Bridge21 Presents Junior Cycle Proposals to NCCA

Posted on: 05 February 2013

Bridge21 (www.bridge21.ie), a collaboration between the School of Computer Science & Statistics, the School of Education, the Trinity Access Programmes and the NGO Suas Educational Development,  worked with eight second level school schools  around the country last year to adapt the Bridge21 model of technology involving collaborative, project-based learning for use in  classrooms as a vehicle to deliver education in a 21st century fashion.

A research report on the lessons from the year was recently presented to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which is the body responsible for advising the Minister for Education and developing a framework for the new Junior Cycle in Irish secondary schools. The report was very positively received by the NCCA Council and its Junior Cycle Review Committee. It is hoped that the Bridge21 model may be considered as an exemplar of how schools can embrace technology to empower teachers and learners as part of the overall reform agenda currently underway in second level schools nationwide.

The report, written for the NCCA, attempts to capture the highs and lows of the learning journey that teachers and students travelled with the Bridge21 programme over the course of the year. The key findings show that while schools and teachers are still very much at the beginning of a long process of change, students are keen to embrace technology and collaborative, self-directed, 21st century approaches to learning.

“A characteristic shared amongst the eight schools was strong leadership from principals, who were extremely supportive of the Bridge21 programme throughout the year, and groups of teachers who were open to exploring changes in their classroom practice,” commented Associate Professor Brendan Tangney and co-author of the report. “Over the course of the year, the teachers who used the Bridge21 model in their classrooms to deliver core curriculum content emerged as real innovators. Those teachers have a lot to contribute to the change process now underway in Irish second level schools.”

In the 2012/2013 academic year the programme has expanded to partner with 12 schools in Dublin, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow  and Sligo.

For copy of the full report:

http://bridge21.ie/an-exploration-of-bridge21-in-the-classroom-case-study-report-for-ncca/