Innovation Profile 139

Communication is the key?

Some educators consider the most important activity to promote learning is communication. It is obviously necessary to communicate ideas and information to learners but communication from learners is more important.

An idea has to be expressed before it can be thought about. One may express it to oneself by thinking, but communicating the thought to others clarifies one's understanding. When students have the courage and confidence to express their ideas learning can develop rapidly through communication-based activities.

A new approach to help those less willing to communicate is possible using an interactive whiteboard and the ACTIVote system from Promethean. The case study on Parkside School's use of these tools can be found at
http://www.prometheanworld.com/uk/html/solutions/interactive_whiteboards.shtml

Because the ACTIVote system enables all the pupils in a class to register their view on a question, it causes all the pupils to decide what their view is. The teacher can wait until all have responded and the pupils can see the range of responses of the whole class. The tendency to answer the same way as a friend, or to give way to the view of a forceful pupil is removed; a pupil's answer can be private.

This is the first step in drawing out communication. Knowledge that their view is supported by others may bring confidence. Seeing that they hold a minority view will challenge them to think through why they hold a different view to the majority. They are more likely to consider and judge the various arguments the class offers in discussion and will refine and become more confident of their own view.

This engagement can lead to greater engagement, with the teacher providing progressively more public opportunities for quieter pupils to communicate. For example, the Promethean ACTIVslate enables pupils to display their work or to engage with activities on the ACTIVboard without leaving their seats. Alternatively, they might come to the ACTIVboard at the front of the class
to present their ideas.

It is said that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Starting to communicate your thoughts is the first step on this path.

The Promethean Company Profile on our web site will give you a list of other Innovation Profiles connected with the company.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

If you know of examples of innovative use of ICT-for-learning that others would be interested in, please email innovations@eep-edu.org

__________________________________________________________________________________________