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VERBAL PROTOCOL FOR THE FIRST ONLINE READING COMPREHENSION TASK AND THINK ALOUD
TICA
Teaching Internet Comprehension to Adolescents
Each aspect of your work will be described here. You will also find all of the printed materials that you will require for this task, as well as a data collection sheet for duplication.
This document contains:
1. Verbal Protocol #1 …………………………………………………….. p. 2
2. Printed directions for the Practice Think Aloud Activity……………… p. 8
3. Printed Directions for the Online Reading Comprehension Activity….. p. 9
4. Data Collection Sheet…………………………………………………... p.10
5. Email, IM, and Blog logins/passwords for each researcher……………..p.12
VERBAL PROTOCOL #1
Website for this session: http://people.clemson.edu/~angelar/task1.htm
There are seven elements to your work as the experimenter in this study. Each is described below:
1. Researcher Setup (30 minutes at the beginning of each day’s work)
2. Rules for Assistance to the Student
3. Pre-task Interview (5 minutes for each student)
- to put them at ease by positioning them as an important informant to our research.
- to introduce them to the computer
- to check their platform and browser use
- to confirm their skill level
- to assess prior knowledge
4. Instruction on to How to Do a Think Aloud (2 minutes)
5. Practice Think Aloud Session (3 minutes)
6. Think Aloud Session (25 minutes)
7. End of Session Activities
Note: It is imperative to our data collection that the Camtasia recording be tested at initial setup. Please arrive at the room location in advance to allow at least 30 minutes to complete the equipment setup and testing before the verbal protocol session begins. (more if this is your first time as an onsite researcher.)
- RESEARCHER SETUP (approximately 30 minutes)
1. Plug power cord into electrical outlet (please do not rely on battery power)
2. Power on computer.
3. Plug network cable into network jack (or test wireless access)
4. Open Internet Explorer and make sure it’s set to default page MSN (http://www.msn.com/ )
5. Reset the browser log of web sites visited in IE. Do this by going to tools, and find the option for resetting Internet browser. tools-->Internet Options...-->click "clear history" button click OK to close menu window
6. Turn off auto-fill forms
7. Open student email program (www.epals.com login username: uconn01 password: sample OR clemson01 password: research01)
8. Minimize email window (entry screen)
9. Open AOL instant messenger and login to uconnvp1 password: sample OR clemsonvp1 password: research01
10. Add person who will be receiving IMs to the student’s buddy list (for Donna Bone: brightlight601)
11. Minimize AOL buddy list
12. log on to blogger.com - username: ticateam, password: reading Click on Mrs. Gonzales' class blog, in the top tab hit view blog. M
13. Minimize blog page in the toolbar.
14. Launch Camtasia Recorder (StartàProgramsàCamtasia Recorder)
15. Plug microphone into jack.
16. Start recording with Camtasia (click red record button or F9), launch Internet Explorer, and test microphone (“testing 1, 2, 3...”)
17. Stop recording with Camtasia (click square icon or F10). Save Movie File As “Date_test” (i.e Feb9_2005_test)
18. Playback Camtasia file to ensure everything is working properly. (Playback of video should launch automatically.) Close window when finished. Listen for audio.
19. Adjust volume if necessary (speaker icon in taskbar).
20. Minimize Camtasia window. (A red button will appear on the taskbar).
21. Make sure you have printed out of the directions/note taking sheet for the student and the Interview/Prior Knowledge recording sheets.
22. Launch and minimize the think aloud video site http://ctell1.uconn.edu/thinkaloudvideo.mov
23. If you have your own, additional, laptop , use this to take field notes during the session. Label each file with the name of the student and “finalVP1”. Save this file for each student.
24. Read the “Rules for Assistance” (below). You will need to follow these guidelines.
25. Retrieve first student from class or wait until they arrive.
II. RULES FOR ASSISTANCE TO THE STUDENT
During the activity, you may clarify the task, itself, but you may not provide any information about how to complete it:
· You may ask the student to explain the task, to make certain they understand it.
· If the student is a poor reader and you think he/she might benefit from you reading the directions again, you should read these to the student. Do not read web sites or anything else.
· Do not provide any other assistance.
· Only respond with non-value laden comments to any think aloud responses. Use phrases like "OK,” or “Keep going," or “Hm-hm,” but don’t do lots of head nodding, or excessive praise that would indicate to the student that we want them to "do more of that particular thing."
IM Rules
· For Experimenter: Do not provide any assistance. If they ask a question, just say, “That’s a great question. See if you can figure it out on your own.”
· For IM recipient: Do not provide any assistance. Just greet them and thank them.
o Examples: “Hello, XX.” After they send you information, “Thank you. This will really help us. Have a good day!”
III. PRE-TASK INTERVIEW (10 minutes for each student)
(Push F9 to begin Camtasia recording. Verify that the red button on task bar is flashing to indicate recording.)
To Put Them at Ease by Positioning Them as an Important Informant to Our Research
1. “Hi XXXX. My name is YYYY. I work at the University of Connecticut/Clemson University. We are studying how 7th graders read on the Internet. The survey you did earlier tells us that you use the Internet extremely well, better than almost all of the other students in South Carolina and Connecticut. We would like you to help us learn how you read on the Internet. It will really help other students around the United States, and their teachers, if you can tell us how you use the Internet. We have some activities for you to do. They will help us learn how you use the Internet so well. Can you help us?”
2. (Following student response.) Today, we’re going to spend about 40 minutes together and I’m going to ask you to complete a few tasks. I am going to be recording where you are going on the computer, what sites you visit and how you get there so I can look back at it later and learn from you.
Introduce the Students to the Computer
Point to each tool on the screen/taskbar required for the task, opening and minimizing it back on the bottom bar:
1. Here’s Internet Explorer
2. Here’s the email program we’re using (if you choose to use it)
3. Here’s an IM buddy list and the class you will be communicating with (if you choose to use it)
4. Here’s the blog (if you choose to use it)
5. If you want to take notes, here is a MS word document. and here is a paper and pencil.
To Check their Platform and Browser Use (record these answers by circling response on the data collection sheet)
1. Have you ever used a Mac or a Windows PC or both?
2. Which one are you the best at using?
3. Do you know how to use a Windows machine?
4. Which programs have you used to surf the net? Internet Explorer, Safari, or something else?
5. Which one are you the best at using: Internet Explorer, Safari, or something else?
6. Do you know how to use Internet Explorer?
7. How did you get to be so good at using the Internet? (Explore this a bit and record.)
To Assess Prior Knowledge
(Record these answers by taking notes on the data collection sheet. Available for duplication at the end).
1. In a few minutes, I’m going to ask you to look up some information about an octopus. Before you begin, can you…
- Tell me everything you know about octopuses. What else do you know? Is there anything else? Anything else?
To Gather Information About Their Dispositions of Online Reading Comprehensions
(Record these answers by taking notes on the data collection sheet. Available for duplication at the end).
1. If you had a choice, would you rather do research using the Internet, or using books in the library? Why? What would you say are the advantages or disadvantages of using each?
2. When you want to learn about something in school, is it easier for you to find the answer by looking in a book or looking on the Internet? Why? Any other reasons?
IV. INSTRUCTION ON How to Do a Think Aloud (4 minutes)
1. You’re an expert reader on the Internet and I want to know how you do this. I’d like you to tell me what you are thinking while you are using the Internet. Let me show you how to do this.
(Show video: http://ctell1.uconn.edu/thinkaloudvideo.mov)
2. Do you see how to think aloud while you do something? This is what we want you to do when you are reading. Do you have any questions about how to do this? (answer any questions)
V. Practice Think Aloud Session (5 minutes)
Warm-up activity (Skills: Internet search engine use; specific site name search; reading search engine results; internal site navigation.
