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Technological Competencies in

the Primary School

Enrico Bottero

Alessandro Rabbone

English Version, March 2006

“Learning at School and in the Network”

Socrates PROGRAMME - Minerva Action

Project: 100880-CP-1-2002-1-IT-MINERVA-M

Learning at school and in the network. Minerva Action. Socrates Programme. 100880-CP-1-2002-1-IT-MINERVA-M

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This document has been realized within the Minerva Project:

“Learning at School and in the Network”

MINERVA project n° 100880-CP-1-2002-1-IT-MINERVA-M

The project is carried out with the financial support from the Commission of the

European Communities: DG Education and Training - Programme Socrates - Action

Minerva

The contents of this document is the sole responsibility of project partners and can in

no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union, nor is the European

Community responsible for any use that might be made of data appearing therein.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission under the

Programme Socrates - Action Minerva.. This web portal and its publications reflect the

views o¬nly of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use

which may be made of the information contained therein.

Translated from Italian by Patrizia Vannini and Carlotta Amerio

© 2006 Irre Piemonte Turin (Italy)

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the people who cooperated in this research work and, in

particular, the headmasters and teachers of all experimental school:

Chivasso Second Teaching District (province of Turin) – Rita Cattaneo (headmaster),

Antonella Torasso (teacher).

Filippi Nursery School, Christian Schools (Vercelli) – Roberta Tricerri (headmaster),

Michela Corradino (teacher).

Pacchiotti School (Turin) – Carlo Sinicco (headmaster), Mariagrazia Pagliuso (teacher).

Novi Ligure First Teaching District (province of Alessandria) – Osvaldo Repetti

(headmaster), Natalino Colletti (teacher).

Adorazione Cadorna Institute (Turin) – Franco Cittadino (headmaster), Luigi Restori

(teacher).


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Summary

The aim of the project “Learning at School and in the Network” (Action Minerva) was

to test the educational effectiveness of learning programs which include a large and

intensive use of ICTs on primary school students. It was also necessary to investigate

shared description methods and control techniques used to measure the children’s

technological competences, paying attention to logical and cognitive aspects. Finally it

was important for teachers to establish a common method for the use of ICTs.

The final report here presented is made up of three parts and an Appendix. In the

first part you will find a summary of all the information which emerged in the different

schools, supported by interviews to the the teacher responsible for ICTs and to the

headmaster. An analysis of the answers to the questionnaire, given to teachers from

experimental schools, is included in the second part. The knowledge and the

competences of the teachers and the activities with ICTs that they carried out make

up the background in which the single activities observed in the different classes fit in.

Generally speaking, the picture which emerges from the first two parts enables a

better comprehension of the context and the conditions in which the activities took

place and in which relevant competences were observed. These observations make up

the last part of this report. Contexts and ways to disseminate the results are contained

in the Appendix, together with some elements of internal evaluation of the Project. At

the end of the text is a sitography and a bibliography. The members of the research

group working on account of IRRE Piemonte were: Enrico Bottero, Alessandro Rabbone

and Alessio Leone. Enrico Bottero, responsible for the project, dealt with its general

coordination3. Alessandro Rabbone, ICT expert, worked out control and investigation

methods and supervised the observation of the activities. Alessio Leone, expert in

technologies, was responsible for editing the incoming information. In the final phase,

Enrico Bottero took care of the written layout of the first two parts of the report,

whereas Alessandro Rabbone took care of the third and last part.


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Index

SUMMARY..............................................................................3

INTRODUCTION...................................................................7

1. EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS: ORGANIZATION, EQUIPMENT, ACTIVITIES

WITH ICT 9

CHIVASSO, 2ND TEACHING DISTRICT...........................................10

1.1.1 School information ...............................................10

1.1.2 Description of School and Territory..........................10

1.1.3 Organization.........................................................10

1.1.4 ITC Equipment......................................................11

1.1.5 Activities with ICT .................................................12

1.1.6 Evaluation............................................................13

FILIPPI NURSERY SCHOOL – CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS ............................14

1.1.7 School information ................................................14

1.1.8 Description of School and territory ..........................14

1.1.9 Organization.........................................................14

1.1.10 ITC Equipment......................................................15

1.1.11 ICT Activities ........................................................16

1.1.12 Evaluation............................................................17

PACCHIOTTI .........................................................................18


1.1.14 Description of school and territory...........................18

1.1.15 Organization.........................................................18

1.1.16 ICT Equipment......................................................19


1.1.18 Evaluation............................................................21

NOVI FIRST TEACHING DISTRICT ................................................22



1.1.21 Organization.........................................................22

1.1.22 ICT Equipment......................................................23


1.1.24 Evaluation............................................................25


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ADORAZIONE CADORNA INSTITUTE ..............................................26



1.1.27 Organizzation .......................................................26

1.1.28 ICT Equipment......................................................27

1.1.29 ICT Activities ........................................................28

1.1.30 Evaluation............................................................28

2. TEACHERS....................................................................... 30

THE QUESTIONNAIRE: INITIAL DATA .............................................31

DEGREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY 35

2.1.1 Knowledge of the Operating System........................35

2.1.2 Knowledge of office application ...............................35

2.1.3 Knowledge of the strategies for research on the web.36

2.1.4 Use of the electronic mail.......................................37

2.1.5 Participation in events on line .................................37

DIDACTIC ACTIVITIES .............................................................39

2.1.6 Regular frequency of didactic activities ....................41

2.1.7 Usual duration of didactic activities .........................41

2.1.8 Relative branch of learning.....................................42

2.1.9 Pupils: group typology...........................................43

2.1.10 Pupils: (computer) arrangements............................43

2.1.11 Pupils: use of hardware devices ..............................44

2.1.12 Regular activities done with ICT..............................44

2.1.13 Evaluation............................................................46

3. OBSERVATIONS ON PUPILS’ COMPETENCIES.................. 48

PRELIMINARY REMARKS............................................................49

CHIVASSO 2ND TEACHING DISTRICT............................................50

FILIPPI NURSERY SCHOOL – CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS ............................52

PACCHIOTTI .........................................................................54

NOVI LIGURE FIRST TEACHING DISTRICT.......................................56

ADORAZIONE – CADORNA INSTITUTE ...........................................58

FINAL REMARKS.....................................................................60


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4. APPENDIX....................................................................... 63

1. DISSEMINATION .............................................................63

2. INTERNAL EVALUATION.........................................................64

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SITOGRAPHY.............................................65


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INTRODUCTION

The Italian partner IRRE Piemonte contributed to the Project and to its activities by

examining the outcoming results of the experimental schools. The following report is

the final layout of this result-observation activity. We must, however, first of all

describe the context in which such an activity was carried out.

At first, the Central Regional School Board for Piedmont picked out the experimental

schools. These schools are five primary schools: three state schools and two officially

recognised private schools2, all located in Piedmont. The schools are the following:

1. Chivasso Second Teaching District (province of Turin) – state school

2. Filippi Nursery School – Christian Schools – Vercelli – officially recognised

private school

3. Novi Ligure First Teaching District (province of Alessandria) – state school

4. Pacchiotti School – Turin – state school

5. Adorazione Cadorna Institute – Turin – officially recognized private school

After choosing the experimental schools, the scheduled training activity for teachers

was organized by the Pininfarina Institute in Moncalieri (Turin). During the training

courses, particular attention was given to the competences previously identified and

described in the Project (see Appendix). The training of the teachers, who were

chosen internally by the schools partecipating in the Project, took place in the last

period of the three-year experimentation (April 2005). This kind of organization did

not allow the different European partners to clearly define a set of common activities,

with the consequent concentration on specific skills.

