1. Project Background |
2. Literacy Samples |
3. Conditions of e-learning |
What particular contexts support literacy teaching and learning in e-learning contexts?
Identify conditions of learning that provided benefits/opportunities afforded by of each particular e-learning context.
Student Owned Blogs
A blog is defined as a Web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web site (Source: http://dictionary.reference.com)
| E-learning Affordance | Effect/Impact on Literacy Role |
Evidence |
| Audience - In publishing their work online, students had a genuine audience. Their audience included the teacher, peers and, for some, family. There was a sense that in publishing their work online it was a "published" document that could be viewed by anyone. All students were encouraged to make their blog "open" and therefore viewable by anyone. |
Students who published written work online (compared to students who wrote essays by hand) were more likely to read one another’s work. The effect of this is an increased exposure to student examples and exemplars.
There was also a sense that in making their work public and by it being "published" online, the "stakes were raised" and students felt pressure to take more care - "knowing other people are going to look at your work makes you do it better, more carefully".
This positively impacted on how they operated as a Code Breaker, Text Participant and Text User in the sense that they were doing so publicly and also in that they were able to access examples of how others were fulfilling these roles. |
1 – “I tend to read other peoples’ one but I don’t actually comment on it because I don’t want to-“ Source: AGGS students Jun30 2 152 Transcript
V – That’s cool. Have you been looking at others’ blogs? Cos one of the things that came up last time was- 1 – Sometimes yeah. 2 – Yeah. Source: AGGS Yr11 students Jun 30 1 151 Transcript
I have only been on the wiki once before to type my two essays up but I will look at the others and make some comments when I have the chance, when we haven’t got mountains of work to do. Source: AGGS Students V1-1
I think that having the pressure and knowing other people are going to look at your work makes you do it better, more carefully. Source: AGGS Students V1-1
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Ownership - The Blogger accounts were created by the students and remained student owned. Also the writing that they produced remained a part of their own writing portfolio. Students did not have to hand over or give away their work.
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Students had a sense of producing something they owned. The blogs were set up and owned by the student, with some students still publishing their writing two years after the project has finished. As the student states "It is also cool having your own blog." The student owned the blog. For several students the blog became an online writing portfolio, with a number of students maintaining the blog well beyond the end of the project, signalling that the student saw this as their blog, and their portfolio to continue using.
The sense of ownership that students felt, encouraged them as both Text Participant and Text User, as students had a sense of reponsibilty and pride that came with the greater sense of ownership.
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I like it, think it is a good idea. Lots of people use the Internet. If I just write it out I will usually use Word anyway, with spell check as well. It is easier not having to print it out or anything. It is also cool having your own blog. Source: AGGS Students V1-1
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| Editing (soft) - As writing remained "online" at all times, the work was always in soft copy (rather than printed on paper or hard copy). This meant that writing was easy to edit and revise at any point. |
Students who published written work online (compared to students who write essays by hand) were more likely to act upon feedback/next steps. No students who completed their essays by hand chose to redraft and resubmit their essays, whereas several of the students who completed their writing online made a habit of redrafting and resubmitting their essays.
Several students commented on the ability to use online editing tools such as “spell check” which enabled them to more effectively proofread and edit their work. Students also commented about the ease with which they could restructure and re-order their paragraphs and ideas. They also felt that they could more easily add to their ideas. They also appreciated that they could save drafts that they came back to later and could continue to work on them until they were ready to “publish”.
Each of these aspects definitely impacted on the way that students operated as a Code Breaker and as a Text User. As a Code Breaker online editing tools such "spell check" would have enhanced their ability to spell accurately. Also, the ability to edit and re-edit with the click of a button increase the students ability and willingness to restructure and revise their writing.
