Six bilingual and Welsh medium schools across Wales are about use video-conferencing network to share lessons and increase learning opportunities for 'A' and 'AS' level students.
The schools have been added to the £5.5 million Welsh Video Network (WVN), which was first established to allow universities and colleges across Wales to share lectures and tutorials with each other and with counterparts around the world.
The video-conferencing network, which operates via the Internet, was created through investment by the training and lifelong learning body ELWa and the universities funding body HEFCW.
Working closely with Cymdeithas Ysgolion Dros Addysg Gymraeg (CYDAG - the Association of Schools for Welsh Medium Education), the WVN has installed the latest equipment, including two 42-inch plasma screens, in studios at each of the six schools in a £500,000 pilot project.
The project co-ordinator on behalf of CYDAG is Dr David Charles, headteacher of Caereinion High School.
The schools involved in the project are Caereinion High School in Llanfair Caereinion, Ysgol Tryfan in Bangor, Ysgol Maes Garmon in Mold, Ysgol Morgan Llwyd in Wrexham, Ysgol Aberteifi in Cardigan and Ysgol Glantaf in Cardiff.
The schools involved have been equipped with the most advanced video conferencing equipment in Europe. The idea is to share resources more efficiently and to broaden the curriculum for sixth form students.
The six schools are working in partnership to receive and deliver lessons. Caereinion High School are linking with Ysgol Morgan Llwyd to teach one history module each and they are also exploring ways of sharing expertise with Ysgol Glantaf to deliver occupational 'A' levels in leisure, recreation and business studies.
Ysgol Tryfan is exploring learning opportunities with the other schools in the network and has also established a videoconferencing link with Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle near Caernarfon to deliver A level sociology.
Teachers from the six schools will also use the technology to participate in CPD events without having to travel to one venue.
The WVN is one of the most advanced videoconferencing networks in the world. It was set up to distribute and support videoconferencing studios and other video facilities to all Further Education and Higher Education Institutions throughout Wales.
The project is managed by the United Kingdom Education and Research Networking Association (UKERNA) on behalf of ELWa and HEFCW. The project was part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund via the Objective 1 programme.
I have been in contact with the project coordinator Dr David Charles, head teacher of Caereinion High School in mid Wales.
He is willing to share their experiences of delivering distance learning courses via video conferencing. They are currently using ISDN 6 for a connection but will be moving to video over IP in September.
At a future date Dr David Charles has agreed to video conference with the group to outline the progress they are making.
