Abstract
This paper reports on classroom-based research that was designed to monitor the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in a teacherguided collaborative online learning context to encourage students’ critical response to literary texts. The study investigates the premise that an ICT project where children read books and then use email communication to exchange responses with other learners will support critical thinking. Videos of classroom observations, journals and rap sheets were analysed for individual students’ levels of critical awareness. Improvements in critical thinking were measured using linguistic analysis. Teachers and students were also interviewed for attitudes to technology use related to learning. Although there were gains in critical thinking, there was little student engagement with technology. The discussion problematises the integration of technology in the classroom through a repositioning of collaboration in a blended learning context known as book raps.Keywords: blended learning; critical thinking; collaboration; e-learning; linguistic analysis; readingDOI: 10.1080/09687769.2010.492846
Highlights
This paper is an evaluative study of technology use in learning and teaching in a primary school setting in Australia
The impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on student learning is critiqued through a close analysis of a collaborative online learning community (COLC) that supports the authentic integration of technology with literacy
Benchmarking initial critical awareness To set up an initial measure of the level of critical awareness students had at the beginning of the rap, data were collected from their first rap point task
Summary
This paper is an evaluative study of technology use in learning and teaching in a primary school setting in Australia. It demonstrates the link between research and good practice that is created when practitioners and researchers join to investigate how technology can meet strategic learning goals. In order to document the impact of ICT technology on teaching practice, a study by Schibeci et al (2008) proposed a pedagogic framework. Their framework proposes four stages of development towards critical pedagogy: (1) Where’s the ON button?, (2) Black Line mastery, (3) Routine student use, and (4) What’s in the curriculum? Teachers’ shift in critical awareness of the ICT adopted in their literacy programme will be read from a critical perspective
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