An evaluation of the Museum of London’s (MoL) digital learning programme found that tablet based activities were an effective way of consolidating what schoolchildren had already learned, but did not necessarily teach them anything new.
The analysis, conducted by Frankly, Green and Webb, found that while mindmapping tools such as Popplet could be used to gather images and facts from the galleries, it was the museum’s artefacts that were the primary givers of knowledge.
Among the activities being evaluated was a workshop during which schoolchildren handled original and replica objects related to the Great Fire of 1666 before making animations using the Puppet Pals app. This was done using eyewitness accounts and images of the museum’s collections.
There was also no evidence to suggest that the tablet use was solely responsible for positive responses to learning sessions. Instead it was “sound design” and “great facilitation”, stated the report.
The evaluation also found that in some instances, parents, teachers and teaching assistants could undermine digital learning activities. For example, they might insist that the activity is done correctly when the children involved were enjoying playing around with ideas.
“It’s worth stating clearly what the expectations for [parents, teachers and teaching assistants] are, and how they can help, perhaps by having the objectives for the session on a screen or print-out. They may also be nervous around digital themselves so it can’t be assumed that they will be able to help students having difficulty,” stated the report.
It also pointed out that it is not always possible for teachers to complete suggested preparation for digital learning sessions. This meant that the workshop design needed to be flexible and support was required to make the preparation process easier.
The cost of buying a set of 10 tablets and related apps is considerably lower than developing a bespoke app and, if their use is properly facilitated, they can be hugely engaging, stated the report. This kind of set up, however, may be suitable for creative activities (collages and animations) but not for specific activities, such as a treasure hunt game based on the collection.
It could also be time-consuming to share students’ work after the session, which often involves downloading files and clearing the tablets for the next session and using an online transfer tool to send the files on.
The evaluation has reshaped the museum’s approach to digital learning, which is now treated as one of many tools that can create engaging experiences.
The analysis, conducted by Frankly, Green and Webb, found that while mindmapping tools such as Popplet could be used to gather images and facts from the galleries, it was the museum’s artefacts that were the primary givers of knowledge.
Among the activities being evaluated was a workshop during which schoolchildren handled original and replica objects related to the Great Fire of 1666 before making animations using the Puppet Pals app. This was done using eyewitness accounts and images of the museum’s collections.
There was also no evidence to suggest that the tablet use was solely responsible for positive responses to learning sessions. Instead it was “sound design” and “great facilitation”, stated the report.
The evaluation also found that in some instances, parents, teachers and teaching assistants could undermine digital learning activities. For example, they might insist that the activity is done correctly when the children involved were enjoying playing around with ideas.
“It’s worth stating clearly what the expectations for [parents, teachers and teaching assistants] are, and how they can help, perhaps by having the objectives for the session on a screen or print-out. They may also be nervous around digital themselves so it can’t be assumed that they will be able to help students having difficulty,” stated the report.
It also pointed out that it is not always possible for teachers to complete suggested preparation for digital learning sessions. This meant that the workshop design needed to be flexible and support was required to make the preparation process easier.
The cost of buying a set of 10 tablets and related apps is considerably lower than developing a bespoke app and, if their use is properly facilitated, they can be hugely engaging, stated the report. This kind of set up, however, may be suitable for creative activities (collages and animations) but not for specific activities, such as a treasure hunt game based on the collection.
It could also be time-consuming to share students’ work after the session, which often involves downloading files and clearing the tablets for the next session and using an online transfer tool to send the files on.
The evaluation has reshaped the museum’s approach to digital learning, which is now treated as one of many tools that can create engaging experiences.