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Connecting Informal and Formal Learning Experiences in the Age of Participatory Media

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Connecting Informal and Formal Learning Experiences in the Age of Participatory Media

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The rise of social media useful and adaptable for classroom learning but faces challenges.

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Observations online writing

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Observation - Snail - UK and Ireland. Description:

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Figure 14.1 and Table 14.2.

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Using technology in science experiments.

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As with all good scientific investigations, eco-monitoring projects need to start with a question. This can come by asking children to look around their classroom, school and local community for environmental problems. Perhaps it gets too hot (or too cold) in the classroom at different times of the year. Maybe the teacher always puts the lights on or the data projector seems to be producing a lot of heat. Perhaps there isn't much protection from the sun in the playground, or it's near a busy road which produces noise and fumes. Is there a problem when parents drop children by car in the mornings or pick them up after school. All of these issues can be turned into questions which involve measuring something using a datalogger.

On the right is a list of questions investigated by children in the Bath and Hillingdon Eco-monitoring projects, with links to what they found out.

Is there too much carbon dioxide in our classroom?

Video of the children's photo-story

Y5 pupils at Bathwick St Mary Primary School in Bath decided to monitor carbon dioxide levels in their classroom at different times of day. They found that levels in the late morning rose to around 1600 ppm, well above the recommended level of 1000 ppm, which they decided was leading them to feel sleepy and lose concentration! Next, their eco-governor came to help them investigate possible changes they could make to reduce the build-up of CO2 levels. These included leaving doors and windows open, installing sucking and blowing fans, and thinking about portable air conditioning. At the presentation day, pupil questions raised the issue that, whilst effective, some of these solutions actually risked causing heat pollution in the outside atmosphere.

The children presented their findings as a photo-story (see right).
The teacher's project plan
How can we make our classroom cooler?

Many classrooms overheat in the summer. At St Anne's Primary School near Bristol, children wondered whether it made a difference to leave the door open (see graph on right):

'Our results show that in class 1/2J the temperature changed most so they must be the warmest classroom, because the heat from the classes beside it travels through the walls and warms up the class. 5/6SB was the coldest classroom because she didn't have the blinds open and the lights were turned off. The best class to be in in the summer is 5/6L because it was the coldest with the door open.'

At Hayes Park Primary School in Hillingdon children wondered whether the classrooms with air conditioning units would be cooler than those with fans. They measured the temperature at different points in each room. They found that there was a small temperature difference, but wondered whether it was sufficient to justify the extra cost and environmental impact of the air-con.

Do we really need the lights on?

Data from the light experiment

At St Bernadette's Primary School, Hillingdon, children discussed how they could use dataloggers to answer this question. They decided that the most important data would be the difference between the light levels with the lights on and off. If there was a great difference, perhaps the lights were needed. They found that some locations around the school needed artificial light for safety or to enable children to see their work clearly, but that others didn't.

In Hayes Park Primary, some rooms have sensors that automatically switch lights off when there is no movement in the classroom. Children wondered whether these really helped to save light. So they used dataloggers to measure light levels in classrooms with the different types of lights for thee days. They predicted that the light-sensor classrooms would have lower overall light levels than those with switches. Their findings were surprising:

'In the year 1 classes the light levels for the switch lights are lower than the sensor lights but in the year 6 classes it is the opposite. We think that the reasons why the year 6 classes are the opposite to year 1 classes results because in 6P (the class without sensors) it is in constant use, more than the other classes, as the majority of the house captains are in 6P. We have learnt that (though the evidence is not clear) lights that are activated through sensors don't always save energy (which is what they are designed to do).'

How polluted are the roads around our school?

At Holy Trinity Primary School in Hillingdon, children in the eco-club monitored carbon monoxide levels in the roads near the school at different times during the day.

The eco-monitoring team at Batheaston Primary School monitored temperature, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide levels around the City of Bath. They planned to integrate several curriculum areas waithin the project:

Science: Gases around us

ICT: Environmental monitoring

ICT: Graphical modelling

English: Persuasive writing

Maths: Data handling

Geography: Use of maps

History: Changes in our local area

Art: Representing atmosphere and weather

Music: Creating a soundscape

Citizenship: Identify and discuss items in the news

Pupils planned the route and decided which data to collect - sound, temperature, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide levels. Back in school, pupils researched background information on carbon monoxide and dioxide and their impacts on the environment; produced a book of photographs, data collected and interpretation; and produced posters to persuade fellow pupils and parents to reduce emissions.
Child's illustrated map of the pollution walk
How polluting are the teachers' cars?

