After collecting the questionnaires
and going through them, I found some interesting results.
First of all, I must emphasise that
the number of students who answered the questionnaire was
twenty nine and they were all Saturday
school students- which is a special situation. Thus, I
wouldnÕt want to generalise the results
for the population at large. However, the results do give
us some idea of how exactly do students
interact with computers in this community (since Saturday
school students come from all over the
community in Champaign- Urbana and at times also from neighbouring towns),
and what the student teachers should be prepared for in terms of computer
literacy when they leave the university
for a real work environment. I also presented the same questionnaire to
student teachers to answer in order to figure out their level of computer
literacy
and interest in working with computers.
This is what I found:
Number of students in each class:
5th grade = 10
6th grade = 7
7th grade = 7
8th grade = 5
Total = 29
* For the first question, Have you ever used a computer?
100% of the students answered yes
* For the second question, For what purposes have you used a computer?
these are the answers:
E-mail = 12 or 41.4%
Internet = 17 or 58.62%
Word Processors = 19 or 65.52%
Design/ Layout programs = 6 or 20.7%
Graphic arts programs = 11 or 38%
Games = 24 or 82.8%
All of the above = 4 or 13.8%
Any other purpose = 2 or 7% (chat
rooms)
* For question three, Where do you use the computer most?
23 or 79.31% said at home
8 or 27.6% said in school
3 or 10.34% also use it elsewhere such as parentsÕ offices
or friendsÕ places
* For question four, When did you first use a computer?, the
answers were varied
for each grade level but here are the average ages:
5th grade average = 7.43 years
6th grade average = 7.143 years
7th grade average = 6.3 years
8th grade average = 5.4 years
* For question five, Who taught you to use the computer?
21 or 72.41% said a parent/ parents taught them
9 or 31.03% said a teacher/ teachers taught them
4 or 13.8% said a brother, sister or cousin taught them
2 or 6.9% said a friend taught them
4 or 13.8% said someone else taught them
* For question six, Name all the activities you enjoy doing on the
computer:
24 or 82.8% said they enjoy games
12 or 41.4% enjoy surfing the web
9 or 31.03% enjoy typing/ writing
2 or 6.9% enjoy designing stuff
2 or 6.9% enjoy using E-mail
1 or 3.45% enjoys chat
1 or 3.45% enjoys everything
* For question seven, How often do you use a computer?,
5 or 17.24% students said they used it often during the
day
9 or 31.03% said they used it every other day
9 or 31.03% said they used it once or twice a week
3 or 10.34% said they used it once a month
3 or 10.34% said they hardly ever use it
* For question eight, What more would you like to learn about computers?,
the answers were quite varied. Some wanted to know how computers
worked while others
wanted to learn specific skills such as typing etc. One student
mentioned that he was not
interested in computers. Two students mentioned ÒBluecrossÓ
which I know nothing about-
maybe it is a game.
Here are the statistics for each grade level:
5th grade
How computers work = 3
How to use them = 1
How to play games = 1
History of computers = 1
How to build one = 1
6th grade
How to use Internet = 2
How to use E-mail = 3
How to type = 1
How to draw = 1
How to hack files (!) = 1
Everything = 1
7th grade
How are they made = 1
How to scan pictures = 1
How to make a web page = 1
How to access programs = 1
Bluecross (?) = 1
DonÕt know = 1
8th grade
Computer animation = 1
How to use E-mail = 1
How to make a web page = 1
Bluecross (?) = 1
* For question nine, Have you ever done any art projects on the computer?,
18 or 62.07% said yes
(Of these 7 were 5th grade, 4 were 6th grade, 2 were
7th grade and 5 were 8th grade students.)
10 or 34.5% said no
(Of these 3 were 5th grade, 3 were 6th grade and 4 were
7th grade students.
