Why ask?

This may seem a strange and inappropriate question to ask as word e-learning is a ubiquitous term, but it is quite possible that by separating e-learning from learning, we might actually be holding back progress in the adoption of new models, and better tools for learning.
When we consciously, or otherwise, start to make a distinction between learning and e learning, we may be providing those, that are unlikely or unwilling to engage with it an escape route.

This raises some important questions; is is one form more of learning more appropriate than the other; and if so why? What are the differences in value between them? And, even more importantly; what type of learning would not benefit from, from technologies at our disposal?. Thinking about it in this way we soon realise that learning and the technology is only an enabler. In fact a great deal prescribed e-learning is likley to be relatively low level activities as pointed out by Stephen Hear. (*1)
"The experience of e-learning for many has been no more than a hand-out published online, coupled with a simple multiple-choice quiz. Hardly inspiring, let alone empowering"

Naace have been successful in securing a TDA bid won by Steven Coombes based at Bath Spa University and being delivered as a 'Visual Learning Course' by Christina Preston and John Cuthell at MirandaNet (based at The Institute of Education, London).

In this Article, Christy outlines how ICT may be used to help teachers ensure that lessons on 'world writing' are successful. It provides a review of the range of resources available from BBC Active designed for use on a whiteboard, supporting whole-class teaching.

Imagine a world where schoolchildren are contacting pupils in schools around the world through a totally safe, virtual environment, chatting about differences, sharing pictures, and posting opinions about stories they've read and written. Their teachers are making sure skills in literacy, numeracy, ICT and communication are being improved. The children are sharing ideas about how to live more healthy lifestyles. This Article illustrates how some of this is possible through the 101+ Club Project, supported by by the Oracle Education Foundation.

This paper is not about 'the Literacy Hour' - teachers have got this well sorted. If anything, it is a plea to move on. Many years ago, when working in Special Education carved upon every part of my psyche were the penetrating words of my Headteacher, "Every lesson is a speech and language lesson." So, too, Literacy Skills, in their broadest sense, should be an integral part of every lesson if not a mandatory part of every school's mission statement. The title, therefore, demands more than a cursory nod of approval.

In 1988, while teaching a professional development course for teachers concerning the use of telecommunications in education, I had an experience that changed me irrevocably. I had just finished describing the expectations for the final project, when a student raised her hand and asked if she could produce a video instead of writing a paper. The question caught me totally off guard. As I paused, mouth agape, I could feel old thinking and new paradigms chafing against each other like psychic tectonic plates. Watching a video was easy enough - but evaluating it as a school assignment? In the end, I told her that I would be happy to accept a video. In reality I was troubled by the fact that my print-based education had not prepared me for that moment or for the many moments like it that were sure to come.

This article won the first Chris Robson Memorial Prize in 1995. Yvette outlines how she developed a collection of 'I Can . . . ' sheets to support children in developing ICT capability in Primary schools.

Kar2ouche is a commercially produced program that allows students to create imaginative animations with a full range of templates. Students can to add backgrounds, characters, voices and objects to support their multimedia projects.

Julie Steer's Article is inspired by early memories of her grandmother reading Charles Dickens's classic novel, Oliver Twist during a four-day visit. Julie reviews how a suite of software, 'The Literacy Collection' replicates some of her grandmother's techniques of story-telling: summarise, substitute, explain, visualise and performance.