Because of the context, it was decided to support the assessment of children’s

technological skills, which was the focus of the activities, with some more general

data, in order to contextualize the results. This information concerns the school and its

history in the use of ICTs, the technological skills of its teachers and the didactic

activities which they carried out.

The research activities carried out are the following:

1. interview with the person in charge of the ICT laboratory, or the ICT referent,

and with the Headmaster. The aim of the interview was to describe the school, its

organization, its technological equipment and the activities carried out with ICTs.


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2. questionnaire on the use of ICT at school. The questionnaire was given to all

teachers in order to understand their level of knowledge of the Information and

Communication Technologies and their consequent acquaintance with them, together

with a description of the activities carried out. The figures obtained showed the

different levels of competence in the use of ICTs and the trends of the different

didactic activities. These organizational aspects, in this experimental school context,

have affected the end results we then observed.

3. observation of the activities carried out in some classes (led by teachers who

had taken part in the initial training) and of the relative competences acquired by

students. The assessment of children’s technological skills was not carried out on the

basis of common activities in the different schools and was thus limited because the

operating context was different from one school to the other. The limited amount of

time at our disposal, little more than a month before school-end, gave us time for only

one visit to each of the five schools taking part in the experimental group in Piedmont.


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PART I

1. EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS: ORGANIZATION,

EQUIPMENT, ACTIVITIES WITH ICT

Enrico Bottero


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Chivasso, 2nd Teaching District

Date of the interview: 4th May 2005

1.1.1 School information

School name Chivasso 2nd Teaching District

Address Via Blatta 26 B Chivasso

Web Site http://www.chivasso2.com

Telephone / fax 011/9102857

Name of the person in charge of ITC Antonella Torasso

1.1.2 Description of School and Territory

Type of School: primary state school

Location: small town (with less than 30.000 inhabitants) and country villages

Cultural, social, economic aspects of the territory on the outskirts of Torino

Families’ main occupations Mixed, mostly industry and service sector in Chivasso –

Agriculture in Casalborgone and San Sebastiano

1.1.3 Organization

Prevailing organizational structure Form teacher and second teacher over 2 classes

Remaining organizational structure: Full time (two teachers over two classes) – 4

classes

Possible variations of calendar or timetable not according to the main rules : no

No. of laboratories in the teaching district: 40

No. of ITC laboratories: 4

No. full-time teachers 45

No. part-time teachers 1


11

No. of form teachers 34

No. of laboratory teachers 6

No. of assistant teachers for handicapped children 5

No. of classes: 20

No. of pupils: 380

1.1.4 ITC Equipment

History of ITC introduction at school

First ITC introduction in 1985 (Commodore 64; Logo varios Writer). From the first

computer releases (8088, 286) the school has got to the current ones. A six years’

experimentation has been carried out in the main school complex (some teachers

were relieved of classes by the School Board or Ministry of Education ex. art. 3 DPR

419/1974 to dedicate their work on the experimentation).

Subsequently (in 2000) the use of the computer was extended to all the

schools in the teaching district (Rondissone, Torrazza e Foglizzo). Always in 2000 with

the rationalization the main school complex took over Casalborgone and San

Sebastiano. When in 2000 the teacher Antonella Torasso arrived (with specific skills)

and attended to the laboratory, there was the question of the overcoming of her

delegacy.

Equipment

No. of non-multimedia stations that there are: 2

No. of non-multimedia stations present in the laboratory 0

No. of non-multimedia stations present in a classroom or other rooms:2

No. of multimedia stations that there are: 33

No. of multimedia stations present in the laboratory: 31

No. of multimedia stations present in a classroom or other rooms 2

No. of non-multimedia stations in the network: 0


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No. of multimedia stations in the network: 31

No. of stations (multimedia and non) which can gain access to the Internet: 22

Prevailing kind of Internet connenction: CDA local council fast line

1.1.5 Activities with ICT

The role of ICT in the Institute POF

There is no specific planning or section dedicated to New Tecnologies. They are part of

each project planning (present in about 70% of projects. Even when they are not used

in activities with children, they are all the same included in the documentation

activity). Some years ago there was a specific section dedicated to ICT. However, the

idea of a crosswise presence of ICT has soon spread out (for instance, in the

Comenius project as regards partners’ exchanges, in the laboratories, in the activities

with foreign students).

School or project planning, class or interclass curricular activities with ICT.

In the learning unit there is a transversal part and a more specific one concerning ICT

(the problem is still unsolved in the National Instructions themselves)

The National Instructions dedicating a specific section to New Tecnologies have been

taken into

account, but in each learning unit the ICT are crosswise (for instance, in Science,

Mathematics, English activities). However, there is a specific activity concerning ICT in

the labotarory.

Specific ICT Training

A large number of teachers have attended courses A For ICT, subsequently a small

group taught others their achieved competence and so on. The teacher responsible

held courses in graphics, web publications, knowledge of comminication instruments.

Activities done


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No.of teacher involved in didactic activities with ITC in the laboratory or in the

classroom : 20

Average No. of weekly hours during which a pupil can personally control mouse

and/or keyboard: 1

Activities with ICT which are regularly carried out by at least a group of pupils in the

lab or in the classroom :

• Activity of graphic production

• Activity of word processing

• Applied study of programming languages (LOGO)

• Employment of specific didactic software for school-subjects (English)

• Use of the Internet for the carrying out of researches

• Activities of communication and interaction in the Internet with other classes

through e-mail

• Power Point Presentations (with hypertext links)

1.1.6 Evaluation

Evaluation mostly relies on the teacher’s direct observation of the process rather than

the product (the evalution is more complex when there are outputs resulting from pair

or group work).

On the basis of these observations, the evaluation forms are filled in. The remaining

part consists in the product documentation. There are works chosen by teachers and

others chosen by children. The works are selected (both the good ones and the less

successful ones). Some of the works chosen both by the teachers and the children are

also included in the Portfolio. A CD containing all the works is produced and given to

the parents in order to publicize the activity done by the children at school.


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Filippi Nursery School – Christian Schools

Date of the interview: 10th May 2005


School information: Religious school ”Filippi Nursery “Christian Schools

Address: Via Frova,5 13100 - Vercelli

Web site: http://www.scuolecristiane.vc.it/

Tel / fax: 0161-250494 0161-215665

Person in charge: Michela Corradino

1.1.8 Description of School and territory

Type of school: Nursey and primary officially recognized

Location : Town Historical centre

Families’ main occupation: Agricolture, service industry (welfare work)

1.1.9 Organization

Prevailing organizational structure: classes with the form teacher and teachers of

English, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education.

Remaining organizational structure: no

Possible variations of calendar or timetable not according to the main rules :No

No of laboratories: 2

No of ITC laboratories: 1

No of full time teachers: 7

No of part time teachers: 2

No of class teachers: 5

No of laboratory teachers: 3

No of assistant teachers: 2


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No of classes: 5

No of pupils: 77

1.1.10 ITC Equipment

History of ICT introduction

ICT were introduced around 8 years ago. In the old school there was already a

computer laboratory. The teachers’ limited skills brought about the necessity of

assistance from a firm, sending a technician to teach the children once a week. The

most relevant topics were the use of Word the creative use of the pc, how to do

drawings, the use of colours and an initial computer literacy ( what a computer is and

how it works).

