Engaging academically at risk primary school students in an ICT mediated after school program

Abstract

This case study documents how a group of 14 academically at risk Primary 5 students (11 year olds) were engaged in academic related tasks in an after school program mediated by a 3-D Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE). Although there was no significant difference in the students' academic performance, they were found to be more engaged in the learning tasks and had acquired a range of information and communication technology (ICT) skills. At the start of the program students attended irregularly, but this improved gradually over the weeks, and other Primary 5 students were attracted to enrol in the program. The planned schedule of the after school program and the 3-D MUVE provided the structures and online learning environment to engage these students. This paper reports on the after school program from the perspectives of the students and teachers, emphasising its context, that is, the school setting. The main finding suggests that the role of ICT has to go beyond the role of a mediating tool. It has to entice these students to be first interested in the virtual learning environment and subsequently in the content embedded within this environment. Thus ICT becomes a means to an end as well as an end by itself, in this process of engaging students. This finding has design implications especially for the use of ICT to engage academically at risk students. IntroductionStudents' academic achievements in many countries have always been measured in terms of test scores, grades in high stakes paper and pencil tests, and other forms of assessments. Assessment is an important process in teaching and learning as it is not only a form of feedback to students, it is also a form of accountability to the other stakeholders -parents and political leaders -about the quality of the educational system. However, it is common to observe that there is a small percentage of students who constantly are not performing up to the expected standards. They often run the risk of giving up in school and worse, their own learning. This is particularly detrimental when it happens to students who are still in their elementary levels (Girod, Martineau & Zhao, 2004;Margolis & McCabe, 2006). Some may argue that these students may have some forms of learning disability or difficulty. However, in the Singapore school system, students with disabilities are usually channelled to special schools and programs for further assistance. Factors such as students' motivation and their socio-economic status usually account for students' poor academic performance in the mainstream schools (see Quah, Sharpe, Lim & Heng, 1999; and Mukhopadhaya, 2003 for Singapore Education Policy and possible 522 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2008, 24(5) factors affecting students' academic achievements). Although the socio-economic status of these students is beyond the control of the schools, schools have a social responsibility to reach out to these academically at risk students using new and innovative ways to engage them in learning and school re...

The Types of Ict in Efl Classroom: Constructive Communicative and Collaborative Tools of Urban Vocational High School in Majalengka

“…Lim and Tay (2003) mentioned that there are 5 types of ICT. Information and Communication Technology consists of various tools and systems that can be exploited by capable and creative teachers to improve teaching and learning situations there are Informative Tools, Situating Tools, Constructive Tools, Communicative Tools, and Collaborative Tools.…”