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ICT


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

Examples of enterprise learning in key stage 4

Case study 1

Students worked in small teams and used the internet to research the market for home computers. They were given the task of deciding which computers were the market leaders and which offered best value for money. The manager of the local IT shop was invited to the school and interviewed about the ways in which he helped customers who wanted to purchase or upgrade their computers. He also gave them feedback on their previous work. Each team was given a different make of computer to research and expected to work to tight deadlines. Students researched Which guides to decide on appropriate layout and content when producing a consumer’s guide for their machine, using desktop publishing and incorporating images as appropriate, and detailing the range of options available. A display of the students’ finished work was judged by their peers and the head of ICT. The students developed a greater understanding of work in the retail sector and had the opportunity to project manage a task within a competitive environment.

Case study 2

GCSE IT students set themselves up as consultants willing to use their ICT skills to support teachers. The students gave a presentation at a staff meeting outlining potential areas that they could help with. The prospective head of year 7 asked for help with producing a resource which would support new students transferring from primary feeder schools into the secondary school. The IT students decided to make a DVD showing the reality of secondary school life and the opportunities available. They filmed a range of social activities including sport, drama and art. They interviewed all of the prospective year 7 form tutors and some of the heads of faculty. The DVD gave practical advice about what to wear and the equipment to bring on their first day. Information about bus routes was also provided. The students worked on the DVD, editing and developing it as appropriate. They mixed and added a soundtrack provided by the school rock band and added an introduction by the headteacher. The head of year was accompanied by some of the year 11 students when he made his visits to the primary schools. They talked about their memories of their first days at secondary school and of the reasons why they had decided to make the DVD. The students gained the experience of working as a team, planning a production schedule and gathering customer feedback about their product.

Case study 3

Year 10 students at a school in a rural area worked with a local community group to create a talking newspaper for people with visual impairment. Following a talk from a social worker about the needs of people with impaired sight, students prepared items of local interest for their editor. They also visited a number of local organisations to record digital accounts of ‘a day in my life‘. Individuals such as the manager of the local leisure centre spoke of their experiences at work and the satisfaction they gained from their jobs. Using the school’s IT facilities, the students developed, edited and recorded a tape for distribution in the local community and to local care homes. Later they undertook a similar project, in collaboration with the music department, where they mixed, edited and recorded traditional carols. The students identified the opportunity to provide a new service for the community and responded to the challenge with a realistic proposal.

Case study 4

Students from the ICT department worked with their head of year and the head of art to create an online gallery for the year 11 GCSE art and design students completing their assessment portfolios. Students considered appropriate content, structure and navigation methods for the gallery, taking into account audience and purpose. Students were interviewed about their work and asked to choose one picture which best represented their approach to the subject. Digital cameras were used to photograph the works of art and the ‘talking heads’ were captured as digital images. Students edited the images and then uploaded them to be displayed as a virtual gallery on the school website. Parents and friends were encouraged to log on to the site to view the project. They were also able to purchase copies of the prints, which had been reproduced by the school reprographics department, with all proceeds going to a local arts charity. Students were able to apply their skills in a real business context and develop a marketing strategy, which was appropriate to their customer base.

Case study 5

Local businesses were asked to set tasks and challenges for the year 10 GCSE ICT group. One company, a local restaurant, asked if a group of students could review and, if necessary, redesign their website. Students conducted market research, with the support of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), to gather information about the image of the restaurant in the local community. Students also researched and evaluated websites created by other restaurants to identify features which they felt were successful. Students used this and information from their market research to guide their decisions about how to update and enhance the web content. Historical research was undertaken to find out more about the building in which the restaurant was housed and the famous Admiral from which it took its name. This work provided a wealth of data and a theme around which to structure the redraft. The students prepared a mock up of the new pages and the altered navigation structure and the owner was asked to comment on the draft product. Having responded to the suggested modifications, a final version was delivered. The students had been given responsibility for the project, developed their ideas and worked within tight cost margins to produce a worthwhile product.

Case study 6

As part of Challenge Week, students were encouraged to think of ways in which they could use the school's ICT facilities to support a new enterprise. One team of students entered into discussions with a year 12 rock band and got a contract to act as their ICT consultants. They agreed to record, mix and publish their music on CD and to promote their gigs. Students researched and evaluated fan websites and publicity materials and subsequently developed a website aimed at their fan base. The students planned a suitable navigation structure, thought about the audience for their website and included a limited number of downloadable tracks. CD covers and posters were designed and developed, digital recordings of their stage act were made and edited and DVDs were produced to publicise the band. One of their songs was used as backing for a school video and the group was subsequently booked for a staffroom social event. Students thought that they could improve their project by creating a newsletter that could be emailed to fans expressing an interest on the website. The students experienced the pressures of generating original ideas and approaches to cope with a real-life business challenge.

Case study 7

The school was approached by the town council who wanted to involve students in an anti-litter campaign. The students prepared a PowerPoint presentation outlining their ideas and attended a committee meeting of the town council to present their proposals. They used a spreadsheet model to investigate costings of possible resources required to undertake the campaign, experimenting with different scenarios and presenting different alternatives. Having persuaded the council to fund their initiative, the year 10 student council organised a competition to find a design for a poster which would encourage people to keep their community free of litter. The head of ICT agreed to the design work being done as part of the ICT lessons, while another ICT group conducted a survey of suitable sites for the posters to be displayed, using online mapping. Students’ opinions about the possible sites were canvassed and firm decisions were made about the poster locations. Local residents were interviewed about the effectiveness of the campaign and the results were prepared as a report for the campaign sponsors at the town hall. Students had the opportunity to work with adults other than teachers to develop their knowledge of costing and resourcing a business endeavour.

Case study 8

A school decided to organise a carnival as a way of celebrating its successful bid to become a specialist college. It was decided that during the final week of term, students and staff would work in teams to prepare for a procession through the streets of the town. The ICT department took on responsibility for publicity and public relations and organised groups of students to promote the event within the local community in the weeks leading up to the end term. Posters and leaflets were designed and printed in-house by the students. Contacts with a range of outside agencies such as the police were channelled through the department who tasked students to prepare draft letters requesting support for the event. Students used ICT efficiently to create a mail-merged letter. One team of students prepared a newspaper during the week itself and another team made a DVD record of the week’s activities. The students involved were encouraged to reflect on what had been achieved and had to made decisions about the best ways in which to convey the achievements of the school.