School swaps textbooks for PSPs

Students will be using PSPs in subjects such as history, French and geography

Holyhead Secondary School in Handsworth, Birmingham has launched a programme to drop text books in favour of Sony's PlayStation Portable. 

The school will be using the consoles to help motivate students in subjects such as history, French and geography. Students will not be allowed to play games on the PSPs.

Staff have been given two weeks' training to learn to use the consoles as teaching aids, and the school will begin using them from Easter.

Teachers have been taught how to create podcasts, download pictures and videos, upload students' work, and focus on individual learning needs.

Staff member Lora Diprose, who worked in Sony's marketing department before joining the school, said: "There is an incredible buzz going round the school.

"The console is just like a minicomputer but fast, and you can use it to tailor-make lessons for pupils who need support or stretching.

"Some people think it is exclusively a gaming machine and don't realise all the things it can do. It can access the internet and process information."

The trial forms part of Sony's 'PSP in Education' initiative launched last month.
Sony UK boss Ray Maguire said at the presentation that the PSP's multimedia functions will allow students to access audio files, video clips and images.

"I see a situation where class notes or homework assignments can transfer to a PSP, so that when kids go home, they can access the information rather than having to go on to the internet and having to search through many websites," he said.