RELEASE FORMS

Separate release forms (see attached below) were developed through the school system and Elon IRB Board.  They were explained to and signed by all students and their parents prior to the day of the research event.  On the class day for main data collection, several things happened.

>> Student Release Form

>> Student Release Form (Parents) 

PRE-EVENT SURVEY

This was a confidential self-report by students on their level of pre-class textbook reading.  This was not part of any class grade.  The format of an Honor-level class ordinarily requires pre-reading as a foundation since I deliver 40-60% additional content, so this was not an extraordinary assignment.

>> Surveys

DIRECTED-DISCUSSION:
 

I distributed or encouraged several aids to the note-taking process.

• A graphic organizer was provided with the basic framework for the directed-discussion topic (the three Punic Wars between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian Empire).

  >> Graphic Organizer

• Students had also spent class time drawing/tracing two maps of the ancient Western Mediterranean region to assist in note-taking on the first two Punic Wars.  These could/were used to make notes on the content (verbal and visual) I delivered. 

  >> Western Mediterranean region tracing outline

• I also suggested that an additional sheet be used for further note-taking.  (This was not required, but 24 of 30 students did so.) 

• During the directed-discussion, students were occasionally given specific phrases or facts and directed to “write this down” or “make a table” with regards to a specific topic. 

• There was also much verbal interaction and discussion with 99 incidents of student-teacher exchanges, including 20 that lasted more than 5 seconds each.  There were extensive choral responses (where the class did a kind of voice-vote) or hands-raised “poll-taking” on various topics and issues. 

• A total of 60 minutes of the class was videotaped to develop data on verbal interaction patterns and determine the origin of the student notes that would be analyzed.  Possible origins of the notes might be verbal interaction, teacher-delivery, etc..

POST-EVENT SURVEY

At the end of class, students self-assessed where he/she thought he/she learned the content of class: something that was already known by the student, textbook reading, delivered by the teacher, or from class discussion.  (During eventual coding by the researcher, another category for “non-responsive/ erroneous/ extraneous” was added).

>> Surveys

POST-CLASS ACTIVITIES
 

• Immediately upon the end of class, all student material created for note-taking was temporarily collected and photocopied for later study.  Student confidentiality was maintained and no analysis was done until the semester was over and all grades submitted on behalf of the students.
  
  >> Sample Student Notes
   
• A teacher-developed assessment (Unit Exam) was later given to cover this class (and other material).  Overall grades were recorded to assist in the analysis of the main and secondary questions.