November 7, 2018
£84million to form National Computing Centre (NCCE)
Pupils up and down the country will benefit from the UK’s first National Centre for Computing Education (https://teachcomputing.org) led by British experts, it can…
Event Information Box
Table of Contents
KEY PIECES OF INFORMATION FROM THE EVENT
Event title:
Computers in the Curriculum Project (CIC)
Timeline Date
January 1, 1972
Category
Government, Department or Organisation
Secretary of State
Subject
Area
BECTA Category
Event Content
By disapplying the ICT programme of study from September this year schools will be able to offer a more creative and challenging curriculum, drawing on support and advice from those best positioned to judge what an ambitious and forward-looking curriculum should contain.
DETAIL OF THE EVENT
Overview
From 1972 to 1991 the Computers in the Curriculum Project was funded by the Schools Council and subsequently by the Microelectronics Education Programme and others to develop simulation software for the secondary curriculum.
Spanning two decades, the Computers in the Curriculum Project was funded by the Schools Council and subsequently by the Microelectronics Education Programme, MESU, the BBC, NCET and a range of industrial partners.
In earlier days materials were published on paper tape and documentation published by Edward Arnold. In the ’80s, Longman published most of the materials on audio cassette and floppy disc in bright orange packs.
Bob Lewis directed the project until 1981, when Margaret Cox took over. A large project with a big team of paid developers and a nation-wide spread, it nevertheless began all its inventive work with volunteer teachers and linked to other curriculum development projects such as Nuffield Science to gain strength from the creativity and change as new ways to approach subjects were proposed.
You can gather a flavour of its nature and the people involved from its internal newsletter for July 1984, published at a time of its greatest activity.
Evidence indicates that recent curriculum and qualifications reforms have not led to significant improvements in the teaching of ICT, and the number of students progressing to further study in ICT-related subjects is in decline. Furthermore, the ICT curriculum in its current form is viewed as dull and demotivating for pupils. Its teaching may not equip pupils adequately for further study and work, may leave them disenchanted or give rise to negative perceptions that turn them off the subject completely.
Event Media
Key Documents
Further Research around the event
Views, Blogs and Criticism
More
articles
browse the timeline
January 20, 2015
Education Technology Action Group report published
At the beginning of 2014, Ministers from the UK Departments for Education and Business Innovation and Skills set up the Education Technology Action Group…
January 18, 2012
The Education Secretary announces a consultation on his proposal to remove ICT from the national curriculum.
Michael Gove launches a public consultation into the proposal that the national curriculum programmes of study and associated attainment targets and assessment arrangements for information…
March 1, 2010
Next Generation Learning – The implementation plan for 2010–2013 (BECTA Schools Guidance)
This three-year plan was first published in April 2008 and then revised and re-issued in June 2009. It has now been updated again to…
