EDTEC Pavilion

Adobe - The Chronicle of Higher Education

2011-02-14T13:38:00.001-05:00

Quoted from http://chronicle.com/section/Adobe/476/:

Adobe - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Teach, learn, and collaborate from any distance, at any time, with integrated technology that's easy to use and access. From campuswide efficiencies to extending the classroom across the globe, a successful implementation of Adobe eLearning and Collaboration technologies provides a powerful platform for distributed learning and reducing spending and waste. Adobe eLearning solutions combine the best technology with free downloadable guides for extending courses with virtual classrooms, creating reusable online learning content, supporting online meetings, collaborating online, and integrating with your existing Learning Management System (LMS).»Read More

Clemson University
Top public university embraces Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Pro to enhance the academic experience, further collaboration, and support IT services across departments.» Read More

University of Michigan Medical School
World-class university medical school uses Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Pro to enhance student learning and collaboration and bring efficiency to critical research trials.» Read More

Case Western Reserve University
At Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, faculty, students and administrators on campus and around the globe have found a way to connect seamlessly, simultaneously and successfully, with Connect.» Read More

Online Learning - The Chronicle of Higher Education

2011-02-14T13:30:00.001-05:00

Quoted from http://chronicle.com/section/Online-Learning/471?=2:

Online Learning - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Is Your Online Learning Program Geared for Success?
There’s no denying it – web-enabled classrooms are booming, expected to serve more than 17 million students by 2013. In fact, the Sloan Consortium states that, of...

Distance Education: The Centralization vs. Decentralization Debate

2010-08-25T11:57:00.001-04:00

Distance Education: The Centralization vs. Decentralization Debate

By Michael T. Eskey, PhD

The debate for “control” of distance education at institutions of higher learning continues. On one side, the administration side, there is a need for centralization of operations, to include course development, instructor training and development, scheduling, evaluation, and student and faculty issues. On the other side of the debate, faculty leaders (deans, department chairs, program coordinators) tend to favor decentralization.

In June 2010, the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunication (WCET) asked the membership how institutions were doing with this issue: centralization vs. de-centralization. Twenty-three administrators (provosts, VPs, associate VPs, directors, associate directors, COOs, deans, associate deans) and faculty members provided their valuable insights on the issue.

We are experiencing an era of reduced resources. Those favoring centralization espouse the benefits of both consistent instruction and course development, as well as the avoidance of more resource-consuming stove-piping prevalent if colleges/departments are allowed to develop their own online instructional programs. Those favoring decentralization are convinced that college/departmental control is the best solution for students, faculty, and institutions. The contention of these respondents was that college deans would take on the added responsibilities of their college’s portion of centralized operations of distance learning, faculty development, and learning technologies. A key is to find distance learning champions for each college within an institution. And, that is extremely costly when supporting multiple distance learning organizations versus one.

Both centralization and decentralization of distance learning have advantages and disadvantages; causing many to favor a hybrid approach. The recognition of local control and personal engagement of decentralization must be blended with centralized services that are often more efficient, cost effective, and liberating.

Stay current on the latest distance learning trends with Distance Education Report. Each issue offers practical solutions and best practices to enhance your programs and solve your trickiest problems. Learn More »

Ensuring the same level of service
Technology advancements have brought new opportunities and responsibilities for instructional quality and control. (Fletcher, J., Tobias, S. and Wesher, R) The true responsibility of this lies with the faculty.

When comparing distance learning to face-to-face instruction, a number of important factors emerge, including similarity of student learning experiences, student outcomes, and employer acceptance of credentials. It is important that the instruction provided in both venues be seamless. Centralization ensures that institutions offer services specifically to the online population, while ensuring that they receive the same level of service and instruction that the onsite students receive.

A number of institutions favor decentralization, but do not (or are not willing-to) hold their institutional campus to the same standard and rigor (metrics, support, quality, rubrics, etc.) as their online courses. The ability of college deans in the decentralized modes of administration to be able to discern the differences is the crux of the issue of whether services are better (and more economical) when provided “centrally” instead of by the college or departments.

Michael T. Eskey, PhD is an associate professor of criminal justice at Park University.

References
WCET (October, 2009) Online education programs marked by rising enrollments, unsure profits, organizational transitions, higher fees, & teach training for faculty, Managing Online Education, pp. 1 – 4.

Fletcher, J., Tobias, S. and Wesher, R (2007), Learning anytime, anywhere: Advanced distributed learning and the changing face of education, Educational Research, 36 (2), 96-102.

How Social Media Can Make Us More Productive

2010-07-29T21:24:00.002-04:00

http://mashable.com/2010/07/28/social-media-productivity/

Reaching the Last Technology Holdouts at the Front of the Classroom

2010-07-27T11:04:00.000-04:00

"The challenge for our education system is to leverage the learning sciences and modern technology to create engaging, relevant, and personalized learning experiences for all learners that mirror students' daily lives and the reality of their futures," says the plan, which he helped write. The title of the report, "Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology," suggests that the country's teaching methods need a reboot.

http://chronicle.com/article/Reaching-the-Last-Technology/123659/

Distance Ed. links

2010-04-16T02:02:00.002-04:00

USEFUL LINKS

Distance Educator >>
Website with tons of information for the distance educator.

DETC >>
The Distance Education and Training Council.

Distance Education >>
The Distance Education section of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Stanford Learning Lab home page >>
Stanford Learning Lab's team builds the next-generation learning tools and educational services. E-learning innovations. Ongoing projects, theory and practice of the distributed collaborative learning.

Integrated Distance Learning Course >>
Stanford University course for international students in Computer Integrated Architecture, Engineering, and Construction. Effective project-based learning and team approach Pedagogy.

Electronic Learning Community (ELC) >>
The web-pages of the John Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education. A model application for creating secure electronic learning communities (ELC).

Learning Mastery >>
Learning Mastery Services - online activities in three related practice areas: virtual collaboration, collaborative learning networks, and change management. Collaborative learning guidebook, Internet resources, programs' descriptions.

Coalition for Self-Learning >>
The home page of a Coalition for Self-Learning with the link to the e-book "Creating Learning Communities".

The International Council for Open and Distance Education >>
ICDE is a global membership organization of educational institutions, national and regional associations,corporations, educational authorities and agencies in the field of open learning, distance education, and flexible, lifelong learning.

International Centre for Distance Learning >>
ICDL promotes international research and collaboration by providing information from its library and databases.

Online collaborative environment. PanFora. >>
The site of wiTHinc company that develops collaboration software. The panFora advanced integrated online discussion board and document sharing system.

ADEC - American Distance Education Consortium >>
Collection of on-line resources on distance education. Various topics - online resources, ongoing projects, courseware tools, programs, grants, standarts, etc.

About. Distance Learning GuideSite >>
Information Portal with collection of useful links on distance learning.

International Review of research in Open and Distance Learning >>
A refereed electronic journal (at Athabasca University, Canada) to advance theory, research and practice in open and distance learning worldwide.

AcademicInfo: Subject Guides & Online Degrees >>
AcademicInfo is an online education resource center with extensive subject guides and distance learning information. Provides free, independent and accurate information and resources for prospective and current students and other researchers.

SITE 2010

2010-04-04T16:11:00.004-04:00

Just got back from the 2010 SITE Conference in San Diego, California. This was my third SITE. As always, it's a wonderful opportunity where you can meet people in your field and continue building your network.

Haven't seen Dr. Chia-Kun Lee for years. Good to know that he is now an assistant professor at I-Shou Univ. in south Taiwan. We discussed future collaboration on the Global Media Network project as well as the online interaction research.

A couple of highlights from this conference (to me):

Costing models for distance education (which makes the budget more controllable?)
Remix cultures in learning (it's amazing to see how grass-root technologies work)
Quality assurance for online learning

San Diego is a wonderful city. However, I didn't really have time to visit some of the city's must-goes (e.g., the Zoo and the USS Midway). Next time.

EDTEC JOURNALS IN SCCI

2010-03-24T22:20:00.001-04:00

· EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

· ETR&D-EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

· INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION AND TEACHING INTERNATIONAL

· INSTRUCTIONAL SCIENCE

· INTERACTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

· INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTER-SUPPORTED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

· INTERNET AND HIGHER EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING

· JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

· JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY

· JOURNAL OF STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

· JOURNAL OF THE LEARNING SCIENCES

· LANGUAGE LEARNING & TECHNOLOGY

· LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION

· TURKISH ONLINE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

· DISTANCE EDUCATION

Assessment and Learning Styles

2010-02-17T22:30:00.005-05:00

Recently I was reading A Model for Comprehensive Assessment in the
College Classroom (Mueller, Waters, Smeaton, & Pinciotti, 2009) which consists of 5 steps including (1) determine the purpose of the assessment (diagnostic, formative, and summative), (2) match assessments to outcomes and level of thinking, (3) determine the class demographics, (4) choose the assessment method, and (5) determine the scoring tool.

Step (3) include a variety of elements based on students' learning styles. A most popular application of learning styles in classroom was Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Preference Survey (Dunn, Dunn & Price, 1991), which provided information for students and professors about individual and class learning style needs. Also came to my mind are David Kolb's model (Converger, Diverger, Assimilator and Acommodator), Honey and Mummford's model (Activist, Reflector, Theorist, and Pragmatist), and Myers-Briggs Types Indicator. I remember I did my first MBTI test 5 years ago (which cost me 15 bucks) and was rated "Extraverted Feeling with Sensing" (ESFJ) - sociable, cooperative, tactful, practical, realistic, down-to-earth, decisive, thorough, organized, orderly, and consistent. Liked it!:)

Am I an acommodator/pragmatist?

Reference:

 Sound Instruction - Ready to Use Classroom Practice

Make a Buzz!

2010-02-10T22:13:00.005-05:00

I guess Buzz is becoming Google's new Web 2.0 WMD to kill Twitter and Facebook. It's probably making Google Wave obsolete too. Man...Don't get me started with Mcluhan's Laws of Media or Gartner's Hype Cycle.:)

Instructional Design Theory

2010-02-04T21:58:00.004-05:00

Reigeluth, C. M., & Carr-Chellman, A. A. (Eds.). (2009). Instructional-design theories and models (Vol. 3). New York: Routledge.

Six major kinds of instructional design theory (p. 8-9)

Instructional-event design theory: what the instruction should be like
Instructional-analysis design theory: what the process of gathering information for making decisions about instruction should be like
Instructional-planning design theory: what the process of creating the instructional plans should be like
Instructional-building design theory: what the process of creating the instructional resources should be like
Instructional-implementation design theory: what the process of preparing for implementation of the instruction should be like
Instructional-evaluation design theory: what the process for evaluating the instruction should be like

Gibbons, A. S., & Rogers, P. C. (2009). The architecture of instructional theory. P. 305-326.

It's insightful that Gibbons and Rogers distinguish Design Theory from Domain Theory: "An enormous literature exists on design instrumentalities for instructional designers. However, the theoretic roots of current design practices are difficult to trace in that literature." (p. 311)

Design layering (p. 313)

i. Design of building

Site - the geographic setting and the legally defined lot, having boundaries and context
Structure - the foundation and load-bearing elements of the building
Skin - the exterior surfaces
Services - the communications wiring, electrical wiring, plumbing, sprinkler system, HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning), and moving parts like elevators and escalators
Space plan - the interior layout-where walls, ceilings, floors, and doors go
Stuff - chairs, desks, phones, pictures, kitchen appliances, lamps, etc.: things that move around inside spaces (Brand, 1994)

ii. Design layering of instructional design (p. 315)

Content layer: subject-matter elements (e.g., domain knowledge)
Strategy layer: organization of space, participants, goals, patterns of interaction and experience (e.g., modeling, scaffolding, coaching, situated learning, intrinsic motivation)
Message layer: language that communciates info to the learner (e.g., multimedia, combined graphics and text, animations, or video)
Control layer: control structure for leaner to express to the source of learning experience (e.g., student responds to instruction or problems)
Representation layer: media channels that visualize the message (e.g., use of videoconferencing in international distance education courses)
Media-logic layer: the mechanism by which representations are caused to occur in their designed or computed sequence
Data management layer: data collection, analysis, report and archiving

Root in Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

iPad, not iTablet

2010-01-27T17:37:00.003-05:00

Today Apple released its tablet computer. And it is called iPad, not iTablet. I was a little disappointed at first sight. It looks like a Kindle-size iPod Touch! No iLife package. No built-in camera. I couldn't help but wondering if Steve Jobs had run out of all his creativity. Maybe it takes a while for me to realize the beauty of this not-so-surprising design.

Google Wave is coming!

2009-10-27T00:16:00.004-04:00

I'm excited and delighted to hear the arrival of this real-time online communication and collaboration tool - with a slight fear of a future world that is dominated by the almighty Google though.

http://wave.google.com/help/wave/closed.html

Will the maturity of open-source Web 2.0 technologies announce that commercial online learning environments are moribund?

Will McLuhan's Laws of Media apply?

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

2009-10-19T10:10:00.001-04:00

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). Each year organizations work together on promoting public awareness of cyber security, and to encourage everyone to protect their computers and our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure.

Cyber security requires vigilance 365 days per year. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), the primary drivers of NCSAM, coordinate to shed a brighter light in October on what home users, schools, businesses and governments need to do in order to protect their computers, children, and data.

In 2008, National Cyber Security Awareness Month reached more than 29 million Americans through media, middle school and high school lesson plans, and partnerships with dozens of companies and associations. In addition, the President of the United States declared support for National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution in support of the month, and 41 state governors signed proclamations recognizing the month.

Our Shared Responsibility

Our lives are becoming web-based.

As the Internet becomes pervasive, we are online from home, school, work, and in between on mobile devices. Even when we are not directly connected, our economy and much of the everyday infrastructure we rely on uses the Web.

Ultimately, our cyber infrastructure is only as strong as the weakest link. No individual, business, or government entity is solely responsible for cyber security. Everyone has a role and everyone needs to share the responsibility to secure their part of cyber space and the networks they use. The steps we take may differ based on what we do online and our responsibilities. However, everyone needs to understand how their individual actions have a collective impact on cyber security.

What are you doing for National Cyber Security Awareness Month?

The success of National Cyber Security Awareness Month rests on all of us doing what we can to engage in awareness activities. There are opportunities for everyone from home users to major corporations and government entities to get involved.

Source: staysafeonline.org

Wordpress runs locally on my own "server" now!!!

2009-10-17T15:09:00.008-04:00

While compiling data for my dissertation, I feel there is a need to find a blogging system. It doesn't have to be fancy but it should:

be safe and private
be free
have sufficient space
allow key word search
allow tagging and categorizing and trackback
be HTML-friendly
be transferable

At first I wanted to try Rapidweaver's blogging system but unfortunately it does not allow key word search. Then I thought of the possibility of running Wordpress locally. I started with Solution 1 (Wordpress + MAMP) recommended by KJC. Steps 1-3 went pretty well but for some reason Step 4 didn't work until I tried Solution 2. I learned in a hard way that you'll have to set the document root to /Applications/MAMP/hotdocs instead of /Users/username/Sites/wordpress to make it work.

Everything works pretty well! Now Wordpress is up and running on my personal Macbook Pro-turned "server" under localhost:8888/wordpress.

Back to play with my new WP sandbox.

Online learning 4: How to teach online

2009-09-07T01:07:00.004-04:00

1. Know your students: too busy to attend regular classes, struggling to combine job and family obligations with their studies. From andragogical perspectives, (1) for adult students to learn optimally they need to feel that what they study has relevance to their lives and/or their work; (2) that they know their own learning style and are given opportunities to work with the materials so it fits their way of learning

2. How to become an online professor?

Create a professional website
Effective communication - concise, responsive
Right attitude - easy to work with, open-minded, flexible
Well begun is half done
Always backup your materials

3. Content

content is less important than a well-structured classroom and peer interaction
developed by content experts + instructional designers
Online forum
Keep a log of broken links, inconsistencies, and things to adjust and after thoughts/suggestions

4. Setting up the online classroom

one section for each week/unit
specific forum sections (for self intro, peer discussion, and current events and questions for the professor) shall be set up completely before the course starts
discussion starters & intro messages for each forum section. (plus share info about yourself - encourage them to create a friendly meeting place)

5. Facilitation

A shift from objectivist paradigm to constructivist paradigm
A shift of power away form the professor to the students
Clear expectations & timely feedback
too many postings by the professor tends to hamper student interaction
create a positive, open, and supportive learning environment

6. Feedback & grading

Provide a list of assignments and deadlines (including examples, starting time, etc.)
Organize your email and folders
Feedback (a general part that discusses aspects of the assignment that pertain to most of the students and what the grading criteria are, and a student-specific part to discuss the strengths of the assignment and what can be improved)
Check for plagarism (Google search)
Self evaluation
Late policy
The main traits the students appreciate in a professor is friendliness, warmth, support, and clear expectations!

Online learning 3: Community, facilitation, and assessment

2009-09-06T14:03:00.007-04:00

1. Emerging needs

just-in-time knowledge has replaced the just-in-case, longer modules
changing roles, expectations, responsibilities of mentors & learners
more learner-centered, technology-enhanced communication (across time & space)

2. Interaction

peers have a major influence on successful learning outcome, which is often not taken into account when designing training and academic courses (Palloff & Pratt, 1999)
Key aspects of online interaction: a. community building, b. knowledge generation, & c. process management (Palloff & Pratt, 1999)
a. Create spaces where students have the opportunity to interact about personal matters, build personal relationship and share issues not directly related to the course (reflection: web 2.0 tools such as Facebook and Twitter meet this need by providing profiles of the contact and extensive use of emotioncons to mitigate the challenge of the lack of non-verbal cue)
b. Online interaction takes place without place and time restrictions, which is particularly conducive for knowledge generation in a constructive mode - meaning becomes shared through negotiation and interaction
c. anytime learning (reflection: Now with Web 2.0 and wireless Web access, anytime anywhere/ubiquitous learning becomes increasingly feasible) - requires self-discipline, motivation (being part of an online community), online facilitator to set the initial rules & standards

3. Facilitation

Community building - developing a conducive learning environment & encouraging shared construction of meaning (e.g., all each participant to create an online personality): a. clearly define the purpose of the group; b. create a distinctive gathering place for the group; c. promote effective leadership from within; d. define norms and a clear code of conduct; e. allow for a range of member roles; f. allow for and facilitate subgroups; g. allow members to resolve their own disputes
Knowledge generation - adhere to andragogical rather than pedagogical principles: use facilitative mode to create a student-directed environment
Process management - clear instructions (e.g., subdealines, online meeting times, number of posts required, presentation guidelines), virtual office hours, feedback
Roles of the online facilitator: teacher, mentor, manager, and coach

4. Assessment

A process of evaluating whether the online learning initiative has led to cost reduction, increased productivity, or a higher retention rate
Formative evaluation: an ongoing process that takes place throughout the delivery of the course in order to fill gaps, and clarify and adjust content and delivery mechanisms
Summative evaluation: evaluation that takes place after the course, most often in the form of grade. The frequency and quality of participation in the online interaction should be part of the grading basis.
Pre- & post-test/survey (Reflection: for EDTEC120 we used Profile-IT survey) and various smaller modules (individualized)

References:

Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (1999). Building learning communities in cyberspace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Online learning 2: Pedagogical theories & instructional design

2009-09-03T10:16:00.006-04:00

Pedagogical frameworks

1. Andragogic Model

let learners know why sth. is important to learn
assist learners to direct themselves through info
relate the topic to the learners' experiences

2. Objectivist Model (for short modules on specific concepts and skills)

the world is completely and correctly structured
intro-concept-example-practice-reflection (traditional textbook design)

3. Constructivist Model (for academically challenging longer modules and courses)

knowledge is contextual, meanings are rooted in the indexed by experience
problem-background-concept-analysis-solution (multidisciplinary, real-life problems)

4. Bloom's Taxonomy (Bloom, 1956)

Knowledge: list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where, etc.
Comprehension: summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, discuss, extend, etc.
Application: apply, demonstrate, complete, show, solve, examine, relate, change, classify, discover, etc.
Analysis: analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, compare, select, explain, infer, etc.
Synthesis: combine integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute, plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose, formulate, prepare, generalize, rewrite, etc.
Evaluation: assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarize, etc.

