Comprehension and Organization Inquiry on the Use of Graphic Organizers
Mia Jaramillo-Salazar
Inquiry Question: Are students able to retain, internalize, and use content when using graphic organizers?
Part I: Introduction
It is important to know how students are processing information input, that is why it is important for teachers to emphasize the how and employ the use of graphic organizers when introducing new content or when reinforcing prior learning. Another important consideration that directly relates to the inquiry involves where students are coming from, also known as a students prior knowledge or learning.
The first major writing assignment of the year turned out to be very difficult for a majority of our students. After grading the essays and speaking with several of the struggling students, I began to wonder if the essays reflected a lack of organization rather than a lack of understanding of the content. I wanted to know if graphic organizers might help our students focus in on the content.
Because a foundation must first be built, the lesson and assignment used to reinforce this organization was based on a long paragraph rather than another essay assignment. The graphic organizer I developed provides the structure (elements of a paragraph) and organization that is necessary for effectively communicating the topic and supporting details.
Part II: Methods
In order to address my inquiry question, I first developed a lesson based on the needs of my students. Our students struggle with paragraph formation and organization of content (supporting details), so the graphic organizer uses boxes to guide paragraph structure and key words to prompt students for the content. Assignment 2 is focused on the achievements of the Islamic Empire, but can easily be applied to another paragraph or essay writing assignment.
The students highlighted in the comparison chart were students who both struggled and comprehended Assignment 1 (Mayan Achievements). I chose two students who scored below average, two students who scored average, and two students who scored better than average. I also included three designated English Learners (ELs) in my sample. The average rubric scores were calculated by using the same students from the comparison plus an additional six students from first period who did not use the graphic organizer in their writing. The six students from first period also represented an equal number of above-average, mid-level, and below-average students, as well as three ELs.
I analyzed the data by looking at the original scores for Assignment 1. Second, I looked at the graphic organizers for Assignment 2. Third, I read and graded the paragraph associated with the graphic organizer.* Finally, I input the data into two data graphs.
*Note: Students from first period did not use the graphic organizer in order to provide a comparison, therefore this step was skipped.
Part III: Findings
According to my data, I found that the average rubric scores for the students who used the graphic organizer were increased by a half a point than the students who did not use the graphic organizer. Also, the students’ scores increased, or remained the same, from Assignment 1 to Assignment 2. Those students who completed the assignment and completely filled in/used their graphic organizer, improved in their paragraph organization and their supporting details of their topic.
It should be noted that the results include students who did not do their assignments. One student who was chosen for the focus did not do the actual paragraph writing, but did fill in the graphic organizer. This student’s incomplete grade skewed the results down from an average rubric score of 4.6 to 3.84.
I found that students were able to organize their paragraphs to align with the elements of a paragraph and were able to support their topics with details and evidence. Here is an example from one of the students, the first paragraph is from Assignment 1, and the second is from Assignment 2:
Note: Unfortunately Assignment 2 will not load. I will have copies for the symposium.
Though this student already has a clear understanding of paragraph structure and content, this student still neglected to include all elements of the paragraph. From Assignment 1, the student is missing a concluding statement, but the concluding sentence is included in Assignment 2. This student’s graphic organizer has all elements filled in, including the conclusion sentence, which is why it was not forgotten, omitted, or otherwise not included in the assignment.
The evidence shows that without use of a strategy, in this case a graphic organizer, often times students forget to include important pieces of information and are disorganized when it comes to communicating their ideas via writing. An example, included in the appendix, one student turns the one paragraph assignment into a three paragraph one. Another student appears to lose steam by the last achievement and fails to adequately support her final achievement with relevant details. By using a graphic organizer, or perhaps even an outline, students are more likely to include all elements and to more effectively convey their meaning because they are equipped with a plan and are able to support their topic with evidence that they have already located prior to writing the final draft.
Note: Examples of student work without graphic organizers are included in the appendix.
Part IV: Implications
Understanding where and especially how students process information is especially important in helping them to organize their thoughts in a more standard and academically accepted way. Like any person, until students are comfortable with any given material, communication may tend to be disorganized and unsupported; this inquiry helped me realize that my students may have all of the information that they need, but may still require additional strategies to help them organize that information into cohesive, formal writing.
Not every student may require a graphic organizer, or any particular alternative strategy, but teachers have to be aware of individual student needs and trends of a particular class so that she may be prepared to offer additional support when needed. Strong teachers will provide multiple avenues to content to ensure that all students can comprehend the input.
Organization of the input is just as critical as the comprehension of it and graphic organizers help students get their ideas down along with supporting details, and gives them a road map to follow while completing the task. As with all guided practice and learning, the scaffolding is meant to be removed after a student has mastery of a topic, in this case mastery involves paragraph structure and the effective use of supporting details.
Appendix:
Student without graphic organizer - Four separate paragraphs, no conclusion sentence.
Student without graphic organizer - one very long paragraph, no conclusion, simply ends. No detail for last achievement, says to go on to next page but student does not complete the assignment.
