Press Release

Date: Wednesday 24th March 2004 (NR/09/04)

Students go to church with CrossTalk

CCEA launches interactive learning resource for GCSE Religious Studies

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) today launched an innovative new learning resource to help students produce top quality coursework and examination answers for CCEA GCSE Religious Studies.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘CrossTalk’ CD-ROM, Gavin Boyd, Chief Executive of CCEA, commented:

‘CrossTalk provides young people with an enjoyable and interactive learning experience, enabling them to view and learn about the interiors of church buildings without ever leaving the classroom.

‘It allows GCSE students to explore the significance of church buildings, architecture and furnishings, and explores the similarities and differences of these features in the five main Christian denominations in Northern Ireland: Baptist, Catholic, Church of Ireland, Methodist and Presbyterian.

‘The impressive blend of virtual reality tours, video clips of church services, excellent colour photographs and hot spots of important information will provide young people with the resources and guidance needed to produce top class answers to key exam questions.’

CrossTalk is now available for use in all post-primary schools and Colleges of Further and Higher Education throughout Northern Ireland. It addresses part of Section B of CCEA’s GCSE Religious Studies specification: ‘The Christian Church explored through Contrasting Denominations’.

CrossTalk: The Launch

The launch of CrossTalk will take place in the CCEA building (Room 111), 29 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock, Belfast on Wednesday 24 March 2004.

The running order is as follows:

12.30pm Arrival and light lunch
1.00pm Gavin Boyd (Chief Executive, CCEA): Welcome and Introduction to CrossTalk
1.10pm Juliana Gilbride (Author of CrossTalk and Head of Religious Studies at Rainey Endowed School)
1.20pm Photography

At the launch, you will have the opportunity to view CrossTalk and take home your own copy.

CrossTalk: The Background

CrossTalk was written by Juliana Gilbride, former Subject Officer, CCEA Religious Studies, and now Head of Religious Studies at Rainey Endowed School.

The design and production of the CrossTalk CD-ROM was completed by CCEA Multimedia.

Contributors to CrossTalk include:

  • Rev. Ken Newell, Fitzroy Presbyterian Church
  • Right Rev. Monsignor Ambrose Macauley PP, St Brigid’s Catholic Church, Belfast
  • Canon Walter Lewis, St Thomas’ Church of Ireland
  • Rev John Nelson, University Road Methodist Church
  • Pastor Gordon Darragh, Windsor Baptist Church
  • Pastor David McMillan, Windsor Baptist Church
  • Mr Paul Carswell, St Bride’s Primary School (Belfast)

Others who commented on content:

  • Rev Ian Ellis, Church of Ireland
  • The Right Reverend Michael Jackson, Bishop of Clogher

 

Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk

ENDS

 

Note to Editors

CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.

CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"

What we do

CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.

Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.

Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.

Awarding Qualifications

– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.

- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.