5. Problem-based learning (PBL)

a professional preparation strategy that uses multifaceted, cross-disciplinary problems as the starting point for learning
it draws on memory theory (activation of prior knowledge), problem solving theory (transfer concepts to new problems), and instance theory (pattern recognition)

Design and production of online content

1. Professional mode of production (e.g., for-profit online learning companies) - development team consists of SME (professor), advisory board, instructional designer - often takes 6 months

(1) Planning (time varies): faculty preparation, draft of a working curriculum, time line, budget, work plan
(2) Analysis and design (10 wks): curricular development, content analysis and initial design presentation
(3) Development (10 wks): product development, faculty input, alpha lockdown (each module), beta lockdown (entire course)
(4) Implementation (4 wks): implementation, evaluation, revisions and maintenance

2. Self-publication (web 2.0 is a catalyst?)

Online learning 1 - Adoption & implementation of innovations

2009-09-02T21:09:00.009-04:00

Three challenges:

1. Professionals from diverse academic backgrounds have little shared knowledge which causes major problems when planning & implementing online ed.
2. Online instructors lack pedagogical background (e.g., constructivist approach, peer learning...)
3. Voice of the clients (students) rarely heard

Diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1995)

Why understand the innovation implementation process - 1. help understand why online learning initiatives succeed or fail; 2. how universities decide on policies that directly affect how instructors are required to deliver their courses
Diffusion: the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system (Rogers, 1995)
Adopter (individual or organization) types: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards.
Three types of innovation decisions: 1. Optional (problem: member vs. system); 2. Collective (problem: time-consuming, costly) ; 3. Authority (problem: online learning companies take advantage) - reflection: can web 2.0 change the landscape?
Disruptive technology (Christensen, 1997) - organizations are reluctant to venture into more risky but highly promising technologies (problem for web 2.0?)
Adoption stages: 1. knowledge; 2. persuasion; 3. decision; 4. implementation; 5. confirmation
Alternative of the change process (Fullan, 1991, p. 48): 1. initiation; 2. implementation; 3. continuation; 4. outcome

1. The initiation stage (intent): (1) selective perception; (2) attitudes forming (Contemplators, Adopters, & Rejectors); (3) adopter's sense of control; (4) teaching, administrative, and research aspects; (5) companies effect; (6) peer opinion & professional community; (7) administrative support

2. The implementation stage (overt change of behavior): (1) online learning represents a major shift of power (from instructors to instructional designers and learners, universities to corporate learning environments, f2f content to online, and now web 2.0 vs. commercial approach?); (2) non-research universities implement online learning faster (e.g., U. of Phoenix); (3) peer support & strong professional community; (4) business schools are always early adopters (because they stay close with the business front?)

3. The continuation stage (sustainability): (1) administrative support; (2) professional development; (3) facilitative educational methods

4. The outcome stage (assessment): (1) increased ability to apply what has been learned; (2) higher degree of satisfaction among educators and learners; (3) lower employee turnover; (4) the opportunity to cascade certain theories or methods down through the organization via online learning; (5) increased administrative efficiency

Reference:

Engvig, M. (2006). Online learning: All you need to know to facilitate and administer online courses. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Christensen, C. M. (1997). The innovation dilemma. New York: Harper Business.

Fullan, M. G. (1991). The new meaning of educational change. New York: Teachers College Press.

Expecting Snow Leopard!

2009-08-27T16:22:00.002-04:00

August 28th!

Cannot wait to enjoy the new Snow Leopard operating system! To me the most attractive features are its (1) QuickTime X and (2) the innovative Chinese character input:

(1) With a single click, QuickTime Player can now capture audio or video using the built-in camera and microphone in your Mac. You can easily trim media to the perfect length, then send it to iTunes for syncing to an iPhone, iPod, and Apple TV. You can also use QuickTime Player to publish your media to MobileMe or YouTube — without worrying about codec formats or resolutions. QuickTime X takes Internet video streaming to new levels with support for HTTP live streaming. Unlike other streaming technologies, HTTP live streaming uses the HTTP protocol — the same network technology that powers the web. That means QuickTime X streams audio and video from almost any web server instead of special streaming servers, and it works reliably with common firewall and wireless router settings. HTTP live streaming is designed for mobility and can dynamically adjust movie playback quality to match the available speed of wired or wireless networks, perfect whether the video is watched on a computer or on a mobile device like iPhone or iPod touch.

(2) Until Snow Leopard, if you wanted to enter Chinese characters on a computer, you had to type in the phonetic spelling of Chinese words and the computer would convert them into proper Chinese characters. Snow Leopard offers a breakthrough new way to enter characters: You draw them right on the Multi-Touch trackpad in your Mac notebook. They’ll appear on the screen in a new input window, which recommends characters based on what you drew and lets you choose the right one. The input window even offers suggestions for subsequent characters based on what you chose.

Web 2.0 news

2009-05-11T15:52:00.002-04:00

May 8, 2009

U. of Missouri's Journalism School Will Make iPod Touch, iPhone Mandatory for Students

Job requires Web 2.0 (twitter, wordpress, facebook)

http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=175365196

http://plymouth.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=13134

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3705/professor-encourages-students-to-pass-notes-during-class-via-twitter?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Handbook on Educational Technology

2009-03-20T22:51:00.001-04:00

Chronicle of Higher Education, March 19, 2009

U. of Manitoba Researchers Publish Open-Source Handbook on Educational Technology

Technology is changing the way students learn. Is it changing the way colleges teach?

Not enough, says George Siemens, associate director of research and development at the University of Manitoba’s Learning Technologies Centre.

While colleges and universities have been “fairly aggressive” in adapting their curricula to the changing world, Mr. Siemens told The Chronicle, “What we haven’t done very well in the last few decades is altering our pedagogy.”

To help get colleges thinking about how they might adapt their teaching styles to the new ways students absorb and process information, Mr. Siemens and Peter Tittenberger, director of the center, have created a Web-based guide, called the Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning.

Taking their own advice, they have outfitted the handbook with a wiki function that will allow readers to contribute their own additions.

In the its introduction, the handbook declares the old pedagogical model—where the students draw their information primarily from textbooks, newspapers, and their professors—dead. “Our learning and information acquisition is a mash-up,” the authors write. “We take pieces, add pieces, dialogue, reframe, rethink, connect, and ultimately, we end up with some type of pattern that symbolizes what’s happening ‘out there’ and what it means to us.” Students are forced to develop new ways of making sense of this flood of information fragments.

But Mr. Siemens said that colleges had been slow to appreciate this fact. “I don’t see a lot of research coming out on what universities might look like in the future,” he said. “If how we interact with information and with each other fundamentally changes, it would suggest that the institution also needs to change.” –Steve Kolowich

Frameworks for distance education research

2009-02-25T01:16:00.013-05:00

1. Five options for DE

Map of Distance Education Technology Options (Adapted from McIsaac & Gunawardena, 1996).

2. Framework for DE research

Conceptual framework for studying distance education (Vrasidas & Zembylas, 2003)

3. Situated evaluation v quantitative approach?

"Going global": The complexities of fostering intercultural understanding in a rural school using videoconferencing technology

2009-02-15T15:11:00.008-05:00

Lee, M. M. (2004). "Going global": The complexities of fostering intercultural understanding in a rural school using videoconferencing technology. Unpublished dissertation, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Chapter 1. Introduction

Emphasis on internationalization of curricula
- social change
- general goals (Tye, 2002): a. broadening students' horizons; b. building critical thinking skills; better preparing young people for productive lives in a nation that belongs to an increasingly interdependent world community
Problems
- Access & opportunities (Kim, 2001)
- Individualization v. universalization (Kim, 2001)
- cultural consciousness (Banks, 1997)
Midwestern State, Henderson School & International Studies for Henderson State Schools (ISHS)
Framing the study (p. 5)
- Intercultural Education (Cushner, 1998)
- International studies (Merryfield, 2001)
- Videoconferencing technology (Cuban, 1986; Reznich, 1997; Roberts et al., 1990; Yoakam, 1995; Tiedemann, 2002 - 4 benefits of videoconferencing: a. It is direct communication with experts to enhance understanding of a subject matter; b. it heightens interest which improves motivation and retention; c. it overcomes time and distance constraints; d. it improves the spontaneity of guests)
- ISHS
- Interaction as instructional strategy (Lee & Paulus, 2001; Moore, 1993; Vygotsky, 1978 - ZPD; Bonk, Oyer & Medury, 1995 - social constructivist; Garrison, 1993, p. 16 - interaction; Gilert & Moore, 1998 - interaction)
Significance of the study
- No research to substantiate the impact of ISHS
- Rurual school's isolation
- The findings provide insight into the understanding of complexities associated with cross-cultural encounters; suggest possible implications of this type of program for educators who want to develop learning environments where the students can be empowered with a sense of intercultural competence as members of a multicultural society
Research questions
- How does a middle school social studies teacher in a racially homogenous middle school integrate an international sutdies program into his World Geography curriculum?
- How do the middle school students understand and interpret their encounters with people from other countries through interactive videoconferencing technology?

Chapter 2. The Design of the Study (p. 18) ( qualitative research - Lincoln & Cuba, 1985; Merriam, 1998; Wolcott, 1992)

Definition of Ethnography (Creswell, 1998; Tedlock, 2000; Chambers, 2000)
My stance as a critical theorist (Critical theory - Poskewitz, 1999a, p.2) - look at the program as either
- an intervention, the effectiveness of which is assessed by measuring the change in students' perception about other cultures (attitudinal change), or
- an opportunity to introduce the students to other cultures in order to see their reaction to such an opportunity (naturalistic ethnographic approach)
Methodological implications
- ethnographic method is helpful in providing detailed info about participants & their surroundings
- Individualized interaction techniques (building rapport)
The research design
- Outline of the study
  - Phase 1: Search for possible locations using Henderson State demographic statistics and select 5 possible sites
  - Phase 2: Meet w/ Mr. G and obtain his agreement for the implementation of ISHS into his curriculum
  - Phase 3: Make observations and acclimate to the setting (continued until Phase 7)
  - Phase 4: Begin ISHS. Conduct sutdent/teacher interviews. Begin observation and engage in preliminary analysis
  - Phase 5: ISHS presenters' interviews (for causal feedback). Ongoing observation.
  - Phase 6: Transcription of data and search for emerging themes. Ongoing observation.
  - Phase 7: Data analysis. Ongoing observation. (themes from interviews were compared to the observation - basis for coding. Triangulation)
  - Phase 8: Further interviews w/ the students (questions drawn upon based on the preliminary analysis). Ongoing observation.
  - Phase 9: Analysis and write-up.
- Research site
  - Selection criteria (purposive sampling): a. social studies class in rural high school; b. teacher agreement on using ISHS for entire school year; c. culturally isolated & racially homogeneous
  - Instructional characteristics of the Eliot School (school vision)
  - Technology use in the Eliot School
  - Participants (students, teachers)
Data collection
- Observation (regualr classes without ISHS; class during the ISHS sessions; hallways & cafeteria; school functions such as athletic events; school area & nearby towns) ; to minimize the researcher's obtrusiveness (as an Asian) by regrulating her visits to the public areas of the school so that the students would become accustomed to her presence; examples of the observation data
- Document analysis (textbook; class assignments)
- Interviews (student, teacher)
Data anaylsis (p. 45)
- Reconstructive analysis & diglogical data generation (emerging themes; check understandings with teachers & locals)
- Coding (repeated reading of the data - preliminary analysis; topics compared across the data and grouped into emerging themes. Peer debriefing; discussion with the faculty)
- Discovering system relations (findings compared w/ larger social context - Carspecken, 1996): Hermeneutic-reconstructive anlysis emphasizes action orientations such as interpretive schemes within a culture; systems analysis emphasizes action consequences and the distribution of action conditions broadly throughout society
  - The findings from the school site were compared w/ info about the neighborhood & the town (community)
  - The findings were compared to the dominant discourse of the period that sutdents were exposed to from media sources and conversation w/ others outside of the school
Possible limitations of the study
- Focus group interviews w/ the students (group form may have inhibitory effects)
- My role as researcher/participant (3-fold role - involvement in the implementation; worked as presenter; conducting the research process)
- The novelty factor of the videoconferencing technology
- Myself as an international student (Hawthorne effect)

Chapter 3. "Bringing the world into the classroom": The ISHS program in session (p. 50)

Sections
Discussion
- Emphasis on interaction
- "Personalized narratives
- Uses of other technologies
- Presenter's characteristics
Other instructional interventions for intercultural awareness
- Career talk with the ISHS outreach coordinator
- Ms. Hilary's diversity program

Chapter 4. "Making it relevant": The teacher's use of the ISHS program (p. 82)

The teacher's personal values and views on education
- Being a coach vs. being a teacher
- Being tolerant vs. having strong moral convictions
'No Child Left Behind' & issues of parental responsibilities
On instructional strategies
- Increasing student motivation
- Student-center pedagogy
- Bringing in current affairs
"Making relevant": Integrating ISHS into the curriculum
The future use of ISHS (p. 101)
Discussion
- ISHS as a "live" resource
- Understanding Mr. Gordon's identity

Chapter 5. "Meeting the real person": The students' interpretation of the ISHS program (p. 105)

Students' interpretation of the "other": Constructing difference in school (Identity - Mead, 1934; Habermas, 1981; Kanpol & McLauren, 1995, Hall, 1996; Taylor, 1994; Schutz, 1970; Sleeter & Grant, 1991; Hall & du Gay, 1996)
- Groups & labels (social class variations - Brantlinger, 1993) - being popular
- Homosexuality (Allport, 1979, p. 87 - well-deserved reputation theory)
- "Being popular": Power & legitimacy (Allport, 1979; Kanpol & McLaren, 1995)
- Racism
Difference & the ISHS videoconferencing programs (Self-Other relations - Fine, 1994)
- Interest in the exotic (Ashcroft et al., 2000, p. 94)
- Americanized cultural forms & U.S.-centrism
- "Coming from a real person": Authenticity & group essentialism
- Differentiating vs. "othering"
Discussion
- Popularity & racism: The discourse of exclusion (Sarup, 1996, p. 59)
- Making sense of the difference (Cushner, 2003 - difference as diviation generates the sense of fear)
- Oversimplification of other cultures
Possible reasons for the interpretation (p. 139)
- Culture-specific approach to understanding other cultures (Cushner, 2003, p. 42)
- Emphasis on ethnicism or "national character" (internally homogenous - Brah, 1997, p. 129)
- View of culture as static (Kanpol & McLaren, 1995)

Chapter 6. Conclusions & implications for future research (p. 142)

Tentative conclusion
- Positive response to ISHS
- resulted in interpretations of culture emphasizing the exotic in some cases and in the search for Americanization in others
- didn't result in an awareness of, or challenge to, an already established framework for understanding differences
Future implications
- Providing a support system for the teacher
  - understanding how differnce is constructed
  - community of practice for social studies teachers (Wenger, 1998)
- Implications for instructional design issues (Merryfield, 2001)
  - continuous implementation of ISHS
  - collaborative problem solving approach
  - teaching tolerance: providing instructional resources
  - collaboration between rural schools and universities
  - providing a panel of speakers
- Administrative support for the ISHS program from the university
  - creating more tangible incentive for the presenters
  - creating additional partnership
- For further research
  - further conceptualization of differences for particular contexts and learners
  - issues on curriculum design in social studies
  - teacher education for social studies
  - politics of international education

References

Appendix

Sample interview protocol for students
Sample interview protocol for teacher
Pre-survey questions for students
Reflection of the session (students)
Summary of events
Sample of preliminary analysis

Globalization & Emerging Technologies

2009-02-12T11:11:00.005-05:00

Interrelationships between globalization & DE (p. 649)

"Globalization implies that most people, if not all, are connected more or less contemporaneously with distant events, sometimes whether they like it or not. This 'time-space compression (Giddens, 1994, p.7) is not just limited to communications and transport, but also to economic activity. The social and cultural implications...are intimately connected." (Evans, 1997, p. 18)
The human experience is altering fundamentally within a globalizing world because of: a. the speed and interactivity of new communications media; b. the fusion of cultural conditions

The tensions between globalization and the ways of living and learning

3 generations of DE technologies (p. 652)

"Correspondence Ed."
Aduiovisual media (radio & TV)
Computer-based communications technologies

Reference

Evans, T., & Nation, D. (2007). Globalization and emerging technologies. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of distance education (2nd ed., pp. 649-659). Mahwah, NJ. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Gill’s Conceptual Framework of Intercultural Interfacing

2009-02-10T21:45:00.002-05:00

Following the conception of cultural interfacing at different levels in diverse context, Gill (2007) delineated three orders of gap of rationality:

This conception of the interface gives rise to a first order gap of rationality (conceptual gap) between what is termed ‘actuality’ (the experiencing that draws on past, present, and expectations of future) and ‘reality’ (the observed present). The second order gap of rationality arises from the design competency—gap between the conception and the model. The third gap of rationality of design is technical competency, the application gap. The cumulative affect of these gaps is that it can lead to the severe breakdown and disruptions of interaction. (pp. 642-643)

Gill (2007) pointed out that the tragedy of this breakdown is that the designers of the interface may not even be aware of the existence of such interfacing gaps, and they may come to “blame the frailty of the human rather than recognize the limitations of the observed reality” (p. 643). Such limitations prevent us from knowing the user from the use context. Therefore, he proposed a human-centered vision of the interface cultivated in the notion of the interdependence between the reality and the actuality – the symbiotic interface.

The symbiotic interface seeks an interdependent relationship between the personal, social and cultural roles (tacit dimension) and the functional (objective) roles of the user, thereby perceived as the “between-ness” interaction between the reality (objective world) and the actuality (tacit, practice) (p. 643). The “tacit” is defined as the interrelationship between the “personal” (feeling/experiencing) and “experiential” (collective experience/practice), which provides a “conceptual handle” (p. 646) to articulate interdependent (symbiotic) relationships between the “personal”, the “experiential” and the objective:

It can be argued that part of the “personal” knowledge can become part of the “experiential” dimension over time during the process of participation in a group, and that part of the “experiential” knowledge can become absorbed into the “objective” dimension over time through the process of collaboration. Following the similar argument, it is proposed that part of the “objective” knowledge can also be transferred to the “experiential” domain, and part of the “experiential” knowledge to the “personal” domain. It is further proposed that this symbiotic idea of transference between “personal” “experiential” and the “objective” provides an insightful framework for designing interfacing architectures for “in-between” interactions. It is this symbiotic notion of transference and “between-ness”, which provides an interdependent relationship between cognition and action, and thus the core concept of interfacing and collaboration. (p. 646)

The notion of symbiosis provides a conceptual basis to design interfacing architectures for the intercultural interactions. It provides a conceptual tool to find coherence between diversities, ambiguities and uncertainties of the human situation in seeking interdependence between the reality and actuality, between the objective and the tacit. This conceptual tool can be further combined with theories in educational technology and diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1995) when considering distance education as an innovative learning approach.

Other concept:
"culture of the artificial" enables individuals (or groups) from two different cultural spaces to create a third artificial cultural space in which to meet and share and pool their common cultural experiences for a common purpose, while recognizing and accepting their cultural differences as a further resources for cross-cultural learning-valorizing of cultures (Gill, 2007).

Reference
Gill, K. S. (2007). Rethinking the cross-cultural interaction architecture. Artificial Intelligence and Society, 21, 639-647.

Context in instructional design

2009-02-09T21:10:00.005-05:00

Tessmer and Richey (1997) define context as “a multilevel body of factors in which learning and performance are embedded” (p. 87). The importance of context and its impact on the instructional equation were discovered through context analysis or environmental analysis (Dean, 1994; Tessmer, 1990; Tessmer & Harris, 1992; Tiene & Futagami, 1987). According to Tessmer and Richey (1997), the designer (or design team) conducts a thorough review of the environmental factors that have direct bearing on learning during context analysis, then follows the analysis with conscious, informed decision making procedures to change the learning environment during the instructional design process.

A context analysis can be either similar to or different from needs assessment or needs analysis. The similarity is nested in a broad view of needs assessment (Eastmond, 1994) in which needs assessment is defined as “a systematic inquiry into the most important needs to be met” (p. 88). However, Dick and Carey (1996) assert that the needs assessment tends to focus on “the exact nature of an organizational problem and how it can be solved” (p. 18). This notion implies the distinction between needs assessment and context analysis, while the latter is interpreted as an examination of “physical and psychosocial factors that affect learning…a phenomenological approach to instructional design in that it seeks to describe the learning ‘as it is’ in the real world…” (Tessmer & Harris, 1992, p. 15).

Tessmer and Richey (1997) proposed a general model of the dimensions of context in which the authors classified three context types: orienting, instructional, and transfer. The first dimension, orienting context, addresses issues that influence learner motivation and preparedness. The second dimension, instructional context, includes the factors that are “directly involved in the delivery of instruction, the immediate physical, social and symbolic resources” (p. 91) surrounding the learner. The third, transfer context, describes the environment in which the learner will use his/her newly gained knowledge. Embedded in each of the three types of contexts are three levels of analysis: the learner, the immediate environment, and the organizational environment. A combination of the context types and levels provides a framework of the “multilevel” nature of context as reviewed earlier.

