Evaluation of Student Facing Web-Based Services: Final Integrated Report (CORE Education)

Introduction

In a changing world where the access to a computer and the internet is becoming gradually more ubiquitous¹, services such as AnyQuestions, StudyIt and WickED offer a range of alternative ways in which young people can be supported in their learning and can help young people function more effectively and with purpose within the information and communication ‘landscape’ that will increasingly be an integral part of their future.

The three websites that are the focus of the study, represent a genre of web services that are being developed to support student learning at school and at home. While the development of these services has been undertaken in response to a perceived need or opportunity there a dearth of literature which supports our understandings about how young people use the internet for specifically school related learning. Some literature relating to the general use of the internet indicates that teen uses and interests are somewhat different from those of younger children and adults implying that web-based learning services need to be organised in specific ways to appeal to specific groups (Coogan 2006). There is some evidence that such specificity relates to quite narrow age bands, and may also relate to individuals educational interests, expectations, and what most motivates individuals within the targeted age band although there is little tangible evidence available in the literature to support this notion.

The three services that comprise this suite of research reports are providing services in quite targeted ways to targeted age groups who have specific educational interests.

AnyQuestions is a synchronous chat–based online library service, provided by trained reference librarians and subject specialist teachers who assist students with their first line inquires relating to school assignments and homework. The service is very specific in focus and provides an online version of the traditional support provided by reference librarians employed in national and local city council libraries. Such freely available librarian support is generally not available beyond the confines of library buildings. Online availability means a greater number of students can more easily leverage this expertise than previously. The service aims to provide a service which supports student’s in improving their information literacy skills and is open to students across all age groups. The Nielsen NetRatings AnyQuestions Service Report (2006a p.2) reveals that just two thirds of the users identified themselves as students and that surprisingly some 33% or one third of users were adults of which about half used the site with their children. Half the user group do in fact belong to the originally targeted 10 – 15 year age group with about 12 % of users in the 16 -20+ age group of students.

Studyit is also a highly focussed service both in terms of who the service is for and what it is providing. Studyit is an asynchronous online information and interactive self-help resource for senior secondary students studying for NCEA external examinations in mathematics, science and English. The site aims to provide a service for 16 to 18+ year olds and indeed achieves this with the majority of student users (80%) being between 16 and 19 years (NNR, 2006b, p5).

Of the three services reviewed WickED appears to be the least stringently focused in terms of the service offered and the age group targeted. Originally the WickED service was offered as a support website for a nationally organised ‘Digitally Boosted After School Support Centres’ initiative (Winter 2005). However this purpose and use is no longer the focus and the site is now offered as an informal learning service providing interactive games and educational themes supported with software-based interactives that are intended to be of interest to classroom teachers for their programmes of work and 7 to 12 year olds. It is interesting that while the site appeals to the age group intended the Nielsen NetRating WickED Service Report indicates there is a substantial group of older students who coming into the site as well (NNR, 2006c, p7).

The vast majority of student survey respondents (92%) were between the ages of 9 and 15 but 72% were at the upper end of the age group. The appeal of this site is for middle school students (intermediate and junior secondary students) rather than solely those in the primary school.

Footnote

1. Nielsen NetRatings (2006a, p.10) reports that 67% of all people 10+ have access to the internet at home in New Zealand.