I Am Learning Destructive Natural Disasters: Technology-Enriched “My Hero Water Drop Activity”

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to develop the technology-enriched "My Hero Water Drop" activity for use in synchronous distance education courses and to gather student opinions about this interactive activity. The activity focused on natural phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, hurricanes and tornados, aiming to facilitate learning through research. In addition, the development of social skills such as cooperation within the group in order to get rewards is embedded in the activity, developing a sense of responsibility by sharing different tasks, and showing respect by waiting for the other team's turn when the turn passes were taken into consideration. The participants of the research were determined by convenience sampling, and the study was conducted with ten 5th-grade students (six girls, four boys) during five class hours. Following the implementation of the activity, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five students to evaluate their opinions on the activity. Descriptive analysis method was used in the analysis of the data. The results of the research indicated that the students found the technology-enriched “My Hero Water Drop” activity beneficial for learning about precautions against natural disasters, and they also expressed that the activity was enjoyable.