Information for the context analysis can be collected in a variety of ways, for example, data analysis (documents), interviews, site visits, surveys, and small group (team) discussions (Tessmer, 1990, p. 61). The variety of data sources help an investigator triangulate and verify information about the context (Tessmer & Richey, 1997). Dean (1994) further outlines seven ways that context analysis might address instructional design concerns. Data from context analysis can:
1. Identify those who can help guide the instructional design process.
2. Provide another way of specifying instructional goals and objectives.
3. Assist in developing appropriate learning activities.
4. Define the format of a program and describe the availability of equipment.
5. Identify which methods of instruction people accept or resist.
6. Frame an understanding of learner evaluation methods.
7. Elucidate critical summative evaluation components. (p. 66)
Tessmer and Richey present another perspective on the use of context analysis data with the following five steps:
1. Identify criteria for “successful” instruction.
2. Mitigate effect of inhibiting factors.
3. Install missing factors.
4. Secure or exploit facilitative factors.
5. Monitor the contextual factors of orienting, learning and transfer context during their continued implementation. (p. 104)

Model of cross-cultural interaction

2009-02-09T10:36:00.003-05:00

Flowerdew and Miller’s (1995) model of cross-cultural interaction will help answer these questions. After carrying out a three-year ethnographic study on the interaction between American, British, and Australian lecturers and Hong Kong Chinese students, the two researchers proposed a four-element framework for analyzing second language lectures at four cultural levels—ethnic culture, local culture, academic culture, and disciplinary culture (see Figure 4).

The first element, ethnic culture, is defined as “social-psychological features which affect the behavior of students and which may contrast with the social-psychological make-up of Western lecturers” (p. 356). For example, the Chinese students’ Confucian heritage has place an emphasis on family value and respect for elders. However, their reluctance to express opinions in front of the teachers may be associated with another Asian value of saving face. A “high level of achievement motivation” (p. 358) is also considered pertinent to their ethnic culture.
The second element in this framework is that of local culture, which is defined as “aspects of a local setting with which the members of a particular society are familiar” (p. 359). An example was that the Chinese students expressed their complaints for the lectures’ lack of use of local examples when elucidating concepts in their presentations.

A third element is academic culture, which refers to “those features of the lecture situation which require an understanding of the particular academic values, roles, assumptions, attitudes, patterns of behavior, and so on” (p. 362). They note that academic culture is situated at several different levels: (a) within a group of countries (European nations for example), (b) at a nation level, (c) within a group of institutions, (d) in a given country, or (e) within a particular institution. In the case of the Hong Kong Chinese students, they have found that four features are involved. The first feature is that memorization is being used as a primary cognitive learning strategy. This strategy has been highly developed since a young age. The second feature is that the Confucian value for respect to teachers and the language barrier produce a significant avoidance of classroom interaction with teachers. A third observation is “the propensity of students to help each other” that is rooted in the Chinese “collectivist approach to social interaction” (p. 363). The fourth feature involves the lack of creativity on the part of students due to rigid examinations and assignments and “lacking in critical and original thought” (p. 365).

The fourth dynamic in this framework, disciplinary culture, is defined as “the theories, concepts, norms, terms, and so on of a particular academic discipline” (p. 366). It connotes that some disciplines may be common to different cultures, however, they may use different theories, concepts, and norms that are expressions of those cultures. Taking lecture structures for example, Flowerdew and Miller (1995) point out that the other-culture student is faced not only with learning lecture structures related to various disciplines but must also cope with the discourse features of English language.

Flowerdew and Miller suggest that their model may be useful to researchers and educators in the fields that involve oral instruction across cultural boundaries. However, they lament “there is a dearth of information as to the cross-cultural aspects of lectures which can assist Western lectures in teaching non-Western students” (p. 370).

Reference
Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (1995). On the notion of culture in L2 lectures. TESOL Quarterly, 29 (2), 345-373.

Cultural context and its implication for methodology

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Cross-cultural psychology attends to broad ranges of situation drawn from a cross-section of cultures. The need to study behavior in more naturalistic contexts has been emphasized. This figure represents four relationships between environmental contexts and behavioral outcomes. Toward the top of the model are natural and holistic contexts and outcomes, while at the bottom are more experimental (controlled and reductionistic) (p. 228).

The ecological context is the “natural-cultural habitat” (Brunswik, 1957) or the “preperceptual world” (Barker, 1969), which consists of all the relatively stable and permanent characteristics of the habitat that provide the context for human action and includes the population-level variables such as ecological context, the sociopolitical context, and the general cultural and biological adaptations made by the group. Nested in the ecological context are the experiential context, situational context, and the assessment context. Paralleling these four contexts are four behavioral outcomes: customs, repertoire, actions, and scores.

Many researchers argue that behavior in its full complexity can only be understood within the context of the culture in which it occurs. The emic approach (Segall et al., 1990), which studies behavior from within the system, attempts to look at phenomena and their interrelationships (structure) through the eyes of the people native to a particular culture. Cultural anthropology, or ethnography, provides the method of participant observation for the researcher to look at norms, values, motives, and customs through the eyes of the members of a particular community.

Situated Evaluation

2009-02-03T22:04:00.007-05:00

Bruce, B. C., & Rubin, A. (1993). Electronic Quills: A situated evaluation of using computers for writing in classrooms. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

1. Problems with the standard evaluation paradigms (p. 190)

- does not support showing why changes occur, how changes are different across settings, or how they relate to changes in the innovation (p. 197)

-The standard evaluation paradigm focuses on the innovation per se, on its properties, in the case of formative evaluation, or on its effects, in the case of summative evaluation. One consequences of technocentrism is that the process of change is conceptualized as a function of the innovation alone, or else it is effectively ignored.

most evaluations do not identify the reasons for the observed phenomena (do not say how the innovation can be improved, nor what aspect of it produced the measured effects)
Not being able to account for why changes occur means that it is questionable to generalize to other settings in which the innovation might be used
The development process often continues after the evaluation, so that most evaluations are effectively of innovations that no longer exist (without knowing more about the situation and process of use one cannot say whether initial results are still valid for the changed innovation)

2. Idealization v. Realization (p. 198)

Idealization: what the developers of an innovation intend(they see the innovation set in an idealized context and used in an idealized way - vision of the changed social system)
Realization: what happens when the innovation is realized in a particular social setting (the social system may or may not change at all, and if does change, it may not do so in accord with the developers' goals)

3. Situated evaluation (p. 177)

SE analyzes the varities of use of the innovation across contexts and emphasize the unique characteristics of each situation in which the innovation is used
Focus: innovation-in-use
Purposes: to understand the different ways in which the innovation is realized; to examine the various realizations of an innovation in different settings (p. 204)
- Explain why the innovation was used the way it was
- Predict the results of using the innovation
- Identify dimensions of similarity and difference among settings
- Improve the use of the innovation
- Improve the technology
- Identify variables for later evaluation
Procedure: SE cannot be proceduralized. It's a process of discovering relationships (p. 205)
- The idealization of innovation
  - each innovation emerges from a theory (learning & teaching), articulated to varying degrees in documents about the innovation
  - inclusion of new technologies (tools & artifacts, prescriptions for use, support system)
- The settings in which the innovation appears
  - cultural context (national, SES, linguistic diversity)
  - institutional context (the school & the classroom)
  - pedagogical context (academic goals of schooling, teacher's instructional role, students' roles in promoting their own learning, the nature of academic tasks, the social environment as the context for individual learning)
- The realization of innovation
  - Understanding the reasons for change
  - Difference across settings
  - Change in the innovation
  - (research method: field notes, documents, interviews, videotapes, observation - essential to doing a situated evaluation, p. 210)

4. Comparison w/ traditional frameworks for evaluation (p. 213)

Fomative
- Focus: Innovation
- Audience: Developer
- Purpose: Improve the innovation
- Variability of setting: Minimized to highlight technology
- Measurement tools: Observation/interview/survey
- Time of assessment: During development
- Results: List of changes to the technology
Summative
- Focus: Effects of the innovation
- Audience: user
- Purpose: Decide whether to adopt innovation
- Variability of setting: Controlled by balanced design or random sampling
- Measurement tools: Experiment
- Time of assessment: After initial development
- Results: Table of measures contrasting groups
Situated
- Focus: Social practices
- Audience: User (but also developer)
- Purpose: Learn how the innovation is used
- Variability of setting: Needed for contrastive analysis
- Measurement tools: Observation/interview
- Time of assessment: During and after development
- Results: Ethnography

Adult learning theory

2008-11-04T16:38:00.002-05:00

Speck (1996) notes that the following important points of adult learning theory should be considered when professional development activities are designed for educators:

"Adults will commit to learning when the goals and objectives are considered realistic and important to them. Application in the 'real world' is important and relevant to the adult learner's personal and professional needs.

Adults want to be the origin of their own learning and will resist learning activities they believe are an attack on their competence. Thus, professional development needs to give participants some control over the what, who, how, why, when, and where of their learning.

Adult learners need to see that the professional development learning and their day-to-day activities are related and relevant.

Adult learners need direct, concrete experiences in which they apply the learning in real work.

Adult learning has ego involved. Professional development must be structured to provide support from peers and to reduce the fear of judgment during learning.

Adults need to receive feedback on how they are doing and the results of their efforts. Opportunities must be built into professional development activities that allow the learner to practice the learning and receive structured, helpful feedback.

Adults need to participate in small-group activities during the learning to move them beyond understanding to application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Small-group activities provide an opportunity to share, reflect, and generalize their learning experiences.

Adult learners come to learning with a wide range of previous experiences, knowledge, self-direction, interests, and competencies. This diversity must be accommodated in the professional development planning.

Transfer of learning for adults is not automatic and must be facilitated. Coaching and other kinds of follow-up support are needed to help adult learners transfer learning into daily practice so that it is sustained." (pp. 36-37)

Speck, M. (1996, Spring). Best practice in professional development for sustained educational change. ERS Spectrum, 33-41.

Also see:
Principle's of Adult Learning
Adult Learning Theories
Andragogy and Technology
Adult learning theory & distance education
Application of adult learning theory

Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology

2008-11-04T09:28:00.004-05:00

Jonassen, D. H. (2004). (Ed.). Handbook of research on educational communications an technology (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Part I. Theoretical foundations for educational communications & technology

1. Behaviorism & instructional technology (Burton, Moore, & Magliaro, pp. 3-36)

The notion of the mind as computer has fallen into disfavor due to the mind-body separation-human as machines (Gardner v Skinner)
DE's "any time, any place" asynchronous learning - issues of scalability, cost effectiveness, maximization of the learner's time, value added have brought to the forefront behavioral paradigms

Part II. Hard technologies

Part III. Soft technologies

Part IV. Instructional design approaches

Part V. Instructional strategies

Part VI. Instructional message design

Part VII. Research methodologies

3 Ways Web-Based Computing Will Change Colleges

2008-10-24T10:49:00.001-04:00

3 Ways Web-Based Computing Will Change Colleges

By JEFFREY R. YOUNG

Cloud computing, one of the latest technology buzzwords, is so hard to explain that Google drove a bus from campus to campus to walk students through the company’s vision of it.

After students sat through a demo at computers set up nearby, they boarded the bus and got free T-shirts. The bus only stopped at colleges that had already agreed to hand over their student e-mail service to Google, which offers to run it for colleges free (Microsoft has a similar service and made a similar road trip).

At first I wondered why Google needed to demonstrate its popular e-mail service. Didn’t students already know how to click send? But when I hopped on the bus at George Washington University last month, I saw that the demos highlighted all the other Web services in its Google Apps for Education e-mail package for colleges, which includes a Web-based word processor called Google Docs, a Web-based spreadsheet program, and other tools.

Those tools are the cloud computing part—the term usually refers to programs that run over the Internet rather than locally on a user’s computer. And Google officials explained that many students don’t yet know about those new Web-based services.

Google’s bus is just one of many signs that cloud computing is starting to shake up campus technology. In the next five years, Web-based computing will likely bring important changes in how students study, how scholars do research, and how college information-technology departments operate.

Here are the promises and the challenges:

Sharing From Everywhere

At a summer program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that I sat in on last year, I asked students whether they had stayed up all night at the library finishing their final group projects, as the program’s organizers had predicted. One of the students looked at me as if I were crazy. Yes, he had worked late—until about 3 a.m.—but he had been at home by himself. The students all contributed to a shared document using Google Docs, which anyone in the group could edit online from anywhere. All of the students were essentially logged in to the same computer (in this case off at Google somewhere), one adding a paragraph at the end, another changing the font, and another rewriting the title. There was no longer any need to worry about getting everyone in the same room at the same time.

Such virtual collaboration is a key benefit of running something like a word processor on the Internet instead of on an isolated PC. Students can easily ask parents or faraway friends to edit their term papers remotely without having to send clunky attachments. Or students can set up a shared online document or spreadsheet to plan the next big fraternity bash. And that’s what is already happening at many institutions.

For professors, having documents stored in the Internet cloud means they can easily move from their home offices to their university office to the classroom without worrying about leaving the latest copy of their lecture notes behind. They can just log into Google Docs, or Microsoft’s Office Live or some other networked service, from any location. And the cloud-computing tools make it easier for professors to collaborate with colleagues on scholarly papers, too, supporting the trend of interdisciplinary research.

Supercharging Research

Google and other companies may be the innovators in cloud computing for things like word processing, but colleges have been leaders in using cloud computing for research.

Specifically, many colleges are setting up systems that let professors tap into supercomputers over the Internet using a standard PC. Then there’s a closely related trend of grid computing, which allows colleges to string together normal computers working in tandem over the Internet to provide the equivalent firepower of a supercomputer. The cobbled-together approach has meant that small colleges that could never afford a room-size supercomputer can set up something with the same processing bang on the cheap.

Basically, cloud computing is bringing supercomputing to the mainstream of research. “You reduce the barrier to use advanced computing facilities,” says Craig A. Stewart, associate dean for research technologies at Indiana University. (He will be co-moderating a panel about the promise of cloud computing at this week’s annual conference of Educause, the higher-education technology group.) And that ease of use means historians will increasingly join climate experts in using supercomputers to tackle their problems, he predicts.

Reshaping IT Departments

Cloud computing is also leading colleges to band together to offer services. After all, because servers that run Web-based software can be anywhere, why not get together with a few other colleges to build a joint data center?

That is already happening in Virginia, where a consortium of more than a dozen colleges is building the Virginia Virtual Computing Lab. The system will let students or professors at the different institutions use their own computers to access specialized software, such as 3-D modeling programs. The idea is to bring the kind of programs usually found in college computer labs right to students wherever they are, and one day it might make old-fashioned computer labs obsolete.

The Virginia project is modeled on a system already up and running at North Carolina State University, and that virtual lab is being shared with two community colleges and the University of North Carolina system.

“Students can’t really tell where it is since they’re going over the Internet,” says Henry E. Schaffer, coordinator of special IT projects and faculty collaboration at North Carolina State. “With a normal broadband connection, it just works.”

Meanwhile, colleges will outsource some services that it makes more sense for a big consumer company to handle, like e-mail, saving the colleges money to go build the services that they can do better.

The Challenges

That’s the rosy vision, but there are downsides.

The main one is privacy. Storing all your research notes on Google’s servers, for instance, may make the contents easier for government agencies or others to subpoena than if the data were on personal computers, because of the inconsistencies in current law, according to Daniel J. Solove, a law professor at George Washington University who explores the issue in his book, The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age. Companies like Google may be tempted to mine that data down the road and sell it to advertisers, especially if those companies fall on hard times, he said in a recent interview. “I think we need better laws for data security,” he said. “It is a problem that has not yet been solved.”

Also, there are human obstacles to collaborations like Virginia’s virtual computer lab, so just because such projects make good sense doesn’t mean that colleges will be able to pull them off if partners have conflicting ideas of how they should operate.

A new book by Educause that is scheduled to be released this week at the group’s annual conference captures the mix of promise and confusion that cloud computing poses today. Called, The Tower and the Cloud: Higher Education in the Age of Cloud Computing, it offers more than a dozen essays with predictions about the next stage of computing on campus. The book’s introduction argues that a cloud is an apt metaphor for the shift ahead: Clouds get harder to see your way through as you walk into them.

“We are letting go of a known and trusted toehold,” the book contends, “in favor of an uncertain one.”

The Systematic Design of Instruction

2008-08-18T14:49:00.006-04:00

The Dick & Carey systems approach model for designing instruction (Link)

Identify instructional goal(s)
- Performance analysis
- Needs assessment
- Job analysis
- Clarifying instructional goals
- Learners, context, and tools
- Criteria for establishing instructional goals
Conduct instructional analysis
- Conducting a goal analysis
  - Verbal info
  - Intellectual skills
  - Psychomotor skills
  - Attitudes
  - Cognitive strategies
  - Goal analysis procedures
  - Analysis of substeps
- Identifying subordinate skills and entry behaviors
  - Hierarchical approach
  - Procedural analysis
  - Cluster analysis
  - Subordinate skills analysis techniques for attitude goals
  - Combining instructional analysis techniques
  - Instructional analysis diagrams
  - Entry behaviors
  - The tentativeness of entry behaviors
Analyze learners and contexts
- Learner analysis
- Collecting data for learner analysis
- Analysis of performance context
- Collecting data for performance context analysis
- Analysis of learning context
- Collecting data for learning context analysis
- Public school contexts
- Evaluation and revision of the instructional analysis
Write performance objectives
- Performance objective
- Components of an objective
- Derivation of behaviors
- Derivation of conditions
- Derivation of criteria
- Process for writing objectives
- Evaluation of objectives
- The function of objectives
Develop assessment instruments
- Four types of criterion-referenced tests and their uses
- Designing a test
- Determining mastery levels
- Writing test items
- Setting mastery criteria
- Types of items
- Sequencing items
- Writing directions
- Evaluating tests and test items
- Developing instruments to measure performances, products, and attitudes
- Using portfolio assessments
- Evaluating congruence in the design process
Develop instructional strategy
- Selection of delivery system
- Content sequence and clustering
- Learning components of instructional strategies
- Learning components for learners of different maturity and ability levels
- Learning components for various learning outcomes
- Learning components for constructivist strategies
- Student groupings
- Selection of media and delivery systems
Develop and select instructional materials
- The delivery system and media selections
- Components of an instructional package
- Selecting existing instructional materials
- The designer's role in material development and instructional delivery
- Developing instructional materials for formative evaluation
Design and conduct formative evaluation of instruction
- Designing formative evaluations
- Role of subject-matter, learning, and learner specialists in formative evaluation
- One-to-one evaluation with learners
- Small group evaluation
- Field trial
- Formative evaluation in the performance context
- Formative evaluation of selected materials
- Formative evaluation of instructor-led instruction
- Data collection for selected materials and instructor-led instruction
- Concerns influencing formative evaluation
- Problem solving during instructional design
Revise instruction
- Analyzing data from one-to-one trials
- Analyzing data from small-group and field trials
- Revision process
- Revising selected materials and instructor-led instruction
Design and conduct summative evaluation
- Expert judgment phase of summative evaluation
- Field trial phase of summative evaluation
- Comparison of formative and summative evaluations

Dick, W., Cary, L., & Carey, J. O. (2005), The Systematic Design of Instruction (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Other ID resources:

Professional Development

2008-08-04T23:47:00.008-04:00

Solution for how campus leadership should facilitate change that must occur to meet the needs of contemporary, diverse nature of college students

I. Change Theory (Michael Fullan)

II. Diffusion of Innovation (Everrett Rogers, 1995): Diffusion is "the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system...a kind of social change" (p. 5). People are inherently more or less predisposed to innovative behavior. Individual adoption rates of innovation are usually distributed along a bell shaped curve and can be grouped under five categories:

Innovators (2.5%): Venturesome
Early adopters (13.5%): Respect
Early majority (34%): Deliberate
Late majority (34%): Skeptical
Laggards (16%): Traditional

III. CBAM (Concern-Based Adoption Model): for effective educational change to occur in the adoption of an innovation, there must be a change-facilitator who probes potential users to find out what their needs (concerns) are and uses available resources to meet these needs (Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, & Hall, 1987, p. 30). Seven stages:

Stage 0 (Awareness Stage in faculty): "I'm not concerned about technology-based distance education"
Stage I (Information Stage): "I'd like to know more about tech-based distance ed."
Stage II (Personal Stage): "How will using it affect me?"
Stage III (Management Stage): faculty express concern about spending a great proportion of their time getting material ready.
Stage IV (Consequences Stage): "How is my use affecting students?"
Stage V (Collaboration Stage): "I'm concerned about relating what I'm doing with what other instructors are doing."
Stage VI (Refocusing Stage): "I have some ideas about something that would work even better."

