Spex Educational Software for Children

Case Study No3

Spex educational software case study involving children aged 10 - 11 years in ICT with links to design technology, mathematics, and history. Topics covered include using a modelling package to combine and manipulate objects and explore design possibilities in a number of environments.

Educational Summary

Spex is a super resource aimed at providing a library of environments and items for young designers to explore alternative creative ideas, thus supporting the graphical modelling strand of the National Curriculum for ICT. Included in the title is a home environment of four rooms: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and lounge. Other environments are available including a street, classroom, leisure pool, moonbase, IT room, Egyptian tomb and garden. The title includes, as well as the computer based activities, a user manual containing: installation instructions; set up procedures; icon and toolbar details; instructions how to change from plan to 3D view and a few troubleshooting tips. The CD-ROM also contains an example scheme of work, teacher project ideas and numerous pupil worksheets.

The title was used by the teacher to provide an objects-based graphics package for the children to produce and explore graphical models of the home, garden or leisure pool environment. Later, this was extended to creating an Egyptian tomb to coincide with a history topic. It was used with a class of Year 6 children and by individual or paired children working individually for 10-15 minute sessions on a classroom-based PC.

Teaching with Spex

Spex supports the ICT Curriculum at Key Stage 2, and was used to provide the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to use an object-based graphics package to produce images and visual models.

The first sessions were used for the children to become familiar with the bedroom environment and tool bars: the items available, the plan and 3D views and the implications of budget. SPEX+ contains a number of worksheets, which provide lesson focuses and activities for the children to investigate before attempting their own designs. The program was demonstrated and discussed as a whole class before individual children or pairs used it. Their ideas could be saved and then discussed in a plenary session by the whole class. Spex enables the pupils to build on earlier work using a paint package and to understand the difference between that and an object-based package.

The children had been asked to draw a sketch plan of their own bedroom as preparatory work before the title was introduced to the class. They were then asked to try to recreate a plan of the room using the software including toys, lamps, etc. on furniture to develop their understanding of how objects can be rotated and layered. Once the children had done this, they were then asked to redesign their bedroom on a budget. Finally, they were challenged to create a house including a bedroom, kitchen, lounge and bathroom. We are now starting a new history topic on the Ancient Egyptians and I have begun to use SPEX+ to reinforce their understanding of Egyptian tombs: the wall paintings, hieroglyphics, furniture and burial artefacts.

How I organised the classroom

I used a single computer linked to a projector with the whole class for introducing the software: the environments, the views, the toolbar and the icons. I then organised use of the classroom-based machine, for individuals or pairs of children to work on. The initial tasks to practise using the software were quite short and took approximately 10 minutes per couple. A similar length of time was allocated once the children started their designs and their work was saved. Use of the computer was organised by rota while the rest of the class worked on other activities: exploring plan views of items; planning room designs on paper; investigating budgets for furnishing their rooms; drawing 3D and 2D views of furniture; work on materials and their properties which linked with the current science topic.

Use of ICT to meet subject objectives

The title was used to develop the children's understanding of graphics packages and how they can be used to represent real or fantasy situations, which can then be evaluated by comparing them with real situations. It was also used to discuss how a budget could affect the design. The simple spreadsheet facility emphasises how a computer can simplify this.

The title involves activities that could be achieved in other ways. However, it has the advantage of showing how the computer can simplify exploration of design by using a library of objects that can be rotated, layered and manipulated by the click of a mouse. The design can be viewed at anytime in 3D view and the spreadsheet supports the children to maintain a budget.

The tasks can be easily set up so they offer opportunities for teacher intervention in order to stimulate and direct pupils' learning as well as during plenary sessions. Questions used include: What factors do you need to consider when designing the bedroom? …placing the bed? …the wardrobes and other furniture? Where do you need to place the power points and why?

The scheme of work, teacher resources and worksheets offer examples of a valuable way in which to structure pupils' work to focus on relevant aspects of the topic and to maximise use of time. The children's work once saved can be viewed, discussed and evaluated by the whole class.

ICT aspects of using Spex

SPEX+ is a fun, practical resource with which to nurture children's design talents. Once the environments, toolbars and item windows have been demonstrated as well as guidance given on how to place, rotate, delete, stack and move items, the children need very little support to use the title. The main skills required are clicking and dragging as well as a familiarity with toolbars.

The resource provides a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the versatility of the computer as a modeling tool within the classroom environment.

Monitoring and assessment

Pupils' progress was monitored by using clear teaching objectives and differentiated learning outcomes, structuring the use of the title, use of questioning and then whole class discussion of their saved work using the projector.  The children save their work in a central design folder thus enabling the teacher to locate their work easily and regularly review/assess their ideas.

Spex for Special Needs

The graphics of items are, in the main, large and clear. Small items are labelled and once selected, a clear 3D view appears at the bottom of the items window. The fun factor of designing familiar environments motivates children with learning and behavioural difficulties to the extent that many children asked for extra time at lunchtimes to experiment with the package.

Case Study by Lesley Studley
Wolsey House Primary School, Leicester