Electronic tablet roll-out for primary schools to start next year

Education minister Evarist Bartolo said that the use of tablets at schools had supported a more personalised and individual method of teaching.

Speaking at a press conference at Kullegg Santa Margherita in Zabbar, Bartolo said that the government had learnt from the mistakes made in other countries and opted for a more cautious and gradual introduction of the electronic equipment.

Referring to research carried out after the pilot project last year, e-Learning director Emanuel Zammit said that students and teachers alike had found the equipment particularly helpful and the experience was deemed positive regardless of initial teething problems.

The pilot project involved some 300 students in 22 schools including 16 state schools, three independent and three church schools.

Daniela Scicluna, one of the teachers involved in the pilot project, said that the devices had also increased student initiative and enthusiasm with students asking for more exercises and even looking for new educational apps themselves.

Scicluna added that web tools had also allowed students to come out of their shells and be more creative.

“Many students who perhaps feel a bit intimidated to give their opinions or ideas in person, felt more comfortable to start off on an app they used which I had access to, and then in turn began to build confidence to speak their minds in life as well,” Scicluna said.

Zammit said that the project had shown that training for teachers, support and the proper infrastructure were necessary to make the process successful.

“We will be following the pattern used in the pilot project, that is we will introduce the tablets to the teachers fir the first phase and only roll-out the tablets to the students when they have become accustomed to them,” Zammit said.

Bartolo said that the devices were seen as a necessary measure to reach more students in our society and move away from standardized methods of teaching, that were sadly leaving some people feeling inadequate all their lives.

He added that the government hoped that the roll out of equipment would start next year and that schools would also be equipped with the necessary infrastructure for the system to be a success by that time.

During a tour of the school, Bartolo and the press were shown how the tablets were used in a practical setting. Students in one class read from Maltese e-books prepared by their own teachers in collaboration with the e-learning department, and activity books and discussed with their teachers and with each other in small groups. In another classroom, students made use of augmented reality features to illustrate and make reading lessons more entertaining.

Zammit explained that the tablets would introduce a new method of teaching and learning where the teacher was no longer at the front of a classroom imparting information and knowledge, but more involved in small groups and overseeing the students as they did their work.

Bartolo also emphasised the importance of continuing teaching processes at home, and for parents to have a better understanding of how the system works.

“We are looking at courses and sessions to better explain how to use the devices and we are also looking at management systems to allow teachers to block use of tablets during certain times and be able to monitor use both outside and inside school hours.”

Bartolo said that one of the biggest challenges was making children understand that tablets were not just something to use for fun but a useful tool for education.

“The next challenge will be revising assessment methods to better reflect the newer teaching methods, but we are already carrying out research into this,” Bartolo added.