(Stage IV - VI faculty concerns are focused on the impact of tech)

IV. Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) studies

V. Reward Collaboration (Kezar)

Digital Storytelling: Capturing lives, creating communities

2008-07-29T23:08:00.003-04:00

Lambert, J. (2006). Digital storytelling: Capturing lives, creating communities. Berkeley, CA: Digital Diner Press.

p. 142.
...historically, different technologies had been pushed into the classroom from above rather than in response to teachers' desires or needs. Consequently there was a history of resistance to technology by teachers, as technology often interfered with their classroom goals. The headaches of learning these new technologies and troubleshooting technical problems simple weren't worth it. Teachers for the most part have not felt comfortable with using technology themselves, which was reflected in how they imagined implementing it in their curriculum.

Teachers are tired. Teaching is a tiring profession. It is very emotional. Teachers are also tired of technology since it has been pushed into the schools from above fro years and rarely with any thought about as to how it would really integrate into actual classroom practice, or what teachers actually wanted to do, or about how how it impacts the relationships within a classroom that are so important.

Story is a much more effective repository of data than many research methodologies that use data points as metrics. When making digital stories, teachers are given a new way to be creative with artistic expression which is not encouraged in the context of their daily work. This re-energizes them about teaching by taking themselves back into the classroom and allows them to express it in a way they've never been able to.

Digital storytelling thus can be an action research tool, an iterative tool where the points of reflection develop a professional portfolio. The idea is to return to your earlier story, again and again, in each iteration, and have that shape the research questions and artifact collection over many semesters or years. (Can be very powerful!)

Self-empowerment; sense of audience (the public role became part of the process with digital storytelling); intense writing revision (much more careful critical reflection)

Reference:
Paull, C. (2002). Self-perceptions and social connections: Empowerment through digital storytelling in adult education. Unpublished dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, School of Education.

Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

2008-07-29T22:33:00.002-04:00

McLuhan, M. (1994). Understanding media: The extensions of man. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Other readings:

General
Campbell, J. (1988). The power of myth. New York: Doubleday.

Storytelling & Education
Bruner, J. (1996). The culture of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Cognitive Theory, Psychology, and Narrative
Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.
Harvey, J. H. (1996). Embracing their memory: Loss and the social psychology of storytelling. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Ong, W. J. (1982). Orality and literacy: The technologizing of the word. London: Routledge.

Interactive Digital Storytelling
Murray, J. H. (1997). Hamlet on the Holodeck: The future of narrative in cyberspace. New York: The Free Press.
Miller, C. H. (2004). Digital storytelling: A creator's guide to interactive entertainment (1st Ed.). Focal Press.

Educational Resources
Scott County, KY
David Jake's Educational Resources
UK Digital Storytelling in Education
University of Houston's Digital Storytelling Resources

Developing a Good College-Company Relationship

2008-07-01T11:01:00.000-04:00

Are universities too cozy with industry? In certain respects, they are not cozy enough, says Anoop Gupta, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s education product group. The software company is gearing up for a conference in Paris next week, sponsored along with Unesco, called the Education Leaders Forum. In an interview with The Chronicle, Mr. Gupta said that higher education could be doing a better job of preparing students for life, and work, in the coming century.

“Absolutely there should be a tighter relationship,” Mr. Gupta said, noting that universities could integrate certification in particular software packages into their curriculum. (He cited a few examples of such software, which had Redmond, Wash., as their home address.)

But it’s about much more than creating workers for Microsoft, he said. “It’s about digital literacy,” about equipping graduates with the tools to be responsive to today’s fast-moving economy. Universities can do that, said Mr. Gupta—who was a professor at Stanford University for 11 years—without becoming tools themselves. —Josh Fischman

The Chronicle

A teacher's place in the digital divide

2008-06-30T00:14:00.004-04:00

Warschauer, M. (2007). A teacher's place in the digital divide. In L. Somlin, K. Lawless, & N. C. Burbules (eds.) Information and communication technologies: Considerations of current practice for teachers and teacher educators. The 106th Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part 2. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Types of digital difference

School access: unequal availability of digital technology in schools (between high- & low-SES; new tech benefits high performance students while exlcuding at-risk students)
Home access: high- & low-SES families
School use: student income and race correlate strongly with the type of use students make of computers in schools
Gender gap: boys - more computer games; girls - more communicate & network
Generation gap: digital natives vs digital immigrants

21st century skills

Digital-age literacy
- Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies
- Visual and information literacies
- Multicultural literacy and global awareness
Inventive thinking
- Adaptability, managing complexity, and self-direction
- Curiosity, creativity, and risk taking
- Higher order thinking and sound reasoning
Effective communication
- Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
- Personal, social, and civic responsibility
- Interactive communication
High productivity
- Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results
- Effective use of real-word tools
- Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products

Three challenges related to technology use in schools

Workability: coordinating technology use (scheduling rooms, arranging and maintaining software, hardware, and network connections). Low-SES schools have higher turnover rates;
Complexity: standardized testing increased complexity in integrating technology into instruction;
Performativity: technological performance for its own sake rather than in connection with meaningful learning goals

Solution

To complexity and workability: providing students and teachers more consistent and reliable access to computers and the Internet (through one-to-one programs or leveraging other tech resources in schools and communities)
To performativity: instructional approaches that focus not only on mastery of tech applications, but also on broad learning goals related to academic content (e.g., developing both tech skills & academic expertise around topics related to students' life experiences)

The benefits of the laptop classroom

teaching and learning of 21st-century learning skills (becoz constant access)
greater student engagement (becoz the use of multimedia)
increase in the quantity and quality of student writing (ease, feedback, professionalism)
deeper learning (project-based work)

Digital Divide

2008-06-08T14:41:00.002-04:00

In this era of rapid social and technological change, we need to rethink what modern education is and how it relates to the country’s leading position in world economy. As it stands, the education industry, like media, manufacturing, transportation, and other industries, will be “out of business” if led by mediocrity. The NETP, powered by the No Child Left Behind Act, is to “raise expectations and produce results” and thus “turn multiple opportunities for success into reality for our nation’s nearly 50 million student.”

I applaud the U.S. Department of Education’s foresight and determination in shepherding a “systemic change” in education -- especially the 7 Major Action Steps which has laid out a long-term strategical framework. It seems that the USDE has sufficiently realized how vital it is to create a new student-teacher partnership and to eliminate the “digital disconnect” between them. However, it remains a complicated issue on filling the gap between today’s technology-savvy students and their comparatively technology-behind teachers. Simply put, how the educators who are “digital immigrants” teach their students who are “digital natives”?

Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach. They represent the first generations to grow up with the new technology. They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age. Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives. They are, as Marc Prensky designated, “Digital Natives”. The rest of us, who were not born into this digital world but later became fascinated by and adopted the new technology, consist of “Digital Immigrants.”

The serious problem of this in education is, as Prensky asserted, “our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.”

As a matter of fact, most Digital Immigrants like you and I will constantly confront this “Native/Immigrant Divide” when dealing with the young generation. It is not only about the different technology skill level or a generation gap that we have, but also about the difference between our thinking patterns and our languages! You keep asking yourself, what does that mean? Who can be your translator? What on earth do they want?

As it stands, understanding the “digital disconnect” is one thing, but how to handle it is another. There is still a long way to go in terms of “catching-up”. Probably the more urgent question for now is not how the Digital Immigrants teach the Digital Narratives, but who teaches the Digital Immigrants.

Oversold and Underused

2008-06-08T14:33:00.002-04:00

Maximal Access, Minimal Change: Review of Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom

Overview

Many educators, public officials, business leaders, and parents argue that school computers and Internet access will improve academic learning and prepare students for an information-based workplace. In an effort to examine the validity of this argument, Larry Cuban provides a critical look at the actual use of computers by teachers and students in early childhood education, high school and university classrooms in Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom. Combining an historical overview of school technologies with statistical data and direct observation of classroom practices in several Silicon Valley schools, he concludes that, "Without a broader vision of the social and civic role that schools perform in a democratic society, our excessive focus on technology use in schools runs the danger of trivializing our nation's core ideals"(P.197).

Key Points

The key points of the book are surrounded by the discussions on the following questions:

(1) What were the goals of promoting computer technology in schools? Was that supposed to be “transformative" or just a means of "catch up" for teachers and students?
(2) How do teachers and students use computers in classrooms for instruction in schools where computers are readily available such as those Silicon Valley schools?
(3) Have the promotion and investment in computer technologie changed the landscape of the teaching and learning? Why or why not?
(4) Are the technology investment in schools worth the cost?

In order to answer those questions, Cuban offers three explanations to the unexpected findings and outcomes of his work: (a) the slow change will eventually transform teaching and learning; (b) history and context of teaching -- gaps between different sectors of society and the beliefs that these people hold influence what happens in the classroom; and (c) culturally constrained choice -- while teachers’ beliefs and values reflect what they do in the classroom and while they choose what to endorse, reject, and modify, they are still influenced by the structure of American institutions (p.170).

However, Cuban does not fully validate these explanations. He asserts that computers have been oversold by policy makers and technology marketers, and underused by teachers and students. To fully deploy new technologies reform, he suggests that teachers, parents, policy makers, workplace leaders, and other stake-holders should work closely to build stronger communities and citizens with technology and achieve larger social and civic goals through financial investment (Lomicka, 2003).

Limitations of the Study

Although Cuban’s study is profound and scholarly, I found the following flaws that might have weakened the strength of the research.

(1) The statistic data in the book was accurate at the time the research was conducted. But some of them, such as school profiles, frequency of home use, and the use of technology in a college setting, are extremely outdated today.
(2) I do not quite understand why Cuban would think that “neither age, experience, nor gender was a significant factor in our data” (P.98). These variables sometimes produce quite different results, according to a recent research based on the understanding of the digital divide from a multicultural education framework which indicates that “equal access is considerably different from equitable access” (Gorski, 2002).
(3) In Cuban’s study, students surveyed in the schools reported little to no use of computers in foreign language classes. However, according to a language professor (Lomicka, 2003), it may be interesting to “conduct a longitudinal study documenting the use of computers in second language classrooms.” “Had Cuban included observations that document the recent growth and development of telecollaborative work”, Lomicka suggests. “Perhaps findings in the area of language learning may have yielded somewhat different results in his research.”

Questions and Thoughts

Finally, there are a couple of questions and thoughts that I came up with during the reading. I hope they will be helpful for my further study.

(1) Can we afford such a luxurious experiment on the adoption of computer technology in classrooms? How big is the risk that stakeholders are taking by doing that?
(2) What are the changes in the classrooms since Cuban’s research was conducted? Actually we don’t see much of that, if any. And will the next decade see the same scenario (or even worse due to the education budget cut)?
(3) On the one hand, when teachers are not given a say in how the technology might reshape schools, “computers are merely souped-up typewriters and classrooms continue to run much as they did a generation ago.” On the other end, the pressures and the traditions that block many teachers from making more powerful use of these new tools exacerbate the former. Will this form a vicious circle of technology use struggling in a dungeon that Cuban called the “slow revolution?”

Although Cuban does not provide answers for these questions, like he does not point out how technology investments can be turned into impressive learning gains, his examination of the unexpected outcomes should to a large extent help technology planners and educational leaders improve their future efforts, and, more or less, “remind us of the deepest civic and humane goals of education” (Wald, 2003).

References

Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and underused: computers in the classroom. Library of Congress.

Wald, R. (2003).Radical teacher book review. Available online at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JVP/is_2003_Spring/ai_102119717

Lomicka, L. (2003). Review of Oversold and Underused. Language Learning and Technology, Vol. 7, No. 3.

Gorski, P. (2002). Dismantling the digital divide: A multicultural education framework. Modern Education online, Fall 2002. Available online at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3935

Policy Review

2008-06-08T14:29:00.003-04:00

Education Technology Policy Review: A Power-On Yesterday, a Transforming Today and a New Golden-Age Tomorrow

Overview

From the 1980s’ stand-alone computers, to the 1990s’ network-based multimedia, to the 21st century’s wireless campus, educational technology has evolved significantly. Consequentially, educators’ visions and the policies of the technology have changed as well. The educational technology policy documents over the past 20 years, from A Nation at Risk of 1983 to PCAST Report 1997, from the No Child Left BehindAct of 2001 (NCLB) to the new National Education Technology Plan 2004, have addressed multiple aspects of understanding the process of using technological tools to change teaching practices and improve learning outcomes. These aspects, however, has drawn three distinct approaches to thinking about and investing in technology. They are: investing in technology to support specific and long term needs of educators, transforming education through technology, and matching technologies to public priorities for educational improvement (Culp, Honey, & Mandinach, 2003). After a brief review of these documents in chronological order, I found that three policies, including one from the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s, have played important roles in developing our vision for how technologies can impact teaching and learning. These particular documents helped to shape how we view the promise and potential of technology in education and marked significant steps in the evolution of educational technology enlightened by the spirit of the A Nation at Risk report and the NCLB Legislation.

The 80s – a Power-On Yesterday

The educational reform reports of the 1980's were being issued parallel to the establishment of the personal computer and interactive technologies as important tools in education. Both the reform reports and the emergence of new technologies during the 1980's pointed to the American economic transition occurring simultaneously (Doyle, 1994). According to A Nation at Risk report, schools were seen as failing to turn out productive citizens as well as failing in academic preparation. The needs of the American marketplace were changing from an industrial orientation to that of information/service. This would lend impetus to the reform movement by the business community. Educational Technology policies such as Power On! New Tools for Teaching and Learning initiated by this reform movement, were to study the potential of interactive learning tools for improving the quality of education. The Power On report also “analyzed the technological, economic, and institutional barriers to achieving the technologies future promise” (OTA, 1988).

During this period, however, there was no best solution for all level of government and school districts to develop a comprehensive plan and to share funding responsibilities. Although interactive technologies were identified as powerful and important educational tools, they were not able to be fully developed due to lack of a unifying conception.

The 90s – Transforming for Today

With the emergence of the Internet and technology becoming more a central force in economic competitiveness, policies in mid-90s have changed the focus from technology as tools to technology as a driver of school reform. Instead of focusing on isolated, skills-based uses of technology, Panel on Educational Technology under the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) claimed that schools should promote the use of various technologies for sophisticated problem-solving and information-retrieving purposes (Panel on Educational Technology, 1997).

One of the major voices of the documents during this period is the emphasis on infusion of technology into the curriculum to promote learning through the technology instead of learning the technology. As articulated in the Report to the President on the Use of Technology to Strenghen K-12 Education in the United States (PCAST 1997), school should be transformed to a place where students should be introduced to and instructed through the technology as a tool for understanding, exploration, and problem solving. The documents in this decade primarily advocated improving access, connectivity and infrastructure as well as defining and promoting the roles of multiple stakeholders.

The 21st Century – Towards a New Golden-Age Tomorrow

The launch of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 further deepened education reform in the 21st century with new standards of accountability. Driven by the NCLB, recommendations focusing on the need for new regulations and policies regarding educational technology have emerged. The National Education Technology Plan (NETP) 2004 generated a big-picture vision of what is possible using technology in education today. It highlights the major challenges and opportunities of education technology, offers examples of successful school technology programs, and presents seven action steps and a series of recommendations. The NETP is not a top-down document from the federal government; it has meant as a comparison and a framework, grounded in practice and reality (Jackson, 2005). By matching technologies to public priorities for educational improvement, the plan started a campaign that will accelerate “a nation on the move” towards a new golden age.

The Changes and the Challenges

Within the defining frame of the A Nation at Risk report and the NCLB legislation, the policies reviewed have empowered the technology to renovate traditional education landscape and gradually changed the conversation from integration to transformation. Meanwhile, the under-funding of the NCLB, digital divide/disconnect, lack of adequate training, and lack of understanding of how technology can be used to enrich the learning experience seem to have posed both physical and philosophical challenges on the evolution of these policies. However, with some latest policies pointing out some solutions such as using the existing resources and budget creatively, creating a new student-teacher partnership, and strengthening leaderships at every level, we are cautiously optimistic about the future of the technology-based educational improvement.

REFERENCES

Cetron, et al. (2003). A forecast for schools. Educational Leadership, vol.61, Issue 4
Dildine, J. (1999).Technology-incentive instruction with high performing and low performing middle school mathematics students. Available online at http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/dildine/thesis/

Doyle, C. (1994). Technology impact. Available online at http://learning.kern.org/tlc_resources/stories/storyReader$21?print-friendly=true

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). (2001). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Available online at http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html

Jackson, L. (2005). The National Educational Technology Plan: an interview with OET Director Susan Patrick. Available online at http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech/tech212.shtml
Office of Technology Assessment. (1988). Power on! New tools for teaching and learning (OTA- SET-379). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Available on line at http://www.wws.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/byteserv.prl/~ota/disk2/1988/8831/8831.PDF

National Commission on Excellence in Education. (1983). A Nation at Risk. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

President Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, Panel on Educational Technology. (1997). Report to the president on the use of technology to strengthen K-12 education in the United States. Washington, DC: Author. Available online at http://www.ostp.gov/PCAST/k-12ed.html

U.S. Department of Eduation. (2003). A Retrospective on Twenty Years of Education Technology Policy. Washington, DC: Author. Available online at http://www.nationaledtechplan.org/participate/20years.pdf

U.S. Department of Eduation. (2005). Toward a New Golden Age in American Education: how the Internet, the law and today’s students are revolutionizing expectations. Washington, DC: Author.

Choosing & using educational software: A teachers' guide

2008-05-29T14:57:00.007-04:00

Squires, D., & McDougall, A. (1994). Choosing & using educational software: A teachers' guide. London: Falmer.

Chapter 6. Frameworks for studying educational software

1. Categorization (Classification by Application Type)

Two types

Content-free (generic): in terms of the tasks it can perform (e.g. word, spreadsheets)
Subject-specific: used in the teaching and learning of specific topics (e.g., science simulations, foreign language practice programs, arithmetic drill programs)

Problems

criteria implicit, no clear rationale
sensitive (increasing range requires constant revision & updating)
some integrated software don't fall neatly into any one classification

2. Role (Classification by Educational Role)

Three modes

Tutor: a surrogate teacher (e.g., drill & practice exercises, adaptive tutorial programs)
Tool: useful capability programed into the computer (e.g., statistical analysis, word, graphics packages, data logging, info handling)
Tutee: learners "teach" the computer through expressing their ideas and solutions to problems (e.g., Logo)

Problems

Founded on the premise that the scope and nature of the software environment defines educational possibilities
Focus on the software rather than the teacher and learner
Ignoring important issues of teaching and learning

3. Rationale (Classification by Educational Rationale)

Four paradigms

Instructional: mastery of content (sequencing, presentation, feedback reinforcement)
Revelatory: learning by discovery & developing an intuitive feel for the field of study. student is the prime focus (e.g., simulation)
Conjectural: the articulation and manipulation of ideas and hypothesis testing. Emphasis: development of understanding through the active construction of knowledge (e.g., Logo)
Emancipatory: exploits the capacity of the computer to process large amounts of data dand perform many operations very quickly, to save students from spending time on laborious tasks that are necessary but incidental to their learning

Problems

Tendency to regard software as belonging exclusively to one paradigm
No consideration of the learning process

Chapter 7-10. A Perspectives Interactions Paradigm for studying Educational Software

The focus shall shift from attributes of the software itself (e.g., what does this package do? How does this program run?) to the use of software to enhance teaching and learning (e.g., what kinds of learning experiences might be set up or assisted by this package? What approaches to teaching fit this package?)

