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Last updated: 28.12.13

Online videos assisting classroom learning in Derby

A Derby school is showcasing the benefits that e-learning can have for pupils by uploading revision material onto popular video platform YouTube.Da Vinci Community School in Breadsall is allowing students to catch up on lessons they have missed and providing them with access to English GCSE work 24 hours a day, reports the Derby Telegraph.The faculty has launched its own YouTube channel, which so far consists of seven videos and PowerPoint presentations covering revision tasks such as Writing Skills.It is demonstrating a willingness to engage with pupils on a level that is familiar to them, as technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of everyday life for most children in the UK.According to one of the school's English teachers Lindsey Till, pupils are used to viewing content on YouTube so it makes sense to help those who missed crucial work to catch up."When people click through [the material], they can choose from the videos that are on there, and we will be adding more content as the weeks go by, including more staff reading out their favourite children's stories," she said.This will add to the other story readings that have already been uploaded, including The Gruffalo and Twas the Night Before Christmas.Ms Till said the YouTube channel has so far gone down extremely well with schoolchildren, who value the opportunity to catch up on vital revision material.While Da Vinci Community School may be the first of its kind in Derby to introduce such measures, many other institutions have been looking to incorporate various technologies into the classroom.Indeed, it was recently reported by the BBC that gamification is becoming increasingly popular, and titles like Angry Birds and Minecraft are being used to assist teaching all over the UK.It signals that classrooms of the future will not solely rely on face-to-face instruction, rather this will be enhanced by online learning platforms, video lessons and social media.