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A NEW
GENERATION of de-schoolers has urged us to turn out our children,
not into the woods and fields, but onto the internet. There, it
is said, they will pursue scholarly research and erudite discussion
with their peers.
Although
this model of e-learning has represented orthodox opinion for at
least a decade, the results have been disappointing. The ImpaCT2
reports showed the effect of ICT on exam results to have been negligible;
many teachers are increasingly frustrated to find that 'internet
research' means that a child has often not even read, much less
written his homework; the credibility of many public exams is being
undermined by rampant plagiarism; and while teenage discussion forums
are certainly becoming very popular, the discourse to be found there
can rarely be described as educative.
At
Alpha Learning, we have always believed in the importance of the
teacher. We think that, while the computer has huge potential to
enhance education, this potential will only be realised when e-learning
is brought under the teacher's direction.
Alpha Engage is a learning platform which achieves
just that. Content which has been 'plugged in' can be assigned (so
you control where your students go and what they do) and tracked
(so you know who did what and how well they got on). Our remote
repository provides 'anytime, anywhere' access so students can complete
your assignments for homework, as well as a personal storage space
where they can keep their files. Our sequencing tool allows you
to create differentiated workplans, combining, maybe, a formative
module with an assessment which you have created yourself. It manages
bookmarking and transparently logs students into password-protected
sites.
There has been much talk over the last year about 'learning platforms'.
But the official definition of this term is extremely vague and
different 'learning platforms' do very different things. As a buyer,
you need to think carefully what you need and look very carefully
at what the various products offer.
Engage integrates with third-party and teacher-authored content
to provide structure, control, and feedback: vital components of
any e-learning strategy, and particularly important in schools.
We offer neither starry-eyed revolution nor yet another pointless
exercise in e-bureaucracy: rather, we provide essential tools for
hard-pressed teachers, supporting practical pedagogies to enhance
students' learning.
Alpha Engage: the
learning platform for schools
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