Three major "actors": the student(s), the teacher, and the designer

Teacher-student link: direct 2-way physical and social interactions initiated or sponsored by the software; students more actively engaged in thinking and learning; teacher roles - Resource provider, manager, coach, researcher, facilitator
Designer-student link: how student relate to and use software (cognitive development and human-computer interaction); learning theories: behaviorism (stimulus-response mechanism, e.g., Skinner, 1938) vs constructivism (learning as a process of accommodation and assimilation in which learners modify their internal cognitive structures through experience, e.g., Piaget); Three aspects of software design: learner control, complexity, challenge
- What are the levels of learner control, task complexity, and challenge offered by the package?
- How effective is the design in affording learners the intended level of control/
- How are learners helped to cope with the complexity of the software?
- What methods and approaches are used to provide learners with a challenge?
Designer-teacher link: curriculum and associated pedagogies (curriculum development and approaches to teaching); relationship of the software to the curriculum (implicit, explicit, absent)
- Identify implicit curriculum aims
- Match explicit and implicit curriculum aims to perceived specific curriculum requirements
- Realize the possibilities of 'subverting' explicit and implicit curriculum aims to specific curriculum requirements
- Realize the educational possibilities of the use of software which initially has no explicit or implicit curriculum aims (e.g., The Geometric Supposer shifts from seeking answers to encouraging inquiry and investigation)

Chapter 11. Choosing and Using Educational Software

Teacher/student
- Selection
  - Implied role(s) of the teacher in the classroom
  - Expectations of the nature of classroom interactions
  - Customization: pedagogy
- Evaluation
  - Actual role(s) of the teacher in the classroom
  - Observed nature of classroom interactions
  - Customization: pedagogy
Designer/student
- Selection
  - Implicit/explicit/absent theories of learning
  - User (student) access features
- Evaluation
  - Appropriateness and effectiveness of theories of learning
  - Ease and extent of user (student) access
Designer/teacher
- Selection
  - Implicit/explicit/absent curriculum aims: content and process
  - Customization: content
- Evaluation
  - Customization: content

TCOM670 Final Project

2008-04-24T00:53:00.002-04:00

Name of the Project: Heart of the Dragon

Format: Web

Software Used: RapidWeaver, FinalCult Pro, HTML, iPhoto, Google Calendar

URL: http://wma.iweb.bsu.edu/china_documentary

Project Description:

This website was designed as an online showcase, archive, progress monitor, production log, planning and communication platform, and database for the production team of the documentary The Heart of The Dragon.

The Heart of The Dragon is a TV documentary produced for “Digital Insight”, a bi-weekly television show that airs on WIPB TV in Muncie. This documentary features Chinese cultural values and cross-cultural communication between the Chinese and Americans. During the planning stage of the documentary, I felt that there was a need for a website which will provide an online platform for the production team. I started this website in February.

The website consists of nine main pages:

1. Home. A brief introduction of the show.
2. About Us. An introduction of the production team.
3. Production Plan. This page presents the original production plan. A Google Calendar was embedded in the subpage to keep the team members informed with the latest schedule.
4. Interviews. An introduction of the interviewees and their stories. Five subpages, each for one interviewee, are nested in this page.
5. Video. This page contains the scripts, logs, and transcripts of the interview. Three video clips (H.264 web streaming) were embedded in the subpages. Their themes are: Family Values, Life Attitude, and Cross-Cultural Communication.
6. Snapshot. A collection of pictures about culture and production scenes.
7. Production Log. This is an ongoing blog that records the process of the production, including meeting minutes, problems, issues and progress in shooting and editing.
8. Resources. Online assets and information that are useful for the show.
9. Contact Us.

Summary

Based on the feedback from my colleagues and teammates, this site has met the original goals. Not only did it help put various pieces together and keep things on track, but also promoted this show in many ways.

On the technology side, I enjoyed the software I chose to develop this site. This was the first time for me to use RapidWeaver to develop a Web site. With my previous experiences in web design (basically DreamWeaver and Apple iWeb), I found this software very user-friendly and powerful. It is easy to learn and allows multimedia integration. Advanced features such as template-based design, iLfe integration, smart publishing, power blogging, and the dual mode of coding/design greatly enhanced both functional and aesthetic design of the pages.

In conclusion, thoughtful planning of the structure, considerate analysis of the needs, and appropriate selection of the tools lead to a well functional website.

RapidWeaver vs iWeb

2008-04-21T11:57:00.002-04:00

Here are some observations based on my experiences as a user and a technology support person.

For beginners who don't have any concept about web development these two software might not be of much differences - they were both WYSIWYG, theme-based, Mac only, easy to learn. They both have growing size problem. However, as they advanced to a higher level, the difference will become significant on the following issues:

1. Publish. iWeb publish is no doubt cumbersome as comparing to RapidWeaver's "Smart Publish" (direct FTP publish; automatic folder generation; only publish the changes)

2. Professional web development. RapidWeaver offers both edit/code mode and design mode (similar to DreamWeaver) that allow the user to work on html, css, xml coding. The external plug-ins (e.g., Multitool, Buttonbuilder/Themebuilder) provide potential powers for a more professional design.

3. Blogging. While both offer blogging features, RapidWeaver has more powerful features such as categorization and tagging. This allows the user to create a database that is easy to track and sort. Too often this relational database concept is ignored.

4. Domain file. Both are saved as a highly compressed domain files. I've been seeing students come to me with broken iWeb domain files because those files were moved from one place to another. However, RapidWeaver doesn't have that problem. I put a iweb domain.site file and a rapidweaver .rw3 file in my iLocker world_shared folder. When you open the http link (see here) you'll see that .rw3 holds together tightly as a sigle file while .site file are broken into multiple pieces of segmented files. In addition, it is risky and inconvenient when students try to get the .site file from its niche (library/Application Support/iWeb). HOWEVER, .rw3 won't copy all the files you link in itself while .site literally will bring everything you put in your site with it. (This might be a concern for RapidWeaver when you open the .rw in another computer or move it to a different location. The link will be missing.)

5. Other "invisible" problems. Here are some issues I found from students who came to iStudio for iWeb help, while I haven't seen these happen in RapidWeaver.

Overall on a 4-point scale I would rate RW as 3.5 and iWeb as 2.5.

If we're going to promote RW at TC we probably need to deal with the following issues:

1. Try to convince faculty the advantages of using RW. I know some of them may not be happy with a new implementation as they just got comfortable with iWeb. Teaming up with faculty who have good knowledge about and positive attitudes toward technology might work.

2. Support time, resources, and manpower. The need for support will be intensive and important at the early stage. Online tutorials, workshops, lab clinics, in-class instructions will need to be carefully scheduled and/or based on requests. Intro courses such as EDTEC120 and EDSEC150 can be integrated with the RW components and will play an important role in the implementation.

3. Continuing iWeb (and composer) support while shifting to RW. Use successful student samples as promotion for RW.

2008-04-09T01:56:00.003-04:00

EDSEC380

2008-03-25T13:07:00.007-04:00

Hi folks, here are some online resources for WebQuest development. Hope they help.

Wei's WebQuest Page
Side bar on the right: WebQuest intro, NetScape Composer tutorials)
WebQuest Tasknomy
IPS WebQuest Pool
Official WebQuest Site
A WebQuest about WebQuests
RapidWeaver tutorial
iWeb support

___________________________________

In-class exercise Please critique the following example WebQuests. Determine the best and the worst two: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Analyze several paths to success
Gallery of Art-i-Facts Design and fill an art museum wing
Conflict Yellowstone Wolves Take a stand on the reintroduction of wolves
The Gilded Age Create a documentary on this historical period
Extra, Extra Analyze the world of the Great Gatsby Each group will have an Efficiency Expert, an Affiliator, an Altitudinist, and a Technophile. Report the final results to class. Source: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest.html http://wma.iweb.bsu.edu/webquest/webquest.htm

iWeb-based portfolio

2008-02-22T02:09:00.009-05:00

Apple iWeb and Ball State iWeb
Apple iWeb is the web creation tool in Apple iLife applications. Ball State iWeb is the web space hosting your digital portfolio or other sites you create.
Why Apple iWeb for digital portfolio?
A WYSIWYG web design application, Apple iWeb offers a variety of templates and powerful built-in features that allow users to easily create professional-look websites.
Get started with your portfolio construction
- Get VPN, Fetch, and your Ball State iWeb account ready
- Planning your website
- Open iWeb, create a site folder (File>New Site and then choose a template)
- Rename the site to "Home" (Ctrl click on "Site" and choose "Rename")
- Rename the page under "Home" to "Index"
- File>New Page if you need to add more web pages
- Create another site and call it "INTASC_Principles," create an Index page and 10 principle pages. Copy and paste the text of the principles to each page and change the title accordingly.
- Create a site called Artifacts, and add several pages for your artifacts.
- You may start adding your rationale/reflection to INTASC and artifacts pages, and connecting artifacts to the INTASC principles.
- Make navigation bars and/or hyperlinks that allow you to navigate from one page to another
- When it's done, File>Publish to a Folder, make sure you save it to a right folder (usually a "Sites" folder under the "little house" icon on the sidebar of the Finder window)
- Open VPN, Fetch, and publish your site to your Ball State iWeb server by drag and drop all the files in your "Sites" folder into Fetch window (before you do this, make sure you don't have anything important that has already in your Ball State iWeb space. You don't want to overwrite it.)
- Your BSU iweb URL will be:
  http://yourusername.iweb.bsu.edu
  The default page it opens on the Internet will be the Index page, or whichever page located on the top of the sidebar of your iWeb design window.
Here are two screen casts created by Dr. Clausen
- Publish iWeb site to a folder
- Essential iWeb files to back up
FAQ
Click here for some frequently asked questions
Click here for some troubleshooting skills

Mac or PC video

2008-02-19T00:15:00.001-05:00

Tech support for EDSEC150 class

2008-02-05T21:45:00.001-05:00

Apple laptop in education
- Ubiquitous computing
- Requirement for Teacher Education students
- Apple education
Ball State IT environment
- Content Management System: from Vignette to Sitecore
- Course Management System: Blackboard
- Assessment System: rGrade, Gradebook
- Security: VPN, AntiVirus
- Web Publishing: iWeb, FrontPage, Netscape, Fetch
- Online Storage: iLocker, iWeb
- Social networking: iConnect
- Student Information Management System (Main Frame)
What you should know about your Mac laptop
- Mac101
- Mac Learning Center
- iLife Suite: iWeb, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, GarageBand
Where shall I go for help/training
- iCare Corner (TC lobby)
- Portfolio Lab (TC 709)
- iStudio (TC 406) (see my work schedule here)
- Online training: ElementK, TechClips, Other
Q & A

BSU Teacher Education IT Environment

2008-02-04T20:24:00.001-05:00

Ball State Teachers College requires all teacher educator students to use Apple laptops. Here is the rationale (retrieved from Teachers College website)

1. Why Laptops in Teacher Education?

Access to computing in all contexts of the academic experience. Teacher education majors are a mobile group. They need access to computing in their courses, at home, and in the field experiences, which includes their student teaching.
Control of one's own computing destiny. A laptop is one's personal information infrastructure. All their course work, from documents to very large video files, can be taken wherever they need it. Students will be in charge of their own infrastructure and will grow in technology competence because of it.
Customized uses in teacher education coursework. Various courses in the teacher education program require unique uses of computers. Laptops give faculty and students the freedom to experiment with computing and to explore how it affects teaching and learning without the confines of a stationary lab.
For further exploration. Many teacher education programs around the country are requiring laptops in teacher education. Through the BSU PT3 project, we have already been experimenting with laptop use in teacher education courses. It is also a trend in K-12 schools for which there are many benefits.

2. Why a Requirement for Laptops?

Digital portfolios. All teacher education majors are now required to produce a digital, Web-based portfolio to represent their competence with teaching and learning. To better facilitate this in university instruction, faculty need to be assured that all of their students have the best tools to complete the portfolio work in university classrooms and at home.
All students on equal footing. Our goal is to saturate the teacher education program with advanced computing and to make sure that all students have the same opportunities. This recommendation assures faculty that no student is left out.
Support and infrastructure. With a large number of laptop-owning students, we can leverage the size of the BSU teacher education program to specialized support services and better information systems design. Computer vendors can design specialized support services knowing they have a fixed number of purchases per year. BSU can negotiate better deals on the purchase price when working with one vendor. We are also tuning our information infrastructure to take advantage of the anticipated critical mass of students who bring to class a state-of-the-art computer.
Promote technology competency in the teaching profession. With each teacher education major owning a laptop, Ball State University makes clear it believes that computers are an indispensable tool for teachers. The sooner teachers take ownership of this idea—physical and professional—the sooner they can influence how children learn with computers.

3. Why Apple Macintosh Computers?

Lower cost. With its built-in Firewire ports, iSight camera, and integrated wireless card, the MacBook is $300-$1000 less expensive than similarly equipped laptops from other vendors.
Tuned for digital media. Digital media is revolutionizing how teachers represent learning and how they design their teaching. The features that the MacBook and MacBook Pro possess are exactly what future teachers need to be exploring: digital video (via iMovie and iDVD), digital imaging (via iPhoto), and advanced Web publishing (via OS X and WebDAV servers on the BSU campus).
Form factor. The size and structure of the MacBook and MacBook Pro are designed for the physical rigors of university life. These laptops are small enough to fit on a lecture desk yet they possess a bright, easy-to read display. They have all the connections most commonly used (networking, peripheral ports, microphone, speakers, camera, etc.) built in, so no cards or additional devices are needed.
Wireless connectivity. Apple was the first computer manufacturer to integrate wireless (802.11b/g/n) networking into their product line. Without any configuration needed, students can access the Internet from anywhere on Ball State's wireless campus.
Apple's strengths in teacher education and K-12 schools. Apple's history in education dates back to the early 1980s, when they sponsored the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) Project, which was a 10-year study of teacher practice with computers. ACOT is still considered the most important, long-term study of teaching and learning with computers. Apple "gets" teacher education and K-12 computing. Their solutions are designed for professionals in these areas.
Internet and industry standards. With the newest Macintosh operating system, OS X, Apple has leveraged the industry-standard Unix operating system to its easy-to-use Macintosh user interface. The result is an incredibly powerful and open-source platform with which software developers can freely design new applications. Also, OS X will run the tens of thousands of educational applications that already exist in K-12 schools.

For more information about Apple's philosophy on laptops in teacher education, see:
www.apple.com/education

For more information about Apple's philosophy on laptops in education, see:
www.apple.com/education/products/macbook/

For more information about Apple's initiatives on technology in teacher education, see:
www.apple.com/education/hed/coe/

Educational research : competencies for analysis and applications (3): Evaluating a report

2008-01-31T22:19:00.000-05:00

Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2006). Educational research : competencies for analysis and applications (8th Ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Chapter 22. Evaluating a research report (p. 541)

General evaluation criteria

1. Introduction

1.1. Problem (p. 542)

Is there a statement of the problem? Does the problem indicate a particular focus of study?
Is the problem "researchable"; that is, can it be investigated through collecting and analyzing data?
Is background information on the problem presented?
Is the educational significance of the problem discussed?
Does the problem statement indicate the variables of interest and the specific relationship between those variables that were investigated?
When necessary, are variables directly or operationally defined?
Did the researcher have the knowledge and skills to carry out the research?

1.2. Literature Review

Is the review comprehensive?
Are all cited references relevant to the problem under investigation?
Are most of the sources primary (i.e., are there only a few or no secondary sources)?
Have the references been analyzed and critiqued and the results of various studies compared and contrasted? That, is the review more than a series of abstracts or annotations?
Is the relevancy of each reference explained?
Is the review well organized? Does it logically flow in such a way that the references least related to the problem are discussed first and lose most related are discussed last? Does it educate the reader about the problem or topic?
Does the review conclude with a summary and interpretation of the literature and its implications for the problem investigated?
Do the implications discussed form an empirical or theoretical rationale for the hypotheses that follow?
Are references cited completely and accurately?

1.3. Hypotheses

Are specific research questions listed or specific hypotheses stated?
Does each hypothesis state an expected relationship or difference?
If necessary, are variables directly or operationally defined?
Is each hypothesis testable?

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2. Method (p. 543)

2.1. Participants

Are the size and major characteristics of the population studied?
Are the accessible and target populations described?
If a sample was selected, is the method of selecting the sample clearly described?
Does the method of sample selection suggest any limitations or biases in the sample? For example, was stratified sampling used to obtain sample described?
If the study is quantitative, does the sample size meet the suggested guidelines for the minimum sample size appropriate for the method of research represented?

2.2. Instruments

Do instruments and their administration meet guidelines for protecting human subjects? Were needed permissions obtained?
Is the rationale given for the selection of the instruments (or measurements) used?
Are the purpose, content, validity, and reliability of each instruments described?
Are the instruments appropriate for measuring the intended variables?
Does the researcher have the needed skills or experience to construct or administer an instrument?
Is evidence presented to indicate that the instruments are appropriate for the intended sample? For example, is the reading level of an instrument suitable for sample participants?
If appropriate, are subtest reliabilities given?
If an instrument was developed specifically for the study, are the procedures involved in its development and validation described?
If an instrument was developed specifically for the study, are administration, scoring or tabulating, and interpretation procedures fully described?
Was the correct type of instrument used for data collection (or, for example, was a norm-referenced instrument used when a criterion-referenced one was more suitable)?

2.3. Design and procedure

Are the design and procedures appropriate for examining the research question or testing the hypotheses of the study?
Are the procedures described in sufficient detail to permit replication by another researcher?
Do procedures logically relate to one another?
Were instruments and procedures applied correctly?
If a pilot study was conducted, are its execution and results described as well as its effect on the subsequent study?
Are control procedures described?
Does the researcher discuss or account for any potentially confounding variable that he or she was unable to control

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Results

Are appropriate descriptive statistics presented?
Was the probability level at which the results of the tests of significance were evaluated specified in advance of the data analyses? Was every hypothesis tested?
If parametric tests were used, is there evidence that the researcher avoided violating the required assumptions for parametric tests?
Are the described tests of significance appropriate, given the hypotheses and design of the study?
Was the inductive logic used to produce results in a qualitative study made explicit?
Are the tests of significance interpreted using the appropriate degrees of freedom?
Are the results clearly described?
Are the tables and figures (if any) well organized and easy to understand?
Are the data in each table and figure described in the text?

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4. Discussion

Is each result discussed in terms of the original hypothesis or topic to which it relates?
Is each result discussed in terms of its agreement or disagreement with previous results obtained by other researchers in other studies?
Are generalizations consistent with the results?
Are the possible effects of uncontrolled variables on the results discussed?
Are theoretical and practical implications of the findings discussed?
Are recommendations for future action made?
Are the suggestions for future action based on practical significance or on statistical significance only (i.e., has the author avoided confusing practical and statistical significance)?

----------------------------------------------------------------
5. Abstract or Summary

Is the problem restated?
Are the number and type of subjects and instruments described?
Is the design used identified?
Are procedures described?
Are the major results and conclusions restated?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Type-specific evaluation criteria

1. Qualitative research (in general)

Does the topic studied describe a general sense of the study focus?
Does the researcher state a "guiding hypothesis" for the investigation?
Is the application of the qualitative method chosen described in detail?
Is the context of the qualitative study described in detail?
Is the purposive sampling procedure described and related to the study focus?
Is each data collection strategy described?
Is the researcher's role stated (e.g., nonparticipant observer, participant observer, interviewer, etc.)?
Is the research site and the researcher's entry into it described?
Were the data collection strategies used appropriately, given the purpose of the study?
Were strategies used to strengthen the validity and reliability of the data (e.g. triangulation)
Is there a description of how any unexpected ethical issues were handled?
Are strategies used to minimize observer bias and observer effect described?
Are the researcher's reactions and notes differentiated from descriptive field notes?
Are data coding strategies described and examples of coded data given?
Is the inductive logic applied to the data to produce results stated in detail?
Are conclusions supported by data (e.g., are direct quotations from participants used to illustrate points made)?

1.1. Interview studies

Were the interview procedures pretested?
Are pilot study procedures and results described?
Does each item in the interview guide relate to a specific objective of the study?
When necessary, is a point of reference given in the guide for interview items?
Are leading questions avoided in the interview guide?
Is the language and complexity of the questions appropriate for the participants?
Does the interview guide indicate the type and amount of prompting and probing that was permitted?
Are the qualifications and special training of the interviewers described?
Is the method used to record responses described?
Did the researcher use the most reliable, unbiased method of recording response that could have been used?
Does the researcher specify how the response to semistructured and unstructured items were quantified and analyzed?

2. Ethnographic research

Does the written account (the ethnography) capture the social, cultural, economic themes that emerged from the study?
Did the researcher spend a "full cycle" in the field studying the phenomenon?

