Inquiry Project Proposal
Jenifer Giroux, RI College Outreach Programs
I am interested in pursuing the answer to this question as a result of seeing the benefits of using technology in the classroom but in not being able to give a definitive answer as to how technology impacts the performance of the learners. Technology in various forms has been incorporated into my English as a second language curriculum for the past 3 years. There are strong advantages to using computers, software, the Internet, and video in the classroom; I would like to pinpoint exactly what those advantages are and to be able to comprehensively assess what the students have gained in the classroom. With the New Standards being implemented in the classroom and the use of rubrics to assess student ability I feel this is the perfect opportunity for me to evaluate quantitatively what specific skills student acquire as a result of technology in the classroom.
My goal in pursuing the answer to this problem is two-fold. First, I want the students to have a clear list of course objectives and competencies gained as a result of the class. Often course descriptions are vague and students arenıt sure what is expected of them or what they can expect to gain from the course. Increasing English language proficiency will always be the main goal of my class but implementing new teaching techniques and methods is necessary to give the students the tools they need to be successful. Secondly, I want to prepare my students for the workplace as much as possible. One of the primary goals of my students is to procure and maintain gainful employment. Incorporating technology into the ESL classroom can not only help students improve their English proficiency but also gives them exposure to technology and the computer skills that they may need in the workplace.
The class that I teach is called Computer Assisted English Language Learning (CAELL). This class is divided into 3 levels, Low Beginner - Beginner, High Beginner Low Intermediate, Low Intermediate High Intermediate. Each class is open entry/open exit and lasts 20 weeks for 20 hours per week. The following is a timeline I would follow if given the opportunity to pursue the answer to this problem. Any student entering any of my classes in October or November would participate in my research project. This would give me the opportunity to measure their progress through the entire 20-week period.
Timeline
October/November Design a questionnaire/evaluation that will be given to students upon entrance into the program. In addition to a pre-test that measures their level of English Language Proficiency upon entering the course. This questionnaire will consist of questions to discover studentıs attitudes towards using computers, current level of computer literacy, whether or not they have a computer at home or regular access to a computer, have they used the Internet before, etc.Design a Rubric that clearly states what competencies students are expected to gain as a result of taking this course.
Begin using rubrics as a method of evaluation in all lesson plans.
As soon as the project begins I will keep a journal to record my observations and student reactions and performance.
Introduce the SCANS Skills to the class and have the students aware of what our goals are for the class.
December/January I will interview each student individually to discuss progress in the class, attitude regarding using the computer, my assessment of their progress in the class, and any concerns or insights they may have regarding their learning.
February/ March Have the students develop questionnaires/interview questions of their own regarding what they have learned. I envision this as being a group project where one group of students interview another group of students and then report their findings to the class and vice versa.
April/May Each student will write a review of a software program or Web-site that they found particularly interesting or helpful. They will have to explain why they liked it and what they learned from it. A class project will be to compile all of the reviews into a booklet for the class and other classes.
May/June Each student will be post-tested and then I will meet with each student individually to review his/her progress in the class, review the studentıs intake questionnaire with them, discuss their current attitude regarding technology and their view of what they learned in the course, and finally, evaluate the studentıs overall success in the class using the rubric designed at the beginning of the research project.
I will continually evaluate my progress by reflecting on my class observations via the class journal that I will be keeping. I currently team teach with another instructor, whom I am in constant communication with, which will allow me to get input and feedback on the progress of my research project. I will also use the rubrics to evaluate the studentıs progress as well as the effectiveness of my lessons. The individual interviews with the students will also help me gauge the effectiveness of this project.
Currently, when a student finishes the CAELL class the pre and post test scores are reported to the director, the instructors of any other classes the students may be enrolled in, the instructor of a training program they may be entering, and the agency who is funding his/ her classroom activities. As a result of this research project I will include the questionnaires as well as the student generated questionnaires. The booklet of student reviews of web-sites and software programs will be shared with the other instructors as well as students in other classes.Budget
All of the material (Computers, Software, Internet access, etc.) needed to complete this project will be supplied by The Outreach Programs. The time I will need to spend on the project will be the greatest expenditure. I will have to make arrangements for a substitute to come in to cover my classes while I attend the group meetings. I anticipate that I will need approximately 2-3 hours a week to develop the questionnaire, record my observations, create rubrics, and meet with students individually. Additional time will also be needed to document my findings and share the results of my project with my colleagues.to Jennifer's interim report, February, 2001
back to inquiry main page