2006-07 Digital Literacy

Boys and Digital Literacy

In the second cycle of the IBSC Action Research Program, the team embarked on the investigation of the research question: How can we improve our teaching of boys by identifying and using specific aspects of digital technology to engage boys in learning?

During the year of investigation, team members explored—often with other teachers in their schools —the use of a variety of digital tools and software that have the potential to boost student collaboration, organization, and engagement with learning.

Team members reported at the 14th IBSC Annual IBSC Conference in Boston, June, 2007.

Digital Literacy Summary Report

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2006-07: Digital Literacy (7 Reports)

Reports ordered alphabetically by title. Click/tap on report titles to read full report posting.

Are Digital Technologies Able to Enhance Learning by Promoting the Use of Varied Learning Stules in a Group of Boys with Learning and Behavioural Problems? — Peter de Lisle, Hilton College, South Africa
Are Digital Technologies Able to Enhance Learning by Promoting the Use of Varied Learning Stules in a Group of Boys with Learning and Behavioural Problems? — Peter de Lisle, Hilton College, South Africa

Prensky (2005) and many others maintain that games and gaming produce an engaged experience, and that this is applicable to boys in particular. In contrast school is boring or “enraging”. So it is argued that games are therefore the best way to create innovative instructional design for boys. (Barab et al. 2006; Squire and Steinkuehler 2005)

Does e-Communications and Writing Through Shared Web Spaces Such as Wikis and Google Docs Enhance the Learning Experience for Boys? — Andrew Holmgren, Fairfield Country Day School, United States
Does e-Communications and Writing Through Shared Web Spaces Such as Wikis and Google Docs Enhance the Learning Experience for Boys? — Andrew Holmgren, Fairfield Country Day School, United States

The purpose of this project was to determine if e-communication and writing through the use of wikis and Google Docs contributed to the overall quality of work and level of engagement for boys in grades six, seven, and eight. Preliminary findings suggest that the more comfortable one is with the internet, the more responsive one will be to online shared spaces.

What Aspects of Video Gaming and Other Forms of Digital Expression Appeal to Male Learners, and How Can Educators Use These Techniques and Attributes to Enhance Learning? — Lynne Weber, St. Mark's School of Texas, United States
What Aspects of Video Gaming and Other Forms of Digital Expression Appeal to Male Learners, and How Can Educators Use These Techniques and Attributes to Enhance Learning? — Lynne Weber, St. Mark's School of Texas, United States

Digital learning certainly made a difference in the boys’ level of motivation and excitement about the subjects they studied. The only drawback was our own (the teachers’ and librarians’) relatively limited knowledge of technology. We had to let the boys find their own way after we gave them the tools to do it, and they seemed to have no problem figuring out the technology.