Educational research : competencies for analysis and applications (2): Data analysis & interpretation

2008-01-30T20:18:00.000-05:00

Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2006). Educational research : competencies for analysis and applications (8th Ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Chapter 18. Qualitative research: Data analysis and interpretation (p. 467)

Data analysis: an attempt by the researcher to summarize collected data in a dependable and accurate manner (summarizing what's in the data)

Data interpretation: an attempt by the researcher to find meaning in the data and to answer the "So what?" question in terms of the implications of the study's findings (making sense of/ finding meaning in that data)

1. Data analysis during data collection: gathering data, examining data, comparing prior data to newer data, writing up field notes before going back to the research site, and making plans to gather new data. Two questions that guide qualitative work and reflections (Anderson et al., 1994, p. 155):

is your research question still answerable and worth answering?
are your data collection techniques catching the kind of data you wanted and filtering out the data that you don't

2. Data analysis after data collection - steps (p. 469)

Reading/memoing: becoming familiar with the data and identifying potential themes in it
Describing: examining the data in depth to provide detailed descriptions of the setting, participants, and activity (context)
Classifying: categorizing and coding pieces of data and grouping them into themes

3. Data analysis strategies (p. 471)

Identifying themes
Coding qualitative data: the process of categorically marking or referencing units of text with codes and labels as a way to indicate patterns and meaning
Asking key questions: "who is centrally involved?" "What major activities, events, or issues are relevant to the problem?" and so on
Organizational review: helping the researcher understand the school or other organization as the larger setting. A review should focus on the following features of an organization: vision and mission, goals and objectives, structure of the organization, operation, and problems, issues and concerns
Concept mapping: visualizes the major influences that have affected th study and to create a visual display that allows for the identification of consistencies and inconsistencies tha may exist between disparate groups
Analyzing antecedents and consequences: map the antecedents (causes) and consequences (effects) that have emerged throughout the study
Displaying findings: using matrixes, charts, concept maps, graphs and figures to encapsulate the findings of a study
Stating what's missing: reflect on the pieces of the puzzle that are still missing at the conclusion of the study and to identify any questions for which answers have not been provided

4. Data interpretation techniques (p. 479)

Extend the analysis
Seek the advice of "critical" friends
Contextualize findings in the literature
Turn to theory
Know when to say "when"

References

Anderson, G. L., Herr, K., & Nihlen, A. S. (1994). Studying your own school: An educator's guide to qualitative practitioner research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Ed research: Competencies for analysis and applications (1)

2008-01-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2006). Educational research : competencies for analysis and applications (8th Ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Chapter 17. Ethnographic research

1. Definition: the study of the cultural patterns and perspectives of participants in their natural setting (p. 441).

2. Goal: describe, analyze, and interpret the culture of a group, over time, in terms of the group's shared beliefs, behaviors, and language.

3. A construct central to the understanding of ethnography is culture.

Culture: the set of attitudes, values, concepts, beliefs, and practices shared by members of a group.

Three conceptual areas that focus on tangible behaviors (Wolcott, 1999):

Cultural orientation: where the people being studied are situated in terms of physical space and activities
Cultural know-how: how a group goes about its daily activities
Cultural beliefs (why a group does what it does)

4. Ethnographic research process (p. 442)

Identify the purpose of the research study
Frame the study as a larger theoretical, policy, or practical problem
Pose initial ethnographic research questions
Describe the overall approach and rationale for the study
Describe the site and sample selection
Describe the researcher's role (entry to the research site, reciprocity, and ethics)
Describe data collection methods
Describe appropriate strategies for the analysis and interpretation of data
Write the ethnographic account

5. Types of ethnographic research (p. 445)

Critical ethnography: a highly politicized form of ethnography written by a researcher in order to advocate against inequalities and domination of particular groups that exist in society (including schools)
Realist ethnography: written with an objective style and uses common categories for cultural description, analysis, and interpretation
Ethnographic case study (less likely to focus on cultural themes): focuses on describing the activities of a specific group and the shared patterns of behavior it develops over time

6. Key characteristics of ethnographic research (p. 445)

carried out in a natural setting
involves intimate, face-to-face interaction with participants
presents an accurate refection of participants' perspectives and behaviors
uses inductive, interactive, and repetitious collection of "unstructured" data and analytic strategies to build local cultural theories
Data is primarily collected through fieldwork experiences
typically uses multiple methods for data collection, including conducting interviews and observations, and reviewing documents, artifacts, and visual materials
frames all human behavior and belief within a sociopolitical and historical context
uses the concept of culture as a lens through which to interpret results
places an emphasis on exploring the nature of particular social phenomena, rather than setting out to test hypotheses about them
investigates a small number of cases, perhaps just one case, in detail
uses data analysis procedures that involve the explicit interpretation of the meanings and functions of human actions. Interpretations occur within the context or group setting and are presented through the description of themes
requires that researchers be reflective about their impact on the research site and the cultural group
offers interpretations of people's actions and behaviors that must be uncovered through an investigation of what people actually do and their reasons for doing it
offers a representation of a person's life and behavior that is neither the researcher's nor the person's. Instead, it is built upon points of understanding and misunderstanding that occur between researcher and participant (446)
cannot provide an exhaustive, absolute description of anything. Rather, ethnographic descriptions are necessarily partial, bound by what can be handled within a certain time, under specific circumstances, and from a particular perspective

7. Ethnographic research techniques

7.1. Triangulation: the use of multiple methods, data collection strategies, and data sources to get a more complete picture of what is being studied and to cross-check information (ensure the trustworthiness/validity of the data)

7.2. Participate observation:

Purposes: Observe the activities, people, and physical aspects of a situation; Engage in activities that are appropriate to a given situation and that provide useful information
Active participant observer (p. 447) (e.g., researchers often negotiate roles as teacher's aides, student teachers, or even substitute teachers in order to gain access to schools and classrooms)
Privileged, active observer (e.g., move in and out as of the role of teacher's aide and observer)
Passive observer (e.g. the visitor is present only to see what's going on around here)
Guidelines for participant observation (Wolcott, 1999) (p. 448, 449)
- Gaining entry and maintaining rapport
- Reciprocity
- A tolerance for ambiguity
- Personal determination coupled with faith in oneself
- Letting go of control

7.3. Field notes: written records of the researcher's (participant observer) understandings of the lives, people, and events that are the focus of the research. They should be written up as soon as possible after completion of the observation. In addition to providing literal descriptions, the observer also records personal reactions, generally referred to as reflective field notes (p. 455).

7.4. Observing and recording everything you possibly can (p. 451)

7.5. Observing and looking for nothing in particular (p. 452)

7.6. Looking for "bumps" or paradoxes (p. 453)

7.7 Top 10 guidelines for fieldwork and field notes (Patton, 1990, pp. 272-273)

be descriptive in taking field notes
gather a variety of info from different perspectives
cross-validate and triangulate by gathering different kinds of data (e.g., observations, documents, interviews) and by using multiple methods
using quotations; represent people in their own terms. Capture their experiences in their own words
select "key informants" wisely and use them carefully. Draw on the wisdom of their informed perspectives, but keep in mind that their perspectives are limited
be aware of and sensitive to different stages of fieldwork
- build trust and rapport at the beginning. Remember that the observer is also being observed
- stay alert and disciplined during the more routine, middle phase of fieldwork
- focus on pulling together a useful synthesis as fieldwork draws to close
be disciplined and conscientious in taking fieldnotes at all stages of fieldwork
be as involved as possible in experiencing the situation as fully as possible while maintaining an analytical perspective grounded in the purpose of the fieldwork
clearly separate description from interpretation and judgment
include in your fieldnotes and report your own experiences, thoughts and feelings

References

Wolcott, H. F. (1999). Ethnography: A way of seeing. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.

Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

ICTs: Considerations of current practice (2) Reinventing Role

2008-01-28T22:33:00.007-05:00

Dede, C. (2007). Reinventing the role of information and communications technologies in education. In L. Smolin, K. Lawless, & N. Burbules (Eds.), Information and communication technologies: Considerations of current practice for teachers and teacher educators (pp. 11-38). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

ICTs are reshaping three aspects of education simultaneously:

The knowledge and skills society wants from the graduates of education are shifting as a result of the evolution of a global, knowledge-based economy and a "flat" world (Friedman, 2005)
Methods of research, teaching, and learning are expanding, as new interactive media support innovative forms of pedagogy (Dede, in press-a)
The characteristics of students are changing, as their usage of technology outside of academic settings shapes their learning styles, strengths, and preferences (Dede, 2005)

Three fundamental observations about the impact of ICT on society:

The definition of what computers and related technologies can accomplish has repeatedly expanded - individual & collective expression, experience, and interpretation (e.g., productivity enhancers, email communication, expanding access to info through web browsers & streaming video)
Cognition is now distributed across human minds, tools/media, groups of people, and space/time - distributed cognition & action (e.g., asynchronous discussion online, delocalizing, sociability) (Dede, in press-b; Engestrom & Middleton, 1996; Hutchins, 1995; Salomon, 1993)
The types of work done by people, as opposed to the kinds of labor done by machines, are continually shifting - growing proportions of the labor force are engaged in jobs that emphasize expert thinking or complex communication - tasks that computers cannot do (The fundamental change involves deemphasizing fluency in simple procedures as an end-goal of preparation for work and life, instead using these routine skills as a substrate for mastering complex mental performances, p. 13) - erosion of routine tasks in favor of expert decision making and complex communication skills
- 21st-century skills: collective problem resolution via mediated interaction (including problem finding and solving)

Shortfalls in how current ICT for learning meet 21st-century educational challenges

Three competing schools of thought on how people learn
- Behaviorism: because learning is based on experience, pedagogy centers on manipulating environmental factors to create instructional events inculcating content and procedures in ways that alter students' behaviors
  - Purpose: acquire skills of discrimination (recall facts), generalization (define & illustrate concepts), and chaining (automatically perform a specified procedure)
  - Emphais: factual knowledge, recipe-like procedures
  - Suitable ICTs: computer-assisted instruction (CAI), drill-and-skill learning management system (LMS)
  - Limitation: limited both in what they can teach and in the types of engagement
- Cognitivism: because learning involves both experience and thinking, instruction centers on helping learners develop interrelated, symbolic mental constructs that form the basis of knowledge and skills
  - Purpose: providing a deep foundation of factual knowledge and procedural skills; linking facts, skills, and idea via conceptual frameworks - organizing domain knowledge as experts in that field do, in ways that facilitate retrieval and application; and helping students develop skills that involve improving their own thinking processes, such as setting their own learning goals and monitoring progress in reaching these
  - Suitable ICTs: intelligent tutoring systems (ITS)
  - Limitation: well-defined content and skills, material with a few correct ways of accomplishing tasks (very limited range of knowledge and skills they can teach)
- Constructivism: because learning involves constructing one's own knowledge in a context richly shaped by interactions with others, instruction centers on helping learners to actively invent individual meaning from experiences.
  - Purpose: instruction as a process of supporting knowledge construction rather than communicating knowledge; teacher's role as guide, rather than an expert transferring knowledge to novices' "blank slates"; learning activities that are authentic and that center on learners' puzzlement as their faculty or incomplete knowledge and skills fail to predict what they are experiencing; encouragement for students to reflect on experiences, seek alternative viewpoints, and test the viability of ideas
  - Suitable ICTs: wide range
  - Limitation: difficult to implement in conventional school settings; not so efficient for material that behaviorism and cognitivism can teach (e.g., arithmetic operations)
  - Social constructivism: students actively constructing their knowledge with instructional support, as opposed to being passive recipients assimilating information communicated by the teacher (Jonassen, 1996). Students construct knowledge as a result of their interactions with their community (e.g., the scientific research community)
- Shortfalls
  - Conventional approaches (behaviorist & cognitivist) emphasizes manipulating predigested info to build fluency in routine problem solving
  - Problem-solving skills are presented in an abstract form that makes transfer to other disciplines and real-world situations difficult
  - The ultimate goal of all three is often presented as learning a specific problem-solving routine to match every work situation, rather than developing expert decision making and metacognitive strategies that how to proceed when no standard approach seems applicable
  - Little time is spent on building capabilities in group interpretation, negotiation of shard meaning, and co-construction of problem solutions, particularly in behaviorist and cognitivist approaches
  - ICTs are largely used to automate traditional methods of teaching and learning, rather than to model complexity and express insights to others
  - The effects from technology usage are measured, but the effect with technologies essential to effective practice of a skill are not
Situated learning
- Definition: embedded within and inseparable from participating in a system of activity deeply determined by a particular physical and cultural setting
- Unit of analysis: the relationship between the individual & the setting (studies of apprenticeship in 'communities of practice')
- Requirement: authentic contexts, activities, and assessment coupled with guidance from expert modeling, situated mentoring, and legitimate peripheral participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991) (e.g., GA experience allows graduate students to gradually move from novice researchers to more advanced roles, with their skills and the expectations for them evolving)
- Power: learning to solve problems as part of a community in the authentic context

A vision of how emerging ICT can aid in meeting 21st-century educational challenges

Three complementary tech interfaces are currently shaping how people learn (K-12)
- The "world-to-the-desktop" interface that provides access to distributed knowledge across space and time through networked media
- MUVE that offers students an engaging "Alice in Wonderland" experience in which their digital emissaries in a graphical virtual context actively engage in experiences with the avatars of other participants and with computerized agents (e.g., Second Life) - it empowers the creation of contexts inaccessible in the real world
- Augmented reality (AR) interfaces that enable "ubiquitous computing" models - it enables the infusion of virtual contexts within physical locations

(Reflection: if education can't precisely predict or control the future of technology, it should at least prepare people to be aware of the uncertainties that technologies may bring to them...)

(Reflection: some profs are very reluctant to let their students reference online resources. I'm going to disagree on that issue. Based on my experiences, I enjoyed so much finding information posted online which are so convenient, incisive, and valuable. Some articles are written by no names but they spark a lot of innovative ideas and provide multiple links that lead to further thinking. They make a lot of sense...)

Psychological effects in teaching

2008-01-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

1. Strength/durability of memory

7+/-2 effect (William Hamilton, M. H. Jacobs, George A. Miller-magic number 7)
Short-term memory is limited
Grouping is an effective way

2. Primacy effect & recency effect

Primacy is a cognitive bias that results from disproportionate salience of initial stimuli or observations. If, for example, a subject reads a sufficiently long list of words, he or she is more likely to remember words read toward the beginning than words read in the middle. (e.g., well begun is half done; first impression)
The recency effect is a cognitive bias that results from disproportionate salience of recent stimuli or observations. People tend to recall items that were at the end on a list rather than items that were in the middle on a list. For example, if a driver sees an equal total number of red cars as blue cars during a long journey, but there happens to be a glut of red cars at the end of the journey, he or she is likely to conclude that there were more red cars than blue cars throughout the drive. (e.g., 压轴戏；理无可恕，情有可原）

3. Forgetting Curve (Hermann Ebbinghaus) －遗忘的发展规律是先快后慢（review what you learned is important)

4. 超限效应－留点空白，不能无限度表扬或批评，information overload

5. 高原现象：越往后进步越慢；长跑中的“极点“。

6. 思维定势: 换种思维方式

7. 归因偏差 Attribution deficiency? -需换位思考

8. 沉锚效应 - 思维被第一信息左右

9. 连锁塑造－通过小步骤反馈来达到学习目标：e.g., operant conditioning chamer (Skinner)

10. 詹森效应－心里素质影响临场发挥

11. 普雷马克原理－要想吃肉，先吃青菜（用高频活动奖励低频活动）

12. 情景相似性－去年今日此门中，人面桃花相映红 (encoding specificity)。触景生情，睹物思人。

13. 头脑风暴效应－引发兴趣，发散思维（不许评价，异想天开，重数量而非质量，见解无专利）

14. 大脑可塑性－玉不琢不成器，人不学不知义

15. 鸡尾酒会效应－听到你要听的。

16. 情绪判断优先－情令智昏

17. 厌恶试验－ little Albert's experiment (John B. Watson) （behaviorism: US, UR, CS, CR)

18. 德西效应－外加报酬抵消内感报酬。过度奖励或弄巧成拙。应该奖励内部动机为主。

Dissertation ideas

2008-01-24T14:32:00.000-05:00

Title

The complexities of cross-cultural interface in a "distance": Interpreting an international distance learning program in a Midwest university

Purpose of the study

To provide a description of interpretations and understanding of the complex nature of cross-cultural distance learning in a Midwest university.

Research questions

Major question
How might we model the development and experience of a cross-cultural university curriculum in distance technology?

Sub-questions
(1) What are the relationships between participants, technologies, and contexts in the development of an international distance learning program? (e.g., teacher-teacher, teacher-student, student-student, administration-teacher, teacher-technology, student-technology, technology-culture interactions)
(2) How does a teacher integrate distance technology into his/her cross-culture studies curriculum?
(3) How do the students understand and interpret their cross-cultural encounters through the international distance learning program?

Literature Review
Key words:
International/cross-cultural education -> academic growth/educated person/
Intercultural competency/Digital literacies/Globalization
Professional development/teacher readiness/motivation
Novice-expert experience (teacher-teacher interaction)
Digital natives-immigrants experience (digital disconnect) (teacher-student interaction)
Instructional design (modules)
Models/frameworks of relationships, factors, constructs, technique

Research design/Methodology

To meet the purpose this study will examine the development and implementation of a interactive videoconference-based international distance learning program developed by a Midwest American University and foreign Universities. (Use pseudonyms for proposal?)

One possibility is IDEN (pseudonym), a culture studies program currently organized through the Global Media Network, Center for International Programs, and the Honors College. Selected students from the Honors College get the opportunity to learn about cultures of three different countries by participating in a course taught through digital video conferencing technology.

The normal procedure of a IDEN class is described as the following: "before the classes begin, each country is paired up with one another. After the first five weeks, the partners are switched, until each class has met with every country. Each course is customized to cover the topics which the students are most interested in. The students are assigned a partner and are required to correspond with one another by email and MSN Chat. There is a group conference during the first ten minutes of class. Afterwards, half of the class stays for another personalized video conference session, while the other half goes to a computer lab to have one on one conversations with their international partners through chat. Throughout the semester, collaborative papers are written by each student and their partner."

Currently the program is under the change of leadership. The next course won't be offered until Spring 2009. The new leader of this program has never taught a IDEN course before. Getting to know how He is going to make things work will be part of my research interest.

Ethnography will be considered as the primary research method for this study. Sources of data will consist of the written transcripts of the interviews, online exchanges, pre- and post-course surveys, journals, participant observations, and archived documents.

Data Analysis

Upon the completion of data collection, I will examine and reexamine the data in search of themes and integration in the data to arrive at a number of themes. Triangulation among asking questions, observing, interviewing, peer review, and analyzing documents and transcripts will help to integrate the analysis.

Timeline

* June 2008 Comprehensive exam
* July 2008 Proposal defense
* August 2008 IRB
* Fall 2008 Start data collection and analysis. Building rapport and network with research participants (instructor, technology staff, administration, and students); literature review; going through previous archives and documents of the IDEN program; interview; fieldnotes
* Spring 2009 Continue data collection and analysis: Participant observation in the IDEN class;
* May 2009 Data analysis, interpretation and dissertation writing
* June 2009 Finalizing
* July 2009 Defense

ICTs: Considerations of current practice (1)

2008-01-14T21:15:00.003-05:00

Smolin, L., & Lawless, K. (2007). Technologies in schools: Stimulating a dialogue. In L. Smolin, K. Lawless, & N. Burbules (Eds.). (2007). Information and communication technologies: Considerations of current practice for teachers and teacher educators (pp. 1-10). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

The volume will examine the gap between the promise of technology and its current reality in schools. It is written for classroom teachers and teacher educators, because it is through these two groups in particular that this gap can be closed. Authors identify the issues, the problematics, and the considerations that teachers and teacher educators should consider as they plan and implement uses of ICT with their students in mind, and address the integration of technology in school curriculums, as well as afterschool programs, instructional technology, professional development, information literacy, and the philosophical and pedogogical concerns associated with technology.

Tech in schools: Stimulating a dialogue (p. 1)

While new ICTs have afforded new opportunities to improve efficiency, exponentially increase access to info, and expand the notion of global citizenship, they have also caused many researchers and educators to rethink what it means to be literate in this post-typographic world (Leu & Kinzer, 2000).

Early pressure for integrating tech in schools came from contexts external to the school-most notably from the business sector (Scott, Cole, & Engel, 1992)...But because business and school contexts are quite distinct, technology became added to the school curriculum rather than integrated within it.

Although tech was being used within classrooms, it was still employed as a separate productivity tool, often replicating older forms of info transfer...However, tech can be more than a tool. It can also be a medium for reshaping the way in which we access info, communicate with one another, and learn in school.

Tech-based reform is esp. challenging because it is a multifaceted endeavor:

Multiple professional communities: different professionals representing different discourse communities (Computer scientists, researchers, school administrators, teachers)
Multiple theoretical perspectives
a. Sociocultural: learning as a social practice through which the learner plays a central role (Vygotsky, 1978; Wells, 1999; Wenger, 1999)
b. Curriculum studies: what is important for students to understand and be able to do (Bruner, 2004; Wraga, 2002) as well as the role tech should play in 21st-century learning
c. Teacher education: importance of preparing teachers to implement technology (Pellegrino, Goldman, Berthenthal, & Lawless, in this volume, p. 52)
Multiple strategies
Technology is often poorly integrated with other classroom activities (Gewertz, 2007). Rather than using technology to transform classroom pedagogies and engae students in a knowledge-based world, it if often used to merely replicate the traditional curriculum (Cuban et al., 2001) - A gap between the promise of ICT and its current reality in classrooms. We are neither harnessing the power of technology nor appropriately leveraging it to meet the needs of 21st-century students.
Dialog across multiple groups, perspectives, and domains is key to successful reform efforts in the future.