As illustrated here "sometimes I’ll add a new sentence if I need a link them together. Like if I’ve ?? something. But it’s just, cos I’m a really lazy writer that’s why. Like if I was doing it on paper I wouldn’t be bothered to cross it all out and put an arrow and then write down cos I get confused cos my writing’s really messy as well so I just find it easier to like to edit on the computer".
and here " it’s much easier to like copy it and move it into the other one, instead of like if you write it on paper then it’s like a mission. 2 – Yeah. ?? like you could write it, you spell the word, you know it, but if you’re on the computer it tells you that’s not the way to spell it so..." |
2 – The reason I really like using the computers is because on Word you can edit, it had it on spelling check. I’m a terrible speller so I’d probably spend 90% of the time just typing up everything and then the 10% will just be re-reading it and I run, really actually look for spelling mistakes and things like that. 1 – Yeah I very rarely look for spelling mistakes, I only really know spelling when the little red lines?? Then I can ?? oh I’ve spelt that wrong. Source: AGGS students Jun30 2 152 Transcript
1 – Even if you write something in some paragraph, then you can, it’s much easier to like copy it and move it into the other one, instead of like if you write it on paper then it’s like a mission. 2 – Yeah. ?? like you could write it, you spell the word, you know it, but if you’re on the computer it tells you that’s not the way to spell it so... Source: AGGS students jun30 3 154 Transcript
1 – And sometimes I’ll add a new sentence if I need a link them together. Like if I’ve ?? something. But it’s just, cos I’m a really lazy writer that’s why. Like if I was doing it on paper I wouldn’t be bothered to cross it all out and put an arrow and then write down cos I get confused cos my writing’s really messy as well so I just find it easier to like to edit on the computer. Source: AGGS Yr11 students Jun 30 1 151 Transcript
3 – I just like shade in and I’d probably, the thing about saving as I, I can even do it at school on the school computers. Like all my practising and ??. If I redo it again and again I always find that I’ve, my sentences don’t make sense, so it’s like if I do it on the computer it’s easier to change so I can just delete the whole sentence and just write it again. Source: AGGS Yr11 students Jun 30 1 151 Transcript
I like it, think it is a good idea. Lots of people use the Internet. If I just write it out I will usually use Word anyway, with spell check as well. It is easier not having to print it out or anything. It is also cool having your own blog. Source: AGGS Students V1-2
I also have some drafts on the computer. When I posted some essays on my blog I did some different drafts to see which one was better. It saves straight away which is another real bonus, as you don’t have to remember to save it all the time. Source: AGGS Students V1-1
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Publishing - Unlike a traditional practice essay that is only viewed by the student and the teacher, the practice essay written as a blog was a public, published piece of writing that was open to the world.
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How students define themselves as “authors”, due to the fact that students “publish” their work online, students view themselves as authors.
This of course impacts on how the student operates as a Code Breaker as "having the pressure and knowing other people are going to look at your work makes you do it better, more carefully" and also how they are empowered as a Text User in that there role is shifted from student to one of "author".
This is reinforced in the work of Gail Loane "Much more than a skill, writing is the creativity of each child making itself known through the role of author" - from I've Got Something to Say (on authorship)
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I think that having the pressure and knowing other people are going to look at your work makes you do it better, more carefully. Source: AGGS Students V1-1 |
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Ubiquitous access - As the work is written and published online, the student, teacher and peers can access the writing 24/7. Unlike traditional modes of writing and submission where a single piece of writing is created by the student and then handed to the teacher and then often lost or misplaced, the blog is available for anyone to view and read simultaneously and it can be revised at any point by the student and can be viewed and feedback van be made via the comment box at anytime by anyone.
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Students had 24/7 access to their blogs, and were able to draft and submit their written work whenever they liked. Online writers were better at meeting deadlines and often completed their work well before deadlines. This enabled them to receive feedback and improve upon their work. "And it is a faster and quicker way, rather than waiting until the next day you can hand it in straight away – as soon as you have done it." Students who completed their work by hand were more likely to miss deadlines.
Ubiquitous access was definitely an enabler for the Text Participant "I usually forget to bring it if I write it on paper, but if I can email it or whatever straight away I don’t have to remember to bring it. That’s good." |
I usually forget to bring it if I write it on paper, but if I can email it or whatever straight away I don’t have to remember to bring it. That’s good. Source: AGGS Students V1-2
So you can choose your times? 1 - Yea, and because you don’t have to write things down twice, you can just write your draft out and then type it out easily. 2 - And it is a faster and quicker way, rather than waiting until the next day you can hand it in straight away – as soon as you have done it. Source: AGGS Students V1-1
I used it cos I just got home after writing two essays and was really tired and my hand was cramping. I couldn’t be bothered writing it all up again and then finding Miss Amos so I just typed it online. Source: AGGS Students V1-1
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| Increased Self-efficacy - Students were enabled (by access to online tools and resources) to act more independently of the teacher and could more easily source their own information and better equipped to edit their own writing through the use of tools such as "spell check". |
Using online environments supported some student self-directed literacy practices. Students were able to work at their own pace, and had immediate access to online resources to support their writing.