Gradually some teachers began to keep up-to-date. With the experimentation of the

school reform carried out by the Moratti Ministry (since 2002), training courses began.

Now there is a course of computer literacy in the network connected with all Catholic

schools. You can follow this course on line on Indire web site. This implies the

minimum of preparation in surfing on the Internet, looking up information, etc.

Equipment

No of non- multimedia stations that there are 0

No of non-multimedia stations present in the laboratory: 0

No of non-multimedia stations present in a classroom or in other rooms: 0

Total No of multimedia stations: 10

No of multimedia stations present in laboratory: 7

No of multimedia stations present in a classroom or in other rooms: 3

No of non-multimedia stations in the network (LAN): 0

No of multimedia stations in the network (LAN): 7

No of stations (multimedia and non-) which gain access to the Internet: 9

Prevaling kind of Internet connection: ADSL


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1.1.11 ICT Activities


The role of ICT is crosswise. Initially it was a rather self-referential informatics project.

Now the computer is used in any kind of school subject and field, therefore the main

goal is the training of tutor-teachers so that every teacher may be able to use the new

technologies, inside their single role.

School or project planning, class or interclass curricular activities related with ICT

The ICT are present in a learning unit. Specific ICT planning does not exist. They are

used crosswise in the carrying out of projects (for example, the production of a book

with the use of Word and pictures). Last year there was a heading in the Portfolio

referring to “computer science”, now this has been inserted in every school-subject.

This methodology obviously implies informatics knowledge for the whole teaching

staff.

ICT Specific training

Training activities, except for a few cases of personal training, are linked to the

Reform experimentation; USR Course (Unione Scolastica Regionale, Regional School

Union) in Chivasso 2nd Teaching District, INDIRE Course (National Institute of

Documentation).

Activities done

No of teachers involved in didactic activities with ITC in laboratory or in the classroom:

5

Average No of weekly hours during which a single pupil can personally control mouse

and/or keyboard: 1

Activities with ITC regularly carried out by at least a group of pupils in the lab or in the

classroom:

• Activities aiming at computer literacy (Word)

• Activities of graphic production (Paint, Clip Art)


17

• Activities of wordprocessing

• Didactic use of videogames

Use of specific didactic software for different school-subjects (Arriva la scuola, pronti a

scuola, inglese per i viaggi)

• Use of encyclopedia to do researches.

• Use of the INTERNET to do researches and “Il veliero” for navigation and

games.

Observation: it is necessary to point out that new technologies are employed in a

didactic way, paying less attention to the play. This aspect is going to be developed

next year.

1.1.12 Evaluation

The main instrument is the activity of observation done by teachers. Initially there was

an area named “technologies” in the Portfolio. Now the new technologies have been

included in every single subject. They are crosswise also in the communication with

families.


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Pacchiotti

Date of interview: 11th May 2005


Name: Pacchiotti Primary school

Address: Via Bertola 10 - Torino

Web site: http://www.direzionedidatticapacchiotti.it/

Tel / fax: 011530212

Person in charge: Mariagrazia Pagliuso

1.1.14 Description of school and territory

Type of school: State Primary School

Location: Urban (historical town)

Families’ main occupations: Middle class and professionals (Ricardi di Neto)

Many foreign students (from Morocco, Romania, China and others) attend the Sclopis

and Pacchiotti schools.

1.1.15 Organization

Prevailing organization structure: Full-time classes

Remaining organization structure: Classes with the form-teacher

(modules and Reform experimentation for two 1st classes)

Possible variations of calendar and timetable not according to the main rules: no



No of full-time teachers: 58

No of part-time teachers: 0

No of form teachers: 51


19


No of assistant teachers for handicapped children: 3

No of classes : 27

No of pupils: 510

1.1.16 ICT Equipment

History of the ICT introduction

In 1995 and 1996 the first computers were bought. The project became more

substantial when the Ministry projects 1A and 1B started. At the branch school Sclopis

the first equipment is dated back to 6 years ago. At the main school Pacchiotti there

was some equipment for foreign sudents (Turin Concil’s Laboratory). Now a laboratory

has been equipped. The branch school Ricardi di Neto is not provided with labs

because the equipment is still at the Coppino school after the renewed zoning of a few

years ago.

Equipment

No of non-multimedia station that there are: 0








No of stations (multimedia and non-) which

gain access to the Internet: 24



20



Among the POF goals you can find the development of the ICT use. The teachers have

agreed on a crosswise use of ICT rather than as a school-subject (that is as a support

and frame for the teaching contents). The POF has fixed a minimum of 20 hours per

year (out of total No of 891) of ICT use which must be guaranteed to all the pupils.

Some technical advice is provided to the teachers. There are also rules regulating the

use of laboratories (there is a person responsible for each lab).

School or project planning, class or interclass curricular activities with ICT

Planning refers to classes or to the school-complex. ICT are seen as a work instrument

(crosswise target rather than an objective in itself).

Specific ICT training

There has been a first phase of training for few persons (5 or 6) and subsequently the

training organized by INDIRE according to DL 59/2004 (Moratti Reform. There have

been two courses, in which 20 people have taken part).

Activities done

No of teachers involved in didactic activities with ITC in the laboratory or in the

classroom: 24

Average No of weekly hours during which a single pupil can personally control mouse

and/or keyboard: 1

ITC activities which are regularly carried out by at least a group of pupils in the lab or

in the classroom:

Computer literacy

Graphic production (Paint, Kid Pix)

Word processing

Videogames

(Pimpa, games online)


21

Software for school subjects

Research on the INTERNET

1.1.18 Evaluation

Structured report out by the teachers responsible together with the other teachers

concerning the ITC use. Till last year a specific observation grid was used (enclosed to

the evaluation document). This year the evaluation will be crosswise. The Portfolio

implies a specific area as regards ITC with the certification of the achieved skills. As to

the evaluation, a model form suggested in the Ministry Circular is being used.


22

Novi First Teaching District



Name: Novi 1st Teaching District

Address: Corso Italia 56 Novi Ligure (Alessandria)

Web site: http://www.noviscuolaprimo.it

Tel / fax: 014373186

Name of the person

in charge: Natalino Colletti


Type of school: State Primary school

Location: Small town (with less than 30.000 inhabitants)

Families’ main occupations: Industry and service sector

1.1.21 Organization

Prevailing organizational structure. Class with form teacher

Remaining organizational structure: Full – time classes






No of form teachers 39



23


No of classes: 25

No of pupils: 511


History of ICT introducion

It started in 1994 with an old M60 Olivetti used for word processing. In 1997 the

school took part in Ministry Project 1A for basic training. In the 1998, with 1B project

the first laboratory in the network was installed, with NT domain, access to the

Internet ISDN with a proxy and class activities. There has been a new laboratory since

school-year 2002/2003.

Equipment












24



On the shool web site there is an ICT project, but every project implies a crosswise

use of them. Nearly every project requires the use of New Technologies.

