Description:
This article describes a learning system constructed to facilitate teaching and learning by creating a functional web-based contact between schools and organisations which in cooperation with the school contribute to pupils’/students’ cognitive development. Examples of such organisations include science centres, museums, art and music workshops and teacher education internships. With the support of the “Web Coherence Learning” IT application (abbreviated in Swedish to Webbhang) developed by the University of Kalmar, the aim is to reinforce learning processes in the encounter with organisations outside school. In close cooperation with potential users a system was developed which can be described as consisting of three modules. The first module, “the organisation page” supports the organisation in simply setting up a homepage, where overarching information on organisation operations can be published and where functions like calendar, guestbook, registration and newsletter can be included. In the second module, “the activity page” the activities offered by the organisation are described. Here pictures and information may prepare and inspire pupils/students to their own activities before future visits. The third part, “the participant page” is a communication module linked to the activity page enabling school classes to introduce themselves and their work as well as documenting the work and communicating with the educators responsible for external activities. When the project is finished, the work will be available to further school classes, parents and other interested parties. System development and testing have been performed in a small pilot study where two creativity educators at an art museum have worked together with pupils and teachers from a compulsory school class. The system was used to establish, prior to the visit of the class, a deeper contact and to maintain a more qualitative continuous dialogue during and after the period when the visits took place. The result shows that the service is easy to distribute and establish. The functions that are combined form a whole, which is perceived by the users as functional. With the support of the dialogue conducted with the pupils, the staff experience the possibility of deepening the contact during the visit and giving the pupils more challenging tasks. The majority of the pupils interviewed found it stimulating to have a discussion before and after the physical encounter with the organisation. To finally demonstrate their work on the web to parents and relatives was especially appreciated by the pupils, but also by educators and teachers.