4 themes toward using ICT for transformative purposes

Tech in and out of school: students use tech more outside school than in (Gewertz, 2007 & Mark Prensky, in Gewertz)
Policy making: influence on how tech is used in schools (Haertel, Means, & Penuel, in this volume)
Diversity (digital divide): The varied tech experiences of teachers and students (Jones' chapter); Students' cultural diversity
Teacher development

References

Bruner, J. (2004). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.
Coiro, J. Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., & Leu, D. J. (in press). Handbook of research on new literacies. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Cuban, L., Kirkpatrick, H., & Peck, C. (2001). High access and low use of technologies in high school classrooms: Explaining an apparent paradox. American Educational Research Journal, 38 (4), 813-834.
Gewertz, C. (2007, March 29). Outside interests: Young people typically plug in to new technology far more often on their own time than in school. Education Week, Technology Counts 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/03/29/30tcstudent.h26.html
Leu, D. J., Jr., & Kinzer, C. K. (2000). The convergence of literacy instruction with networked technologies for information and communication. Reading Research Quarterly, 35 (1), 132-141.
Scott, T., Cole, M., & Engel, M. (1992). Computers and education: A cultural constructivist perspective. Review of Research in Education, 10, 191-251.
Vygotsgy, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Wells, G. (1999). Dialogic inquiry: Toward a sociocultural practice and theory of education. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Wraga, W. (2002). Recovering curriculum practice: Continuing the conversations. Educational Researcher, 31 (6), 17-19.

iWeb Q&A

2008-01-14T21:09:00.000-05:00

Here were several frequently asked questions about Apple iWeb I encountered during iStudio clinic hours:

Q: I enabled the hyperlink but it won't work
A: Check if there is another layer (text box or place holder) on the top of the layer where the navigation (hyperlink text) is located. Always bring the navigation layer to the top (Arrange/Bring to Font or Send to Back allow you to rearrange the layer sequence)

Q: I want to use a different template for one of my current pages without changing my content on it
A: If you're using a version lower than iWeb 08, you can't. You'll have to insert a new page and copy and paste the original content from the old page into it. If you're using iWeb 08, you can simply choose Theme and change the template directly. Go to iCare Corner for a free upgrade to 08.

Q: I updated and republished my site but the brower window still shows me the old one.
A: Refresh the brower window or empty the cache.

Q: I enabled a hyperlink on a picture in one of pages. But now it won't allow me to resize or move the picture
A: Disable the hyperlink first, then adjust your picture. Reenable the hyperlink when you are done.

Q: I made a copy of my domain file. But it won't open on a different computer
A: Check the iWeb version you used to create your domain file see if it is different from the one you used later. Some iWeb 08 files are not compatible with iWeb 06.

Ethnography

2008-01-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

Ethnography (ἔθνος ethnos = people and γράφειν graphein = writing) is the genre of writing that presents varying degrees of qualitative and quantitative descriptions of human social phenomena, based on fieldwork. Ethnography presents the results of a holistic research method founded on the idea that a system's properties cannot necessarily be accurately understood independently of each other. The genre has both formal and historical connections to travel writing and colonial office reports. Several academic traditions, in particular the constructivist and relativist paradigms, employ ethnographic research as a crucial research method. Many cultural anthropologists consider ethnography the essence of the discipline.

Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Leavy, P. (2006). The practice of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. (BSU Call No. H62.H478 2006)

Ethnographers ask questions such as:

How do individuals view their world?
What is their story?
How is a custom understood by members of a given culture? (p. 235)

Role of ethnographer

Complete observer: The researcher's identity remains hidden; the researcher doesn't interact with those in the setting but instead makes observations of the setting by using such devices as hidden video cameras or by remaining invisible behind a one-way mirror or a screen to avoid detection
Complete participant: The researcher actively engages with members of the setting; however, the researcher's identity is not known to the participants in the setting
Observer-as-participant: The researcher is required to reveal their identity in the setting, but the extent to which the researcher actively engages with the members of the setting is limited
Participant-as-observer: The researcher participates fully in the ongoing activities of the research setting, and the identity of the researcher is known to the members of the setting

Discourse and Technology: Multimodal Discourse Analysis

2008-01-13T14:16:00.000-05:00

LeVine, P., & Scollon, R. (Eds.). (2004). Discourse and technology: Multimodal discourse and analysis. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

The overarching theme of Discourse and Technology is cutting-edge in the field of linguistics: multimodal discourse. This volume opens up a discussion among discourse analysts and others in linguistics and related fields about the two-fold impact of new communication technologies: The impact on how discourse data is collected, transcribed, and analyzed -- and the impact that these technologies are having on social interaction and discourse.

As inexpensive tape recorders allowed the field to move beyond text, written or printed language, to capture talk -- discourse as spoken language -- the information explosion (including cell phones, video recorders, Internet chat rooms, online journals, and the like) has moved those in the field to recognize that all discourse is, in various ways, "multimodal," constructed through speech and gesture, as well as through typography, layout and the materials employed in the making of texts.

The contributors have responded to the expanding scope of discourse analysis by asking five key questions:

Why should we study discourse and technology and multimodal discourse analysis?
What is the role of the World Wide Web in discourse analysis?
How does one analyze multimodal discourse in studies of social actions and interactions?
How does one analyze multimodal discourse in educational social interactions?
How does one use multimodal discourse analyses in the workplace?

The vitality of these explorations opens windows onto even newer horizons of discourse and discourse analysis.

Resources of ethnography in cross-cultural technology

2008-01-11T15:13:00.000-05:00

Lee, Mimi Miyoung (2004) "Going global": The complexities of fostering intercultural understanding in a rural school using videoconferencing technology. Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, United States -- Indiana. Retrieved January 11, 2008, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. (Publication No. AAT 3141606). >>>

Abstract (Summary)

In light of recent world affairs, many educators have recognized a need to incorporate international content, issues and perspectives into the existing curriculum, especially in racially and culturally isolated rural environments. Considering the relative disadvantage that these rural students have in terms of cross- and multi-cultural exposure, such addition to the curriculum is expected to help students grow beyond their original cultural understanding.

This is a year-long ethnographic study conducted in a rural middle school classroom where an International Studies program was introduced through interactive videoconferencing technology with the goal of fostering intercultural understanding. The methodology of Critical Ethnography (Carspecken, 1996) was used in the design of this study. Observations, interviews and document analysis were conducted. The data was analyzed to answer the following questions: (1) how does a middle school teacher in a racially homogenous rural community integrate the International Studies program into his social studies curriculum; and (2) how do the middle school students understand and interpret the encounters with people from other countries through interactive videoconferencing technology?

The key findings show that (1) the teacher and the students considered the program to be a very valuable opportunity to interact with people from other cultures; (2) the main purpose of using the program for the teacher was to motivate the students; and (3) the students had a framework of differentiating themselves in their local culture and used it to interpret the cross-cultural encounters made possible by the program. The findings suggest that the students' interpretation often resulted in measuring the differences of other cultures with the symbols of American consumerism, producing " Americanized other cultures." The study concludes that the integration of the International Studies program was received very positively by the teacher and the students but did not result in an awareness of, and challenge to, already established frameworks for understanding difference. In order to provide instruction that results in a more sophisticated level of intercultural understanding, the study suggests future implications in pedagogical, instructional and administrative issues.

How to develop a professional portfolio: A manual for teachers

2008-01-10T19:18:00.000-05:00

Campbell, D. M., Cignetti, P. B., Melenyzer, B. J., Nettles, D. H., & Wyman, R. M. (2001). How to develop a professional portfolio: A manual for teachers (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Work portfolio: ongoing systemic collection of selected work in courses and evidence of community activities

Presentation portfolio: a selective and steamlined portfolio compiled for the expressed purpose of giving others an effective and easy-to-read portrait of your professional competence.

Model standards for beginning teachers' licensing and development

The INTASC Principles

INTASC stands for Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium. The INTASC website can be found here. There are ten core INTASC principles that a potential teacher should master and reflect on throughout their undergraduate coursework. The digital portfolio reflects the growth of the potential teacher's understanding of these principles. In order to demonstrate mastery of the principles, each INTASC principle should include reflections, artifacts, and artifact rationales.

Listed below are the basic core INTASC principles. The knowledge, dispositions, and performances associated with these principles are listed here.

•Principle 1

The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

•Principle 2

The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.

•Principle 3

The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

•Principle 4

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

•Principle 5

The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

•Principle 6

The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

•Principle 7

The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

•Principle 8

The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner.

•Principle 9

The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

•Principle 10

The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being.

Evidence to include (more than 50 possibilities for artifacts) (p. 75):
1. anecdotal records, 2. article summaries or critiques, 3. assessments, 4. awards and certificates, 5. bulletin board ideas, 6. case studies, 7. classroom management philosophy, 8. community resources documents, 9. computer programs, 10. cooperative learning strategies, 11. curriculum plans, 12. essays, 13. evaluations, 14. field trip plans, 15. floor plans, 16. goal statements, 17. individualized plans, 18. interviews with students, teachers, and parents, 19. journals, 20. lesson plans, 21. letters to parents, 22. management and organization strategies, 23. media competencies, 24. meetings and workshops log, 25. observation reports, 26. peer critiques, 27. philosophy statement, 28. pictures and photographs, 29. student portfolio, 30. position papers, 31. problem-solving logs, 32. professional development plans, 33. professional organizations and committees list, 34. professional reading list, 35. projects, 36. references, 37. research papers, 38. rules and procedure descriptions, 39. schedules, 40. seating arrangement diagrams, 41. self-assessment instruments, 42. simulated experiences, 43. student contracts, 44. subscriptions, 45. teacher-made materials, 46. theme studies, 47. transcripts, 48. unit plans, 49. video scenario critiques, 50. volunteer experience descriptions, 51. work experience descriptions.

Audiences: advisors, interviewers, mentors, colleagues, professional organizations, yourself

ePortfolios as knowledge builders

2008-01-09T21:46:00.000-05:00

Cambridge, B. L. (2001). Electronic portfolios as knowledge builders. In B. L. Cambridge, S. Kahn, D. P. Tompkins, & K. B. Yancey (Eds.) Electronic portfolios: Emerging practices in student, faculty, and institutional learning, pp. 1-11. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education.

Growth is the only evidence of life. --John Henry Newman

Pfs can be used for learning and assessment. They have 4 features (Hamp-Lyons & Condon, 1998). Pfs can

1. feature multiple examples of work
2. be context rich
3. offer opportunities for selection and self-assessment
4. offer a look at development over time

According to Cambridge (2001, p. 3), Pfs can help

1. turn information into knowledge

-distinctions between knowledge and information (Brown & Duguid, 2000)
a. K usually entails a knower (e.g. location of I: "where can we find that info?" vs an agent of K: "who knows that?")
b. K appears harder to detach than I
c. K seems to require more by way of assimilation. It entails the knower's understanding and some degree of commitment

-ePs practices to make meaning of information:
a. reflection (what turns the data into evidence is reflection about the meaning of the materials)
b. social construction
This pedagogical strategy models for students that learning is a part of all aspects of life (Dede, 2000, p. 187). A network of networks - electronically networked environments expand the possibilities for what such productive, mutually supportive communities can produce (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2000, p. 312).

2. Incorporate assessment as an integral part of learning

- School tends to condition students to focus on products and ignore the process that leads to those product (Hansen & Stephens, 2000, p. 45)
- Alverno College's diagnostic digital portfolio
- the integration of student, faculty, and ePs as a "socially distributed assessment system" that becomes "a self-improving process for enriching" ed system (Sheingold & Frederiska, 2000). Syverson's model of an integrated portfolio system (www. cwrl.utexas.edu/~syverson/olr)

3. Turn failure into occasion for learning

- "moments of difficulty" are prime opportunities for growth (Salvatori, 2000)
- ePs open possiblities for putting failure in context (p. 9)

Five key factors to address in making a digital portfolio system work (p. 10)

1. Vision - what should a student know and be able to do?
2. Assessment -how can students demonstrate the school vision? why do we collect student work? what audiences are most important to us? how do we know what's good?
3. Technology - what hardware, software, and networking will we need? who are the primary users of the equipment? who will support the system?
4. Logistics - where will information be digitalized? who will do it? who will select the work? who will reflect on the work?
5. Culture (most crucial) - is the school used to discussing student work? is the school open to sharing standards? with whom?

References

Brown, J. S., & Duguid, P. (2000). The social life of information. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Dede, C. (2000). Rethinking how to invest in technology. In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Technology and Learning (pp. 184-191). San Franscisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hansen, E. J., & Stephens, J. A. (2000, Septermber/October). The ethics of learner-centered education: Dynamics that impede the process. Change, 32 (5), 40-47.

Salvatori, M. R. (2000). Difficulty: The great educational divide. in P. Hutchings (Ed.), Opening lines: Approaches to the scholarship of teaching and learning (pp. 81-93). Palo Alto, CA: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (2000). Engaging students in a knowledge society. In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Technology and Learning (pp. 312-319). San Franscisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Sheingold, K., & Frederiksa, J. (2000). Using technology to support innovative assessment. In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Technology and Learning (pp. 320-337). San Franscisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Tech-Based Cross-Cultural Learning Models

2007-12-11T16:52:00.000-05:00

Technology, culture, and instructional design:
A review of technology-based cross-cultural learning models
(view the framework)

Introduction

With the trend of globalization and the call for understanding across diverse cultures, cross-cultural learning has become one of the important dimensions in modern education. The founders of United Nation Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) clearly states the imperative of cross-cultural understanding: “the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of human beings for justice and liberty and peace, are indispensable for the dignity of man” (UNESCO, 1951, front piece). Further, it reveals the harm that may be caused by the ignorance of cross-cultural understandings: “ignorance is not an isolated fact, but one aspect of general backwardness which has many features, like paucity of production, insignificant export, poor transport and communications, deficient capital and income” (UNESCO, 1951, p. 4). In the belief that bringing the cultures together would reduce prejudice and capacity to be open and flexible with other cultures would increase one’s global competitiveness, researchers have studied issues related intercultural competence including cross-cultural adaptation, cross-cultural effectiveness, intercultural effectiveness, cultural shock, intercultural communication competence, cultural adjustment, cultural communication effectiveness, and intercultural transformative process (Davis, Cho, & Hagenson, 2005). The skills around these issues are critical for one to survive and succeed in an increasingly globalized society.

In accordance with such notion of intercultural competence, Cole (2005) articulates that a key attribute of modern thinking is the ability to take another person's perspective and to empathize with their point of view, especially when cross-national comparisons and cultural variations within modern nation states among different ethnic groups have aroused major concerns related to the economic development and immigration growth. Such concerns over comparisons and variations among and within cultures often result in educational reforms in major modern nation states that rely heavily on modern technologies to invigorate their economic development and maintain their leading positions in the world economy. In the United States, for example, cross-national comparisons have contributed to the formation of A Nation at Risk: An Imperative for Educational Reform, and both cross-national comparisons and within-nation cultural variations have spurred the stipulation of The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

As a consequence of education reform driven by the need for cross-cultural understanding and intercultural competence, curriculum development increasingly focuses on social construction and use of technology in diverse cultural contexts (Koller, 1995; Dede, 1995). Today, when cultures meet computer and Internet technologies in education, researchers start to rethink computer-mediated communication according to international and intercultural communication expectations (St. Amant, 2002). For example, online communication technology enhances cross-cultural communication (St. Amant, 2002), and "culture of the artificial" enables individuals (or groups) from two different cultural spaces to create a third artificial cultural space in which to meet and share and pool their common cultural experiences for a common purpose, while recognizing and accepting their cultural differences as a further resources for cross-cultural learning-valorizing of cultures (Gill, 2007). Educators have been developing cross-cultural instructional design using modern technologies such as e-mail, Internet, and computer simulations (Davis, Cho, & Hagenson, 2005). Meanwhile, the evolution of constructivist learning environments enables immersion in distributed virtual worlds such as those based on computer games and simulations (Dede, 1995).

Although technology advancements put enormous promises into the design and delivery of immersive cross-cultural learning environments, the marriage between technology and education does not necessarily ensure the learning effectiveness of such environments due to several major challenges.

The first challenge might be the logistic issues that many institutions and organizations encounter when utilizing technology to create cross-cultural programs, especially when those programs span across countries or cultural groups that are geographically, economically and ideologically different. In addition, Davis, Cho, and Hagenson (2005) point out that the disparity of organizational cultures and languages can be hindrances in designing an activity that fit with cross-cultural programs. Cole (2005) articulates that schooling is only one institution in a vast complex of culturally organized institutional system while changing only one part of the system without changing other parts is at best a risky enterprise. Moreover, as in the case of the introduction of modern schooling into agrarian low-technology societies, one has to consider the costs as well as the benefits (Cole, 2005, p. 211).

The second issue in the delivery of cross-cultural programs is related to the cultural identity. In line with Hall's context theory that puts cultures into high-context (e.g., Chinese, Mexican, and Japanese cultures) and low-context (e.g., American culture) categories, St. Amant (2002) argues that for some cultures identity is essential to knowing how to interact or what to say in a given context. Therefore, in some non-traditional technology-based learning environments such as online discussion and simulation, virtual communication reduces cues of cultural identity and patterns of behavior (Davis, Cho, & Hagenson, 2005). Moreover, failingto address points of contention will cause adoption of culture-specific online communication practices that may result in miscommunication or financial loss (St. Amant, 2002, p. 207).

The third challenge has to do with the cultural supremacy in a U.S.- and European-dominant world. For example, the use of WebCT contributes to the overpowering influence of the US culture in the academy (Davis, Cho, & Hagenson, 2005, p. 388). In some respects the issue of within-country variation in culture and education is the historical consequence of the very factors that produced the spread of European-style education in the first place (Cole, 2005, p. 212). In addition, several practices associated with American uses of cyberspace conflict with certain cultural expectations (St. Amant, 2002).

Last but not least, three orders of gap of rationality (conceptual gap, design competency, and application gap) can lead to severe breakdown and disruptions of interaction (Gill, 2007, pp. 642-643). Reductionist logic reduces culture to a technical artifact, thereby reducing cross-cultural interface to a technical interface (p. 644).

Model practices enable us to innovate more effectively and to disseminate our current practice. This approach is appropriate for spreading practice that is sensitive and adaptable to multiple cultures and contexts, locally and globally (Davis, Cho, & Hagenson, 2005, p. 391). Based on the above context and understanding, we turn to examine the various models of technology-based cross-cultural learning.

Technology-Based Cross-Cultural Learning Models

We examine seven technology-based cross-cultural learning models in this section. By name the criteria of the model selection are two-pronged. The first prong is the learning goal, which, in our case, should be in accordance with promoting intercultural competence. The second prong is the delivery of the model, which should be technology-based. Using these criteria, I selected six models from the literature. The first four are web-based while the rest two are simulation/game-based.

Hong Kong-Australia Transnational Videoconferencing (Morgan, 2005)

This model used IP videoconferencing technology to connect two groups of business students from two universities, one in Hong Kong and the other in Australia. The goal was to “broaden interactions beyond the classroom and engage with those who might consider the same issues from a different cultural perspective” (p. 1). The preparation and instructional strategies of the model were carefully guided by Reed and Woodruff’s (1995, cited in Morgan, 2005) framework of using videoconferencing technology for teaching as the program planners and instructors set the expectations pertinent to the technical factors the students will encounter, engaged students with variety and interaction to keep interest and motivation high, reduce distractions by the technology, and encourage dialogue between the groups by making them feel comfortable.

The program planners scheduled two class videoconferences two weeks apart in which the students reviewed a different business case study on each occasion. Students from both universities were given the same case materials. The plan was for students from Hong Kong to present their analysis of the first case study to their counterparts in Australia, who were expected to respond to the analysis provided to them and to interrogate the presenters. For the second videoconference the roles were reversed.

The Inter/Intra and Cross Cultural Teaching Portal (ICCTP) (Tettegah, 2005)

Summary

References

Beer, M., Slack, F., & Armitt, G. (2005). Collaboration and teamwork: Immersion and presence in an online learning environment. Information System Frontiers, 7 (1), 27-37.

Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y. H., Segall, M. H., & Dasen, P. R. (1992). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. London: Cambridge University Press.

Cole, M. (2005). Cross-cultural and historical perspectives on the developmental consequences of education. Human Development, 48, 195-216.

Davis, N., Cho, M. O., & Hagenson, L. (2005). Intercultural competence and the role of technology in teacher education. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 4 (4), 384-394.