All the 8th grade students said that they had done some
kind of art work using computers)
* For question ten, Would you like to do art projects using a computer?,
20 or 69% said yes
6 or 20.7% said no
2 or 6.9% said maybe
To be able to see if children would be interested in doing art projects on computers, I needed to find, first of all, if they had the skills to begin with, that is if they knew how to use graphics and design programs, second, if they were willing to do art projects using a computer, third, if the department has the resources available to teach those projects and fourth, if the student teachers themselves were computer literate.
I found that all students who attended the middle school art program have used computers. A majority uses them every other day (31.03%) or at least once or twice a week (31.03%). And although a majority uses them to play games (82.8%), most students (69%) are willing to do art projects using computers. What should be of significance to us is that a majority of students (62.07%) have already done some kind of art project using a computer.
Total number of student teachers = 11
* For the first question, Have you ever used a computer?
100% answered yes
* For the second question, For what purposes have you used a computer? these are the answers:
E-mail = 3 or 27.3%
Internet = 3 or 27.3%
Word Processors = 3 or 27.3%
Design/ Layout programs = 2 or 18.2%
Graphic arts programs = 0
Games = 3 or 27.3%
All of the above = 8 or 72.72%
Any other purpose = 0
* For question three, Where do you use the computer most?
6 or 54.54% said at home
7 or 63.64% said in school
1 or 9.1% also use it elsewhere
* For question four, When did you first use a computer?,
the answers were varied since student teachers consist of
both,
young undergraduates and older graduate students but
the average age is: 10.9 years
* For question five, Who taught you to use the computer?
4 or 36.4% said a parent/ parents taught them
6 or 54.54% said a teacher/ teachers taught them
3 or 27.3% said a brother, sister or cousin taught them
4 or 36.4% said a friend taught them
1 or 9.1% said someone else taught them
* For question six, Name all the activities you enjoy doing on the computer:
6 or 54.54% said they enjoy games
6 or 54.54% enjoy using E-mail
4 or 36.4% enjoy surfing the web
3 or 27.3% enjoy typing/ writing
1 or 9.1% enjoys designing stuff
1 or 9.1% does not like computers
* For question seven, How often do you use a computer?,
8 or 72.72% students said they used it often during the day
1 or 9.1% said they used it every other day
2 or 18.2% said they used it once or twice a week
* For question eight, What more would you like to learn about computers?,
the answers were varied.
How to use graphic artsÕ programs = 3
How to design web pages = 1
How to program computers = 1
Learn appropriate commands = 1
How to use computers in a timely way = 1
How they work = 1
* For question nine, Have you ever done any art projects on the computer?,
8 or 72.72% said yes
2 or 18.2% said no
1 did not respond
* For question ten, Would you like to do art projects using a computer?,
10 or 91% said yes
1 did not respond
From the above data, one can see that all the student teachers have used computers and that 10 out of 11 would be eager to do art projects using computers and 8 out of 11 said that they have already done art projects using computers. The average age of student teachers when they first used computers is approximately 11 years and the average age of middle school children when they first used computers varies from 5.4 to 7.143 years which shows that probably children are using computers at earlier ages now.
Also, we learned earlier that most children would like to do art projects using computers. This, in my opinion, is a definite case for inclusion of computer technology in the making of art in Saturday school classes. What we need to consider now is the availability of resources. There is only one computer available for undergraduates and graduates in the department to work on and that too is not connected with any laser or inkjet printer. However, there is Centre of Graphic Technologies on the third floor which is a computer lab with the latest equipment in computer technology and there is the Education lab across the road which too is well-equipped. Besides, student teachers do not have to do all projects using computers, they can include a few each semester.
The other problem that I feel we
should take into account is the fact that some class time will have to
be kept aside to help students develop skills such as scanning or using
the different graphics and design programs. Also, we should be able to
check out whether student teachers themselves are competent in using those
programs. For the former, one can devote two or three classes doing projects
that will help students develop the needed skills and for the latter, the
supervisory teacher can interview student teachers, find out their level
of computer literacy, and set aside time to train them or get them trained
if required.