Conference:
ECER 2008
Format:
Paper
Session Information
PRE_B4, Preconference; Paper Session B4
Paper Session
Time:
2008-09-08
11:00-12:30
Room:
C 105
Chair:
Girma Berhanu
Contribution
Using the internet has become a part of young people's lives. Strategies for gaining knowledge have changed based on the internet. This has had a huge impact on teaching in schools. However, not all students have the same opportunity to make use of this technology due to their knowledge, social background and living conditions. This phenomenon, based on the "knowledge-gap-hypothesis" (Tichenor, Donohue, & Olien, 1970), can be seen in many countries (OECD, 2005). It states that there is a gap in the usage of mass media between different socio-economic groups. Even though the general usage increases, people from a low socio-economic background use it to a much lower degree (Tichenor, Donohue, & Olien, 1970). In Europe, this trend is known under "digital divide" (Eurydice, 2001). In Germany, one can find this tendency especially with students who have learning difficulties and who often come from families with a low socio-economic background.
Method
A survey based on the quantitative approach has been conducted to gain a better insight in the internet use of this student group. Overall, 46 schools for students with learning difficulties and 611 students with learning difficulties in grade 9 (average 15.5 years old) participated in this survey in Lower Saxony, North Germany. This empirical study is based on a quantitative approach. All participating schools used the internet during the school day. During their lessons the students had a chance to fill in a questionnaire. The teachers sent the completed questionnaires back to the researchers. All but one school participated in the research. The questionnaire had been constructed especially for students who often show difficulties in reading and writing.
Expected Outcomes
Once these students get to know this medium, they often use it. Every 3rd student does not have a computer at home and every 5th student only gets an opportunity to use the internet in school. By using the internet, motivation increases for them to improve their reading and writing skills, e.g. by writing emails and chatting. The majority of these students use the internet as a receptive tool showing little creativity in the way they seek data on the internet (Werning & Löser in review process). The results of this study will be presented in this paper, because they point out the importance of developing an informed use of the internet within the school – especially to provide new opportunities for students. Schools must make a greater effort so that all students are taught to use the information on the internet skilfully. Using the internet in the classroom the role of the teacher changes immensely. Instead of being the expert for a topic, teachers have to be in the background supporting students gaining new skills for the use of the internet. Gaining these skills would provide an opportunity to decrease the knowledge gap. These results could be helpful for schools in other countries as to how to include all students in this general shift of learning with the internet.
References
Eurydice-Untersuchung (2001): ICT@Europe.edu: Information and Communication Technology in European Education Systems. http://www.eurydice.org/Documents/survey4/en/FrameSet.htm. [28.08.2007] Tichenor, P.J., Donohue, G.A. & Olien, C.N. (1970). Mass Media Flow and Differential Growth in Knowledge. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 34 (2), S. 159-170. OECD (2005): Are students ready for a technology-rich world? What PISA studies tell us. Paris. Werning, R. & Löser, J.M. (in review process): How students with learning difficulties make use of the internet. Results of a quantitative study in Germany.
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