Raising the parents’ awareness to develop a more critical attitude towards Web communication applications. A case study

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Raising the parents’ awareness Raising the parents’ awareness to develop a more critical to develop a more critical

attitude towards Web attitude towards Web communication applications. A communication applications. A

case study.case study.VV. . SotiroudasSotiroudas11, , M. KoundourosM. Koundouros22, I, I. . GaritsisGaritsis33

11Teacher of Informatics Teacher of Informatics [email protected]

22Teacher of Informatics Teacher of Informatics [email protected] [email protected]

33 Elementary School teacher Elementary School teachergaritsisgaritsis8@[email protected]

Greece - Macedonia

mailto:[email protected]



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Educational ProjectEducational Project

This team study that is being This team study that is being presented was carried out within the presented was carried out within the HRON project called “Adult training HRON project called “Adult training in Acquiring Basic New Technological in Acquiring Basic New Technological Skills” of the Institute of Long Term Skills” of the Institute of Long Term Adult Education called “Introduction Adult Education called “Introduction to the Internet”. This training session to the Internet”. This training session lasted sixteen hourslasted sixteen hours

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Target groupTarget group

The class consisted of eighteen The class consisted of eighteen parents, twelve women and six men parents, twelve women and six men whose age ranged from thirty to fifty-whose age ranged from thirty to fifty-five.five.

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AimAim

The aim of this study that is The aim of this study that is being described is to sensitize the being described is to sensitize the trainee parents through causing trainee parents through causing various emotional reactions related various emotional reactions related to the hidden perils of using the Web. to the hidden perils of using the Web.

Aim (con)Aim (con)Specifically, we intend to Specifically, we intend to

provoke these feelings to function as provoke these feelings to function as incentives so that the trainee parents incentives so that the trainee parents realize the dangers their children realize the dangers their children could come up against whenever could come up against whenever they use the Web unsupervised and they use the Web unsupervised and consequently realize that their own consequently realize that their own training in using the Internet is training in using the Internet is absolutely indispensable.absolutely indispensable.

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Educational TechniqueEducational Technique

Group work combined with a Group work combined with a case study, in which the trainer case study, in which the trainer endorses a role play game, causes endorses a role play game, causes this sentimental ignition on the part this sentimental ignition on the part of the trainees which in turn serves of the trainees which in turn serves as an intensive for their further as an intensive for their further education.education.

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Εκπαιδευτικό ΣενάριοΕκπαιδευτικό Σενάριο

Ο εκπαιδευτής υποδύεται το ρόλο ενός νεαρού Ο εκπαιδευτής υποδύεται το ρόλο ενός νεαρού κοριτσιού 16 ετών στο ελληνικό δωμάτιο κοριτσιού 16 ετών στο ελληνικό δωμάτιο συνομιλιών της εταιρίας ICQ στη διεύθυνση συνομιλιών της εταιρίας ICQ στη διεύθυνση http://www.icq.com . Ο στόχος αυτού του http://www.icq.com . Ο στόχος αυτού του σεναρίου είναι διττός. Αφενός μεν να σεναρίου είναι διττός. Αφενός μεν να αντιληφθούν οι εκπαιδευόμενοι γονείς πως στο αντιληφθούν οι εκπαιδευόμενοι γονείς πως στο διαδίκτυο ισχύει απόλυτα το ότι διαδίκτυο ισχύει απόλυτα το ότι «είσαι ότι «είσαι ότι δηλώσεις»δηλώσεις» με ότι αυτό συνεπάγεται και με ότι αυτό συνεπάγεται και αφετέρου να διαπιστώσουν πόσο εύκολα μπορούν αφετέρου να διαπιστώσουν πόσο εύκολα μπορούν να παρασυρθούν τα παιδιά τους ή να πέσουν να παρασυρθούν τα παιδιά τους ή να πέσουν θύματα παρενόχλησης από άγνωστους θύματα παρενόχλησης από άγνωστους συνομιλητές συνομιλητές

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Teaching AidsTeaching Aids

Data ProjectorData Projector WorksheetWorksheet

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Team WorkTeam Work

As the conversation takes place, As the conversation takes place, the groups will be watching it via a the groups will be watching it via a data projector as they should discuss data projector as they should discuss every aspect of it in order to fill in every aspect of it in order to fill in the worksheet they will have been the worksheet they will have been givengiven

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Active Learning TechniquesActive Learning Techniques

According to Coureau (2000) the According to Coureau (2000) the active participation of the trainees is active participation of the trainees is one of the fundamental principles of one of the fundamental principles of learning. Also, another significant learning. Also, another significant factor for the increase of factor for the increase of participation is the teaching participation is the teaching techniques through which learning is techniques through which learning is accomplished (Kokkos, 2005).accomplished (Kokkos, 2005).

