Using ICT to make AS level more rigorous

Diana Laffin describes two substantial ICT activities designed to strengthen both motivation and rigour in Year 12. In her first activity, she uses the power of ICT to develop a critical sense of audience. She shows how this can have a direct impact on improving performance in relation to examination demands. In her second activity she makes a virtue out of the Internet’s many inaccuracies, distortions and blatant propaganda, using this to help students to develop a richer vocabularly for commenting on the features of propaganda in relation to the Anti- Saloon League. Diana’s commitment to making the study of history attractive, enjoyable and achievable comes through strongly here. This kind of teaching will both attract AS history students, and keep them on board for A2. At the same time, she dovetails such goals with a concern for rigour, arguing that the complexity of ICT resources and processes should be used to foster sophisticated thinking and to make students articulate their views in precise, nuanced ways.