Us Online v2 reproduces elements of the online world to give children authentic experience of situations online. Learning activities exploit the gamut of online techniques – animation, audio, video, gaming and high levels of interactivity.
The media rich product immerses children in the culture of their online world, appealing to the aesthetics, relationship dynamics and engagement trigger points of young people.
Us Online v2 may be used by children individually, working in small groups, or as the basis of teacher-led classroom activity. The pedagogy for activity-based learning is constructivist, so children learn by doing.
Us Online v2 contains a Teacher Centre with introductory videos and demonstration clips for each activity, additional resources and links, and full lesson plans.
The pedagogy for Us Online v2 is constructivist. Children learn by doing. They make decisions and experiment with choices and consequences. Activities are well scaffolded, and progress is guided by challenges, prompts and feedback.
Us Online v2 also includes online surveys, to help teachers find out how their pupils use the internet and what they like doing online.
Us Online v2 is three modules of online activities, bundled as primary school and secondary school offerings.
Us Online v2 functions in all virtual learning environments. Teachers need only a web browser with Flash Player (version 9), available for free from Adobe.com. Us Online v2 may be deployed on interactive whiteboards.
Each school, local authority or grid can install the module on its own servers. The modules support a Shibboleth (security authentication standard) environment if required.
Us Online v2 maps to the UK National Curriculum for ICT, Citizenship, and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), at key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Us Online v2 locates e-safety and e-security education within the broader context of personal safety, personal responsibility, and good citizenship.
- three modules: Me Online (KS1), Our Online World (KS2-3), and Meme (KS4).
- may be used by students individually, working in small groups, or as the basis of teacher-led classroom activity
- provides multiple entry points, and flexibility of approaches to teaching and learning
- Teacher Notes are comprehensive with additional resources and links
- locates e-safety within the broader context of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship
- functions in all virtual learning environments (VLEs)
- may be deployed on interactive whiteboards (iWBs)