Effectiveness of a web-based instructional design module on educating 6th graders on the topic of cyberbullying

Abstract

With the exponential increase in accessible and relatively inexpensive technology such as cell phones and net books, cyberbullying has also increased, particularly among youths in the United States. To combat this growing problem it is necessary to educate this vulnerable population about digital citizenship, and how to recognize cyberbullying and what youths should do if they encounter it. A web-based instructional design module was created to educate 6th and 7th grade students at a Honolulu charter school on the topic of cyberbullying. However, only 6th grade students were able to participate in the study due to logistical constraints. While most of the participants thoroughly enjoyed the module, it appeared that the test instruments were too easy, as almost 21 participants out of 31 scored 100% on the pre-test before even reading the instructional content. Despite the fact that roughly a third of the participants showed improvement, five participants’ scores decreased from the pre-test to the post-test. Also, it is important to point out that the participants were already familiar with bullying and cyberbullying, which was unexpected, considering that their digital citizenship curriculum was not scheduled to begin until 8th grade. For future research, recommendations are to target a younger audience.