ARGYLL AND BUTE TRIUMPHS IN NATIONAL TRANSPORT AWARDS

An innovative interactive project designed by Argyll and Bute Council to make cycling theory fun for primary pupils has won a major national award.

The iCycle scheme uses new technology in the form of classroom whiteboards and laptops to deliver a fun, exciting and informative cycle safety programme to individuals, groups or whole classes.

The project scooped the Excellence in Technology and Innovation category at the prestigious Scottish Transport Awards 2009 at glittering ceremony at Glasgow’s Radisson Hotel last night.

The awards recognise and celebrate achievements in the transport sector across Scotland.

Argyll and Bute’s Road Safety Section has already won praise for the high standard of practical cycle training given to children at all 80 primary schools in the area, as part of the Scottish Cycle Training Scheme (SCTS) developed by Road Safety Scotland.

SCTS introduces children aged 10-12 to basic cycling skills, and aims to give them the knowledge necessary to be competent and safe cyclists.

The iCycle idea was born when the Council’s Road Safety Section turned its attention to how best boost children’s theoretical knowledge of road safety issues.

Previously, schools had taught theory in different ways, ranging from setting homework tasks to teaching it in class.

After consulting a sample of teachers, if became clear there was a need for a Council-wide resource to stimulate pupils’ interest and be flexible enough to be used by a whole class or an individual.

The Council then approached Promethean – a global leader in interactive education technology – to help facilitate an inventive solution using the ActivBoards already present in many classrooms across the region.

The following themes were identified as being the most important for young cyclists:


Cycle maintenance

Equipment

Manoevures

Road position

Priority at junctions

Observation

Signs and road markings

Hazards for cyclists

The Road Safety Section then asked teachers with excellent working knowledge of the ActivBoard software ActivInspire to suggest flipchart-type screens covering these themes.

The resulting iCycle programme was then piloted in classes which had previously undertaken cycle training – in some cases as whole class activities, and in others as exercises with the children working alone on laptops. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, both from teachers and pupils.

Among the comments returned by the pupils were: “It sticks in your brain more than reading because you’re actually doing it” and “It was a more interesting way to learn”. They particularly enjoyed the game-type activities incorporated into the scheme such as a timed road signs quiz.

The completed flipcharts now are available to download free from Promethean Planet (www.prometheanplanet.com) , a global on-line community for everyone involved in education.

Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, spokesperson for Transportation and Infrastructure, said: “ I am obviously thrilled this project has won such a prestigious award.

“We in Argyll and Bute know how good it is because we’ve seen it in action, but it is very rewarding to discover that such a high profile judging panel agrees with us!

“I’m delighted not just that every teacher and pupil in Argyll and Bute has access to iCycle, but that our road safety colleagues across Scotland and beyond have as well.

“We believe we have identified and filled a gap in road safety educational resources in an extremely innovative way, using the latest technology.

“We have given teachers and pupils a resource which is fun and easy to use, while at the same time providing the key information necessary to become a competent and knowledgeable cyclist.

“I congratulate everyone involved in making iCycle a reality. They thoroughly deserve the recognition they received last night.”