School or project planning, class or interclass curricular actvities with ICT

All the projects imply the use of ICT. The teachers concerned with the projects try to

do something with ICT, so that each child can achieve different skills (according to the

kind of classes).

Specific ICT Training

Training started in 1997 with 1A project (30 people). The initiative has been

successful. After the laboratory was installed, the institute has been more motivated

to organized its own training as regards both computer literacy and specific projects

(for instance, a course on Publisher). Other training courses have dealt with Office and

Internet Explorer. The RAI course (Multimedi@scuola) has been followed as well.

Later on the intercultural course broadcast on RAI Educational has been recorded and

followed. Thanks to the Publisher course, every year at least an interclass group

(formed by 4 classes) carries out a printed booklet of the finished projects with

pictures and texts, etc.

Activities done


classroom: 30

Average No. of weekly hours during which a pupil can personally control mouse and/or

keyboard: 1

Activities with ITC which are regularly carried out by at least a group of pupils in the

lab or in the classroom :

Ms office, graphics, word processing, hypertexts, Logo, videogames for

assistance of handicapped pupils, Nocchiero on the Internet, Comenius project (mail

sifted and translation, sent by the teacher)


25

1.1.24 Evaluation

Works are published on the school web-site, which provides a sort of report-file (the

web site is on a machine of the local Council). The pupils’ works are also collected in

the Portfolio. In spite of that, it is still difficult to collect the whole stuff. In the

evaluation form there is a section dedicated to ICT, which is filled in by using the

teachers’ observations. The evaluation is referred to the works done.


26

Adorazione Cadorna Institute



Name: Institute “Adorazione – Cadorna

Address: Viale Curreno 21 – Torino

Web site: http://www.adorazione.it

Tel / fax:

Name of the person

in charge: Luigi Restori


Type of school: Comprehensive School officially recognized

Location: Urban (Turin’s hilly area)

Families’ main occupations: mostly in the service sector. Upper-middle class

1.1.27 Organizzation

Prevailing organizational structure: form teacher classes

Remaining organizational structure:






No of form teachers: 5



27


No of classes: 5

No of pupils: 100


History of ICT introduction

In 1999 a lesson of computer science was introduced in the middle school. Two

Pentium II 350 mhz were bought, then four Celeron 400. The Pentium arrived with a

project in 2003 (with the access to the Internet). Thanks to the Internet the didactic

objectives have changed (in particular for the middle and high school). The current lab

is made up of 18 computers purchased in different moments for various projects or

donated by the local bouroughs. The school is now going to buy two interactive boards

which could be very useful from the didactic point of view (the school is waiting for the

necessary funds).

Equipment










Prevaling kind of Internet connection : ADSL


28

1.1.29 ICT Activities

The role of ITC in the Institue POF

The POF is on the school web- site (part of it is dedicated to new technologies and

computer science). Computer science is seen as a specific school- subject.

School or project planning, class or interclass curricular actvities with ICT

There are none.

ICT Specific training

Course on line DM 59\04 only for the person responsible. INDIRE courses (Piattaforma

PuntoEdu) have been followed as well.

Activites done


classroom: 2

Average No. of weekly hours during which a pupil can personally control mouse and/or

keyboard: 45 minutes

Activities with ICT which are regularly carried out by at least a group of pupils in the

lab or in the classroom:

Computer literacy, ECDL, logics, graphics, word processing, hypertexts with

Powerpoint, Disney videogamens, language didactics, Omnia, Encarta, use of the

Internet for older classes’ researches only.

Use of digital camera and image processing.

1.1.30 Evaluation

The teacher will assess the child’s behaviour (interest, motivation, etc.) through direct

observation. An “informatics” copy-book with bricolages will be the target of the

younger ones’ assessment. The lab teacher cooperates with the form teacher in the

evaluation. An individual assessment for the young children is hardly possible, as the


29

pupils work together. Only from the 4th class onwards it is possible to get to an

individual assessment. The projects are collected in the competence Portfolio.


30

PART II

2. TEACHERS

Enrico Bottero


31

The questionnaire: initial data

Besides getting acquainted with every single school, we found it useful to look into

the teachers’ knowledge / competence, through a multiple choice questionnaire.

Unlike the interviews held by Di.S.A. (Antropological Science Department – Faculty of

Education Science of Genoa University – see DI.S.A Report.), focused on the necessity

to collect material useful to make an analysis of the interaction methods, the

communicative stereotypes, the ideas linked with the use of the computer and the

Internet, here we have more closely examined the teachers’ specific skills. However,

there is still a certain influence of the teacher’s personal image, to whom a self-

assessment of their own skills has been assigned.

The aim was not obviously the achievement of general elements, but, more simply, of

elements useful for the interpretation of the pupils’ skills, which are evidently

conditioned by their teachers’ ones. What’s more, the pupils’ skills (see part III) have

been observed with reference to selected groups whose teachers have done the

specific training course provided for by the project. The teachers’ skills which come

out here are instead referred to a larger group made up of all the teachers from a

school.

The questionnaire is divided into three sections: 1. personal data; 2. degree of

familiarity with ICT; 3. description of ICT activities with pupils. The first two sections

have been answered by all the teachers (certainly those who accepted to fill in the

questionnaire). Section 3 has been written out only by those who have declared to do

regular activities with ICT and the related survey of competence. Two stopping-

questions (about the regular activities with ICT and activities of evaluation) have

therefore progressively selected the sample.

First of all it must be pointed out that the questionnaire has not been answered by all

the teachers. The real sample of participants corresponds to 54% of the number of the

teachers that there are (97 teachers out of 178). The distribution of the real sample in

relation to the number of teachers from experimental schools that there are is shown

here in succession.


32

Schools Sample No of teachers that there are

Chivasso 2nd Teaching District 32 46

Institute Adorazione Cadorna 5 12

Novi 1st Teaching District 40 53

Pacchiotti (Torino) 12 58

Christian Schools (Vercelli) 8 9

Total 97 178

Table 1

As it is clear, while in some schools the real sample is nearly the same as the total

number of teachers, in other schools it is definitely lower. It is an element which

highlights the different degree of sensibility towards ICT. It is useful in order to

interpret the pupils’ skills more clearly.

Other elements must be taken into account for a good interpretation of the

questionnaire, like age and seniority. In the charts 1 and 2 we present the data that

have come out through an interpretation of section 1.

A table summarizing personal data follows. (Tab.2).


33

Chart 1

Chart 2

As you can see, in most cases the sample is set in an average age and seniority band.

If we look at national data, we will notice that this kind of distribution is not basically

different to the one referred to the total number of teachers. Anyhow, the result is

useful because it allows to point out the incidence of the two factors on technological

skills.

Sample distribution according to age

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

25 - 29 years of age




n.r.

Sample distribution according to seniority

0

0 - 7 years’ service




n.r.

5


34

Total sample: 97

Sex. 90 females – 7 males

Average age. 42,9 years of age

Prevailing age band: 40 – 49 years of age

Average seniority: 17 years’ service

Prevailing seniority band: 18 – 27 years’ service

Table 2


35

Degree of knowledge of Information and

Communications Technology

2.1.1 Knowledge of the Operating System

1. Evaluate your own knowledge of how a computer works and its operating system

(ability to switch on and off a pc, to start it again, master the structure as regards

folders and files, save, recover and move files and print)

Chart 3

2.1.2 Knowledge of office application

Evaluate your own knowledge of office application (word processor, calculations,

programmes for presentations, data base managers)

Knowledge of the operating sistem

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

none

poor

fair

good


36

Chart 4

2.1.3 Knowledge of the strategies for research on the web

Evaluate your own knowledge of the strategies for information research on the Web

Chart 5

Knowledge of research on the web

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

none

poor

fair

good

n.r

Knowledge of office application

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

none

poor

fair

good

n.r


37

2.1.4 Use of the electronic mail

How often do you use the electronic mail on average?