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… … andand learning motivationlearning motivation

These teaching techniques, which These teaching techniques, which promote active participation, are the promote active participation, are the very same that activate learning very same that activate learning incentives so that the trainees develop incentives so that the trainees develop independent learning skills (Boekaerts independent learning skills (Boekaerts 2002). An incentive is whatever 2002). An incentive is whatever motivates, urges or causes a person to motivates, urges or causes a person to take action! (Kostaridou, 1999)take action! (Kostaridou, 1999)

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Observation MethodologyObservation MethodologyFrom the methodological point of From the methodological point of

view, given the physical attendance and view, given the physical attendance and participation of the trainer, what should participation of the trainer, what should be stressed is the thorough undercover be stressed is the thorough undercover observation of both verbal and non verbal observation of both verbal and non verbal behaviors and reactions of the subjects of behaviors and reactions of the subjects of our observation, having in mind that if the our observation, having in mind that if the trainee parents were aware that they trainee parents were aware that they were under observation, the results would were under observation, the results would be differentbe different

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AscertainmentsAscertainments

During the chat and after the first During the chat and after the first request for communication with an request for communication with an unknown person, the trainee parents unknown person, the trainee parents express their concern through discussions express their concern through discussions among them. Their worries mostly focus among them. Their worries mostly focus on the simultaneous entry to the chat on the simultaneous entry to the chat room and requests for chat from strangersroom and requests for chat from strangers

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As the invitations for chats from strangers As the invitations for chats from strangers increase so much greater is the astonishment of increase so much greater is the astonishment of the trainee parents which is expressed in the trainee parents which is expressed in different ways. Their astonishment is mostly different ways. Their astonishment is mostly focused on the number of invitations for chat focused on the number of invitations for chat from the time of entering the chat room. from the time of entering the chat room. Furthermore, they were surprised by the fact that Furthermore, they were surprised by the fact that the unknown interlocutors are all of them much the unknown interlocutors are all of them much older than the “sixteen year old” teenager, a role older than the “sixteen year old” teenager, a role played by the trainer himself. played by the trainer himself.

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While the questions of these While the questions of these people became more intimate the people became more intimate the parents’ initial surprise turns into parents’ initial surprise turns into speculation and concern. The trainee speculation and concern. The trainee parents wonder whether it is possible parents wonder whether it is possible for such kind of questions be asked for such kind of questions be asked by these unknown people so openly by these unknown people so openly and ruthlessly.and ruthlessly.

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When the conversation reaches its When the conversation reaches its pre-set bearable limit, the parents’ pre-set bearable limit, the parents’ behavior within their teams becomes behavior within their teams becomes desperate. When sexual hints transform desperate. When sexual hints transform into direct sexual harassment then the into direct sexual harassment then the trainee parents face a very nasty reality trainee parents face a very nasty reality that most of them could not even believe that most of them could not even believe it actually existed. it actually existed.

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AscertainmentsAscertainmentsThe views of the representatives of the teams in The views of the representatives of the teams in

their general assembly indicate the strong need of the their general assembly indicate the strong need of the trainees to be updated of the ways to face this trainees to be updated of the ways to face this problem since the vast majority believes that incident problem since the vast majority believes that incident in question could very well concern their children. in question could very well concern their children. Though a number of the trainee parents may consider Though a number of the trainee parents may consider the way the conversations went along as exaggerating the way the conversations went along as exaggerating or that their own children would never give in so easily or that their own children would never give in so easily to the suggestions of the unknown interlocutors, to the suggestions of the unknown interlocutors, nevertheless the indisputable danger of sexual nevertheless the indisputable danger of sexual harassment of their children inside these chat rooms harassment of their children inside these chat rooms is considered as real and very likely.is considered as real and very likely.

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ConclusionConclusion

Evaluating the outcome of this team Evaluating the outcome of this team project and the results of their project and the results of their observations it is firmly believed that the observations it is firmly believed that the tasks set for this project are met as the tasks set for this project are met as the trainee parents not only are shocked but trainee parents not only are shocked but they also express their strong will be they also express their strong will be informed of the ways to face this issue informed of the ways to face this issue since they believe this can be a problem since they believe this can be a problem for their own children. for their own children.

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Thank you very much for your Thank you very much for your attention!attention!

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