Education concepts and contemporary applications

Education (Part 6)

Learner outcome: Teaching Computer Research Skills to Grade 4 Learners

Learning Outcome

The learning outcome to aim for will be that grade 4 learners will be able to use computers to look for information, identify whether this information is academically valid by using certain criteria, and be able to paraphrase and quote correctly from the material found.

Pretest

Step 1 will be a pretest process in order to determine the students' current ability level. This is important, as the skill level of students will determine the level of instruction provided. Furthermore, the pretest step also identifies the diversity level of students. Some students may need special help in learning the required skill. Others may be particularly advanced as a result of using computer technology at their homes. Those without the relevant technology at their homes will not have the same level of skills as those used to using it on a daily basis. The pretest can also be used to group strong and weak students together to encourage peer learning.

Step 2: The Diversity Factor

The diversity level of students is determined by means of the test results. This is an important step, as it provides me with the tools to help students more effectively. Particularly, I can meet each student's educational needs by being aware of his or her particular skill level.

Particularly weak results will be investigated for possible enrollment in extra study programs at school. These teachers can then be approached for help regarding the students in question.

My first step in handling diversity will then be to identify particularly weak students and approaching their remedial teachers. I will explain the aims and outcomes of the education and ask for advice on how to make the information more accessible for the student in question.

After this, I will consider the rest of the skill levels emerging from the skill tests. I will then group students together into groups of four or five, so that each group has at least one representative of a strong and weak skill set, respectively. The aim with this strategy is to encourage peer learning. Helping weaker students to access the information more easily will provide these students with a sense of purpose and also keep them occupied, while students with weaker skills benefit from peer learning by improving their level of learning.

Step 3: Introduction and Explanation

My next step will be to introduce the topic, explain the importance of online research, and explain the grouping process. To explain carefully is a vital component of education, as students who misunderstand could become frustrated. This could impact negatively upon the efficacy of the education process. During my explanation of the grouping process, I will of course not state explicitly that some students in the group will be weaker than others. I will simply encourage groups to work together in a supportive way, and that they are to learn from each other. Students will be encourage to give each other advice and help each other with the functions being addressed in class.

Because I am focusing on participative learning for teaching computer skills, my aim is to use as little time as possible to explain the process to students. I will divide them into groups by means of a numbering system. Each student receives a number. They then have to find others in their group by comparing numbers. Students with the same numbers are grouped together. Once everyone is seated in his or her group, I will move to the next step, which is to begin the computer learning process.

There will be three phases to this process: the Search Function, Identifying Authorship, and Paraphrasing and Quotations. These skills are necessary to guide students on their way towards writing good academic essays with the help of computer research.

Step 4: Search Function

Each group of students is provided with one computer for use during the next phases of the lesson. The first instruction will be to search for a specific topic. The online search function is important, as this is often the starting point of today's research publications. To search effectively, it is vital that students understand the use and importance of target key words. The preliminary explanation will then also include a short explanation of this aspect.

The searching session will be preceded by a brief explanation of keywords and topics to be searched for. Each group will receive a different search topic. Each group member will have an opportunity to search for the topic and open at least one Website that results from the search. Each group member will be assisted by the other members should they need this.

Step 5: Identifying Authorship

One of the important aspects of identifying Web information that is suitable for use as academic sources is the identification of authorship. Distinguishing academic from other types of information on the Internet is important in terms of the quality of work that students will ultimately be able to deliver. Hence, as a starting point for future development in this regard, I will ask students to see if they can identify an author for any of the Websites they have opened. If they do not find any authors, the group is to search the topic again until they find a site with a prominent author to compare with the information already found.

Other information that they should search for is whether the author has specific credentials and whether there is any contact information for the person. These criteria are then used to rate all the sites identified in terms of academic value. Students are to rate each site with a value of up to 10, with 10 being the highest quality and 1 being the lowest. This will serve as an initial basis for later learning on the requirements of academic information online.

Step 6: Paraphrasing and Quotations

In academic writing, paraphrasing and quotations are important components in the process of constructing a well-crafted document. I will therefore concentrate on these aspects, and the integration of Web resources when using the functions of paraphrasing and quotations to support research. In Step 7, students will be required to paraphrase at least one paragraph from one of their higher-quality sites. Each group member must take the opportunity to paraphrase one sentence. While the individual is working, he or she is allowed to ask for help from the rest of the group, while the group is also allowed to offer advice without being asked. The end result is then to be a well-constructed paraphrase of the paragraph in question.

Finally, students will be instructed regarding quotations, how to structure them, and how to cite them. For this activity, students are required to use their constructed paraphrase and add at least one short and one block quotation from two different sources to supplement it. The final product is to contain clear information regarding the topic that was researched. Students are therefore to use other sources than the one used for the paraphrase. The quotations can be inserted anywhere in the document; either within the document itself, at its beginning, at its end, or a combination of these. If more than two quotations are used, each is to be taken from a different resource; preferably those with a higher academic score.

For this phase, students are told that any outsider that reads the paraphrase together with the quotations should be able to understand what the topic was about. Hence, the quotations, together with the paraphrase, is to provide information about the topic researched, without copying everything from one Website.

To optimize participation, each group member is to suggest at least one quotation. The group as a whole is then to decide which quotations will work best for the final product. This will give each group member the opportunity to participate, to learn form his or her peers, and to offer assistance when this is necessary and possible. When this phase is complete, the assessment phase can begin.