Primary and Early Years > Technology > Multimedia/animation

P7: The use of multi-media to help Year 3 and 4 students understand the evaluation and editing of their own work
Author: Lucy Jayes, Class Teacher, The Cape Primary School, Sandwell
Date: 2005

Summary

The research sought to investigate how using ICT could improve students' evaluation and editing techniques and give them a greater understanding of the value of doing so. The class in question were very poor at evaluating their own and each others' work, judging it by quantity rather than quality and relying excessively on the teacher for any more sophisticated evaluation. Findings suggest that the ICT techniques employed resulted in an improvement in students' evaluation ability, promoting independent learning and reducing demand for teacher time.

Actions

A group of six students were closely observed by the teacher and the learning assistant during their creative writing lessons. In these lessons, students alternated between writing their work by hand, on the computer, and using a computer program that can speak back what they have written.

Outcomes

In reflective discussions, the teacher and the learning assistant concluded that the capacity to read and hear their work gives students a new perspective, from which they are more able to evaluate their own and each others' work, relying less on the teacher and promoting more independent and peer learning.

When writing on the computers, the children were constantly going back and rereading what they had written far more than they do when working with pen and paper. In addition, when using a program which speaks back what is written, children listened to what they had written and were then able to correct mistakes and make improvements for themselves.

The author concludes that this promotes independent learning and reduces demand for teacher time. "Before," reflects the teacher, "I had got the impression that they did have some good ideas and thoughts but as soon as they had recorded them on paper they would bring it to me to 'sort it out for them.' Using this particular word processing tool which 'speaks', they were able to have much more control over the editing and evaluation process so they understood the process of it a lot better."

> Download this research: PDF - Microsoft Word