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Objectives |
The study was carried out during the academic year 1999/2000 and was aimed at a group of Final Year students enrolled on a French for Business module. Part of the assessment (30%) was the preparation and presentation of a Media Scan (a detailed research project on a chosen topic). The students selected topics on a variety of contemporary issues (political, sociological, scientific), such as French companies and businesses, politics, political stances and decisions that have a bearing on the socio-economic life of France and francophone countries. Detailed and multi-faceted research and the knowledge of a number of historical facts and developments was required in all cases.
The study was hoping to establish students’ Internet skills and also provide relevant assistance for future research projects of this kind.
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Outcome |
The first questionnaire revealed that all students are familiar with the Internet and use it frequently for coursework research and personal interest (email). The up-to-date nature of information was cited as the main reason for using the Internet as a research tool. It was also pointed out that the ‘speed’ and relevance of information was important.
The second questionnaire assessed students’ research strategies and compared the Internet to traditional resources. The answers showed that students generally use random search first and then refine their search. Especially in the early stages of the Media Scan, random search was used to get general information on the material available. The answers show that, in the course of the Media Scan research, students became more focused and learned how and where to find information and how to refine their research strategies. They also found the internet to be a tool not only for the present but also for the and particularly, their own future.
Throughout the five months spent preparing the Media Scan, students appear to have become more confident about their chosen research topic and accessing reliable sources. At the beginning of their project, information seems to have been selected rather uncritically (such as seminar papers or other non-academic work posted on the Internet); towards the end, students were in a position to choose material far more intelligently. This, however, required some background information from the lecturer, as initially the idea that everything on the Internet is bound to be reliable (one student said: 'Otherwise it wouldn’t have been put there, would it?') prevailed. Critical thinking and evaluation is a welcome side-effect of the Media Scan research.
Generally, the preparation of the Media Scan with research material largely obtained through the Internet has helped students in a number of ways:
Material used for the preparation was predominantly taken from newspapers in the target language. This gave students access to up-to-date language and a variety of respected sources.
Language skills benefited from working with the print media. Students also learned how to incorporate such sources into their presentation (integrating quotations, citing sources, adapting articles, developing the correct style).
They also learned how to read newspapers closely in order to establish differences in political direction etc.
Extensive research of a specific issue taught students how to refine their research strategies and how to deal with material in a critical manner.
Dealing with a variety of materials required students to learn how to use their findings in a logical manner and prioritise, especially as this point was first made in relation to libraries when this task was already done for them. This became very clear in the comparison between the first and the second trial runs of the Media Scan (December 1999 and April 2000). While in most cases, the first attempt had been a rather random collection of ideas, the second run was much better structured.
The preparation of the Media Scan was predominantly carried out in students’ own time (after an initial session, very little actual teaching time was allocated to the Scan itself). The progression of the research showed that students are able to work independently and seem to derive enjoyment from this independence.
Presentation skills were developed throughout the preparation period as students’ confidence about their topic increased.
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Evaluation |
All these aspects are likely to help students in their future careers. IT skills, the ability to research a topic independently and to present the findings in an intelligent and critical manner which is easy to follow for non-specialists are essential in the types of employment they are likely to have. In a global environment where foreign languages play an important role, the profound knowledge of other languages and the ability to access and process relevant information in these languages is crucial. Therefore, the inclusion of Internet research skills in teaching is essential and should be encouraged.
Recommended search engines and sites
Throughout the research, the following were quoted as particularly relevant. Future students working on a Media Scan project should find these useful: Appendix 5
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