Technical information

ICT in the science department 1604 © CLEAPSS 2005
16.4.1 Organisation of the science department
ICT can enable easier management and sharing of information between staff, pupils
and even parents at home. Some schools have a locally-managed Intranet which may
also be accessible via the Internet, using a password, from outside the school. The
Intranet might include schemes of work, pupil projects, worksheets, links to Internet
resources etc.
Many schools use internal information management systems such as SIMS
1
across all
curriculum areas, allowing staff to access or update student data such as attendance
records, report-writing software etc.
In the science prep room, ICT can enable technical support to be made easier by creat-
ing stock records, ordering systems and apparatus lists. ICT facilitates the immediate
reference to risk assessments to ensure health & safety in practical work. Internet
access to suppliers’ web sites and various advice services, such as those provided by
CLEAPSS, the ASE, DfES and HSE, is now an essential requirement, as the distribu-
tion of paper-based information is reduced to save costs. All staff in the science
department (not the pupils) should be able to access the CLEAPSS Science Public-
ations CD-ROM easily, ideally via a network. CLEAPSS permits the CD-ROM to be
copied onto any computer used by staff, at work or at home.
This CD-ROM provides access to
a
ll CLEAPSS science publications, clipart (eg,
safety symbols and laboratory equipment), labels and various customisable
documents including a chemical stocklist and a science department health &
safety policy. The CD-ROM has a link to the members-only CLEAPSS web site
from where new and revised publications, not yet on the CD-ROM, can be
downloaded. Information on the CD-ROM is easier to search, and often more
up-to-date, than paper versions of CLEAPSS publications. A new Science Pub-
lications CD-ROM is distributed annually to all CLEAPSS members.
16.4.2 Teaching and learning
Support for science lessons, including schemes of work, apparatus lists, presentations
(with pictures, sound and video), pupil worksheets, tests etc, can all be accessible from
any computer in the department. The amount of paper used can be reduced, if more
worksheets and tests are screen-based. Software is available which enables the
creation of interactive worksheets and computer-based tests, which are marked and
statistically processed in an instant, providing immediate feedback on progress to
teachers and their classes. Managed properly, this can reduce day-to-day running
costs and time spent on administration and marking.
16.4.3 Use by students
Pupils are gaining increasing access to computers at home and school; they are
becoming a standard tool. Easy pupil access to computer workstations, with standard
‘office’ applications, together with specialist science resources, is now essential.
The National Curriculum includes statutory requirements to use ICT in the science
programme of study
2
.
Pupils should:
• make observations and measurements, including the use of ICT for datalog-
ging (for example, variables changing over time) to an appropriate degree of
precision;
• use a wide range of methods, including diagrams, tables, charts, graphs and
ICT, to represent and communicate qualitative and quantitative data;
• be taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through using a range of
sources of information and data, including ICT-based sources.
1
The SIMS school information management system is marketed by Capita Education Services: www.capitaes.co.uk.
2
Refer to the QCA web site: www.ncaction.org.uk.