This undoubted enhanced their role as a Text User and Code Breaker in that the opportunities for "self-efficacy" were increased by the ease of access to online resources such as online newspapers and encyclopedias and online tools such as "spell-check".
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2 – I’m, just being ??. Yeah. Practising heaps and being able to research things easier because when you’re writing it on paper you kind of have to, if you are going to get something on computer you’re going to have to go onto it anyway, but having written it on a computer then you’re- Source: AGGS Yr11 students Jun 30 1 151 Transcript
1 – And this also had links that are related to the topic. 2 – Yeah that’s the other thing. Source: AGGS Yr11 students Jun 30 1 151 Transcript
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| Longevity - Unlike individual handwritten essays, the essays written on the blog became part of an ongoing writing portfolio. The writing is automatically organised in chronological manner. The account is permanent, unless cancelled by the owner of the account. This means the writing maybe be kept for several years, allowing the teacher and the student easy access to a long term portfolio of writing which can be used to map development of writing skills and easy access to material for revision purposes. |
Students developed an on-going writing portfolio that allowed both the student and teacher to map development in their writing throughout the year. Few students who completed the work by hand kept their writing, or had access to their writing when it came to exam revision. The screen shot to the left shows how easily students could access several months of writing at the “click of a button”. There writing is archived in chronological order and allowed easy access throughout the year and makes them easy to access in the lead up to exams (for the purpose of revision).
The longevity or long term development of writing that was enhanced by writing online impacted on the students role of Text User. They could more easily retain and reflect on the artifacts created as a Text User, over time.
The second screen shot to the right shows a student still using her blog to publish her writing two years after the project began. |
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Wikis
A wiki is defined as a Web site that allows anyone to add, delete, or revise content by using a web browser. (Source: http://dictionary.reference.com)
| E-learning Affordance | Effect | Evidence |
| Ubiquitous access - a wiki is website that allows teachers and student 24/7 access to resources, activities and web links that can provide extension, support and greater range of material differentiated for readiness, learning style and interest. |
Students commented on the benefits of being able to access extra resources which could be used at any time. The made the comment that they could access it at any time and that it “fits in with everything else you are doing”, thus allowing school work to be more seamlessly integrated into home life. They found it faster to access information and the ubiquitous access to resources “really helpful”.
This had the potential to impact on the way that the student operated as a Text User and as Text Analyst as students working online has greater access to a wider range of resources and points of view (particularly when preparing their opinions and points of view for formal writing). |
2 – I like it when it’s really clear and basic, like the notes and stuff, so yeah I just find that really helpful, useful. Source: AGGS students jun30 3 154 Transcript
2 – Miss Amos put a, posted copies of powerpoints on our blog thing, on the ?? blog so then you could access that thing, our study then. Source: AGGS Yr11 students Jun 30 1 151 Transcript
V: How useful have you found having the wiki? 1 - It is really useful because you don’t have to write things on your hands. 2 - And it is also great because you can go on Beebo at the same time as the wiki at home. 1 - It fits in with everything else you are doing. Source: AGGS Students V1-1
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Self-efficacy - as support and extension resources were available online, students were in a better position to assist their own learning and potentially able to "self-differentiate" according to their personal interests or needs. |
Students who worked online appreciated the ability to access “lost” notes. For example, "we said put up study links there, so like maybe if Miss gave you a paper saying what you had to do, if you lost it you can just on the site and go use it. So it’s easy access, faster"
The resources and support that students could access through documents and web links provided on the class wiki had the potential to increase the student's confidence as a Text User. Also with the wiki being web-based it meant that students could access limitless amounts of information about the topics they were writing which would have encouraged students to be Text Analysts as well. |
Student 1 – “The blogging sites, like we said put up study links there, so like maybe if Miss gave you a paper saying what you had to do, if you lost it you can just on the site and go use it. So it’s easy access, faster.” Source: AGGS students Jun30 2 152 Transcript
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1. Project Background |
2. Literacy Samples |
3. Conditions of e-learning |