Week 7 Application Resubmitted

Applying the Appropriate Research Method

In determining which research method should be applied to the four scenarios described below, I reference the work of McMillan and Schumacher in Research in Education: Evidence-Based Inquiry (2008).

Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.

McMillan and Schumacher explains phenomenology, “The typical technique is for the researcher to conduct long interview with the informants directed toward understanding their perspectives on their everyday lived experience with the phenomenon” (p.26). I believe that the qualitative research design of phenomenology should be implemented for this scenario. The researcher is trying to gain and understanding of the “phenomenon” of peer mediation and the issues that concern it by collecting data, in-depth interviews, that are narrative in nature.

Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.

I believe that the researcher in this scenario is implementing the True Experimental, quantitative research design. He/she is randomly assigning students to the two different groups. One group is receiving the intervention of peer mediation while peer mediation is withheld from the second group. McMillan and Schumacher explain the true experimental design.

The unique characteristic of a true experimental design is that there is random assignment of subjects to different groups. With random assignment, every subject used in the study has an equal chance of being in each group. This procedure, when carried out with a large enough sample size, helps ensure that there are no major differences between subjects in each group before intervention begins.

(p. 24)

Finally, the researcher analyzes numerical data, the number of office referrals received by subjects in each group, to determine the effect of peer mediation on the students’ behavior.

Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.

I believe that a mixed-methodology, exploratory research design should be implemented in this scenario. McMillan and Schumacher explain on page 28, “The purpose of … an explanatory design, is typically to use the initial qualitative phase with a few individuals to identify themes, ideas, perspectives, and beliefs that can then be used to design the larger-scale, quantitative part of the study.” Qualitative data can be collected on the students’ attitude about peer mediation. Once there is an understanding about the students’ attitude, the research can make certain adjustments to the peer mediation program or continue practices that seem to be successful. Finally, quantitative data, the number of office referrals, can be collected both before and after the adjustments are made. Analysis then can be done to determine if the adjustments lead to a decrease in the number of office referrals that are filed. There is a qualitative phase in the beginning that is used to later design a quantitative phase of the study.

Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.

The method that is used here is the Mixed-Method design of Triangulation. According to McMilan and Schumacher, in triangulation design, “… both qualitative and quantitative data are collected at about the same time” (p.28). The survey results make up the quantitative data while the qualitative results come from the interviews conducted. Both types of data are collected to make the most valid and appropriate conclusion about the feelings of those involved in the peer mediation process.

References

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.

Applying the Appropriate Research Method

Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.

I believe that the qualitative research design of phenomenology should be implemented for this scenario. The researcher is trying to gain and understanding of the “phenomenon” of peer mediation and the issues that concern it by collecting data that is narrative in nature.

Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.

I believe that the researcher in this scenario is implementing the True Experimental, quantitative research design. He/she is randomly assigning students to the two different groups. One group is receiving the intervention of peer mediation while peer mediation is withheld from the second group. Finally, the researcher analyzes numerical data, the number of office referrals received by subjects in each group, to determine the effect of peer mediation on the students’ behavior.

Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.

I believe that a mixed-methodology, exploratory research design should be implemented in this scenario. Qualitative data can be collected on the students’ attitude about peer mediation. Once there is an understanding about the students’ attitude, the research can make certain adjustments to the peer mediation program or continue practices that seem to be successful. Finally, quantitative data, the number of office referrals, can be collected both before and after the adjustments are made. Analysis then can be done to determine if the adjustments lead to a decrease in the number of office referrals that are filed. There is a qualitative phase in the beginning that is used to later design a quantitative phase of the study.

Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.

The method that is used here is the Mixed-Method design of Triangulation. Both qualitative and quantitative data are collected. The survey results make up the quantitative data while the qualitative results come from the interviews conducted. Both types of data are collected to make the most valid and appropriate conclusion about the feelings of those involved in the peer mediation process.

My Research Questions and Design

My Research Questions and Design

My problem statement is:

I plan to determine which approach, project-based learning, particularly with end products involving technology learning tools, or traditional quiz and test learning, results in higher end-of-year standardized test scores for tenth grade students.

What: Using project-based learning

Who: Tenth Grade Students

Why: The students' achievement on the living environment regents is a major factor that will influence whether or not the school will remain open. I need to determine and apply the most effective method of teaching the content in order to raise their test scores.

