Pupils at a Perthshire school this week got the first sight of a ground-breaking new educational resource, which will offer teachers fresh tools and pupils’ new learning experiences inspired by The Ryder Cup.
After the official launch by Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison MSP, Ryder Cup Team Captains Paul McGinley and Tom Watson took time out to see the new tool for themselves with a visit to the Community School of Auchterarder this morning.
Developed to support the legacy of The 2014 Ryder Cup, the online tool is structured through a virtual 18 holes of the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles, where next year’s Ryder Cup will be staged. Each hole provides a different framework for learning and covers subjects linked to the Curriculum for Excellence including history, science and, through an association with ClubGolf, physical education.
The resource has been jointly developed by Perth & Kinross Council, the Scottish Government, Education Scotland and Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils with input from Ryder Cup Europe. It is the most sophisticated educational tool ever created as part of a Ryder Cup legacy programme and is flexible enough to cater for different approaches to learning and varying levels of complexity for different age groups.
Perth & Kinross Councillor and Convenor of Lifelong Learning, Bob Band, said: “The Ryder Cup Educational Resource has been specifically designed to fit in with the Curriculum for Excellence, providing key learning points for pupils and new, innovative ways of teaching. The resource will be available online and mixes classroom activity with video and other multimedia so it can be accessed at home and indeed by anyone around the world.
“Teachers are always looking for opportunities to inspire children and young people with new ideas and fresh approaches. I have every confidence that this resource will enable many people to really enjoy learning through the filter of such a significant and prestigious sporting event.”
The launch included a tour of the Community School of Auchterarder with Head Teacher Stuart Clyde, for the two Ryder Cup Captains alongside Shona Robison MSP. The group was able to see for themselves how the resource can be put to use in the classroom and the benefits for children and teachers alike.
Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, commented: “This is a wonderful project that represents a very bold statement about Scotland’s efforts to ensure the lasting legacy of The 2014 Ryder Cup. The resource is the most sophisticated yet to come from a Ryder Cup and I very much hope pupils and teachers alike will be inspired by the event’s incredible history to use the tools.”
The new Ryder Cup education resource can be found at www.rydercupeducation.com and incorporates three key components:
- “Teeing off” – schoolchildren from the Community School of Auchterarder have interviewed key individuals associated with the theme of each hole. These short films will be used to introduce each hole and to inspire leaning on that particular topic.
- “On the fairway” – contains the education tasks for schoolchildren to undertake individually or as a group, enabling them to engage with the resource in their own way.
- “The putting green” – holds information for teachers and is the professional section of the resource with suggested learning points and lesson plans.
Richard Hills, Ryder Cup Europe’s Director, added: “The Ryder Cup is about being part of something bigger than the game of golf alone. We were delighted to support this initiative, which aims to build on the legacy of the Ryder Cup and introduce golf, through wider learning, to a whole generation of young people. It is a fantastic achievement.”