Spex Educational Software for Children

Case Study No1

Spex educational software case study involving children aged 7 - 9 years in ICT, Maths, Art & Design and Geography, covering topics such as simulations, modelling, budgets, simple spreadsheets, 3D design and mapping.

Teaching with Spex

My primary purpose in using Spex was to introduce the children to spreadsheets and to give them a context for solving money problems.  Children worked in pairs, for 20 minutes at a time, rotating throughout Numeracy lessons over the whole five weeks.  I chose two particularly computer-literate children to use the program first.  Having set the rest of the class doing group work, I talked the first pair through using the software and made sure they would be concentrating on keeping within budget and checking the spreadsheet regularly.  I allowed the first pair to teach the next and so on, so that they consolidated their learning through teaching.  I needed to make sure I had time during each 20-minute session to observe the pair using the program, so that I could assess their progress.  Where this wasn't possible, I would sit with them at another time and ask them to talk me through their saved project, explaining their choices and referring to the spreadsheet.  I used this title to support Numeracy work on solving real-life money problems.  It also supported Geography work on planning and ICT work on simulations and modelling. 

Children had done some work on 2D planning previously, having produced drawn plans for a new arrangement for the classroom, as part of Geography work.  They had also already done practical and written exercises on solving problems involving money and continued this work throughout the rotation.  Spex was used by pairs of children working together with very little need for teacher support.  It allowed children to explore many different variables, to try out several different combinations of 'spending', in a very visual way, through selecting combinations of objects for various environments.  It encouraged excellent collaborative work as children discussed what to use and where to put it.  More able children were able to predict when their budget might run out and even plan' purchases' in advance.

How I organised the classroom

As there was only a single user licence with the title, I installed it on the school laptop, which I plugged in at a corner of the classroom.  Children took turns to work on the program in pairs, while the rest of the class did different activities in groups.  They had the set of Spex worksheets to guide them through the program and remind them of what to do.

Use of ICT to achieve subject objectives

I used the title to provide another context in which children could explore and solve problems involving money.  Although the environments are simulations, the program did make the problems seem more real and relevant.  Because children had to stay within budget and yet wanted to create the most interesting and exciting environment possible, they had a 'real' reason to consider 'purchases' carefully.  The fact that the spreadsheet could not be changed, except by altering which objects were in the environment, made Spex an excellent introduction to the whole idea of spreadsheets. 

Children could see clearly how their purchases affected the figures and they got a good grasp of what a spreadsheet is, without having to grapple with numbers and calculations.  Some children needed more encouragement than others to stay focused on remaining within the budget, as there is nothing to stop them adding more items once the limit has been reached.  The environments are colourful and interesting and it is easy for children to lose sight of thel earning objectives and get carried away if they are not guided.

The ICT aspects of using Spex

The children needed very little input before they were able to use this program.  All the controls are mouse operated: drag and drop, or left-click on icons.  The children had all learnt how to save in previous ICT lessons and were reminded to do so regularly.  I did talk through the spreadsheet with each pair, as they had not seen these before and I wanted to be sure they understood the concept.

Monitoring and assessment

Children were made aware of their learning objectives and I discussed their progress with them during and after their use of the program.  Much of the assessment however, was through observation of the interaction between partners, listening to their discussions and ultimately seeing whether or not they stayed within budget.

Spex for Special Educational Needs

This title was not used with Special Educational Needs children in mind.