One of the aims of Crossings is to develop an understanding of the way information can be exchanged through telecommunication, IT and the Internet, and to use this technology to develop key communication skills.

The use of e-mail has certainly been key to the project, both on the administrative level and in the classroom. All of the schools in the Western Cape that we had established tentative links with before the Cape Town visit are now firmly on board, some sharing information with their Devon partners via websites, some exchanging text and photographs via email and some exchanging letters and faxes before progressing to electronic communication. It has been an exciting and positive learning experience.

A particularly successful part of the project was sending information and photographs back to Richard Knights, our web consultant in Devon, while we were in Cape Town for him to put on the website. With British Telecom's kind support we did this using a laptop computer and a mobile telephone, which meant that it could be done from almost anywhere! I am currently working with Andrew Rook and Paul Coles from BT on developing the educational use of this mobile technology.

The Crossings website continues to develop and grow and has become the focus for all the work that is going on as a result of the research visit.