Resources Attitudes Summary of Findings • Pupils enjoy working around a computer and there is clear evidence of improved presentation and increased motivation. • In order for ICT to raise standards key structures and policies need to be in place. • For pupils to be able to work collaboratively teachers need to structure tasks and collaborative skills if learning is to be effective. • Opportunities for modelling, skimming, scanning and note taking need to be planned if pupils are not to copy or print from computer screens. • Careful consideration must be given to pairing and grouping for maximum impact. • Effective collaboration around a computer can lead to real benefits in the development of the thinking process. The Herts MEd in Teaching and Learning - University of Cambridge

2. Implications for practice • Computers need to be used for the whole process of writing, planning, editing, redrafting. • Teach the skills of skimming, scanning when looking at Internet texts. • Software needs to match task learning objectives. • Opportunities for collaborative work are particularly useful in writing. • Consideration needs to be given as to whether work would be most effectively accomplished with pupils working in groups, pairs or individually. Pertinentquestions • What practices already take place in the teaching of data handling in maths and skimming, scanning and note taking in English? What development is in hand to transfer these practices to computer usage? • How is collaborative work organised in ICT? • Is there a deliberate connection made between collaborative work and thinking skills? The Herts MEd in Teaching and Learning - University of Cambridge

3. Quotations • …Primary schools with ‘Very Good’ ICT resources were significantly more likely to gain good grades from OfSTED for pupils’ KS2 English attainment (54% above national standards) than schools with ‘Poor’ ICT resources. Similarly there is a significant positive correlation between schools’ OfSTED ICT resource grades and their grade for KS2 Mathematics. (BECTA report to DfEE, 2001) Suggestedreading • NGfL Pathfinders: Preliminary report on the roll-out of the NGfL Programme in ten Pathfinder LEAS, DfES 2001, NGFL Research and Evaluation Series, No 2) • Littleton, K. and Light, P. (eds) (1999) Learning with Computers: Analysing productive interaction, London: Routledge. • McFarlane, A. (ed) (1997) Information Technology and Authentic Learning, London: RoutledgeFalmer • Messer, D. and Light, P. (1991) Research notes: the role of collaboration and feedback in children’s computer-based learning’. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 7 (2) pp. 156-9 • McGuinness, Carol, (1999) From thinking skills to thinking classrooms: a review and evaluation of approaches for developing pupils’ thinking, Nottingham: DfEE Publications The Herts MEd in Teaching and Learning - University of Cambridge

4. Researchers Contact group convenor, Jill Jones for further information The Herts MEd in Teaching and Learning - University of Cambridge