Abstract :
Considerable claims have been made for the development of e-learning, either
as stand-alone programmes or alongside more traditional approaches to
teaching and learning, for students across school and tertiary education.
National initiatives have improved the position of schools in terms of access to
hardware and electronic networking, software and educational resources, and
staff development. The potential of e-learning to improve learning and
teaching, and in turn, attainment, may be contested by academics but the
policy makers are generally positive. Many countries across Europe and North
America have adopted information and communication technology (ICT) as a
central plank in school improvement and effectiveness planning. At the centre,
however, remain the teacher and the learner. The impact of ICT on the learning
experience will depend upon the roles adopted by each, the model of the
learner held by the teacher and the pedagogy adopted. This paper considers
the ways in which teachers and students responded to the implementation
of one particular online programme and considers the approaches adopted and
the attitudes to its use. The SCHOLAR programme is designed to complement
rather than replace traditional teaching and learning approaches within
schools and is aimed at students in the post-compulsory years of secondary
school working towards external certification. It has a number of features
including course materials, revision exercises, self-assessment facilities and a
discussion forum. The independent evaluation of SCHOLAR looked at the
impact that its use made on learning and teaching in the post-16 classroom
and the differing ways in which teachers and students used the various
elements of the programme. While it did appear to have a positive impact on
attainment, the evidence indicates that this might have been greater had the
teachers modified their practice, blending learning through SCHOLAR with
more traditional methods.
