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The aim of the project is to gather as much information/evidence as possible to help pupils within the Primary and Secondary sectors of education within Wales, and indeed the wider world, gain a greater understanding of what Wales would have been like during the Middle Ages. The project was also designed to give Year 9 pupils a greater understanding of, and interest in, local history and Welsh History in general, before embarking upon their GCSE courses. The project would also help future Year 7 pupils by providing a wealth of information that they could access (especially through the use of ICT) while studying this period in their first year of comprehensive study.

The project allowed pupils to work in small teams and as part of a larger group, visiting and researching local historical sites. It gave pupils a chance to piece together the religious and military aspects of Welsh History and put them into the context of social and cultural change. They also communicated and discussed their findings with the wider community (An Undergraduate from Glamorgan University and a local ICT firm) and with pupils in different Year Groups (Year 10 pupils contributed to the project as part of their GCSE local history research). The pupils also had a chance to gain cross-curricular knowledge - e.g. Art/Architecture, Geography, Religious Education.

The pupils involved used ICT as well as conventional methods to investigate sites and select and order information. Internet site searches and digital camera images were used as well as PowerPoint, Word, Publisher, video conferencing cameras, scanner, picture and camera editing Software, to put together numerous slide presentations to display what had been found out. The presentations include 360 degree panoramas from each site that can be used in school, at home, or with Interactive Whiteboards. This allows pupils to walk around sites if they cannot visit them and also includes hyperlinks to extra information compiled by the pupils, relevant web sites, and picture presentations for Primary School pupils.

A web site has also been constructed with the help of Metalogic New Media (a local ICT company run by ex-pupils) to allow Year 9 to share their work with schools across Wales. CD ROMs containing all of the work have also been created to post to local feeder primary schools and secondary schools within Wales (information has already been sent to two secondary schools - one in West Wales and one in London). More will be sent out as requested.

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