Skoool.ie welcomes you to a new era in learning, study and information gathering. So log on......

www.skoool.ie is a first in Irish education, an entirely free resource offering curriculum-focused interactive courses and a wealth of other features to junior and senior cycle students.

Developed by AIB, The Irish Times and Intel (whose previous credits include the award-winning www.scoilnet.ie), the site harnesses the expertise of highly credible and experienced professionals in education, technology and the internet.

Skoool.ie enables students to learn interactively, revise for their exams and explore the wider world of education and beyond. Teachers can use it in the classroom as an engaging tool for delivery and coverage of specific topics.

Content for skoool.ie courses is developed by key members of the syllabus and examination boards and prepared for the site by professional editors and graphic designers.

Navigation and design on the site are user-friendly and accessible. A "Help" section provides answers to any user queries that may arise.

Users are required to complete a simple registration form to use these free materials - the form is short and contains no personal details.

A straightforward privacy policy is in place and can be viewed at any time.

Interactive Courses

The interactive courses on the site are curriculum-focused and engaging, with creative use of text, animation and voiceover to accelerate understanding for even the most difficult topics.

Students can watch and learn as science experiments are carried out, or participate in balancing the books in one of the business studies courses.

One of the greatest strengths of the interactive courses is that they complement classroom activities. Teachers can use them in the classroom or set particular sections as homework. Students can access the site at any time, day or night, and can work at their own pace.

Accompanying each lesson is a 10-question assessment enabling students to test their understanding of a lesson. A student can print out an A4 revision sheet for easy future reference.

The initial download of the courseware takes under a minute on an average 56k modem, with subsequent pages taking just 8 to 10 seconds.

Exam Centre

Skoool.ie's Exam Centre offers essential support for Junior and Leaving Certificate students. Designed to be of particular use at exam times, this section is a worthwhile resource all year round for practical, relevant revision guidance.

Study guides and past-paper analysis give students the backbone for a study plan and a study timetable wizard can build an individualised revision timetable for students who fill in their own exam subjects and dates.

What's in it for teachers?

The teachers' channel is a source of information for anyone involved in education.

An IT section outlines guidelines for a range of activities, from basic use of the computer to designing and publishing a website.

There are also links to other websites that provide free support.

A helpful introduction to skoool.ie, with suggestions as to the use of the website's resources in the classroom, is included.

skoool.ie also provides interactive learning for teachers in the form of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) - a resource to help teachers learn more about the use and application of computers generally. This can be accessed using a unique key provided to each post-primary school in the State and is completely free of charge.

Exploring with skoool.ie

While skoool.ie is centred on issues relating directly to the curriculum, it enables students, teachers and parents to explore individual interests.

Users can expand their experience and knowledge beyond their school subjects and access links to other relevant sites and information from the Explore sections throughout the site.

skoool.ie for parents

Skoool.ie provides a credible, trustworthy source of information for parents too, with a safe-surfing guide and a privacy policy designed to protect the user.

A series of articles on wide-ranging aspects of childcare draws on material from the EL supplement of The Irish Times and provides a compelling reason to come back to the site time and time again. EL material on a wide variety of career choices is also available.

The site partners are engaged in site development which will ensure comprehensive coverage of the core syllabus topics for both Junior and Leaving Certificate. New interactive courses and additional special features will be added to skoool.ie on an ongoing basis. Any queries can be e-mailed to webmaster@skoool.ie