Video of the teachers' car emissions enquiry

Children at St Bernadette's Primary School used the carbon monoxide monitor to measure the emissions coming out of teachers' cars. They predicted that:

Bigger cars would produce more carbon monoxide emissions.

Older cars would produce more carbon monoxide emissions.

They were surprised by their results. Larger engines seemed to produce more CO2 but age didn't seem to affect it.

How can we save energy in our school?

Children at Bishop Sutton Primary School near Bristol decided to mount a 'Powerdown' campaign - monitoring light and temperature levels around the school before and after a whole-school initiative to switch off unnecessary lights and electrical equipment. They produced a range of promotional posters and led an assembly to raise awareness amongst other pupils in the school. They also monitored the school's electricity usage and calculated the savings made. They shared their findings online at www.participateschools.co.uk by producing electronic posters.
View the electricity usage chart View the electronic posters
Children at Fromebank Junior School, Bristol, used maps of the school to plot areas to monitor, and timetabled the best times to record data, in small 'eco-teams'. Pupils then took photographs of appliances which were likely to produce light and heat pollution, designed and made posters and stickers to remind staff and other children to turn off lights and shut doors.

The pupils monitored light and temperature levels for another week, then compared the data from week 1 to week 2, noting a considerable reduction in energy use and corresponding changes in light and temperature levels. As a result of this project the school now has weekly eco-awards in during the 'Achievement Assembly', and Y5 pupils made suggestions to school council on how to make further energy savings.

How can we reduce noise pollution around the school?

Children measuring noise levels

At Christ Church Primay school in Hanham, near Bristol, Y5 pupils decided to monitor sound levels around the school, implementing changes to reduce sound pollution. They made predictions that Reception class would be noisy all day, whilst other classrooms would have highest sound levels when children were entering or leaving. Y6 they predicted would be quiet all day because of SATs revision! These predictions were largely confirmed by analysing the resulting line graphs, and children began to appreciate the value of dataloggers in producing graphs over a period of time which could 'tell a story'.

Children at Longwell Green Primary School near Bristol started their eco-monitoring project by making 'emotion' maps of the school, shading areas which they felt more or less comfortable with. They wondered whether these feelings were related to the ambient noise levels in different parts of the school. They planned a route for the data logging, making sure they walked past or through some of the main noisy and quiet areas. They walked the route five times at different times of day in order to see whether there were any differences. Children noticed that the classes that are closest to the playground or walk through corridors seem to be disturbed the most. They proposed the following solutions:

Have class corridor monitors that wear a sash and encourage people to be quiet in the corridor and tell the teacher anyone who isn't.

Remind children to walk quietly to and from the hall. The monitors could stand at the front and back of the line.

Teachers collect the children from KS2 assembly.

Cone off areas near KS2 classrooms to stop KS1 children banging on the classroom windows and playing near the classrooms where children are working.

Make posters for problem areas.

Data examples
Are playgrounds close to the road more polluted?

At St Philip's Primary School, Bath, children put one datalogger in the junior playground and one in the infant playground with a carbon monoxide sensor, for a whole school day. From the resulting graphs, they concluded that there was more carbon monoxide in the infant playground because it is next to the road, whilst there was no carbon monoxide in the junior playground from 10-11.30am because the playground is away from the road. The highest level was recorded at the end of the school day in the infant playground because lots of cars were coming to collect children from school.

What is the best habitat for pond creatures?

Using a temperature sensor

Y5 children at Cherry Gardens Primary School, South Gloucestershire, decided to link their school project to work in a local environmental education centre - Willsbridge Mill. At the request of staff at Willsbridge, they monitored the temperature at different depths in several local ponds - looking at effect of position, vegetation and depth of water on wildlife diversity.

Their visits also included monitoring a number of other environmental indicators around the site. The children drew a number of conclusions about the best habitats for wildlife within the Willsbridge ponds and wider site, making some recommendations for management of the environment.

See right for a video of presentation of pond project at children's science conference.

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As with all good scientific investigations, eco-monitoring projects need to start with a question. This can come by asking children to look around their classroom, school and local community for environmental problems. Perhaps it gets too hot (or too cold) in the classroom at different times of the year.

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Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching

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Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching

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The impact of digital technology on science learning.

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KS1 and KS2 National Curriculum Document 2013

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KS1 and KS2 National Curriculum Document 2013

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Helpful for the adults to know what the children need to know and at what stage.

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Can be used by both adults and children. Fun videos and games to help teach the children and child friendly explanations to help refresh adults knowledge.

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KS2 Science learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers organised by topic.

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Can be used by both adults and children. Fun videos and games to help teach children and child friendly explanations to help refresh adults knowledge.

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KS1 Science learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers organised by topic.