Chart 6

2.1.5 Participation in events on line

How often do you take part in events and/or communications on line (chart, form, e-

learning courses, radio, games on line…) on average?

Chart 7

Paticipation in events on-line (forum, chat..)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Never

Less than once a week

Once a week

Twice or three times a day

Once a day

More than once a day

nr

Use of electronic mail

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Never


Once a week

Twice or three times a week

Once a day

More than once a day


38

In spite of a good level of knowledge as regards basic skills (chart 3) and research

competence on the web (chart 5), there is still a low degre of knowledge of office

applications (word processor, calculations, etc., see chart 4) and the use of electronic

mail and communications on line (see charts 6 and 7). Generally speaking, we can

point out some initial level of competence, characterized by a rather limited

interaction. This will certainly have an impact on the activities with pupils, which will

inevitably be focused on the use of the computer as a cognitive and multimedia

instrument rather than as a cooperative one (use of cooperative learning both on the

local network and on the Internet).

A significant element coming out comparing the personal data with the degree of

knowledge of Information and Communications Technology is the connection with age

and seniority. Knowledge (in particular, the knowledge of the operating system and

office applications, but somehow the others as well) is higher among younger teachers

with less service. The borderline case beyond which a decrease of knowledge is

highlighted is 50 years of age.


39

Didactic Activities

Are you regularly involved in didactic activities with Information and Communications

Technology?

By a teacher “regularly involved”, here we mean that the teacher periodically does

something (a lesson, a meeting, a session…) of at least an hour per week with groups

of pupils or even one (only) pupil. 47 teachers out of 97 have answered (48%). We

have compared the age service of the teachers with their declaration of regular

involvement in didactic activities with ICT. The resulting charts follow.

Chart 8

Comparison age – involvement in regular

didactic activities with ITC

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

25-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

nr


40

Chart 9

If we consider the distribution of the sample according to the age (see chart 1), we

can point out a greater involvement in regular didactic activities among the younger

teachers. (All the younger teachers, that is those with less than 29 years of age and

two thirds of the teachers in the following band have replied positively). The

comparison with seniority seems a bit controversial.

Actually we have highlighted the peak of involvement among the younger ones (with

less than 18 years’ service), a decrease in the following band (18 – 32 years’ service)

and a further rise in the band 28 – 37 years’ service.

All the 47 teahcers have declared they do the activity in the school ICT laboratory and

not in the classroom. After that, the sample has been reduced. Only 47 teachers

carried on the questionnaire, more precisely those who have stated they are regularly

involved in didactic activities with ICT.

Comparison service- involvement in regular

didactic activity with ICT

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 -7 years’ service




nr


41

2.1.6 Regular frequency of didactic activities

How often are you usually involved in a didactic activities?

Chart 10

2.1.7 Usual duration of didactic activities

How long does a didactic activity generally take you?

Chart 11

Duration of didactic activity

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

More than 2 hours

About 2 hours

About an hour

other

Frequency of didactic activities

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

More than once a week

Once a week


Every 15 days

nr


42

2.1.8 Relative branch of learning

Which branch of learning do your ICT didactic activities refer to?

(More than one answer was possible).

Chart 12

As far as concerns the effective time of the didactic activities, another element comes

out: the prevailing activity of an hour per week. It is therefore clear that the activity

with ICT is still considered an exception in the general didactic practice, as it is

confirmed by its frequent reference to a specific school-subject, computer science

(cart 12). A similar result has been obtained with other similar research works arrived

out in Italy, in particular in Piedmont thanks to Irre and Regional School Board (see

Regional Report Ri.So.R.S.E. project on the web site:

http://www.irrepiemonte.it/elenchimateriali/orddoc_mat.asp) .

Branch of learning

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Computer science

Linguistic sphere

Logic-maths sphere

Expressive sphere

Other


43

2.1.9 Pupils: group typology

How are you pupils grouped when you carry out your didactic activities?

Chart 13

2.1.10 Pupils: (computer) arrangements

How are the pupils arranged during the lesson (meeting or session…)?

Chart 14

Pupils’ arrangement for each station (computer)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

A pupil every pc

No more than 2 pupils per pc

No more than 3 pupils per pc

More than 3 pupils every pc

Other

Pupils: group typology

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45 The whole class

Group inside the class

Horizontal interclass

Vertical interclass

Single pupil or groups of

two-three pupils

other


44

2.1.11 Pupils: use of hardware devices

Do your didactic interventions imply the pupils’ direct use of the mouse, the keyboard

and/or the other hardware devices?

Chart 15

As regards pupils, the activity inside the class prevails, consistently with the general

organization of the whole didactic activity. The class is still the fundamental base of

the school organization. The number of pupils every pc (generally two) is probably

linked with the number of stations available in every lab, which is never higher than

10 or15 items. It is therefore a sort of compulsory choice connected with the number

of computers the school may have. The limited amount of time disposal is balanced by

a closely functional and operational use of it. During lessons with an operating and

laboratory character, the pupils are stimulated to work directly with the computer for

most of their time (see chart 15).

2.1.12 Regular activities done with ICT

Which ICT activities among the following ones are regularly carried out by pupils?

More than one answer was possible. The activities mentioned are the following:

activities aiming at computer literacy (use of applications like office or similar) –

activities of graphic production – activities of hypertext production (in HTML, for

applications offline and/or WEBpages – applied study of programming languages (ex.

Pupils’: use of hardware device

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

No,it’s me who carry out

lessons/activities with the pc

Yes for a short time

Yes for most of the time

Yes during all the lesson

Other


45

Logo) or mark (ex. HTML) – didactic use of videogames – use of didactic software for

specific school-subjects – use of encyclopaedia for researches – use of the Internet for

research – communication and interaction activities on the Internet with other classes

through e-mail – communication and interaction activities on the Internet with other

classes through other devices (mailing list, chat, forum, …) – other.

Chart 16

Among the activities the prevailing ones are word processing and graphics, with a

certain space dedicated to videogames and use of the Internet. The activities of

computer literacy, wordprocessing, graphic production and videogames are present in

every school with no significant differences. Other activities are concentrated in some

schools only, such as hypertext production (Novi Ligure), use of programming

languages (Novi Ligure and Chivasso 2) use of e-mail communication (Chivasso 2 and

Pacchiotti).

Some activities (computer literacy, graphic production, wordprocessing) are mostly

carried out by teachers with less service, whereas the communication through e-mail,

as we have seen rather reduced, seems to be a prerogative of senior teachers (28-37

years’ service).

All that confirms what above mentioned, that is to say teachers’ skills inevitably end

up conditioning the activities with pupils, by limiting them to specific spheres of work.

The most common attitude is to consider the computer as a cognitive instrument,

Activities with ICT

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45 Computer literacy

Graphics

Word processing

Hypertext production

programming

videogames

Didactic SW

encyclopaedia

The Internet

E-mail communication

Comm.through forum,chat

Other


46

being affected by general purpose enviroments (wordprocessing, drawing, etc.). It is

the stage that, as regards the research on education technologies, mostly developed

in the nineties of the 20th century and was then exceeded by a third and a fourth

phase, respectively characterized by the use of the computer as a communicative

multimedia instrument and as a co-operative one. Of these subsequent steps in the

reserach on education technologies in the didactic activities of the schools examined

only a few elements are present like the use of the Internet, which has already

become quite common. All that confirms the gap between the advanced development

of the research on education technologies and the majority of teachers still

concentrated, at least in our schools, on general purpose environments.

2.1.13 Evaluation

In conclusion we asked the teachers if they would provide for an assessment of the

competencies and/or skills achieved by their students as regards ICT in the school-

term evaluation. 37 teachers out of 47 (78%) have answered affirmatively. The final

question, about the methods of evaluation, has been put to them: how do you assess

the competencies and/or skills achieved by your students with reference to ICT? The

possible choices were the following: the teacher’s direct observation, charts, grids

and/or observation register, objective tests, collection of significant works for the

Portfolio, other.

Chart 17

Evaluation Methods

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Direct observation

Charts

Test

Portfolio

Other


47

It is clear that the most common mothod of evaluation is the teacher’s direct and

regular observation. This qualitative method definitely prevails over more structured

ones, like the use of charts, grids, tests, etc. This happens in all the experimental

schools. The use of charts, grids and/or observation registers is a prerogative of

Chivasso 2, while the use of objective tests is present in the Pacchiotti school.


48

PART III

3. OBSERVATIONS ON PUPILS’ COMPETENCIES

Alessandro Rabbone


49

Preliminary remarks

In order to avoid a “general” observation of the activities, which would not have been

useful to the fulfilment of the project goals, the teachers responsible (usually the

person in charge of the computer and/or multimedia school laboratory) have been

asked to show, on the basis of the activities done during the school-year 2004/2005,

which skill(s), among the ones summarized in the project basic grid , could be the

target of the activity of observation.

Finally it has been agreed to observe those activities in a situation which could be

considered “regular” for the pupils, in the school laboratory, in a usual context inside a

regular process.

During the visits, the observers have been introduced to the pupils as people

concerned with school (ex teachers) who, because of their job, had the task to

understand “what is done at school with the computer and technologies”. Pupils have

been invited to carry on their usual work without caring about the visitors.


50

Chivasso 2nd Teaching District

Observation date: 4th May 2005

Observation length. 1 h 45’ (14:30 – 16:15)

Class or group observed: third class

Suggested activity: Multimedia project in small groups with the

use of Micromedia2.

No of multimedia stations that there are: 10

No of pupils who were present: 18

Observed competencies: Comp. 1 (Cooperation)

Comp. 4 (Find,work out, save information)

Comp. 7 (Project development)

The visit took place in the main building of the Teaching District (Via Blatta 26/B a

Chivasso).

The observation was concerned with class activities about the making of multimedia

products with the use of MicroMondi 2. The children, generally two every multimedia

station, were following, as a microgroup, a specific project work regarding the carrying

out of a kind of “virtual sea-life centre” (with images of fishes swimming in the

background).

The level of cooperation between the couples of pupils seemed rather high. The

rhythm of the “operating alternation” (the alternation of the child to type on the

keyboard and move the mouse) was always respected. Both pupils in all the couples

paid attention and concentrated on their task. There was a high number of operational

advice, with reference to the activity. A certain activity of mutual help was noticed not

only inside the single microgroup but between different microgroups (cooperation

inside macrogroup). Suggestions and help were overall concerned with the operating

procedures to find the images (on Google search engine) to put in the project, their

set and reduction and the instructions to give the “tortoise – agents “of MicroMondi 2.

Despite the lively verbal exchanges inside the macrogroup, the level of noise and

confusion in the lab was quite acceptable.


51

Even if they were elementary students, they seemed to be able to find useful images

for their project on the web (Google search engine) and work them out.

Also as regards the insertion of the images inside the enviroment of MicroMondi2, the

competence level was quite satisfactory. Instruments and functions of the consolle for

the drawing of the enviroment were used with a good command.

As far as concerns the planning abililty it is necessary to remember that all the couples

worked on similar project typologies (the working out of the virtual sea-life centre)

and this seems to have fostered an activity of emulation of the classmates’ projects

rather than the development of original projects for each couple.


52

Filippi Nursery School – Christian Schools


Observation length: 1 h (11:30 – 12:30)

Class or group observed: Fourth Class

Suggested activity: Dictation with the use of MS Word

Navigation with the browser “Il Veliero”

No of multimedia stations that there are: 7

No of pupils who were present: 10

Observed competencies Comp. 1 (Cooperation)

Comp. 4 (Find, work out, save the

information)

Comp. 6 (Practice on their own)

The first activity suggested was the “dictation on the computer” with the use of MS

Word. The form teacher put the pupils in couples in front of the computers and

invited them to open MS Word and a new file, then she started dictating. The pupils

carried out the activity, showing an adequate command of the keyboard.

Successively, on my request, they passed to the second activity, the surfing on the

Internet with the children’s browser “Il Veliero” , looking for videogames on line they

could be interested in.

As regards the degree of cooperation proved, it is necessary to underline that in

particular the first activity suggested, but also the second one, did not allow us to

check the children’s willingness to co-operation. The children’s interaction was limited

by their turns in the use of the keyboard and the command of the mouse. There was

no co-operation between different microgroups.

At the end of the first activity the children were able to save their own work file in

folders shown by the teacher.

During the navigation with the browser “Il Veliero”, the children seemed to be able to

visit different sections and activate, among those listed, the games they were

interested in. As far as concerns the activities and tasks suggested by the various


53

games on line, they showed adequate abilities to practice and act on their own, both

as members of a couple and individually.


54

Pacchiotti



Class or group observed: Second class

Suggested activity: Editing of an advertising leaflet with MS Word

Games on line

No of multimedia stations that

there are: 10

No of pupils who were present 15


Comp. 8 (Use of suitable instruments)

The visit took place at the branch school “Ricardi di Neto” located in Via Valfrè 8 in

Turin. The children were invited by the form teacher to arrange themselves as usual in

front of the computers, activate MS Word application and work out a short leaflet

advertising, in an original way, a real initiative of the school addressed to parents.

At the end of the activity the teacher invited the pupils to examine some webpages

with a list of games online

(link:http://junior.virgilio.it/directory/cgi/dir.cgi?ccat=46905)

In both the activities the pupils’ willingness to co-operate with their classmates and

their abilities turned out to be very good. There were several shared moments with

reference to the activities of the procedure (character prepping, insertion and

reduction of images, save operations…) not only inside the microgroup, but also

between different microgroups. The close exchange of mutual observations, opinions,

suggestions and comments obviously created a quite lively atmosphere where the

inevitably resulting confusion was widely made up for by the interest and motivation

to the participation shown by all the pupils.

As regards the competence to use suitable instruments to the various situations, we

can underline the fairly good correctness of the terms used (the young age permitting)

and the ability to use the basic functions of MS Word which concern the prepping of


55

charactres and paragraphs. Moreover, each microgroup was able to save their own

work file in a specific folder shown by the teacher. The pupils proved to be rather

autonomous also in the use of simple games on line.


