Evaluation
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This transformative unit will be rolled out in one of the computer classes that I teach while the other class will be my control group. I will use the same teacher-directed materials and activities as in previous years for the control group. Both groups will receive a pre-survey and a post-survey as a means of measuring understanding. Both groups will also be given the reflective essay as a final project. Only the experimental group will be given the video segment assignment as there are constraints on the number of students that can utilize the video production facilities as well as time constraints on when that area is available for use. The experimental group will be chosen based on which of the two class periods falls during the available time period for utilizing the video production facilities.
The pre-survey will be questions relating directly to the topic area. Questions will be used to ascertain the student’s self-knowledge of vocabulary, topics, definitions and other fact-based areas contained within the unit. The post-survey for each class will also be identical, but will be specifically directed at determining the personal impact the unit had on the student’s knowledge of the topics covered and then on the level of understanding that each student gained. These are two totally different questions. Because it is possible for a student to know about digital reputations and not truly understand them, I will formulate a questions that will require the student to transfer their understanding of digital reputations to another topic area. This will be one of the specific measures for determining the difference between knowing and understanding.
Also important to the post-survey in determining the level of understanding is the language used in the students' responses. I will be looking for differences between the two groups’ use of the first person versus the third person. Looking closely at how the students explain their answers in the surveys will help me to determine if they personalized and internalized the information. There is a big difference between saying “You would feel bad if someone said that online” and “I would feel terrible if I knew that what I said about someone online made them feel that way". The transference from third person to first person is significant in determining the impact of the unit. This transference is something that I will also be looking for in both class' reflection papers. If there was a significant change in understanding, it should show a greater first person association in the experimental group than in the control group.
Subjectively, I will be using observation as another means of measuring the impact of this unit. I want to see if there is a measured change in student engagement in the activities between the two classes. This will be determined by the number of students who are actively participating in the activities versus the number who are not actively participating. I will consider any student not on task, not participating, being disruptive or not focused for a period of 2-3 minutes as not actively participating. I will tally these instances for a period of one week, the same week, for both classes. This should give me a snapshot of engagement differences between the two classes.