The article ‘Supporting community cohesion through ICT: The epartners programme in Northern Ireland’ talks about how ICT was successfully used to bring schools together in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These schools were historically divided by religion (Catholic and Protestants). There were several previous attempts to connect the schools together, such as, ‘integrated schools (opening schools which taught all faiths) and a common curriculum which meant both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland pupils were taught the same topics and taught the need to respect diversity and tolerance. However, these attempts were unsuccessful.

The successful project carried out by University students involved pupils from both sides of Ireland working together via Fronter. It enabled pupils to share their work and discuss and share information taught in class. This ties in with Vygotsky’s theory of Zone Proximal Development whereby children learn from a more able pupil or adult. Although, internet connectivity was an issue, pupils had developed ICT skills, but, more importantly, built strong bonds and accepted one another.

After reading this article, it has highlighted the importance of VLEs being more than just a learning platform but a platform where pupils from different schools can communicate and share ideas.