Background: Description of ICT resource and context

LiteracyPlanet is an interactive program designed by Australian educators based on the

Australian literacy curriculum. Students have personalised accounts and participate in a
structured learning path which can be directed by teachers and parents to closely monitor
progress. Students complete tasks and earn points to participate in games. Students can work
individually, against each other or in teams to complete certain tasks.

As this is a mixed year three/four classroom, LiteracyPlanet is used during group literacy
stations, or as a continuation once the main literacy lesson is completed.

LiteracyPlanet is personalised to the students age and ability covering a range of skills such as,
pre-reading, reading, phonics, sight words, spelling, comprehension, writing, grammar and
punctuation. Literacy involves students listening to, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and
creating oral, print, visual and digital texts, and using and modifying language for different
purposes in a range of contexts. (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority,
2017).

Literacy planet is accessible via this link: https://www.literacyplanet.com/au/

Age/year level

LiteracyPlanet is appropriate for any year level. Categories are ordered form simple to
complex and students must master each category as a prerequisite to master more complex
ones. The app is customisable to the age of the student upon subscription.

At the year three/four age group it primarily covers blooms lower order thinking, however there
are opportunities to apply higher order thinking skills. LiteracyPlanet games uses phrases like
“can you select…” and “what is the main idea of...” which are both from the lower thinking
spectrum of knowledge and comprehension. This is primarily as there is no opportunity given
for elaboration as the questions are primarily multiple choice, or dragging the box to the
answer.

The text and media in LiteracyPlanet is very simple, large and has encouraging verbal
feedback. When students meaningfully interact with the multimedia information, they encode
this information into their long-term memory (Eady & Lockyer, 2013).
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Curriculum links

This app aligns directly with the English curriculum. The acquisition of literacy skills
is based on a continuum of learning where students are encouraged to explore, develop and
practise their skills in various contexts. Each skill is revisited until the student demonstrates
mastery.

The games require students to understand, analyse and evaluate information, make meaning,
express thoughts and emotions, present ideas and opinions, interact with others through the
games provided (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority, 2017).

In the year three curriculum, it states that students use knowledge of letter-sound relationships
including consonant and vowel clusters and high-frequency words to spell words accurately.
They re-read and edit their writing, checking their work for appropriate vocabulary, structure
and meaning (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority, 2017).

As this app is play based, students are given the choice to use their iPad for individual work or
interactive work with other students. As they are having fun and are engaged in the ‘games’
they do not realise they are learning vital literacy skills.

Instructional content

The teacher can set tasks based on specific literacy strands for the students. The teacher
receives a report on the progress of students and how that aligned with the curriculum. This
makes it reliable and relevant to the classroom progress.

Learner engagement and interactivity

LiteracyPlanet supports students in their learning journey by enabling then to work at

their own level and at a pace that is appropriate to them. As part of the subscription you must
provide the personal details of the child. Through this, the content will be aligning with the
Australian curriculum.

There is positive reinforcement, phrases such as “good job”, “well done” and “oops let’s try
that again” are voiced over by characters.

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Assessment

Each student’s performance is shown as a report to the teachers and parents when
requested. That way their progress is closely monitored, and further action can be implemented
in the students’ weaker literacy area.

There are options to give students diagnostic tasks to give further insight of the student’s
knowledge.

Flexibility

If the activities are literacy based, this is great resource to integrate into a lesson. It
should be used supplement student learning and as a way of consolidating the students learning
in that topic.

Media

With all sort of ICT there will be issues such as WIFI connection in the classroom, or
if their device is charged sufficiently. But from my observations, students aren’t distracted from
anything directly in the app.

Technical considerations

This ICT resource can be accessed through an app on the iPad, or on a desktop
computer. However, to have access, you must first have a subscription which can be costly. In
most cases such as this one, the school usually pays. Parents also have the option to purchase
this subscription separately.

I would say a weak point for this app is that for students with visual or hearing impairments,
this application will be difficult to navigate and participate in without support.

From classroom observation, this ICT resource works every time, the only issue that was found
within the classroom is the students’ iPads disconnecting randomly from the school’s WIFI.

The technical requirements are either an iPad or a desktop computer and internet access. My
school readily has access to these requirements.

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Regardless if this is played at home or at school, the app does not allow for any sort of popups
and inappropriate content to be displayed. The students are taught at school about cyber safety,
so they know that even though there are competitive aspects of this app, they have the option
to work by themselves. The teacher also monitors this very closely.

Support materials

This application has a question mark bubble on every page that you are on. By clicking
on the question mark, it provides the instructions for this task.

There are also example tutorials before each activity which shows you how to navigate the
page. The subscription gives teachers access to a support team that can assist them with any
queries.

Overall recommendations and personal learning

LiteracyPlanet assist students develop literacy skills inside and outside of the classroom
in an engaging and rewarding way. I would definitely implement this resource if the school is
funding the program.

I have learnt that using ICT should be about making the learning process simplified. To use
technology to reinforce and supplement learning. Technologies support meaningful learning
when they fulfil a leaning need. Technology cannot teach students, rather students learn as they
use technology. Meaningful learning will result when technologies engage learners in;
knowledge construction, not reproduction; Conversation, not repetition and Articulation, not
repetition (Murdoch, 2014)

This resource is a fantastic way to assess student’s literacy skills as it has diagnostic options
for the teacher to assess students. From these findings I could better tailor my teaching to
individual students. Using this in conjunction with classroom activities students will be able to
show their capabilities through many different modes.

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While technology can play an important role in restructuring teaching and learning practices,
teachers must design appropriate learning environments to help students learn well with
technology. Technology will fail to meet its educational promise if teachers are not equipped
with the right pedagogical skills, knowledge, and attitudes to integrate technology into
instruction to maximize student learning (Keengwe & Onchwari, 2011).

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References

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority. (2017). General Capabilities:

Literacy. Retrieved from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-
capabilities/literacy/

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority. (n.d.). Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) Capability. Retrieved from:

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/information-
and-communication-technology-ict-capability/

Eady, M. J. & Lockyer, L. (2013). Tools for learning: technology and teaching strategies:
Learning to Teach in the Primary School, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2011). Fostering meaningful student learning through
constructivist pedagogy and technology integration. International Journal of Information and
Communication Technology Education, 7, 1+.

Literacy Planet. (n.d.). LiteracyPlanet: Home. Retrieved from:

https://www.literacyplanet.com/au/

Murdoch, U. (2014). Meaningful learning with technology (Custom book ed.). Frenchs Forest,
NSW: Pearson Australia