C. Chou, H. Peng, Y. Hsieh, and F. Chang (Taiwan)
Internet safety curriculum, Taiwan schools
The purpose of this paper is to report the design and development of an Internet safety curriculum for elementary and middle schools in Taiwan. The objectives are to (1) define Internet safety and identify key concepts covered in this curriculum; (2) perform needs assessment on students' prior knowledge, experiences, and attitudes toward Internet safety; (3) design and develop curricula for the target learners; and (4) evaluate the curricula and provide guidelines for teaching and further curricula. We concluded that there are four areas of Internet safety to cover: (1) communication safety; (2) information decency and correctness; (3) online interpersonal safety; and (4) computer equipment and usage safety. Our design principles included using authentic, real-world examples in a multimedia format; a package of ready-made materials for teachers to use; a variety of learning activities; and alternative forms of evaluation. Our evaluations of this curriculum to date show that, in general, students have responded positively toward the learning experiences. More than half of the students indicated that they have begun to see how Internet safety is an important issue which can affect their lives greatly. In addition, teachers' attitudes are known to considerably affect students' attitudes toward the issue of Internet safety.
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