skoool.ie's entertaining and refreshingly clear approach could help to put science back into more students' timetables
Skoool.ie has developed interactive courses for Junior Certificate science with a view to making even the most complex concepts accessible to students.
The numbers of science students at Leaving Certificate level are dropping and this is a cause for concern, particularly as the technology and engineering fields continue to grow and offer increasing career opportunities.
The new and engaging courseware offered by skoool.ie is a welcome sign of a commitment to encouraging students to buck that trend and carry on after Junior Certificate.
Fifteen courses are already available for students to use free online; another six will follow shortly, and there are plans to develop courses for Leaving Certificate science subjects.
Seven of the courses currently available are related to biology and range from the traditional plant reproduction and blood and circulation to more contemporary topics such as conservation and ecology.
Further courses in chemistry cover atoms and the periodic table and metals, ores and rocks. Physics subjects include "The Earth and Beyond", which gives impressive animations of planets orbiting the sun and the formation of stars. More physics is covered in courses such as Forces Part 1 and Forces Part 2.
As with all courses on the site, an interactive assessment tests the student's knowledge of the subject. This is marked out of 10 and gives valuable feedback.
Before logging off, the student can print out an A4 revision sheet which provides a quick reference point for the information learnt in the course. A glossary is included with each course and the student can print out the text of the lesson.
The visual nature of the courses is particularly appropriate for science: the student can see an experiment happening as it is being described and so accelerate learning and understanding of the concepts. "Atoms and the Periodic Table" also provides simple yet effective animations of the structure of atoms, which make this complex subject instantly accessible.
Experiments are a generally strong feature of the courses on skoool.ie. They are designed with maximum interactivity, prompting the student to select results and drive the experiment forward. In a school environment laboratory time is limited, so this is a thoughtful and extremely valuable resource. For some good examples, take a look at "Breathing and Respiration" and "Plant Nutrition".
The Junior Certificate Science courses have been developed with a sharp focus on the curriculum and up to 90 per cent of the curriculum is covered here. The inclusion of topics such as ecology and conservation is welcome and provides students with an overview of the scientific basis of these subjects as well as an awareness of how to apply their principles to everyday life. "Breathing and Respiration" also includes a clinical look at the dangers of smoking.
Science is also well covered in the Exam Centre on skoool.ie, with extensive study notes for biology at Leaving Certificate. The revision guide and study planner are additional helpful tools for all science subjects at Junior and Leaving Certificate.
There are progress questions throughout each course covering the elements being taught and they give useful feedback for incorrect answers. Students can work at their own pace at all times and can repeat any section of a course as many times as they like. All courses are built around the curriculum so are relevant to all students and provide solid, reliable support to classroom teaching.
All the content for skoool.ie courses has been developed by professional teachers, editors and graphic designers with input from key members of the syllabus and examination boards.
Revisiting the courses will reinforce understanding of the concepts required by the Junior Certificate syllabus and provide a very useful study and revision aid. With its entertaining and refreshingly clear approach, skoool.ie should succeed in putting science back into the timetables.
