It is intended to support teachers in primary schools who are involved in teaching science and provides lesson plans linked to the 5-14 guidelines, a tutorial on browsing the web and a list of components and materials.
Teachers can obtain further assistance and advice via email, telephone or fax.
These features were accessible only to teachers in the trial schools and the helpers. The main advantage of the CDi materials was their use of video but there were problems with indexing and searching content and the lack of a curriculum framework. As a response to the findings from Phase 1, it was decided to make changes both to the technology and to the content. Local authority partners were instead requested to provide their own pilot schools with enhanced technical support and other back up. Site content would be redesigned to meet the practical needs of teachers so that it was focused on the science elements of the 5-14 Guidelines and tied in to levels and assessment strategies.