1. Let’s do a quick warm-up to practice thinking aloud. Let’s read this activity together. (Provide written, hard copy text and read it together.)
We want you to find a map of Japan at the site called Kids Web Japan. The map will tell you how many people live in Japan. Can you find this map and tell us how many people live in Japan? Remember to tell us everything that you are thinking when you try to find the map.
During this task, you should encourage students to share their thinking with you. If they are not thinking aloud, remind them:
- What are you thinking while you type in search terms?
- What are you thinking while you read the results?
- What are you thinking when you read this page?
- What are you thinking now?
VI. Think Aloud Session (20 minutes)
DIRECTIONS
Here is a request from Ms. Gonzales’ 7th graders. (Take students to the web site: http://people.clemson.edu/~angelar/task1.htm . Hand students the printed copy of the task, available at the end of this protocol. Read the task aloud to student to students and ask if they have any questions.)
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Ms. Gonzales' seventh grade class is devoted to the preservation of endangered species. We are currently creating this Web site about unusual and endangered animals to educate people.
We need your help! Can you tell us what information we should include about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus at our Web page?
First, find this site: Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. Explore the links to learn more about this animal. You may do other research, too. Then:
1. Summarize the most important information that people should know about tree octopuses. Write 1-2 sentences and send it to us. We will use this at our Web site to educate people about this animal.
2. Tell us if the information at the site, Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, is very reliable, somewhat reliable, or not at all reliable.
3. Please give at least THREE reasons for your answer. Describe the thinking and information that you used to make your decision.
Here are the ways that you can send us the information. Be certain that you include your name in the message.
· Mrs. Gonzales’ class blog (http://gonzalesclass.blogspot.com/)
· Mrs. Gonzales’ class email ()
· Mrs. Gonzales’ Class AIM (brightlight601)
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Let’s take about 20 minutes to help Mrs. Gonzales’ class. Remember to think aloud while you’re working.
Record the start time on the recording sheet. If they finish early, record the end time. We will need both.
After 15 minutes have passed, let the student know they will need to finish up and begin sending their response to Mrs. Gonzales’ class.
VII. Prior Knowledge About the Concept of “Reliable” (1 minute)
1. Tell me what the word reliable means to you? What else does it mean? Is there anything else? Anything else? Can you give me an example? (Record on the Data Collection Sheet)
VIII. Knowing How To Evaluate Reliability on the Internet
A. If the student responded that the site was “Not at all Reliable”:
1. Tell the student: “Tell me a little more about your three reasons for why this site was not reliable?” (Record on the Data Collection Sheet)
2. “What first tipped you off that this information was not reliable?” (Record on the Data Collection Sheet) How did that make you feel? (Give time for student to express his/her feelings and record on the data sheet.) Unfortunately, we have found some websites like this that try to trick people. We have been trying to figure out what kids do when they find false information on the Internet.”
3. “Can you show me on the Internet all the ways that you could prove that this site was not reliable? Tell me what you are doing as you do it.” (Record on the data collection sheet.)
You are free to probe during this activity by asking: “Tell me what you are doing and why you are doing it.”
4. “Are there any other ways that you could prove it was not reliable? Can you Show me? Tell me what you are doing as you do it.” (Record on the data collection sheet.)
B. If the student responded that the site was “Reliable or Somewhat Reliable”:
1. Tell the student, “You did great on this activity. You have really helped us. Your searching was great. You found the site very quickly. You read and understood what you read. You communicated very clearly.”
2. “But, what would you say if I told you that this site is not reliable -- that the information is not true. (Pause to allow the student time to digest this.) What if I told you that most of the information at this site is all made up by a group of people (not us) who try to fool people as a trick. How would that make you feel? (Give time for student to express his/her feelings and record on the data collection sheet.) Unfortunately, we have found some websites like this that try to trick people. We have been trying to figure out what kids do when they find false information on the Internet.”