Ground-breaking UniServity cLc Learning Platform Project opens a new world of cross-curricular and cross-cultural 21st Century learning opportunities for 10,000 students globally
UniServity, the market leading Learning Platform provider on the BECTA Learning Platform Framework, has launched a world – first collaborative online learning project, allowing students to create and share knowledge with their peers around the globe in a safe and secure learning environment.
‘Around the World in 80 Days’ Project launch this week is part of the hugely successful UniServity Key Stage 1 – 4 literacy project ‘A Million Words’, developed in partnership with several Local Authority literacy teams. The project supports the development of 21st Century literacies within the context of Citizenship, Literacy and Geography in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum. The activities focus on a variety of different genre including writing non – chronological and chronological reports, journalistic writing and a fictional account of their travels will be developed in their individual travel journals.
The centrepiece of the project requires the students to select a project school in another part of the world. Their chosen school will become the final destination on a virtual global learning journey. At each stop on their journey they are required to research key features that make each city unique, sharing their findings in a collective Wiki, forums and blogs; collaborating locally, nationally and internationally on a variety of curriculum and student relevant themes.
Students in the UK and USA will be joined by over 3,000 students from leading High Schools in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, who will be participating in a global online learning project for the first time, thanks to a unique partnership between UniServity, the Chinese Government, the Ministry of Education in the Province of Anhui and the leading Chinese educational publisher, Anhui Publishing Group (APG). In the past few weeks, teachers from leading Hefei High Schools have been introduced to the ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ Project and trained on using the UniServity cLc (connected Learning communities) Learning Platform in advance of their students joining the project. Schools in Singapore and Australia will be joining the project in May.
Phil Stubbs, Director of Education, UniServity, commented “ This project is a world first and something we are extremely proud of. Having the support of the Anhui provincial Government has meant that we are now able to pre
sent this unique learning opportunity to students in the UK and USA. Using this cultural exchange as a mechanism to develop new 21st century literacies in students across continents presents phenomenal opportunities to all students and creates an authentic landscape for deep thinking through the exploration of global themes and perspectives.”
Mr. Bao, Vice President of the Anhui Education and Science Institute, added “I think the cLc Learning Platform has changed the process of learning. Learners and teachers can share their opinions and knowledge and learn more about different cultures. All our teachers are motivated and very interested in participating in the UniServity ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ Project and collaborating with learners in both the UK and USA.
Dr. Mike Mattingly, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Staff Development in Denton, Texas, USA, shared “It is truly a rare opportunity for students to collaborate and learn from each other on such a grand scale. This learning event should amount to an experience that not only brings a deeper understanding of global cultures and 21st century themes, but it has the capacity to build “learning bridges” across classrooms all across the world in a very short period of time. In my opinion the impact of this project will remain with our Texas students long after its conclusion. I am so honoured that UniServity has allowed our students to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime event.” Details of UniServity cLc Collaborative Projects are found at www.uniservity.com
UniServity
Founded in the U.K. in 1999, UniServity is the global leader in next generation Web 2.0 learning. UniServity cLc (connected Learning communities) Learning Platform provides a secure social learning environment and tools to enhance learning, collaboration, communication and professional development for teachers. The cLc serves as a container for favourite Web 2.0 applications, creating safe spaces to empower students and teachers; enabling co-construction; local and global collaboration; authentic learning and formative assessment. The cLc serves circa. 2 million learners and teachers across 21 countries. The cLc places schools in a secure, contained, systemised, pedagogically-sound, sustainable 21st century learning framework. UniServity offices are located in the UK, USA, Hong Kong and Singapore.
