21st Century Learning Challenge

KAREN » NEN Evaluation Project

Hunterville Consolidated School

Hunterville, Manawatu-Wanganui
http://www.hunterville.school.nz

Hunterville School is a year one to eight school with 204 students. At Hunterville School the focus is developing a rounded education with high levels of competency in reading, writing and arithmetic and promotion of sport as part of that education. They are proud of their students’ achievements both in and out of the classroom.


Hunterville

What did they do?

Year eight Hunterville students' utilised desktop video conferencing technologies via KAREN to interview and carry out a "push play" survey with Appleby School students in Richmond. The students they interviewed are part of an eight-piece rock band called Appleby Sticks. The band not only participated in the interview and survey but staged a live gig via videoconference for the Hunterville students.

Learning for students and teachers

Hunterville students developed surveying and interview skills and were able to conduct these with a wider geographical audience via videoconference. The students, supported by their teacher, developed desktop videoconferencing skills and were able to use new communication technologies.

Hunterville have investigated, with the support of REANNZ, sound quality issues they initially experienced. These were caused by feedback due to poor microphone quality and Hunterville now look forward to clear, simultaneous conversation with their new microphone. They also acknowledge the appropriate technologies such as high spec desktops machines, good microphones and sound school network infrastructure required to implement desktop video conferencing.

There was a lot of interest in the desktop video conference project throughout the whole school. The teacher, Colleen Dalley, was very motivated. She supported students to lead the conferences. It was worthwhile for them to exchange ideas, get instant responses and see and speak with students from another school, in another island. Stephen Lewis, Hunterville, Principal

KARENS contribution

Desktop video conferencing is a cost effective option when supported by high bandwidth. The desktop video conferencing allows collaboration opportunities with schools and institutions such as the National Library and Te Papa , with direct links to the advanced network in the future.

Without KAREN a small rural school like Hunterville could not have considered a) Collaborating with students in the North Island without the advanced network to transmit the large volumes of data required for videoconferences. b) Participating in the national trial of KAREN and contributing lessons learnt to be applied in the development of equipment standards and network testing for New Zealand schools in the future.

Future Focus

Hunterville teachers and students are enthusiastic about the potential of desktop video conferencing in the future. They would like to expose their students to other schools and experts that are available on the KAREN. ( see the KAREN wiki for a full list of content resources and partners on KAREN) Hunterville plan to continue the technical trials to minimise the issues and frustrations, such as ‘dropping out’ of the videoconference room, experienced in their first two conferences.