Online software applications for learning: observations from an elementary school

This exploratory case study research describes the integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) into the teaching and learning of English, mathematics and science in an elementary school in Singapore. The school in this case study research is one of the first primary-level future schools that was set up under the FutureSchools@Singapore program in 2008. The school has implemented a successful one-to-one program (i.e. one-to-one computer to student ratio) for all its students. The use of blogs, communication applications (e.g. online chats and email), online educational games, online learning management systems, online searches for information and educational related videos were commonly used to integrate ICT into the teaching and learning of the various subjects mentioned above. A total of 221 (Primary 3 and 4) and 466 (Primary 3, 4 and 5) students participated in an ICT usage survey conducted in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Three interesting phenomena were observed through the descriptive statistics. First, it was observed that the ICT usage rates for the various subjects (i.e. English, mathematics and science) peaked at the primary 4 level when the computer ownership program was introduced and declined in primary 5. Second, descriptive statistical analysis suggested the use of blogs, communication applications, online educational games and Internet searches, were more frequently used, as compared to the learning management systems and the use of videos, in the students’ learning of English, mathematics and science. Thirdly, ICT usage rates were also different for the different classes of Primary 5. Follow-up interviews with teachers and student open-ended survey responses were also analysed. The triangulated findings seemed to suggest that blogs were frequently used and acted as gateways to other online software applications. The findings also once again pointed to the importance of the sociocultural context – school leadership, curriculum planning and assessment, technological infrastructure and teachers’ practices – in ICT usage and integration in schools.