It is claimed by many (for example, Lankshear and Knobel,2003) that literacy in the 21st century should take cognisance of the ‘new’ literacies which challenge and extend traditional definitions of literacy to include visual and digital literacy. In October 2006, Scottish Screen, a government funded organisation set up to promote all matters concerning visual images in Scotland, commissioned a team from the University of Glasgow’s Faculty of Education to evaluate its Moving Image Education Initiatives. Each of Scottish Screen’s initiatives entailed film professionals working together with education professionals to explore aspects of visual representations that might be used to teach visual literacy and how such aspects can become embedded in the curriculum in Scottish nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools. The initiatives were located in three clusters of schools: a rural setting comprising one secondary and three primary schools; a city setting comprised of one secondary school and four primary schools; and a mixed urban-rural early years cluster consisting of four primary schools with a nursery class attached. Scottish Screen identified the purposes of the evaluation as being: • To identify the particular contributions that moving image education ca make to learning, especially its contribution to the four ‘capacities’ outlined in A Curriculum for Excellence; • To inform, improve, and contribute to the development of moving image education through robust scrutiny. The first aspect of the programme for investigation by the researchers in this project was learning. The teachers involved in the Professional Development Programme found themselves engaged with a whole new context in which their personal store of information was negligible and was often less important than the knowledge they created from it. Working with film professionals challenged their current concepts of themselves as educators and had the potential to lead them to reconstruct themselves as learners as well as teachers. The second significant aspect for the researchers was the impact of Scottish Screen’s moving image initiatives on teaching. In a context where information is varied and is instantly available from a range of sources, the fallacy that learning takes place as a result of teacher talk in a teacher led and directed environment becomes apparent (Illich,1971). Instead, teachers and pupils found themselves involved in activities in which their roles were often reversed. The third aspect of the programme of importance to the research was that of sustainable change. How can innovative learning and teaching activities become successfully embedded in the curriculum? Based on the above, the following research questions were articulated: • What are teachers’ understandings concerning the purpose of the Professional Development Programme? • How do teachers respond to the input from Lead Practioners? • How has the Professional Development Programme impacted on teachers’ and students’ involvement with, appreciation of and enjoyment of film and other media in school and in their everyday lives? • To what extent have teachers participating in the project developed a new relationship between the teacher and the learner? • Have participating teachers changed their teaching strategies in response to their involvement in the programme? If so, to what extent? • How have the pupils responded to any such changes? • How has the Professional Development Programme impacted on critical connectedness with the world for teachers and their students? • How has the Professional Development Programme impacted on teachers’ and their students’ critical connectedness with current ideas and issues in school and in their everyday lives?

The methodology deployed to address the above research questions was essentially qualitative. It was based on 1:1 interviews with key stakeholders (teachers, headteachers, lead practioners and, where appropriate, parents); observation of MIE classroom activities and focus group discussion with selected pupils. The study took place over the period of one year. The interviews, focus groups and observations in classrooms were conducted at successive intervals, each location being visited at least once and often twice. From the research questions, the following themes formed the basis of the interviews with teachers and lead practitioners: Understanding of and engagement with MIE Impact of MIE on learning Impact of MIE on pupils Impact of MIE on teaching Personal and professional impact of MIE on teachers Sustainability of MIE Three themes were used for the focus groups, namely pupils’ engagement with MIE, the impact of MIE on visual and traditional literacies, and the impact of MIE on school in general. Observations took the form of recording time spent on various activities during MIE lessons and field notes on observation of pupils, teachers and lead practitioners during those sessions.

highly motivational for children and teachers . promotes 'listening and talking' in the curriculum . promotes greater visual awareness in both children and teachers . needs a headteacher to be a 'champion' of the innovation . access to technical back-up essential