Newport school using e-learning via Twitter

The head teacher of a Welsh school has revealed she is using online learning to improve standards among her students.

Denise Richards from St Julian's School in Newport has turned to Twitter to keep pupils and staff up to speed with the latest educational techniques, the South Wales Argus reports.

Consequently, the institution's house teams and many of its departments are now communicating with young people, other teachers and parents via the social media network, with some faculties even co-ordinating projects in Maths, English and Science on the website.

Ms Richards is regularly sending out tweets to encourage pupils in their academic endeavours - particularly during exam periods - and using the platform to gather student opinion on changes and events taking place around the school.

PE students have also been able to talk to sporting heroes online and use their advice in class projects.

David Beesley, assistant head teacher at St Julian's, told the news provider that using Twitter in this way has been very effective, adding: "Daley Thompson and Kelly Holmes have tweeted back to me about their training sessions and warm-ups, for example."

According to the institution's head of e-learning Graham Barker, it is crucial to ensure the school makes the best use of the latest technology to "promote learning in a modern, fast-moving world", given that both the Pope and prime minister David Cameron are on the social media site.

Not just important to education, online training can also be a useful tool for businesses, with employees able to access digital learning platforms at a time that is convenient to them.

Managers who are thinking about rolling out such resources to their staff should consider turning to the services of Virtual College, an online provider with its own Learning Management System. As well as modules in Professional Boundaries and How to Develop an Effective Induction, the firm offers training material in Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity.