Collaborative Unit on Digital Citizenship

Instructional Technology Practicum

Aaron T. Cleveland (In collaboration with Dan Woschitz)

Fall 2015

Collaboration and Topic Selection:

Dan Woschitz is a Business and Computer Education teacher at Apalachee High School. He has taught this subject for many years and I sought him to collaborate with on a digital citizenship unit because of his experience with the topic and subject. At the time he was approached about this collaborative unit, he taught three classes of computer and business education, two entry level courses typically offered to freshman and sophomores and one upper level class with mainly seniors.

I approached him in person about the subject of digital citizenship toward the end of August. He told me that he had already completed a unit on digital citizenship, however, there were some components that he had left out, which included digital commerce. From there discussed information I needed for the assignment and he also suggested the use of some resources that he had used in the past. Documentation of the collaboration is below:

Topic: Digital Commerce

Goal: Increase awareness as to the risks of conducting transactions using the internet.

Over the course of a couple weeks, a learner analysis was conducted and material were collected. The students were to complete the unit via a Google site created for the module (tinyurl.com/digitalcom).

Target Audience:

The audience is composed of students at Apalachee High School taking an Introduction to Business and Technology course. The students are typically in 9th and 10th grade, whose ages range from 14-18. The total number of students currently enrolled in the course is 53. The students that were participants in the course subjected to the Digital Commerce unit are representative of the population of the students of Apalachee High School. The most recent school demographics are located in the table below1:

Problem Identification and Analysis:

Part of the standards for the Business and Computer Education course at Apalachee High School has standards that encompass standards that the state of Georgia has for introductory courses in the Technology Career and Digital Technology cluster2. Within those standards, are competencies pertaining to digital citizenship and the recognition of digital responsibility and using digital tool and resources to make informed decisions. Over the course of discussion and collaborations with the instructor of the course, Dan Woschitz, the teacher identified a felt need, or, desire for the students to improve awareness on that specific topic. Woschitz determined that the students had been instructed and made aware of other forms of digital citizenship, such as law, etiquette, and health, but identified digital commerce as a topic not covered in his course. A survey was conducted to identify learner’s knowledge and awareness of digital commerce. As part of this survey, learner demographics and attitudes toward the content was collected as well. The survey is located in the appendix.

1 http://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/school-demographics.html2 http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Documents/Introduction-to-Digital-Technology.pdf

Four specific questions in the survey identified awareness and experience with digital commerce. The data are below in the forms of histograms.

I have personally purchased items online. (Mean = 3.01)

I’m very comfortable with purchasing items online. (Mean = 3.20)

For the most part, I’ve had a positive or successful experience with purchasing items online. (Mean = 3.39)

I’m aware of specific risks in purchasing items. (Mean = 3.89)

It should be noted that for the last question, several of the students that answered that they “strongly agreed” or “agreed” they were aware of specific risks of buying items online, actually could not identify any specific risks. Some of the answers included “none”, “might order to (sic) many of the same thing.” Other answers suggested general understanding of risks, but less specific answers on what risks. Overall 32% of the respondents answered neutral or they disagreed that they understood the risks.

Coupled with the inaccurate answers about knowledge regarding risk facts and the number of learners that shared they were neutral or disagreed that they knew about risks of buying items online, as well the number of students that hadn’t bought an item online, there was a lack of knowledge prior to the unit on digital commerce that students were unaware of tips for buying online and risks for buying online. Therefore, the felt need that Woschitz had of his students and their lack of knowledge as it pertained to digital commerce was justified.

Instructional Goals:

Instructor To improve student awareness in digital citizenship, specifically digital commerce To develop a universally designed instruction that incorporates the needs of various

learners in Business and Computer Education at Apalachee High School. To develop an instructional module to provide a variety of resources and assessments in

the content area of digital commerce.

Student Student will identify digital commerce Student will analyze tips for buying online Students will explain through written text, audio file, or web 2.0 tool, safety tips for

buying items online Students will analyze risks for buying items online Students will explain through written text, audio file, or web 2.0 tool, risks of buying

items online Student analyze facts about digital commerce

Students will identify through text, audio file, or web 2.0 tool, facts they found interesting about digital commerce.

Learner Analysis

The targeted audience is all students taking the Business and Computer Education course in the fall of 2015 at Apalachee High School. The typical age range of these students is 14-18. The most current demographic, which is for all grades of the high school serves as a reflection of the students in the Business and Computer Education course and is located in the table below. Information regarding demographics was collected from the Barrow County School System website. Other relevant information regarding the learners was collected from a survey administered prior to the digital commerce unit and the instructor of the course, Dan Woschitz.

Entry Skills and Prior Knowledge

There are no prerequisite courses necessary to take Business and Computer Education at Apalachee High School

Ability to conduct internet searches using computers Demonstrate computer literacies such as typing skills and the use of an operating system Practice with Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Drive, Google

Presentation, Google Docs Use of Youtube for videos

A survey was given to all students in the Business and Computer Education Course at Apalachee High School in the fall of 2015. The survey consisted of 12 statements in which the students were to rate on a scale of 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Three of the items were responses that required a “yes” or “no”, one required to the students to choose what grade they were in, and one item that required students to expand their thoughts and ideas of a previous item.

Grade Level of Student

Prior Knowledge of Basic Computer Skills

The data showed that most students (73.3%) had not taken a computer course in high school. This is not surprising because the course is the introductory course into the career pathway and is typically offered to incoming freshman. Despite the lack of a computer course in high school, most of the students reported that they had prior experience using computers (most stating that they took a course in Middle School), that they had a Google Account, and had a relatively good understanding of Google applications. The average response rating for the statement “I have an

understanding of how to use basic programs like Google and other software programs” was a 3.9 out of 5. This demonstrated that the learners had the prior knowledge necessary for this digital commerce unit.

Attitude toward Content

Most of the learners attitudes toward to content showed a strong understanding of the content because they felt relatively successful in the course at the time the survey was administered and the compared to other courses they had more success in the Business and Education course.

Academic Motivation

This provided interesting information regarding academic motivation. A significant number of students responded that they worked harder than most students, however, in the following statement “I do just enough to get by”, the learners responded that they do just enough to get by. This somewhat contradictory answer appeared to question what they students thought of themselves are learners in a broader context. The difference between the two answers was reflected in the number of student responses that were received at the end of the unit, which appeared to show the students were possibly apathetic. The number of submissions by the closing of the digital commerce unit was far below the 53 learners that initially began the unit.

Attitude toward School

The mean of the responses for the statements “School is boring” and “School encourages me to be creative” was 3.09 and 3.16, respectively. This appeared to show the learners had a more neutral attitude toward school and its content.

Content Sequence Outline

1. Students will view “hook” video of teenager scammed buying a truck online. a. Discuss Question – What if this happened to a friend of yours? Or Worse,

yourself? What can you do to avoid being scammed online?2. Go over assignment expectations with students.3. Students go through article links and Youtube Video in section of course – What is

Digital Commerce?a. What is E-Commerce?b. Growth in Digital Commercec. Techopedia – What is Digital Commerce?d. Youtube Video – e-commerce – evolution

4. Students go through and analyze articles and Youtube Video in section of the Module – Tips for Buying Online

a. StaySafeOnline.org – “Learn how to protect yourself, your family, and your devices with these tips and resources”

b. Microsoft Safety and Security Center – “Six Rules for Safer Financial Transactions Online.”

c. WikiHow – “How to Shop Online in Ten Easy Steps”d. PC World – “11 Tips for Safe Online Shopping”e. Youtube Video – “Online Safety – Shopping Online: Security, Tips, Rules, and

Advice.”5. Students go through and analyze articles and Youtube Video in section of the Module –

Risks for Buying Onlinea. Top Five Dangers of Online Shoppingb. Shopping Online – The Risks and Tipsc. “The Growth and Risks of Online Shopping”d. Youtube Video – “Online Shopping – The Dangers of the Technological World”

6. Students go through and analyze articles and Youtube Video in section of the Module – Fun Facts About Digital Commerce.

a. Inforgraphic on Fun Digital Factsb. Shocking fun facts about Digital Commercec. E-Commerce Facts

d. Youtube Video – Shocking but true facts about Online Selling & Buying7. Students choose one of three assignment options.

a. Create a one of two page PowerPoint slide via Google Presentation of PowerPoint. Carefully follow expectations on the rubric. Share or send slide to aaron.cleveland@barrowcounty schools.org

b. Download “Text Questions Digital Commerce.docx” and complete the assignment and send assignment to aaron.cleveland@barrowcountyschools.org

c. Using a microphone, record your responses to the questions in assignment two and submit via MP3 file to aaron.cleveland@barrowcountyschools.org

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

I Aaron T. Cleveland, will perform the functions as SME for this instructional design. My formal education includes an associate’s degree in Communication and Media Arts from Genesee Community College. I have also received a bachelor’s of science in Social Studies Education from the University of Georgia. Currently I am in the process of acquiring a master’s degree from Georgia Southern University in the field of Instructional Technology.

My qualifications include certification in the field of education by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The certification is valid through the year 2020. Also, through program of Instructional Technology at Georgia Southern, I’ve had extensive experience with content and materials in relation to Digital Citizenship. I have also taught the subject of Economics for five years, which includes material related to digital commerce in the curriculum.

Terminal Objective 1: To increase awareness of the risks of digital commerce.

Enabling Objectives:

1A: Students will define digital commerce.

1B: Students will explain tips for buying and selling items online.

1C: Students will explain risks for buying and selling items online.

1D: Students will identify facts about digital commerce.

Instructional Strategies

Goals Objectives UDL Assessments

Lesson:

Online learning module about digital commerce with multiple tabs associated with the definition of digital commerce, tips for buying and selling online, risks for buying and selling online, and interesting facts about digital commerce

Define digital commerce.

Explain tips for buying and selling online.

Explain risks for buying and selling online.

Identify facts pertaining to digital commerce.

Objective 1: After this lesson, students will have increased their awareness about digital commerce.

1A: Students will define digital commerce.

1B: Students will explain tips for buying and selling items online.

1C: Students will explain risks for buying and selling items online.

1D: Students will identify facts about digital commerce.

Principle One: When given multiple means of representation, learners are given “various ways of acquiring information and knowledge.”

Module offers learners text, audio, and video in order to acquire information.

Principle Two: When learners are given multiple means of expression, they are provided with alternatives for demonstrating what they know.”

Learners have the ability to use web 2.0 tools, or to construct and compose their responses to the different questions related to the text questions about the content

Google Presentation/ Microsoft PowerPoint

Learners create slides about the tips, risks, and interesting facts about digital commerce.

Short Answer

Students submit responses to questions about the tips, risks, and facts regarding digital commerce.

Formative Evaluation

The purpose of the evaluations is to inform the instructional designer of how well the program served its objectives. Evaluation of the design will be completed at the end of the unit by the designer. The evaluation will compare the number of students that stated they were “neutral, somewhat disagreed, or strongly disagreed” about the risks of buying and selling online (32%) and compare that to the responses submitted (total) that correctly identified risks of buying and selling online.