JSH mobile learning science toolkit [Code: ML3SCTK]

 

Who is the software suitable for?

This toolkit is aimed at KS3 teachers of science in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, 3rd level teachers of science in Scotland and Junior Cycle (lower secondary) science teachers in Ireland.

 

About the software:

The resources will extend the reach of the science teacher and support bridging the gap between formal and informal learning for their pupils.

 

The toolkit includes:

• A complete science microblog course for use with tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, containing over 2000 Tweets and images

• Nearly 170 interactive microlessons (SCORM 1.2 and 2004 compatible). 

• Nearly 170 interactive microcourse PDFs and a matching number of ~170 micropresentations that cover lower secondary science in great detail   

• More than 300 interactive worksheet PDFs 

• More than 1000 science-related images for use with tools such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
   

The new JSH Mobile Learning Science Toolkit is a resource designed to support science educators in delivering the KS3 Science curriculum inside and outside of the classroom; both on- and off-line. 

 

The toolkit helps the teacher deliver engaging and stimulating content with increased compatibility for the ever-increasing array of smartphone and tablet devices used by pupils. Though the utility of the toolkit means it is readily compatible with laptop and desktop computers.

 

This increased compatibility is achieved through having all of the innovative content designed to be delivered using tools and apps that are freely available in the iOS Apple Store and the Android Google Play Store. Tools and apps such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader, PowerPoint, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram. 

 

Hundreds of interactive PDFs

 

The portable document format (PDF), through the freely available Adobe Acrobat Reader, allows for delivery of documents across the varying devices now used by pupils. The JSH toolkit uses this fact to support the science teacher in delivering content through hundreds of interactive PDF documents accessible by the mobile devices of their pupils.

 

The JSH interactive microcourse and worksheet PDF documents, differ from standard PDF documents, in that they allow the pupils to save their answers to questions/activities locally on their device for return to, and reviewing by, their teacher a later time. 

 

You can download some example free science interactive PDF resources which demonstrate the essential features of the content by clicking on some of the links on this page.

 

Note: you also have the option of purchasing (through a one-off payment) a license to use the templates and source files used to create the interactive PDFs.

 

A complete lower secondary science microblog course

 

Microblogging sites such as Twitter and Tumblr are frequently used by high school pupils for communicating with their peers. Many schools also increasingly use such sites for their pastoral communications. The JSH lowers secondary science microblog course opens up a new channel of content delivery (for those teachers not already using such a channel) with over 2000 Tweets and images.

 

The onerous thought of a teacher entering individual Tweets one after another (in their own time) to build a meaningful microblog lesson is not the actual scenario. Instead, the JSH toolkit shows you how you can schedule in advance batches of messages and images to be made live at a time of your choosing, for example the night before a module test.

 

Science teachers utilising microblogs to deliver content are delivering information in a way that many of their pupils like to access information outside of the classroom.

 

Bite-sized learning chunks

The toolkit breaks down the science course into manageable bite-sized learning chunks through use of interactive microcourse PDFs, micropresentations and the microblog course. Detailed information on the extensive content coverage is available by downloading the spreadsheet at the top of this page.

 

Future-proofing against future course changes

Much of the software schools currently purchase has prohibitively expensive annual renewal fees or becomes out of date all too quickly as curricula periodically change. To combat this we offer the option of a school licensing (through a one-off payment) to use the templates and source files we used to create the interactive PDFs (which are supplied along with a detailed training guide), combined with a training day held at your school site.