56

Novi Ligure First Teaching District



Class or group observed: Two 3rd classes (1h each)

Suggested activity: Multimedia projects in small groups with the use of

MicroMondi 2.

No of multimedia stations

that there are : 12

No of pupils who were present: 19 + 18

Observed competencies: Comp. 1 (Cooperation)


The visit was made at the main bulding of the Primary school in Novi Ligure, Corso

Italia 56. Two 3rd classes took turns in the school lab (one hour each). Both schools

were involved in the development of one project with the use of MicroMondi 2.

The project implied the multimedia representation of the astronomic phenomenon of

the Big Bang through the finding and collection of graphic and textual information on

the web, their working out thanks to the drawing consolle, the creation of procedures

in the Logo language. The different microgroups (working couples in front of

multimedia stations) had been given specific tasks about the activity to carry out. In

other words the criterion followed for the fulfilment of the project was the division of

tasks: every microgroup inside a class would follow a specific part of the whole

process for the carrying out of the product.

Generally speaking, we had the impression of an executive attitude compared with the

given tasks rather than an activity of discovery and search for original solutions.

During the activity, we could nevertheless observe a frequent exchange of mutual

advice and suggestions inside all the microgroups. Also the turns at the keyboard were

respected. Instead the mutual help between microgroups was observed only when the

typology of the activity was the same (the finding of images on the web or graphic

production or other procedures…)


57

On carrying out their tasks the children appeared to be autonomous in the command

of routine operations they had been told to do (use of search engine, working out of

images, list tracing…) they were also able to save both the images and their own

projects (file .mw2) in netwotk folders (LAN in the lab) previously shown by the

teacher.


58

Adorazione – Cadorna Institute

Observation date 20th May 2005


Class or group observed: A 4th class and a 2nd class (1h each)

Suggested activity: Activities of research on the Internet and self-

practice

Transcription of text printed with MS Word

No of multimedia stations

that there are : 18

No of pupils who were present: 23 + 26



In the time dedicated to the visit a 4th class and a 2nd one took turns in the school

lab. The first macrogroup was involved, following the instructions of the person

responsible, of the lab, in activities of research on the web (games and activities of

self-education on http://www.lagirandola.it/ end on

http://www.ilportaledeibambini.net/ ). In particular the kids worked on an application

online which, after the insertion of data related to geometrical figures, calculates

perimeters, areas and other elements. The second macrogroup (the 2nd class) was

invited by the teacher to write out a text (of which photocopies were handed out)

concerning the description of some animals.

In both cases the pupils arranged themselves in couples in front of the multimedia

stations, but there was also the possibility of one single pupil per computer.

As far as concerns the cooperation competencies, we observed a limited cooperation in

the activities. Generally speaking the temporarily “sleeping“ member of the

microgroup silently followed his mate’s work. Only in the transcription of the text

about animals the cooperation consisted in a child’ dictation.


59

Absolutely absent was the cooperation between members of different microgroups, as

regards both the 4th class pupils and 2nd class ones.

About the ability to use suitable instruments to the situation, a certain operating

autonomy with keyboard and mouse was observed in the first microgroup (the fourth

class), while the younger chilren seemed more hesitating and uncertain.

The ability to save in network folders shown by the teacher was observed only in

groups of pupils of the 4th class.


60

Final remarks

The observation activity which has been illustrated sofar shows traces of the

organization and time limits we hinted at in the introduction, limits we would like to

point out once again.

On one hand these observations will not be very useful to the researcher or scholar

who wants to get a general idea of primary school children’s “technological skills” in

European countries or to the one who wants to begin a comparative study in this field.

On the other hand, we can underline how this kind of experience relative to the

observation of some “work in progress” could be a source of precious suggestion for

future initiatives and plans about the assessment and evaluation of this kind of

competencies.

As to us, the choice of the applications and the software generally used by the classes

under observation has necessarily been determined by the regular use made by

children. In other words, without any specific and planned common activities for the

participating schools, we decided to focus our attention on behaviours and activities in

usual cognitive contexts, implying the use of software environment already

experimented during the school-year.

However, in view of a regional or national comparison of the results, and even more

within a European project, it would be necessary first of all, as it was expected in the

project itself “Learning at school and in the network”, to clearly define which

applications have to provide the operating background for the activities taken into

consideration. As regards this point, on the basis of the observation experience, it is

necessary to underline how the word processor MS Word, used three times out of five

inside our small sample, cannot be the most suitable context. Unless you wish to

assess competencies concerning ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence), MS Word

seems to represent a rather complex and sophisticated instrument, especially for

primary school children. The presence of a high number of options, set-ups and

functions (often used by adults for a small part) does not allow a complete and safe

control of the cognitive courses followed by the young users and, in conclusion, a

precise survey of instrumental “microcompetencies”. As far as the context of word

processing competencies is concerned, other publishers of simpler (and free) texts like

WordPad, offered with all Microsoft operating systems, or better word processors

mostly made for children , seem to be more suitable, if one aims at a “precise” survey.


61

The choice of MicroMondi 2 (made in two of the five schools of our sample) appears to

be definitely better. Besides being an environment for children, it is worth saying that

you can do everything with MicroMondi : you can write texts, draw, work out animated

texts and small hypertexts and, therefore, in a single oerating context, it is possible to

examine different kinds of competencies. What’s more, in such a cognitive context it is

possible to point out, besides the presence of “technical-instrumental” skills, other

competencies like the ones relative to the devising, organizing and working out of real

“projects” thanks to the pupil’s or the microgroup’s work.

These competencies above mentioned seemed to be particularly important to avoid a

mere observation of technical-instrumental skills.

For these reasons, always basing our reflections on the observation experience, the

definition and choice of a common environment, either MS Word, MicroMondi 2 or

other, is not enough to guarantee that the activities are carried out by the teacher in

the same didactic way according to the different cases and situations.

Infact, the same environment can be used according to different didactic views and

aims. An example taken from the situations described is about Ms Word, which can be

prepared by the teacher so that the pupils write down a text under dictation or copy a

printed text or, on the contrary, use it as a typographical environment to plan and

work out a text or a leaflet giving information about a school activity to parents.

In order to make a survey of competencies, it is extremely important to understand

the kind of tasks assigned by the teacher to the pupils. It is fundamental to

distinguish, as regards the projects made with MicroMondi 2, between microgroup

projects and projects carried out by the whole macrogroup which imply a division of

tasks. The process which leads to the production of a multimedia product, even a very

simple one, which implies the original design of the structure, the kind of images to

insert, the interactive aspect for the final user, etc. (see Chivasso 2), is not the same

as the assignment of precise tasks from the teacher responsible for the project (see

Novi 1).

It is also very important to know who is the author of the projects taken into

consideration. A macrogroup project, or a project involving more classes, on one hand

favours cooperation and collaboration, but on the other hand it does not allow to fully

verify competencies relative to the choice and the use of more suitable instruments

(environments) for the achievement of precise objectives (competence n. 7 mentioned

in the grid).


62

Even the assignment of a precise project (for example “the building of a virtual sea-

life centre with MicroMondi 2, as it happens in Chivasso 2) is not the same as the

teacher’s invitation to the children to work out a multimedia product according to their

own original project, where the children themselves have defined the receivers (users

– readers of the product), the ways of communication and interaction, the constituent

elements ( that is, the very meaning of the project itself).

