Students from West Sleekburn Middle School in Bedlington have swapped their exercise books for computer consoles to aid their learning.
The students have been using the Nintendo DS console at the start of lessons to engage their brain and get them thinking. Northumberland consultant, Dr. Steve Bunce, has been working with the students, looking at the impact the consoles have on motivation and learning. "We know that students use this technology at home, but we wanted to try and engage with them in the classroom. This is new area of research and West Sleekburn Middle and Bedlington High School are leading the field." The research is supported by BECTA, the government agency which is tasked with the innovative use of technology in schools.
The reaction from the students has been very positive. Shannon Smith aged 10 told us about the lessons. "We use the brain training during registration and at the start of lessons. I really like, it gets me focused and its fun."
"We've also used brain training software with students at Bedlington High School. It's too early to measure the direct impact, but early results seem to be that students are more engaged and excited about their learning. Also, in French lessons, the students have used the chat tool to develop their grammar and support each others' education. We can really see the potential of game-based learning and our students love it." Steve told us.
