c. Adapting the Resources for Different Learners or Work

This part of the case study follows from what has just been said about evaluation of resources. If a piece of software, a World Wide Web site or a dedicated piece of courseware can be used for more than one group of learners or across more than one area of work, it follows that it is more valuable to you in your work.

In the case study, the teacher found the work he did with CD-ROM based materials generated ideas and resources that could be used across the age range. He also found the web sites, and worksheets, useful on the generation of other work where he wanted to consider the same topics with other groups of pupils.

With the worksheet and filling-in activity, the teacher found that his greatest problem was the focus of the pupil on the activity. Pupils tended to import their own conceptions and pre-conceptions of the religions they were discussing, and this had to be turned to advantage rather than seen as an obstacle. This caused the teacher to think about adapting the general method of using PC-based worksheets to other subject areas within RE.

In this case, the idea of setting up tasks in a Word document and then asking pupils to respond to the task on screen and saved to disc has been extended to a range of areas and a range of pupils. GCSE pupils and A Level pupils can use the method across a range of project and examination targeted areas, and younger pupils can respond to worksheets containing images by simply typing in short responses to empty text boxes. These can all then be printed, e-mailed or stored.

In the case of modelling events very specifically, Word, Access or Excel can be used to track changes through a system where initial conditions can be established. Usually, of course, the modelling would be numerical, and would have less application to RE than to Maths or a Science subject.

However, we can still use the capacity of ICT to present as well as manipulate events in humanities and social science subjects. For higher level pupils especially, relations between demographic change and religious observance can be tracked by Excel, once the initial conditions have been described. Alternatively, Word can allow and present the manipulation of more conceptual relations, such as those between theosophy and morality.

With this possible range of applications of Internet, CD-ROM, Excel and Word in mind, think about how you would complete the grid on the following page, and discuss it with your mentor.

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