Research Questions:

- What is the effect of using technology as a learning tool on student achievement on standardized tests? (Descriptive)

- Is project-based learning more effective than traditional quiz and test learning? (Relationship)

- Given the same content, is there a difference in student achievement on standardized exams when student learning is assessed by projects as opposed to quizzes and tests? (Difference)

- Does student centered instruction, particularly project-based learning involving the use of technology tools, increase student achievement on standardized tests over teacher centered instruction? (Difference)

- Does software such as Eduware, which uses technology when students take quizzes and tests, increase student achievement on standardized tests scores over pen and paper tests and quiz taking methods?

Research Method:

For this study I plan on implementing the quantitative, non-experimental research design of secondary data analysis. I can analyze data that had been gathered by others, such as student standardized-test scores and compare the achievement among groups that were instructed using project-based learning and teacher centered instructional methods.

Revised Problem Statement

My Problem Statement

My problem statement is:

I plan to determine which approach, project-based learning, particularly with end products involving technology learning tools, or traditional quiz and test learning, results in higher end-of-year standardized test scores for tenth grade students.

What: Using project-based learning

Who: Tenth Grade Students

Why: The students' achievement on the living environment regents is a major factor that will influence whether or not the school will remain open. I need to determine and apply the most effective method of teaching the content in order to raise their test scores.

My Problem Statement

My problem statement is:

I plan to determine what influences the achievement of tenth graders on standardized living environment regents exams between students who are assessed throughout the year by projects and those who are assessed using tests similar to the standardized test.

What: Using project-based learning

Who: Tenth Grade Students

Why: The students' achievement on the living environment regents is a major factor that will influence whether or not the school will remain open. I need to determine and apply the most effective method of teaching the content in order to raise their test scores.

Final Reflection

My personal learning theory has not changed very much after having taken this course. If anything, I now recognize why I believe what I do about how students learn. I can continue practicing the strategies I have implemented with more confidence as I have learned how research supports my instructional strategies. Furthermore, I can explain why such practices enhance student learning, using research and knowledge about how students learn, information I learned through the course. Throughout the course, Dr. Michael Orey describes several learning theories that have been created from what we know about how students learn. During week 7 of the course, Dr. Debra Pickering, an educational consultant, explains how research proves that certain strategies, including strategies that I already utilize in my classroom, enhance student learning.

Throughout my teaching experience I have implemented instructional strategies such as experiential learning and the use of nonlinguistic representations and have found that these strategies have been successful. I chose to implement these strategies in the first place because they were strategies that I found effective in my own learning experience. During week 3 of this course, Dr. Michael Orey describes the cognitive learning theory in the media resource. He explains that they theory evolves from what was learned about how human process information. The instructional strategies of experiential learning as well as the use of nonlinguistic representations of information are supported by the cognitive theory. Dr. Orey suggests using “events in your classroom to augment the declarative and procedural information” that you’d like them to recall. By creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences, students will be able to form a connection between the “episodic memory,” or the memories of events in life, and the “declarative” factual or “procedural” how-to information. Orey explains that the main way that information is stored in the long-term memory is by building numoueous connections to stored information. By associating an experience with information, a teacher is increasing the chances that the information will get stored in the students’ long-term memory.

Dr. Orey explains that the cognitive learning theory also involves what is known as Paivio’s Dual Coding Hypothesis. He describes that this hypothesis states that “information is stored as images and text and therefore images are really powerful tools in the classroom.” This supports the instructional strategy of using nonlinguistic representations in the classroom, a strategy that I have always implemented.

The only modification I would make to my personal learning theory is to explain that the theory that is most similar to my own is the cognitive learning theory as opposed to the constructionist learning theory. When learning about the cognitive learning theory, it was as if someone had taken what I had learned and experienced all my life about effective instruction, and added fancy words to explain it. In my original assignment, I described how the constructionist learning theory complements my personal learning theory. I still think this is true but in relation to the “experiential learning” aspect of the cognitive learning theory. Part of creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences for the students often times involves having them work towards a goal, such as building something for a meaningful purpose.

