Posted by upbeat | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on February 24, 2013
Instrumental Music Lessons in Dumfries & Galloway, south-west Scotland have in part been delivered for the past 6 years by tutors over the distance learning medium of video conferencing. Brass, woodwind, guitar and cello lessons have all been delivered from Lochside Education Centre in Dumfries to pupils in 16 primary schools and many secondary schools, spanning a distance across the Dumfries & Galloway region of over 100 miles. Recently in May 2011, Richard James (Senior Tutor, Percussion) started to teach young people in Dumfries & Galloway schools on electronic drumkit. Dumfries & Galloway is Scotland’s third largest geographic council with many small, rural schools. High quality Polycom video conferencing systems over broadband are tools we use to great effect in addressing equal opportunity issues in education for pupils in a sustainable way. Savings in travel time and costs for tutors can be achieved alongside the additional benefits of reducing the council’s collective carbon footprint. An independent evaluation on the teaching programme over video-link was conducted by Warwick University. They found our work in this area to be ground-breaking and ‘inspirational’.
http://www.flatprojects.org.uk/evaluations/evaluationreports/ITVC.asp
http://www.flatprojects.org.uk/Images/ITVC%20Project%20Final%20Evaluation%20Report_tcm4-450615.pdf
http://www.northerngrid.org/attachments/628_videonations_vc_case_study_music_learning.pdf
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=2416703
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6028669
http://phone.heppell.mobi/2009/09/making-notes.html
http://www.abrsm.org/resources/libretto0801.pdf
On Thursday and Friday of this past week schools were delighted to have a visit from Professor Stephen Heppell. We’re very grateful for his support as we look to enhance learning through the use of mini iPads in certain schools. Pupil-led proposals from 18 schools were received for the use of mini iPads in learning and are now being considered by Stephen. During Thursday and Friday, he met with pupils in 5 schools, 4 in person and one over video conference. The outcomes of his deliberations are being eagerly anticipated!
