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During recent years, information ethics has become a common issue in our society, and therefore a relating promotional course is urgently in need within the academic environment. The purpose of this research is to investigate how online graphic organizers, an online thinking tool also known as the K-12 Teaching Tools provided by Intel Teach Program, can familiarize students with the concept of logical thinking and advanced level thinking, and apply this ability to understanding the concept of information ethics. The research utilizes “Information Literacy and Ethics”, teaching material developed by Taipei City’s Department of Education, as course content.
During the course, online graphic organizers was in use to help subject with logical thinking and the resulting graphic records were analyzed to investigate subject’s thinking process. A questionnaire survey regarding to the concept of information ethics was conducted prior to and after the course to investigate the transformation in subject’s understanding of said concept followed by an in depth interview via a survey which aimed at five different perspectives – fondness, anxiety, confidence, assistance and teamwork – of subject’s experience using online graphic organizers, and the analytical results of this research are as follow:
(1) The research attempt to induce understanding to the concept of information ethics and its relating causal relations through the reasoning process assisted by online graphic organizers. The subject has shown positive expression to said concept according to graphics produced during the course.
(2) Analytical results from the information ethics survey conducted prior to and after the course show an increased awareness in subject’s acknowledgement of netiquette and copyright protection, and positive, though not prevailing, progress in understanding the concept of internet rumors and bullying. Hence a conclusion is drawn that application of online graphic organizers can produce positive result to overall understanding to the concept of information ethics.
(3) The online graphic organizers is well-received by subject and experience of anxiety was rarely seen. Subject feels confident in using online graphic organizers, acknowledges its assistance during learning process, and is found of the teamwork experience. During the in depth interview, subject express positive response indicating that few difficulties were encountered while learning via online graphic organizers, and is found of this tool.
According to the research, the application of online graphic organizers is helpful to teaching the concept of information ethic, although no prevailing effect is shown on the understanding of internet rumors and bullying. However, subject expresses fondness to online graphic organizers and feels confident learning with its assistance.
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