While taking this class, I learned how to use several technology tools that I would like to use with my students. First, I want to use VoiceStream technology to have students share their thoughts and ideas, to share their presentations and other pieces of work, and to offer feedback to their peers. Not only will students be engaged in creating presentations and sharing information via the VoiceStream, but they will find satisfaction as their work is recognized and commented on, by peers, instructors, or even family members. Students will be more receptive to feedback as it is not only given by their instructor and they will be engaged in offering feedback as they are given the opportunity to record their voice, record a video clip of themselves, or type out their comment. They may be motivated to put more effort into their work since it will be shared with others and thus create work of higher quality. Another technology tool I would like to use with my students is iMovie. I created a lesson plan for the Week 7 Application assignment that had students creating a stop motion animation in order to demonstrate their understanding of certain biological processes. I would really like to carry out this lesson plan next year. The activity is engaging because the students are creating an animation. The students have the freedom to be involved in various ways when creating the animation and so each student will be able to participate. They work collaboratively and can thus build relationships in the classroom. Finally, the experience will create memories that can hopefully become connected to the information they are displaying, the biological processes of photosynthesis and respiration. By creating the connection between the event and the information, and by engaging different senses in reviewing the material, there is a higher possibility that the student will retain and can later recall the information about photosynthesis and respiration. Not only are they using their sense of sight in creating their movie, but they are manipulating structures, addressing the needs of the kinesthetic learners, they are communicating with each other, addressing the interpersonal learner as well as the auditory learner, they are even creating nonlinguistic representations of the processes that are often displayed as chemical reactions. This activity addresses the various types of learning styles that one can find in the classroom and it teaches them technological skills that they can use in the future.

Two long-term goal changes I would like to make to my instructional practice is to have my use of technology be more student-rather than teacher-centered, and to incorporate the use of technology by the student into each unit of study for next year. The extent to which I presently use technology in the classroom is the use of PowerPoint presentations using plenty of visuals that I retrieved from the internet, and assigning web resources for students to answer questions and do virtual labs. Dr. Michael Orey distinguishes student-centered technology tools from teacher-centered technology tools in the media resource for week 7. He explains that technology can be described as an instructional tool, where the teacher presents information to the students, or as a learning tool, where students are using the technology as active learners. As described earlier, I have been using technology as an instructional tool. I would like to have my students use the technology, to engage them in their learning by having them create things with the aid of technology. My two goals can be accomplished together because if I teach the students how they can use the technology to facilitate the learning process, they can participate in experiences that engage them and have them learn by doing. One of my goals is to have the students participate in the animation project that was described earlier. In “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,” Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski explain, “Although PowerPoint presentations and movies are great teaching aids and do lead to higher levels of student engagement, the most engaging learning comes from having the students create the presentation or movie themselves as a part of the learning process.” They recognize how much more meaningful and effective the instruction becomes if a student is actively involved in his/her learning. This is what I would like to accomplish in my classroom.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories. [Motion Picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Social Learning Theory

In the video resource for week 5, Dr. Michael Orey describes an instructional strategy known as the Jigsaw Strategy. Orey explains that in this strategy, the students are split into groups and that each group is responsible for becoming an “expert” on some piece of information. They are responsible for constructing an instructional tool to display or present their newfound knowledge. The students are then re-grouped so that the experts of each topic are in a single group. The job of each member is now to teach the rest of the group about their topic of expertise using their constructed presentation. The jigsaw strategy correlates with the principles of social learning theory. First, the students are working collaboratively as each member of the original group is responsible for gathering research on the topic of their presentation. They are then working together to build something, which is in this case, their presentation. There is a “more knowledgeable other” as Orey describes is a component of social learning theory, when students consult literature and web resources for their information. The students also are acting as the “more knowledgeable other” for their peers when they break into the second group to teach their classmates. Orey explains, “Teaching others helps the learner develop a deeper understanding of the content.” Technology is useful to incorporate into this strategy as it engages the students and facilitates the process of creating a mode of instruction. Students can create a website, a PowerPoint presentation, or a handout using computers and the internet to help them present their knowledge.

Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program 8. Social learning theory [Motion Picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology Baltimore: Author.

VoiceThread Assignment

http://voicethread.com/share/1196869/

Please check out my VoiceThread and comment! I'm seeking advice on how to address the disrespect in the classroom.

