It Takes a Village: A Web and Mobile Based Instructional Module on Digital Citizenship for Parents and Guardians of K-12 students in Hawaiʻi Public Schools

Abstract

Digital citizenship: what is it and why is it important? As parents, it means our children will have a support system to help them meet the requirements of a 21st Century learner. Research has shown that parents are the first teachers; they play a significant role in motivating students in the classroom. Students are required to meet the Hawaii Department of Education’s General Learner Outcome of “Effective and Ethical User of Technology.” To support their children, parents should have a basic understanding of digital citizenship. This instructional design project was developed to evaluate the impact of a web and mobile module on digital citizenship for parents of K-12 students in Hawaiʻi public schools to ensure the proper use of technology. Constructivist and Adult Learning theories were used in the design of the instructional module. Google + allowed participants to utilize methods such as self-directed and active learning. Mike Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship were used as the framework for the content, with an emphasis on the home and school. Text and video were the primary delivery method for the instructional content. The results of the study indicated that participants overall knowledge of digital citizenship improved, with parents gaining a level of confidence and understanding to support their children. Future research should investigate other social media sites as a means to deliver content to parents.