Considering future projects and experimentations focused on the survey of

“technological competencies”, this brief report ends with the suggestion further efforts

should be made to better define and agree on specifically didactic and operating

conditions:type of projects or tasks; the teacher’s assignments; organization of groups

and microgroups. The mere definition of software environments taken as common

operating contexts (not clearly defined in our case) is not sufficient to guarantee the

“common criteria” which provide the necessary condition for a reliable survey and

monitoring in order to get to a scientific comparison.


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4. APPENDIX

1. Dissemination

To conclude the Project, the results of the activities described in the documents

presented (Tecnological Competences in Primary School and Disabilities and New

Technologies), have been and still are being publicized in different ways. The first

publicization has been realized through the Project’s Web site (www.minervaitaly.org)

and the Web site of IRRE Piemonte (www.irrepiemonte.it). The second occasion to

publicize the results has been the Project’s conclusive meeting, which took place in

Turin at the Giolitti Institute on January 26th ad 27th. On that occasion Enrico Bottero,

coordinator of the Project for the partner IRRE Piemonte, made a report on the results

of the activities carried out, to the schools attending the meeting. At the same time

the teachers from the experimental schools chaired a series of workshops, which

involved all partecipants, on the following subjects: 1. didactical software and more;

2. technological competences; 3. the metacognitive dimension: tecnological mentality;

4. disability and new technologies. In particular, the first three workshops referred to

the activities described in the document entitled Technological Capacities in Primary

School. The subject of workshop n.4 were the activities described in Disability and

New Technologies.

During the workshops, the activities carried out with the children were presented,

focusing both on their content and on the didactical programme followed. The content

of the workshops is described in the proceedings of the meeting, which are now being

published. The workshops have also been an opportunity for the attending teachers to

thoroughly discuss the possibility of a didactical use of ICTs and their effectiveness in

education and in developing a technological mentality. A further dissemination phase

has been scheduled and will include meetings at exhibitions and shows and

contributions to Italian and foreign scientific publications.


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2. Internal evaluation

The results of the project have been evaluated internally by teachers and researchers

involved in it.

We should remember that the aims of the project were:

• testing, through a series of common activities, the real educational

effectiveness of didactical programmes which make a large and intensive use of ICTs;

• investigating common descriptive and control methods used to ascertain the

technological capabilities in children, focusing on logical and cognitive aspects,

experimenting them on sample schools and promoting them on an international level;

• determining, from the point of view of the teachers involved in the project,

common directions for the use of ICTs;

• training teachers and establishing guidelines for the introduction of ICTs in the

educational context of primary school.

The first two points are those which had the most positive outcomes. Their didactical

effectiveness on the competences on which we worked is clearly demonstrated. The

point regarding a common direction, shared by teachers, for the use of ICTs is more

complex. The guidelines on their introduction in primary school study plans must

consider single national situations.

Furthermore, some particular situations created a weak point. The changeovers which

took place in the general coordination reponsability and the substitution of some

members of the Italian work groups slowed down the activities and created some

difficulties. In the final phase, however, the situation improved, thanks to Prof. Nicola

Sacco’s constant effort to coordinate all activities, as head of the Giolitti Institute. For

what concerns training courses, teachers underlined the delays in carrying out the

project and the scarce amount of time between one meeting and the other.

The general opinion shared by most partecipants is that the project has offered

teachers the opportunity to experiment together didactical programmes with ICTs and

forms of competence control. This same opportunity, from a European point of view,

represented a great source of enrichment for all (exchange and sharing of didactical

programmes, competences, objectives and guidelines). In particular, most people

shared the idea of a constructivistic pedagogic perspective, according to which


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learning is made up of the sharing of actions and meanings, in appositely designed

learning contexts. Concretely, this brought to a common decision in favour of activities

in which students could follow up a project and not just merely do what they were

told. An example supporting this idea is the large use of Microworlds (Micromondi in

the Italian version), which gives children the opportunity to work at a project involving

research and creativity. This is the reason why, in observing classes, attention was

mostly concentrated on this kind of activity, which encloses different sorts of

competences ( see competence table).

3. Bibliography and Sitography

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2002 .

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Calvani, A., (1989), Didattica della scrittura con il word processor: aspetti teorici e

applicativi, in A. Calvani (a cura di), Scuola, computer, linguaggio, Loescher,Torino.

Calvani, A., Rotta, M., (1999), Comunicazione e apprendimento in internet. Didattica

costruttivistica in rete, Erickson, Trento.

Calvani, A.,(2001), Educazione, comunicazione, nuovi media. Sfide pedagogiche e

cyberspazio, Utet, Torino.

Calvani, A., (2004), Che cos’è la tecnologia dell’educazione, Carocci, Roma.

Capponi, M., (1997) Tecnologie della conoscenza, in F.Falcinelli, R.Salvato (a cura di),

Tecnologie dell'istruzione e comunicazione didattica, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane,

Perugia.

Eco, U., (2005), Mondo macchina”, L’Espresso, 5 gennaio, pp.58 – 63.

De Kerckhove, D., (1995), La civilizzazione video- cristiana, Feltrinelli, Milano.

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Milano.

Freinet, C., (1948), L’école moderne française. Guide pratique pour l’organisation

matérielle, technique et pédagogique de l’école populaire, Ophris, Cannes.

Freinet, C., (1994), L’éducation du travail, in Freinet, C., Œuvres pédagogiques, vol I,

Seuil, Paris.


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Gadamer, H.G., (1986), L'attualità del bello. Studi di estetica ermeneutica, Marietti,

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Galliani, L.,(1993), L’operatore tecnologico, La Nuova Italia, Firenze.

Havelock, E.A., (1973), Cultura orale e civiltà della scrittura, Laterza, Bari (Preface to

Plato, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachussetts, 1963).

Havelock, E.A., (1987), La Musa impara a scrivere, Laterza, Bari.

Illich, I., (1994), Nella vigna del testo, Cortina, Milano.

Mc Luhan, M. (1982), Dall’occhio all’orecchio, Armando, Roma.

Merleau Ponty, M., (2003), Fenomenologia della percezione, Bompiani, Milano

(Phénoménologie de la perception, Gallimard, Paris, 1945).

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Papert, S., (1994), I bambini e il computer, Rizzoli, Milano.

Platone, (1974), Cratilo e Fedro, in Opere, Laterza, Bari.

Scurati, C.,(2000), Tecnologie e medialità: puntualizzazioni e bilanci, in C.Scurati (a

cura di), Tecniche e significati. Linee per una nuova didattica formativa, Vita e

Pensiero, Milano.

Sini, C., (1993), L’incanto del ritmo, Tranchida, Milano.

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marzo 2004, pp.79 – 93.

Telleri, F., (2000), IperComenius. Un archivio didattico. Per una Enciclopedia

Multimediale aperta, Clueb, Bologna.

Winograd, T., Flores, F., (1987), Calcolatori e conoscenza, Mondadori, Milano.

The documents entitled “Technological Competences in Primary School” and

“Disabilities and New Technologies” and the reports produced by the schools can be

downloaded from the following Web sites:

• www.minervaitaly.org


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• www.irrepiemonte.it (field of e-learning and technologies – notices and

materials)