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Michael Pieter Yeong - Research Abstract
Abstract of research proposal for the integration of technology into a developmental
reading, writing, and critical thinking course at Los Medanos College (revised) Spring 2004 and Fall 2004
My project will integrate one, possibly two types of computer-based technology into a developmental reading, writing, and critical thinking course with the goals of:
- enhancing student learning
- increasing students’ critical thinking and problem solving
skills
- studying the effects of each technology on student
learning
This study will explore how technology can be used to enhance the critical reading skills of students enrolled in a developmental course. Unpracticed at reading literarily, developmental students only interpret texts literally. In other words, they do not grasp the deeper meaning of the texts they encounter. This surface interpretation prevents students from analyzing the symbolic and figurative meanings that most good literature contains. One important element of literary analysis is character study which often enhances an appreciation of the textual work. In my courses, developmental students have learned to form visual images of the text to make concrete some of the abstract ideas in the reading material.
Because my courses are hybrids and use Blackboard my students are familiar with this course portal. As part of the course work, students will design and create power point slides to reflect various aspects of character analysis. Students will also design and create an Inspiration character analysis map, using Inspiration 6.0 software.
I have already experimented with ways to link teaching critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation with the use of technology.
Hopefully through the effective use of technology coupled with the study of literary analysis, in particular character study, developmental students will gain a deeper appreciation for reading literarily by entering into a dialogue with the characters in the text.
This study aims to answer two questions:
- What effect does integrating a specific type of technology, namely a power point, presentation--have on helping developmental students become proficient at character analysis?
- How can technology increase developmental students' level of engagement with the subject matter and thus reduce student attrition?
Approach: Data sources and methods
- Each week students will be given a handout on a specific character trait of a character from the novel “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.
- Several class projects, both individual and group, on character analysis will be assigned.
- Students will be divided into three or more groups, each group will use the same type of technological approach to design and create their projects.
- Students will be given writing assignments that focus on a specific character from the novel. Ex. Write a narrative from the point of view of a minor character in the novel.
Ex. Write an ending for the story “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”,
All groups will do a character study of three majors characters from the course novel. All learning and teaching experiences will take place during two college semesters.
Assessment
Although a number of assessments will be used throughout the course, only the three described below will be used to collect data for this project.
A teacher developed assessment will be administered at the beginning of the semester to collect baseline data about student knowledge of character analysis. This assessment will consist of two parts. The first part will include multiple-choice, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank questions designed to test students’ knowledge of character analysis. The second part will ask students to apply their knowledge of character analysis to a set of readings passages. The same assessment will be administered as a post test.
I will locate an instrument designed to assess student engagement. This will be administrated as a pre and post test. Because student attrition rate is higher in courses that don’t hold their interest, I will analyze student attendance, retention, and attrition patterns and compare them to similar courses in the current and previous semesters.
Primary Data to be collected:
- On going students email about course work and character development
- Student created character sheet outlining various fictional character traits
- All power point slides of students work
- A power point electronic portfolio of students semester work
- Final written survey of students self-assessment of their understanding of character analysis.
http://www3.losmedanos.edu/engl20/index.html
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