Constructionism in the Classroom

In this week’s media resource Dr. Michael Orey describes constructionism as “a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others.” Project-based learning, problem-based learning, and inquiry-based learning involve this idea that students are engaged in learning through the construction of such an artifact. Educational technology is an extremely helpful tool that facilitates the process of construction. In “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,” Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski share a Web resource that I would’ve loved to incorporate into my lessons this semester about evolution. On page 215, they share a link for a program called Darwin Pond. They describe,

Darwin Pond is an experimental inquiry game that allows students to create and evolve “swimmers” by tweaking such characteristics as their color, speed of swimming, and number of joints in legs. Once the swimmers are created, the students can watch to see what happens or continue to modify the environment and make predictions about the effect the changes will have.

This is an example of constructionist learning because the students are involved in designing their own “swimmer.” In the program, they can experience how their swimmers are able or unable to adapt to environmental changes. This technology is beneficial because it allows the students to “spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data” (p. 203). It also involves gives them the task of generating and testing hypotheses, a task students are constantly asked to perform in a science class. On page 202, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski explain the benefits of this task, “When students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content.” This program would’ve been helpful in my classroom during my evolution unit because it is engaging to the students. The concepts of adaptation, survival of the fittest, and environmental influence would become more meaningful as the students observe how their “swimmers” survived or were unable to survive under various conditions. The students could experience the concepts rather than learn the concepts through reading and lecture. I believe that learning through experience is more meaningful to the students and leaves more of a lasting impression. Therefore, if the students are involved in constructing something, they can reflect upon their experiences when considering, reviewing, and ultimately applying concepts that I wish to teach them.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories. [Motion Picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Behaviorism in the Classroom

I agree that the behaviorist learning theory can definitely be found and applied in today’s classroom. Students who achieve certain academic averages get recognized as being on the second honors, first honors, or principal’s list. This is an example of positive reinforcement. The students are given special recognition for academic achievement, which is no doubt a result of positive behaviors such as studying, completing assignments, and regularly attending classes. The behaviorism is also evident wherever there are consequences for rule violations. A student who is excessively absent might receive a phone call home or might be asked to give up his/her free time to attend extra help sessions. Not only can we still find the behaviorist theory in schools today, we can also see it being applied/incorporated into educational technology. On page 156 of “Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,” Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski write, “Technology makes it easier for students and teachers to track the effects of effort and facilitates more immediate feedback.” Computers, the internet, and the various software available allow opportunities for students to answer questions and receive feedback within a second of submitting their answers. An example of such technology was provided in this weeks resources, the website http://englishgrammar101.com. This website contains numerous exercises that students can use to practice their knowledge of basic English grammar. One page asks students to click on all the words that are verbs after giving a summary of what makes a word a verb. The students need only to click on a button to check their answers and receive feedback as to whether or not their choices were correct. Not only is this helpful for the teacher, who no longer needs to carry bags of papers to grade at home during her free time. It also benefits the student as the instantaneous feedback allows students to correct misconceptions and reflect on their answers in comparison to the true answer. On page 188, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski explain, “Because it is so easy for errors to slip in when students are practicing, teachers should give feedback as quickly as possible—ideally, early in the practice sessions, before students internalize erroneous processes and knowledge.” As soon as I read this sentence I immediately thought of myself as a vocal student. I’ve come to realize over the years that if I try to sight-sing a song without first hearing it or playing it correctly on the keyboard and I learn just one note wrong, I find it extremely difficult to “unlearn” that wrong note. If my mistake isn’t immediately corrected, I find myself singing it wrong even if I am accompanied by the correct music. I have to make a conscious effort to sing the notes correctly once I get to that particular bar, or I need to mark the section on sheet music and rely on the sheet music instead of what I have subconsciously memorized. Having learned this about myself, I applied this realization to my instruction. When teaching new and ambitious musicians, I often have to remind them to practice their notes slowly and patiently ensure that they are learning and practicing the correct notes. They tend to be extremely eager to move on and memorize music and when they’ve practiced a wrong note for a while and then it is brought to their attention that the note was indeed incorrect, they too find it difficult to “unlearn” that bad note. The technology available allows for immediate feedback that also can be provided independently, without a teacher’s attention. The practice and feedback can occur in a classroom where instruction is differentiated for individuals or groups, or at home as a homework assignment.

References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD