Soul and Chips

Connecting the enlivening capabilities of computers to the spirit of schools rejuvenate the RE curriculum. Professor Julian Stern gives some tips for bringing the digital age to the religious sphere. e-Learning Update issue 63/64

Teacher teaching pupils how to use a computer

Because IT’s There

In the film Where the Money Is, a journalist asks an aging criminal: “Why do you rob banks?”, expecting a self-pitying list of childhood traumas, poverty and social exclusion. “Because that’s where the money is”, the robber answered.

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      string(3404) "In practice, it is important not only to recognise a child or young person’s specific pedagogical needs, but also to respond constructively to those needs. This regular section will provide a summary of common problems or difficulties with which children or young people may present in an educational setting and show how, through reflection (individually or in teams), appropriate interventions can minimise or even remove children or young people’s barriers to learning.This Child File looks at Bullying: go through each of the bullet points and reflect on what you would do for each.CHILD FILE 1: Case Study: An alternative view“I can remember when I was in a mainstream school in London, after we’d moved from Nigeria. I used to get called peg leg and the kids would take the mickey out of the way I spoke. I was the only child with a disability in the school (my sister, who has Down’s Syndrome, went to a special school), and one of the few black children there. My parents were big on equality and respect, and we’d been taught to treat people how we wanted to be treated and to stand up for others. That gave me confidence, and a sense of purpose. When you have that confidence, you don’t want to bully, you don’t want to stand by and see others bullied. That has stayed with me.We know a lot of bullying comes from insecurity and ignorance. From a lack of understanding about differences. That goes beyond colour or disability. There are so many people who are marginalised and isolated and hurt because they are different. The biggest weakness of human beings is a lack of respect for difference, a lack of empathy for others. The best thing we can do for children is to tackle that. Then we can make a real change to the world they’re growing up in.” Source: Ade Adepitan, MBE, Paralympic Champion, TV presenter and ambassador for the NSPCC Reflect on the above case studyWhat would you have done if you had been the teacher?And what do you think of his view on bullies and the bullied?How could you help children to develop positive attitudes?CHILD FILE 2: Building resilience in children and young peopleSupporting children in becoming more resilient can be addressed both through the curriculum (for example, through problem solving skills developed through maths form the earliest years of education) and through provision of extra- curricular activities (e.g. focused clubs- sport, music, crafts, ICT, debating and more).Consider the following statements/questions in the context of your extra-curricular provision and the extent to which your provision is meeting the needs of all children and young people.Carry out an audit of your extra-curricular provision (how many ‘clubs’ do you run/ are they after school/ lunchtime etc.)Have you given children/young people a ‘voice’ in the types of clubs they want?Do the clubs meet the ‘needs’ of all children/young people? (have you considered the aims/ outcomes of each club? what do you want each child/young person to achieve through the club?)Do you monitor attendance? (this is particularly important- children and young people with SEND are less likely to attend extra-curricular activities)Can all children and young people ‘access’ the clubs? (what do you need to do to ensure all children and young people can access them?) Make a plan of how you could improve your extra-curricular clubs"
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Childfile

Child File: Responding to bullying

13 Mar 2017

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Arts-Based Learning

Assessment Reimagined

8 Jan 2019

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      ["value"]=>
      string(5560) "with families as it will only be palatable to those with higher need if they do not feel singled out. Does it work?One of the challenges in demonstrating the effectiveness of static, always available, online courses is that in order to offer the benefits afforded by the format it is necessary to give anonymity to users. It is therefore difficult to ascertain the demographic profile of users. This is a problem when trying to work out who is benefitting and for whom it is not appropriate. It of course negates the possibility of a matched control group, and therefore of being able to argue that differences on any measure before and after the course are due to the course itself. Furthermore owing to the fact that users can start and stop the course at any time because access is indefinite, it is not possible to take data at any single point in time and know, of a certain number of starters, what percentage completed and what ‘dropped out’. An assumption was made that online users would find an excess of questionnaires off putting. Priority was given to establishing whether the course improved the relationship. A single measure, Pianta’s Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) [3] was therefore built into the course as an optional activity before starting the course, and at the end. Recommendations for action If you are interested in offering the course to your community check out www.solihullapproachparenting.com/schools. It is possible to include the Solihull Approach’s other online courses in a School Combined MUL, which gives a range of courses from antenatal (‘Understanding your pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby’) through to  postnatal (‘Understanding your baby’) and 0-18 years (‘Understanding your child’). There is a free extract on www.inourplace.co.uk/learn-now. For enquiries please contact solihull.approach@heartofengland.nhs.uk.Dr Rebecca Johnson is Consultant Clinical Psychologist Solihull Approach Development Manager.ReferencesBion, W. (1959) Attacks on linking. In W.R. Bion (1990) Second Thoughts. London: Karnac Books.Brazelton, T., Koslowski, B. and Main, M. (1974) The origins of reciprocity: the early mother-infant interaction. In M. Lewis and L. Rosenblum (Eds) The Effect of the Infant on its Caregiver. London: Wiley.Pianta R. Conceptual and methodological issues in research on relationships between children and non-parental adults. In R.C. Pianta (Ed.), Beyond the parent: The role of other adults in children’s lives. San Fransisco: Josey-Bass; 1992.Driscoll K, Pianta RC. Mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of conflict and closeness in parent-child relationships during early childhood.  Journal of Early Childhood and Infant Psychology. 2011;7:1-24.Lipsey MW. Design sensitivity: statistical power for experimental research. Sage, Newbury Park, CA; 1990.Sanders M, Calam R, Durand M, Liversidge T, Carmont, SA. Does self-directed and web-based support for parents enhance the effects of viewing a reality television series based on the Triple P- Positive Parenting Programme? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2008;49(9):924-932.Dancey CP, Reidy J. Statistics Without Maths for Psychology, 6th ed. Pearson Education Limited, UK; 2014.Box 1. Results of the Pianta Child-Parent Relationship Scale for 115 completers of the Solihull Approach online course  Included in the following analysis were the first 115 participants who completed all 11 modules of the course and pre and post questionnaires. The Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS)consists of 15 items, derived from attachment theory and the attachment Q-set [4] which are organised into two subscales: conflict (8 items) and closeness (7 items). In the analysis Cronbach’s alpha for conflict ( =0.90) and closeness ( =0.87) demonstrated excellent internal consistency. Results At baseline participants’ mean closeness score was 28.50 (SD = 5.10), the mean conflict score was 22.52 (SD = 7.12). At the end of the course closeness scores increased (M= 31.30, SD= 4.12) and conflict decreased (M= 17.26, SD = 6.30). A paired samples t-test indicated that that there were highly statistically significant differences in closeness (t = – 8.372, df = 114, p < 0.00001) and conflict (t = 8.908, df = 114, p < 0.00001) after completing the online parenting course.Based on the recommendation that Cohen’s d values from 0.56 can be interpreted as medium to large [5,6], the effect sizes for both closeness (d = 0.61) and conflict (d = 0.78) are considered good, which is uncommon for psychology research, where small to medium effects sizes are more likely [7].Figure 1 shows the increase in mean scores on the closeness subscale, whilst Figure 2 shows decreases in mean conflict scores, reflecting parental perceptions of the child-parent relationship.After participating in the online parenting course 82% of participants indicated a decrease in conflict scores (Figure 3) and 77% of participants indicated an increase in closeness (Figure 4).Figure 1. Mean CPRS ‘Closeness’ scores before and after participating in the Solihull Approach online course for parents (UYC-OL).Figure 2. Mean CPRS ‘Conflict’ subscale scores before and after participating in the Solihull Approach online course for parents (UYC-OL).Figure 3. Showing percentage of participants for whom mean CPRS conflict scores improved.Figure 4. Showing percentage of participants for whom mean CPRS closeness scores improved."
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Early Years

Better parent/child relationships can transform well-being at school

16 Oct 2017

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      string(5622) "Science Hunters is an educational outreach project, based at Lancaster University, which uses the computer game Minecraft to engage children with learning about science. This approach naturally enthuses the students to engage by using a medium which is familiar and appealing. Through Minecraft, children can become fully immersed in the topic, exploring it in the game, and they can also communicate with each other in both the virtual and real worlds through collaborative building.Overcoming barriersThe project has a primary focus on working with children who may face barriers to accessing Higher Education, as well as both inspiring an interest in science and instilling the ethos that science and research are accessible to everyone. A key element of the project is extensive work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a developmental disorder characterised by impairments in social interaction and communication, repetitive behaviours, and restricted interests.1 Children with ASD often have difficulty communicating and engaging in ‘real world’ social interactions, and restricted interests can present barriers to children’s motivation to engage with others and interventions. Minecraft provides a social context that allows children to practise initiating and responding to communication, cooperation, pretend play, adherence to social norms, and relationship building. An important aspect of the Science Hunters project is that it provides an inclusive, relaxed environment in which to engage and support children (with ASD or otherwise) with both access to and perceptions of science, and improved senses of wellbeing and social inclusion.Minecraft as an educational toolChildren’s interests in science tend to decline from 10 years of age2 and are usually established by 14 years.3 However, this decline in interest can be counteracted by engaging children in practical, investigative, activities associated with science.4 Thus, identifying and developing effective methods of encouraging young people to engage with science are of paramount importance.5In the UK, 69 per cent of 6–10 year olds and 81 per cent of 11–14 year olds play video games.6 Minecraft is one such game, which is highly popular (within five years of release it was the second-best selling game of all time7) and has been described as one of the most important computer games of the current generation.8 With features that correspond to real-world processes and which have relevance to a variety of natural and physical sciences, it is also an ideal medium for communication of scientific concepts.8,9Minecraft is a construction-based, open-world game in which players can freely move around, placing and breaking blocks which have a wide range of appearances and properties to build an almost infinite range of constructions. Children become immersed in the game and can explore concepts in ways which are simply not feasible in the real world, such as erupting a volcano and determining which materials best protect a house from advancing lava,10,11 or experimenting with different methods to encourage crop growth12—all within the timeframe of a lesson.  This level and scope of engagement enables in-depth investigation of topics and facilitates consolidation of learning through practical application and enjoyment of science through the gameplay delivery.10,11,12 The game is relatively simple, affordable and accessible, enabling active construction of knowledge, teamworking and interaction, and rendering the game a viable option for use in the classroom.13 Detailed descriptions of Minecraft’s features and its use in a range of formal educational settings can be found elsewhere,8,13 including application of the game in arts, physics, chemistry, geology, computing and social skills education.Benefits for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by profound impairments in communication and interaction—often resulting in difficulty engaging in ‘real life’ social situations.1 Engagement is recognised as being critical for learning in children with and without disabilities, and for effective interventions for children with ASD.14  The relatively high preference (compared to people without ASD15) of many people with ASD for electronic screen media over other leisure activities supports incorporation of such media into learning strategies for children with ASD.15 Minecraft is a shared interest of many children with ASD, and countless anecdotal reports suggest that the social-interactive aspect of Minecraft has great benefits for children’s confidence, social motivation and communication skills.11 As such, children with ASD can be hugely experienced with Minecraft, giving them a sense of expertise and ownership.11 The game has the option either to function as a single-player game, or to operate in a way that allows children to use shared virtual worlds in which they can interact and communicate with each other. Players can safely communicate and play together through these secure shared servers; online communities such as this provide alternative spaces for communication which are particularly valuable for people with autism who may find face-to-face interactions challenging.17,18 Minecraft, as a select interest for many children with ASD, thus provides a unique platform for introducing and engaging children with topics that do not interest them when presented through ‘traditional’ means. Appropriate use of the game in learning contexts also"
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Digital Learning

How Minecraft is Making Science More Appealing to Students with Autism

10 Mar 2020