California Virtual Campus

Lori Buratto
EDUI 6707
February 8, 2009

Teens and Social Learning: Geeking Out in the Virtual Classroom

Lori Buratto is a high school science teacher in eastern Washington. As a teacher for 11 years and mother/step-mother to four teenagers, she has observed the evolving media ecology of today’s adolescents. She is currently an online student at CSUEB, earning a Master’s in Science in Online Teaching and Learning.

Introduction

I have learned a few things about teenagers:
• They like to socialize.
• They like technology.
• They should not be expected to behave like miniature adults.

I concede that these are generalizations and you may know a teenager who is an exception to one or more statements. Because adolescence is such a time of intense change and growth, individuals vary drastically in terms of maturity, motivation, skill level and disposition. Online learning at the secondary level is growing in this country, but to a large extent, students who engage in virtual learning already possess many of the skills that enable their success. In Singapore, 100% of secondary schools offer online instruction (Patrick, 2008). In fact, for one week each year, schools shut down completely and all classes continue seamlessly online. The purpose of this is for disaster preparedness, so in the event a medical pandemic or natural disaster, education may continue. Mexico, China and the European Union are also moving forward in expanding access to online K-12 programs. In the United States the number of high school students taking an online class has increased by 47 percent over the last three years to more than 1 million public school students (Davis, 2009). However, there is a persistent fear that offering students full access to the Internet and promoting social learning will be fraught with danger. I submit that teens already engage in many of the behaviors associated with online learning and that educators have an obligation to provide all students with opportunities and guidance to develop skills to function appropriately and effectively as a consumer and disseminator of information through the Internet.

Media Ecology

Ten years ago, few students had cell phones and the ipod had not been invented. Twenty years ago, few families had home computers and although the Internet had been “invented,” it was not widely available to average citizens, let alone students. Nowadays, teenagers are often operating at least two digital objects simultaneously. So adept are kids at “multiprocessing,” that the digital generation may be re-wiring their own brains to be better suited to the working world of the future where things happen quickly and concurrently (Brown,2002). The presence of digital media is so ubiquitous in the lives of today’s teenagers it literally permeates, and is perhaps the fundamental infrastructure, of youth culture. Most kids have regular experience with gaming, texting, emailing and online social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Schools, on the other hand, struggle to disallow each of those things during the regular school day. In a brick and mortar school, students often use computers to conduct research or create media presentations. Most large public school districts have elaborate servers and employ IT experts who specialize in blocking student access to things like YouTube, Wikipedia and Hotmail. Yet when students are conducting research outside of school, for a class project or seeking information about something they are interested in, these are the exact tools they seek first.

Geeking out

“Geeking out” is a term used by Mizuko Ito (2008), lead researcher on the study, “Living and Learning with New Media.” Geeking out describes a situation when a young person is passionate about something and they immerse themselves in the subject, online. They gather information from multiple sites and sources and they frequently engage in conversations on message boards and blogs with experts or others who share their interest. Social interaction has become a mainstay in online coursework. Research shows that online students learn better when they discuss ideas and interact with peers (Palloff and Pratt, 2007). This interaction is largely the basis for the constructivist learning that occurs as students explore alternative perspectives, defend their ideas, probe for clarity and offer support to students whom they will possibly never meet face to face. It is not difficult to imagine that adolescent students would also benefit from these interactions. Left to their own devices, kids seek information and expertise on topics that interest them in a way that in many ways resembles social learning in a structured learning environment.

“Think about our kids less as victims and more as participants.” Ann Coller on Frontline, January 22, 2008.

Teenagers sometimes appear physically mature, but are emotionally and cognitively unique from the adults. Some of these traits will have a direct affect on the ability of the student to succeed in social learning. After age 12, individuals enter the formal operational stage when they are capable of abstract thought, logical reasoning and hypothetical speculation (Berk,2005). Self-consciousness peaks around age 14. Many teens tend to be highly idealistic and exhibit a struggle for autonomy. As online learning opportunities become more available, there will be a greater range in the cognitive and emotional development of the students enrolled. Therefore, there must be deliberate measures taken to ensure a quality learning environment for everyone:
1. Clear expectations for the quantity and quality of student posts on the discussion board – One advantage of online learning over f2f, is the capacity to draw out the reluctant learner. In a virtual classroom, every student is “heard.”
2. Clear expectations for appropriate tone, language, and content of posts — Students behave differently in the shopping mall than in school, so too shall students engage differently in an online class than they would on MySpace.
3. Community-building exercises to invoke a sense of rapport and safety in the group – Students need to feel a sense of belonging to maximize learning and promote accountability to their peers.
4. Modeling of appropriate discourse by instructor and teacher’s assistants – Ideally, peer aides who may or may not be enrolled in the course as regular students, could be charged with monitoring and facilitating dialogue on the discussion board.
5. Supervision and intervention by instructor – If a student is not participating, is consistently off-topic, or writing posts that are in any way inappropriate, the instructor would contact that student promptly and address the behavior.
6. Progressive discipline plan – Many teens test limits and there should be a plan in place for students who consciously violate the norms and expectations of the class. The first offense may be a simple conference, or conference with parent notification. The second offense may result in the student submitting posts to the instructor before they will be allowed on the discussion board. The intention is to catch students quickly if they stumble so they may be propped up to try again. At the same time, no student should be allowed to steal the education of another student.

Conclusion

Considering the technological changes that have occurred just since the millennium, it is time to promote a new literacy model for secondary students in the 21st century. Certainly, reading, writing and computing are still relevant skills, but now students must also be able to navigate the global network of information to retrieve information efficiently and apply it appropriately (Brown,2002). Social learning should also be incorporated into the new literacy as the number of online courses increase and opportunities for information exchange flourish. Many students will learn intuitively and naturally thrive in this environment, but for others skill development will need deliberate guidance. Providing direction and counsel to students as they participate in online social learning sets them up for success and empowers them to participate in true collaboration and learning.

References

Berk, L. E. (2005). Infants, Children, and Adolescents (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Brown, J. S. (2002). “Growing up Digital: How the Web Changes Work, Education, and the Ways People Learn.” USDLA Journal Retrieved January 31, 2009, from http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/FEB02_Issue/article01.html

Coller, A. (2008) “Growing up Online” PBS Program, Frontline, aired on January 22, 2008 retrieved February 7, 2009 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/

Davis, M.(2009) “Online Course-Taking Shows Dramatic Growth.” Digital Directions. January 26, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009 from http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2009/01/26/04onlinestudy.h02.html?qs=online&print=1

Ito, M. et al. (2008) “Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project”. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning, November 2008. Retrieved on February 3, 2009 from http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/files/report/digitalyouth-WhitePaper.pdf

Palloff, R. and K. Pratt. (2007) Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom 2nd Ed. Retrieved February 1, 2009 from http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/51/07879882/0787988251.pdf

Patrick, S. (2008) “Online Teaching and Learning Interview Transcript.” Education Week. September 26, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2009 from http://www.edweek.org/chat/transcript_09_26_08.html?r=1035315660