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  Games-based learning system, I am Learning is known to many as an exciting and engaging way to help pupils revise for exams, however primary and secondary schools across the UK are realising its benefits as an ongoing assessment and homework setting tool.
Peter Rafferty, Year 4 Teacher and ICT Coordinator at Green Park Primary School in Liverpool has been using I am Learning both inside the classroom and out.
Rafferty says:
“As a school, we are very new to I am Learning but have been really impressed with its capabilities. Our aim was to gradually move away from paper – instead of photocopying worksheets and handing them out to each pupil, we were looking for engaging technology that would inspire pupils to learn and make it easier for teachers to administer homework and receive it back from the pupils. Our Headteacher spotted I am Learning at a tradeshow, signed up for a free trial and we have never looked back since!”
He continues:
“Our pupils really enjoy using I am Learning and we have seen some remarkable changes of attitudes towards homework in the short time we have been using the system. For instance, one girl at the school is often being nagged about not doing her homework and this was a real challenge for us, however since using I am Learning to administer the homework, she hasn’t missed a single piece – in fact, 78 per cent of the time she has spent on the online system has been from home!”
With I am Learning, teachers can set self-marking homework tasks which generate meaningful reports with detailed gap analysis to identify weaknesses, monitor progress and help improve learning outcomes. Since the system enables learning through playing games, it is perhaps unsurprising that pupils with varying levels of ability are logging on at all times of the day.
Mr Ward, Head of ICT, Business and Vocational Studies Faculty at St. John Fisher Catholic High School in West Yorkshire, comments:
“As can be seen from our usage stats, it’s the whole school that is being engaged by what the system has to offer. Looking at our top users tells a similar story; it’s not one particular group that is engaging in it, we have high-flying students sitting alongside some of our weaker and more disaffected pupils. That said though, the system really does seem to pull in some of our disaffected boys. They, above all others, are thriving on the competitive element that the system provides and work hard in order to be on the podium for a particular game.”
Integrating a new system into teachers’ daily lives can be difficult as it might mean learning about new technology which can often be time-consuming. Ward says this is not the case with I am Learning:
“The system is just so easy to use. Setting homework, creating exercises and viewing pupil progress can all be done with great ease. We are looking at using the system in the future for ‘pupil voice’ surveys and for looking at PLTS (Personal Learning and Thinking Skills) and VAK (Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic) across the school – having the pupils document their use of PLTS and allow teachers to look at different ways of delivering lessons by getting pupils to use the VAK surveys built into the system.”
For more information about I am Learning, click here.
I am Learning will be exhibiting on Stand C25 at SSAT National Conference which takes place from 30 November – 2 December at The ICC, Birmingham.
Visitors to BETT 2012, which takes place from 11 – 14 January at Kensington Olympia, London, will also be able to see I am Learning in action on Stand Q22.
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