Module 3: English - Use of software and comprehension strategies

Online learning environments

The Australian Curriculum promotes using strategies to interpret, analyse and synthesise ideas and information while critiquing ideas and issues from a variety of textual sources (Australian Curriculum, 2015). This is challenging to achieve. Growing up with digital platforms does not mean learners know how to select reliable information. Search engines often overwhelm learners with millions of results. Consequently, students are satisfied with initial results, do not think critically about their searches, and select inappropriate information (Combes, 2009). Many learners choose Google as a search engine. Teaching them search techniques is part of digital literacy development, a fundamental component of digital citizenship (Wheeler, 2015).

Activity: Using Google vs other search tools

1. Ask students to make further inquiries into liveability of places (i.e. community services such as quality of water). Conduct a Google search using the search term, ‘water pollution in _______’ (depending on country researched) before recording number of returns.

2. Complete a ‘SWOT’ analysis of Google. Click here to access the organiser. Discuss as a class, particularly weaknesses and threats.

3. Discuss alternative search engines like Kiddle. Also try Google Advanced Search, experimenting with filters like ‘site or domain’ box that eliminates commercial websites. Explore subscription encyclopedias available. These services offer reliable information while catering to reading levels. Speak to library staff about how to use these services.

Evaluating websites

Even when students use search engine filters, this still does not guarantee resources are appropriate. Before making final selections, learners should assess reliability and usability. They need to identify inaccurate and misleading information, checking for authority and currency (21st Century learning whitepaper, 2009). Contrary to popular belief, students struggle to find relevant and suitable websites. Consequently, learners have difficulty engaging with content due to poor understandings of source reliability (Hague & Payton, 2010).

Watch: CRAP method of Web Evaluation (BMS LMC, 2016, March 17).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h7BLuH6fHs

Activity: evaluating websites

Discuss the video. After locating a website, ask students to complete a website evaluation form here. In pairs, have students discuss reliability, usefulness, presentation, accessibility, and whether they would use it.

Authentic learning experiences, copyright, fair dealing and source attribution

Students need to synthesise information and demonstrate deep understandings to achieve authentic learning. Lack of understandings causes plagiarism (i.e. ‘cut and paste’ culture and lack of source attribution). Combat plagiarism by teaching effective note taking skills and synthesis of information by paraphrasing (Williamson & McGregor, 2011). Teaching for understanding helps learners avoid plagiarism while crediting ideas of authors (Williamson & McGregor, 2011). Under copyright law, fair dealing in education allows students to use copyright material for educational purposes provide sources are properly attributed (Center for Media and Social Impact, n.d.).

Activity: Note taking and tracking online and print information sources

Ask students to read about water pollution from selected resources carefully before completing the note taking grid here answering in point form. Learners need to record sources as they write to help them publish a bibliography.

Collaborative learning, creative commons and bibliography writing

Students spend a lot of time online. Paper is not necessarily the best way to share work in an environment where information may need updating quickly. Also, learners will be working in the 21st century where collaboration is the norm (Richardson, 2008). Teamwork is essential in the 21st century work environment (Acedo & Hughes, 2014). As such we need to provide collaborative, team work opportunities.

Watch: “Share with others in Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides” (Google Help, 2014, December 11) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25CtYkqamIA

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for students

Standard 7 calls for global collaboration where students use collaborative technology to work with others including peers (ISTE, 2019). The activity below provides opportunities for your students to engage in this process.

Show: This bibliography presentation to your students. Click here.

Activity: Google documents for collaboration

Divide class into teams of four and create google documents for each with editing rights. Ask teams to write information reports using information from their note taking grids. Students must write authentically and include a bibliography with correctly attributed sources. They should include images found online with appropriate licensing permissions. Students then apply a creative commons license to their work before then posting a shareable URL to an online forum such as Padlet. Before beginning, view this interactive artefact here covering the following information:

• Creative Commons: locating images with usage rights permissions and applying permissions to own works

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