Suggestions for Observing Behaviour Described in the Affective Domain — Middle Years Students

Description

The Affective Domain of the Developmental Continuum for Literacy with ICT contains descriptors referring to feelings and attitudes of students toward their personal use of ICT, while they are engaged in inquiry-based learning (as described in the Cognitive Domain of the Continuum), or in any learning situation. The Affective Domain consists of four big ideas, in no order of precedence, described in three stages of development.

In Middle Years, students analyze and apply intrinsic beliefs about the issues related to using ICT. As they strive to become independent learners, they follow an internal value system, which they have developed over the years, and which guides their personal behaviour related to using ICT to learn.

The teacher can observe the Affective behaviour of Middle Years students in everyday circumstances that may be related to direct use of ICT or may be incidental to it.

Responsibility and Ethics

Responsibility and Ethics refers to knowing about, demonstrating beliefs about, and valuing policies, guidelines and behaviours for using ICT ethically, responsibly, and safely, including protection of privacy and of intellectual property. Learners are expected to demonstrate ethical and responsible behaviour at all times while using ICT.

The student can apply guidelines and regulations such as divisional policies (E‑2.1), and guidelines for the safe use of electronic communication (E-2.2) for example when collaborating over distance (Co-2.2). Students can also apply guidelines for ethical use of ICT (E-2.4) regarding personal and public property.
Ethical behaviour should be observable in daily life in the classroom, as students demonstrate respect for others and their property whether or not it is electronic (E‑2.3).

Social Implications

Social Implications refers to awareness of, beliefs about, and values concerning the uses of ICT in society, the societal consequences of ethical and unethical use of ICT, and the benefits and risks to communities and societies of developing and using ICT.

Students recognize advantages and disadvantages of ICT use as it applies to them. (S-2.3) For example, they may report that they cannot research a topic at home for lack of Internet access or they may comment about the ease of obtaining first hand information by emailing a scientist.
As they become savvy users of ICT, students start analyzing trends in ICT and implications for future career choices (S-2.1, S-2.2). This might be apparent in everyday discussions or in choices of topics for essays.
As students become aware of issues such as outsourcing of jobs, they start weighing benefits and risks of ICT to society (S-3.1, S-3.2)

Collaboration

Collaboration refers to students learning how to work in face-to-face groups, how to work together over distance in cyber groups, and how to lead collaborative groups while developing literacy with ICT.

Students may be invited to self-assess their collaborative skills using ELA BLM-57: Self-Assessment of a Collaborative / Co-operative Task. Teachers may also use ELA BLM‑89: Co-operative Group Learning (Teacher Assessment) to observe students’ interaction in collaborative groups.

Collaboration is a skill that should be manifest in many opportunities and times associated with learning, especially in collaborative classroom settings (Co‑2.1). Some students will use this opportunity to hone budding leadership skills (Co‑3.1)
As they collaborate over distance (Co-2.2), students begin to weigh the benefits and challenges of each learning situation (Co-3.2). For example, they may mention how, through email, they are learning much about a place they did not know and would have no opportunity of actually visiting.

Motivation and Confidence

Motivation and Confidence refers to students’ interest, persistence, and engagement in using ICT to learn and in solving unique problems related to the use of ICT.

You may wish to use or adapt a tool such as ELA BLM-35: Solving Problems in Group Work to occasionally evaluate student’s attitudes and behaviours while problem solving.

Students use a wide range of support systems and strategies to solve ICT problems. (M-1.2, M-2.1)
Students show higher-level thinking skills such as open-mindedness as they persevere through problem solving (M-2.2). Such behaviour might extend to other aspects of learning, as they encounter new situations and unfamiliar events and circumstances.