The internet as a learning tool for effective project based learning in the teaching of the geography primary curriculum

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the Internet, as a resource for Project Based Learning (PBL) in the teaching of the Geography Primary Curriculum. We can clearly see the influence of new technology on society. Over the past two decades there has been a massive transformation in the way we access, research, process and transfer information. The Internet is a positive resource, with the power to transform schools and revolutionise children’s learning. The Department of Education and Science have shown their support for the use of the Internet through the increased availability of Broadband in Primary Schools. They have also provided increased opportunities for teacher’s professional development in the use of the Internet for teaching and learning. This research study will involve 6th class students from a Dublin Primary School, to use the Internet to search for information for a Geography project. This project will be based on the strand Human Environments and the strand unit; People Living and Working in a Contrasting Part of Ireland and People and Other Lands, from the Geography Primary Curriculum. The three countries involved in this research will include the United Kingdom, Japan and America. Students will participate in this research, to compare learning outcomes from the Internet to traditional teaching methods. The participants will be divided into a control group and a study group. The control group will be taught about the countries being used in this study using traditional methods for example books, while the study group will use the Internet to learn about the same countries. Qualitative analysis will be conducted in the form of questionnaires, semi structured interviews, focus groups and an observational checklist. Both groups will undertake a pre test and a post test and a quantitative evaluation will be made to compare the results.