Project Norfolk

In partnership with the Learning and Skills Council, we have recently completed a project involving three Norfolk schools that have recently achieved federation status from the DfES. In collaboration with the schools (Fakenham High School and College, Aylsham High School and Reepham High School), we devised a project that was used by KS4 Science pupils as part of their formal curriculum during the Autumn term 2003.

The students were researching industrial processes using multiple technologies; the technologies were each used for their individual strengths. For example, initial background research was via a Webquest, a structured path of URLs. Industry experts were interviewed in real time by pupils via a video conference. The video conferencing equipment is also being used to link the schools to promote collaboration across the rural catchments.

For the production phase the students created their own short films, based around a range of video clips that we shot specially for the project, writing and recording their own commentary, and creating their own graphics. We supported the schools, teachers and ICT departments as they implemented Digital Video editing across the three schools for the first time. Ultimately, each group of students presented their own subject-focused documentary at an 'Energy Summit' at the EcoTech Centre in Swaffham in front of an audience including MPs and the press. See the pictures.

This project aimed to motivate students with interesting and challenging collaborative work that had a local focus, and that also involved the use of cutting edge ICT. The research and production phases of the project were designed to encourage higher order cognitive skills, and also to encourage the students to take a greater degree of responsibility for their work. It has also been interesting to note that the project has delivered more than the original brief, in that it has also become a focus for applied CPD. The science project has attracted a lot of interest from other departments in the schools who are keen to implement projects of this kind, and the science staff have begun to provide whole school INSET sessions around the KS4 project.

An article about this project appeared in the Times Educational Supplement on 24th October 2003.

The Eastern Daily Press then covered the 'Energy Summit' on December 5th, 2003.

Let us know if you would like a photocopy of either article.