The following examples build on the QCA/DfES schemes of work for ICT and show the importance of setting open-ended tasks that are sufficiently challenging to enrich and extend the learning of gifted pupils. Teachers will need to be particularly careful about maintaining the appropriate balance between direct intervention and encouraging pupil independence. As well as developing technical skills, the use of ICT should enable pupils to focus on more abstract concepts, promoting higher-order thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the subject.

Using control

Building on Unit 5E 'Controlling devices' and Unit 6C 'Control and monitoring -- what happens when ... ..?'

In unit 5E, pupils might develop a procedure to control a set of traffic lights. Gifted pupils can be given opportunities to write procedures for more complex or varied situations. For example, they might develop their procedure to include instructions to control a pedestrian crossing or the sequence of traffic lights required at a T-junction.

In addition to controlling outputs like the lights, the pupils can be encouraged to use input devices such as switches to represent pedestrians activating a button at a crossing.

As a further extension activity, pupils could use both input and output devices to investigate the incubator conditions that are needed to hatch eggs, setting upper and lower temperature limits to cause a heater to switch on and off. Understanding the consequences of errors can encourage pupils to be more rigorous when testing their models. This activity requires pupils to use and apply their knowledge and understanding based on the key ideas and techniques in unit 6C.

Other possible contexts for control include advertising displays, public information systems, control in the home, novel inventions or control in a theatre.

As pupils become more confident and familiar with input devices and control language, they may be able to investigate more complex uses of control. For example, unit 13 encourages pupils to use control to address safety on a water-ride at a theme park. Pupils are asked to identify safety issues around the ride and to generate possible solutions. In this example, boats must not be in the same part of the ride at the same time and there is a need to identify where in the ride boats are and to control their movements at certain points. In order to design a safe control system, pupils need to build in variables and construct rules that apply to the whole system.

Extending and enriching computer control activities offers enormous scope for pupils to develop and apply logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Creating multimedia texts

Building on Unit 6A 'Multimedia presentation'

In addition to developing proficient technical skills, all pupils need to be encouraged to develop a good sense of audience. A focus on the needs of particular audiences and the conventions of types of media can provide a good starting point for additional work for pupils who are gifted in ICT.

Gifted pupils can be asked to carry out an analysis of how different forms of information are combined for particular audiences in television, websites, computer games and CD-ROMs. They can consider different types of images, typeface, layout, use of animations, voiceovers and soundtracks. The following questions might be useful:

What images and styles of layout are used for different age groups?

What images and styles are used for different genders?

What type of music is used? What different effects does music create?

What is the tone of voice of the commentary?

How is the author trying to influence or persuade you?

Do images and sound always complement each other?

Having carried out an analysis of different media, pupils should be given opportunities to apply these ideas to their own multimedia presentation.

Pupils should decide on the focus of their presentation. A controversial topic, such as animal testing, can provide an opportunity for them to represent two conflicting viewpoints. They should create two presentations -- one in support of the issue and one against. They should apply their knowledge and understanding of audience and purpose to select and combine images, text, commentary and soundtrack.

Pupils can be given opportunities to collect and combine a wide range of media, including video. The technology and software available to them may limit -- or expand -- their choices, but pupils should be given opportunities to use a wide range of information sources, including:

clip art, and images and sound from CD-ROMs and the internet

a still or video digital camera

scanned images, charts and diagrams

sound samples and music

recorded speech and commentaries.

Pupils should be encouraged to:

consider the overall structure of the information in a presentation and to design flowcharts and diagrams mapping out routes through the information (this provides a good opportunity to explore relationships and connections in the information gathered)

consider the strengths and drawbacks of both linear and non-linear multimedia presentations

consider the order and sequence of linear presentations and the navigational structures required when a non-linear approach to information is used

critically review and evaluate their work

present work to different audiences

carry out user evaluations and use feedback to inform their future work

apply their ICT skills in creating presentations that support and enhance their work across the curriculum.

Schemes of work

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