Dede, C. (1995). The evolution of constructivist learning environments: Immersion in distributed, virtual worlds. Educational Technology, 35 (5), 46-52.

Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53 (2), 106-116.

Gill, K. S. (2007). Rethinking the cross-cultural interaction architecture. Artificial Intelligence and Society, 21, 639-647.

Koller, J. M. (1995). Globalizing education for engineering and science students: A FLPSE project model for "Cross-Cultural Studies of Science and Technology." Final report of School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.

Lane, H.C. (2007). Metacognition and the Development of Intercultural Competence. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning in Intelligent Tutoring Systems at the 13th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED), p. 23-32. Marina del Rey, CA.

Marcoulides, G. A. (2004). Examining the psychological impact of computer technology: An updated cross-cultural study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 64 (2), 311-318.

Morgan, C. (2005). Using transnational videoconferencing to gain cross-cultural perspectives. Retrieved November 20, 2007 from http://www.odlaa.org/events/ 2005conf/ref/ODLAA2005Morgan.pdf

Olsen, J., Zimmer, A., & Behr, M. (2006). Real success with a virtual exchange: The German and American Politics Electronic Classroom. Political Science and Politics, 39 (2), 351-355.

Raybourn, E. M., Deagle, E., Mendini, K., & Heneghan, J. (2005). Adaptive thinking & Leadership simulation game training for special forces officers. In Proceedings of Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, November 28-December 1, Orlando, Florida, USA.

St. Amant, K. (2002). Commentary: When cultures and computers collide: Rethinking computer-mediated communication according to international and intercultural communication expectations. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 16, 196-214.

Tettegah, S. Y. (2005). Technology, narratives, vignettes, and the intercultural and cross-cultural teaching portal. Urban Education, 40 (4), 368-393.

UNESCO. (1951). Learn and live: A way out of ignorance of 1,200,000,000 people. Paris: UNESCO.

Ware, P. D., & Kramsch, C. (2005). Toward an intercultural stance: Teaching German and English through Telecollaboration. The Modern Language Journal, 89 (2), 190-205.

Warren, R., Sutton, J., Diller, D., Ferguson, W., & Leung, A. (2004). A game-based testbed for culture & personality research. In Proceedings of the NATO Modeling and Simulation Group 037 Workshop on Exploiting Commercial Games for Military Use. The Hague, The Netherlands.

Integrating Sims in High School Science Classroom - Literature Review

2007-12-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

Literature Review

During the last few decades, science education has been highly influenced by constructivism and constructivist approaches to teaching and learning science has been widely promoted (Roscoe, 2004). This perhaps can be attributed to the trend that school curricula tend to be based on learner-centered constructivism to promote students who can function successfully in real-world contexts. As learner-centered psychological principles provide a framework for developing and incorporating the components of new designs for schooling, it has been widely acknowledged that learning is influenced by environmental factors including technology and instructional practices and is most effective within the context of real-world learning situations (American Psychological Association, 1997). The learner-centered approaches are associated with learner control characterized by learners making choices in the pacing, sequence and selection of instructional materials (Merrill, 1983; Reigeluth & Stein, 1983). Intrinsic motivation, which is proved as associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students, can be facilitated on tasks that are comparable to real-world situations and meet needs for choice and control (APA, 1997).

With the rapid advancement of technological innovation, efforts in integrating new instructional technologies into learner-centered teaching have been proved successful (Leider, 1999). One evidence is that computer and Internet technology continues to displace the brick-and-mortar classroom and online schooling came to be one of today’s fastest-growing education sectors, with some half-million course enrollments nationwide (Dillon, 2006). As a consequence, e-learning environments such as simulations have become a widely used science teaching tool that enable teachers and learners to explore new domains, make predictions, design experiments, and interpret results in science class (Steinberg, 2000). Following the first era (Observation Era) and the second era (Experimentation Era), science education has now entered its third era – the Era of Simulation (Blanton, 2006). From K-12 schools to higher education institutions, simulation-based instructional designs such as virtual laboratories, educational games, and cyber classrooms provide new teaching and learning experiences for educators and learners. Recently reported by the New York Times, a virtual chemistry laboratory alone has about 150,000 high school students enrolled around the nation, doing experiments that would be too costly or dangerous to do at their local school settings (Dillon, 2006).

Likewise, the Epic White Paper on simulations (Clark, 2006) articulates that while time, cost and danger would be issues that hinder the notion of learning through experience, simulations, by contrast, can help achieve that notion with quick, cheap and safe solutions. In detail, the white paper lists the advantages of simulations as following:

Simulations, although difficult to design, have some significant advantages over other methods of delivering learning. These benefits include: elimination of risk and danger, elimination of the need for costly sites and equipment, lower environmental impact, the ability to do things that are impossible in the real world, increase in learner motivation, ability to learn through repeated failure, acceleration of learning, integration of knowledge and skills, deepened learning, increased retention through reinforcement and realism, better transfer of learning to real-world, anytime, anywhere access to learning content, cheap replication and distribution, better assessment through actual performance, and better evaluation of performance. (p. 4)

Simulations can provide animated, interactive, and game-like environments in which students learn through exploration. For example, physics teachers use simulations to establish the connections between real-life phenomena and the underlying science, mapping the visual and conceptual models of expert physicists accessible to students (Perkins, Adams, Dubson, Finkelstein, Reid, Wieman, & LeMaster, 2006). Scatteia (2005) found that space-themed simulation videogames could effectively promote space because they represent reality “not only as a collection of images or text, but also as a dynamic system that can evolve and change.” Features in this genre, which is labeled with “edutainment,” include “a very high level of realism in the reproduction of a real space system” and “a steep learning curve, as a direct result from the level of realism,” contributing significantly to delivering educational scientific messages.

The advantages of simulation use in education, on the one hand, have made it a useful supplemental approach for science teachers. The virtuality of its nature, on the other hand, has aroused wide concerns over the learning authenticity when the quality of educational simulations comes under experts’ scrutiny. A recent criticism focusing on virtual laboratories, for instance, is questioning that whether the hands-on experiences can be substituted with the laboratory practice on the cyberspace (Dillon, 2006). Harasim, Hiltz, Teles, and Turoff (1995) argue that software simulations are not satisfactory for achieving learning comprehension in many laboratory experiments. Others (Hamza, Alhalabi, Hsu, Larrondo-Petrie, & Marcovitz, 2002) believe that while simulations have a significant place in distance education, they can hardly replace the need for real laboratory experiences that tend to simulate and intensify all types of learning skills in students. The lack of real response of real physical elements to real inputs suggests that simulation software should be used for a limited set of experiments. In situations when real labs are not as appropriate or effective, however, simulations provide substantial assistance:

Simulations are appropriate for teaching in a controlled environment, such as teaching theoretical concepts, confronting students with their misconceptions, and teaching students with limited metacognitive skills. When the concepts accentuate theory, a well-designed simulation package will meet instructional objectives. (Hamza et al, 2002, p.188)

While Hamza et al (2002) focus on simulation-related concerns such as designers’ subjectivity on the simulation design, software error, limitation by the scope of distance learning parameters, lack of feelings of spontaneity, and absence of the excitement and interest, one very realistic limitation of simulation would be associated with the extensive cost and technological support that are critical to produce and implement simulations. There is little doubt that it is harder to produce and launch a successful instructional design with simulation technology comparing with other electronic approaches, because both the design and update of simulations are very costly and time-consuming (Silverthorne, 2002). From a cost-effectiveness point of view, however, the benefits of the use of simulation in e-learning outweigh this limitation as we compare the development cost to the resources saved, the training time reduced, the safety ensured, and the unique motivational quality in learning received (Clark, 2006).

A unique voice among the critics, Clark (2006) articulates that the biggest limitation to the wide spread of simulation use is neither technological-bound, nor cost-related, but of our limited imagination, as “the field of simulations is much wider and more diverse than many people think.” This implies that simulations should not only be designed innovatively, but also implemented creatively. Furthermore, because using computer simulations in class instruction requires a fundamentally different way than the knowledge gain with original materials, their impact would largely depend on the details of the program and the way in which it is implemented (Steinberg, 2000).

Indeed, it is the elaborate design, careful selection, and on-task delivery that really matter in terms of creating an effective learner-centered science classroom with the simulation technology. Despite of the concerns on time, cost and virtuality, the immersivity and edutainability of computer simulations will put promises in engaging students in authentic learning.

Reference

American Psychological Association's Board of Educational Affairs (1997, November). Learner-Centered Psychological Principles: A Framework for School Redesign and Reform. Retrieved June 2006 from http://www.apa.org/ed/cpse/LCPP.pdf

Blanton, P. (2006). Incorporating simulations and visualizations into physics instruction. The physics teacher, 44(3), 188-189. Retrieved on October 30, 2006, from http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=46FBA98D1C2F8FCF940B

Clark, D. (2006). Simulations and e-learning. Epic whitepaper. Retrieved on November 1, 2006, from http://www.epic.co.uk/content/resources/white_papers/sims.htm

Dillon, S. (2006). No test tubes? Debate on virtual science classes. The New York Times. Retrieved on October 24, 2006, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/ education/20online.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Hamza, M. K., Alhalabi, B., Hsu, S., Larrondo-Petrie, M. M., & Marcovitz, D. M. (2002). Remote labs: The next high-tech step beyond simulation for distance education. Computers in the schools, 19 (3-4), 171-190.

Harasim, L., Hiltz, S. R., Teles, L., & Turoff, M. (1995). Learning networks: A field guide to teaching and learning online. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Leider, S. (1999). Successfully Integrating Technology. ERIC Digest. ED422989. Retrieved July 19, 2007 from http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-2/technology.htm

Merrill, M. D. (1983). Component display theory. In C. Reigeluth (ed.) Instructional design theories and models. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.

Perkins, K., Adams, W., Dubson, M., Finkelstein, N., Reid, S., Wieman, C., & LeMaster, R. PhET: Interactive simulations for teaching and learning physics. The physics teacher, 44 (1), 18-23. Retrieved on November 1, 2006, from http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=4309993119F1F437D8BF

Reigeluth, C., & Stein, F. (1983). The elaboration theory of instruction. In C. Reigeluth (ed.), Instructional design theories and models. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Roscoe, K. (2004). Lonergan's Theory of Cognition, Constructivism and Science Education. Science & Education, 13 (6), 541-551. Retrieved July 19, 2007 from http://ejournals.ebsco.com/direct.asp?ArticleID=3QTD7D42TUYEDGH1N9P5

Scatteria, L. (2005). Space-themed videogames: An effective way to promote space. The electronic library, 23(5), 553-566.

Silverthorne, S. (2002). Marrying distance and classroom education. Harvard Business School working knowledge (online). Retrieved on November 2, 2006, from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3219.html

Steinberg, R. N. (2000). Computers in teaching science: To simulate or not to simulate? American Journal of Physics, 68 (S1), S37–S41. Retrieved July 19, 2007 from http://scitation.aip.org.proxy.bsu.edu/journals/doc/AJPIAS-ft/vol_68/iss_S1/ S37_1.html

The evolution of constructivist learning environments: Immersion in distributed, virtual worlds

2007-12-05T10:46:00.000-05:00

Dede, C. (1995).The evolution of constructivist learning environments: Immersion in distributed, virtual worlds. Educational Technology, 35 (5), 46-52.

Abstract (retrieved Dec 5, 2007 from VLearn)

A review of psychological advantages and disadvantages of virtual environments within a constructivist learning approach and which properties of vr can be exploited depending on users characteristics.

Focusing on what participants want is very important to designing any type of learning environment.

Some personality characteristics of users:
a wide range of participants are attracted to cooperative virtual environments because they gain something valuable by collaborating together.
people who don't do well in spontaneous spoken interaction (e.g. shy, reflective, more comfortable with emotional distance). For them informal written communication is often more authentic than face-to-face verbal exchange. A new dimension of learning styles orthogonal to the visual/auditory/kinesthetic/symbolic categories now underlying pedagogical approaches to individualization.

Non-verbal context worlds offers:
disinhibition as a potential for learning in constructivist environments, since this creates cognitive and emotional dissonance that can undercut suboptimal mental models.
the fluidity of users' identity is a psychosocial dynamic of virtual environments that opens opportunities to encourage learning. Synthetic environments dissolve boundaries of identity enabling communication about very personal things through a depersonalized medium. Many aspects of this openness are quite positive from a constructivist perspective, as people often reject new ideas because they feel that their own identities are contained in their existing mental models.

Cross-cultural & historical perspectives on the developmental consequences of education

2007-12-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

Cole, M. (2005). Cross-cultural and historical perspectives on the developmental consequences of education. Human Development, 48, 195-216.

This article examines efforts to understand the developmental consequences, particularly the cognitive consequences, of children spending large amounts of time in formal schools where their activity is separated from the daily life of the rest of the community and mediated by technologies of literacy and numeracy as well as specialized uses of language. The analysis begins by examining the history of formal schooling in relation to its social and cultural circumstances and progresses through an examination of different research strategies for reaching plausible conclusions about its cognitive consequences in the sociocultural context. The discussion ends by considering two contradictory tendencies, centralized standardization versus de-centralized adaptation and separation versus embeddedness, which have characterized education since its inception and which societies around the world confront in our current historical circumstances

Technolgy, culture, and instructional design

2007-12-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

Technolgy, culture, and instructional design: A review of technology-based cross-cultural immersive learning models

http://wma.iweb.bsu.edu/crossculture.html

2007-12-02T16:17:00.001-05:00

http://wma.iweb.bsu.edu/crossculture.html

Integrating Sims in High School Science Classroom - Lesson Plan

2007-12-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

Strategic Plan

As science education reform efforts call for students to develop scientific processes and skills through inquiry (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993; National Research Council, 1996), I decided to use the process of assessment-driven design to create a three-week inquiry-based unit as a route to in-depth understanding of physics concepts. According to Glatthorn (1998), an assessment-driven unit is a unit that has been carefully planned to prepare students for and engage them in performance assessments so that they might achieve authentic learning. Authentic learning allows students to explore, discover, discuss, and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships in contexts that involve real-world problems and projects that are relevant and interesting to the learner. It implies that (1) learning should be centered round authentic tasks; (2) learning should be guided with teacher scaffolding; (3) students should be engaged in exploration and inquiry; (4) students have opportunities for social discourse; and (5) ample resources be available to students as they pursue meaningful problems (Donovan, Bransford, & Pellegrino, 1999). Based on the above understanding, I developed a lesson plan for high school physics class by using Glatthorn’s (1998) unit planning process.

Analyze the Performance Task

The first step was to analyze the performance task. The National Science Education Standards provide assessment standards (NRC, 1996, pp. 173-181) consistent with the goals of this simulation-based learning unit. The following inquiry and physical science content standards are the focus of the alignment process:
Science as inquiry.

Content Standard A 9-12:
As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry

“For students to develop the abilities that characterize science as inquiry, they must actively participate in scientific investigations, and they must actually use the cognitive and manipulative skills associated with the formulation of scientific explanations” (p. 173).

Physical science.

Content Standard B 9-12:
As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of

Motions and forces

“By this age, the concept of force is better understood, but static forces in equilibrium and students’ intuitive ideas about forces on projectiles and satellites still resist change through instruction for a large percentage of the students” (p. 178).

From the above standards, we develop the following performance task: Using the simulation program Rocket Modeler II, design a rocket and successfully launch it.

A knowledge and skills analysis (Glatthorn, 1998) was adopted to analyze the performance task. What knowledge the students need to accomplish the task and what skills they need to master were determined as following:

Knowledge:
1. Law of Motion
2. Basics of forces
3. Gravitation

Skills:
1. Using computer simulations as science inquiry tools
2. Calculating external forces and velocity
3. Interpreting data and reporting results from experiments

Block-in the Unit

By reviewing the results of the analysis and reflecting about our students, we established the general parameters for this unit:
Title of the unit: Launch Your Rocket
Goal of the unit: The students will acquire basic knowledge about the basics of forces through their application in rocket design.
Length of the unit: 3 weeks.
Review the Unit Scenario

In order to test the feasibility and likely effectiveness of the performance task and the instruction required, I reflected on the results of the analysis, the students, the standards, the performance task, the nature of authentic learning and teaching, and the resources available.

Here is the scenario I went through:

Allow time for students to form small groups (no more than 3 people per group). The teacher will assign a different task to each group (i.e., launch the rocket under different wind, weight, and/or gravity conditions). The three members can be assigned roles such as Captain, Chief Engineer, and Commander. Students will learn the four forces on the rocket, basic rocket motion, the payload system, flight equations and the use of the equation calculator through the online tutorials on the NASA website. Groups will report their progress to the teacher on a weekly basis and get feedback from the teacher. Finally, groups will be expected to present their final work to the class by demonstrating how they design and launch the rocket and what the three things they learn from this project are. Following up in a class discussion, students will discuss their feelings about NASA scientists’ responsibility and the application of physical science in the real world.

This scenario provided a picture of how the unit begins, unfolds, and ends. Through a peer review, my colleagues agreed that it represented authentic learning and reflected the result of the analysis previously stated.

Sketch-in the Lessons

In order to make sure that the unit can be effectively presented in the time available, we made an outline of the lesson:

Week1: Formation of groups, choice of project assignment, planning, and studying with the online tutorials.
Week2: Designing and launching the rockets with the teacher’s guidance
Week3: Presentation of project and class discussion.

Prepare the Unit for Evaluation

To get everything ready for evaluation, I put together the usual components of this unit such as identifying information, unit title, school subject and grade level for intended use, suggested number of lessons, curriculum standards and benchmarks, performance task with criteria and rubrics, lesson sketches, resources required, suggestions for enrichment and remediation, and forms for evaluating the unit.

Required resources.

Computer with Internet access (preferably high speed)
E-mail and/or instant messaging account
Java applications for Rocket Modeler II simulation program

Criteria and rubrics for student.

Table 1. Criteria and rubrics

Suggestions for enrichment and remediation.

Provide students with several resourceful links such as the NASA website, Wikipedia, and other related physical science websites. The teacher can also create a Webquest for students’ further research study.

Implement the Assessment-Based Unit

I believe the most important criterion for evaluating this unit is the unit’s effectiveness in preparing students to master the performance task. Therefore, Glatthorn’s (1998) criteria for evaluating units (see Figure 1) will be applied to assess the unit.
________________________________________________________________

Figure 1. Criteria for Evaluating Units
________________________________________________________________

Does the unit
1. Prepare the students to achieve mastery of the performance task?
2. Embody the elements of authentic learning?
3. Use a realistic time frame?
4. In format, organization, and content facilitate teacher use?
5. Include all the components specified by the district curriculum office?
6. Use language effectively and correctly?
_________________________________________________________________

References

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy. New York: Oxford University Press.

Donovan, M. S., Bransford, J. D., & Pellegrino, J. W. (Eds.). (1999). How people learn: Bridging research and practice. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Glatthorn, A. A. (1998). Performance assessment and standards-based curricula: The achievement cycle. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Integrating Sims in High School Science Classroom - Rationale

2007-12-02T15:44:00.000-05:00

Rationale

For the past two decades, educational technologists have been arguing that real-world simulations would have a great impact on education (Thomas & Hooper, 1991; Dede, 1992; Hardin & Ziebarth, 2000). However, integrating simulations into modern classrooms is no easy task as technology integration in education stands at the intersection between educational change and technological development. In order to use simulations effectively, teachers not only have to learn the technology, but must also change the way they teach. Like science experiments and many other computer-mediated learning activities, simulations work best when students are functioning in hands-on and problem-based inquiry mode, interacting with the simulation and peers. In this way, technologies are used as knowledge construction tools that students learn with (Jonassen, Carr, & Yueh, 1998).

Although a large number of studies indicate that learner-centered activities are the most effective approach to authentic learning, currently few teachers are conducting their classrooms in a student-centered manner, and in addition, a low percentage of teachers even feel comfortable managing a student-centered classroom activity (Kain, 2003; King, 2003). However, with the call to “put the children and their learning needs within the center of every educational program and resource decision” (ASCD, 2007), it is essential for teachers to change their way of teaching in line with the educational change and technological development.

In this context, I plan to develop a lesson plan that integrates educational computer simulation modules in a high school science classroom. The goal of this project is to help high school science teachers shift to a more inquiry-based teaching style by providing them with learning tools that support a more student-centered approach. In addition, I hope to help students develop a greater understanding of, and interest in content areas such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics through educational simulations. This project will employ educational simulation modules based on inquiry-based constructivist pedagogy, such as a collaborative, problem-based, and learner-directed of instruction (Koschmann, 2001) – it is my belief that students learn more when they are involved in inquiry based learning activities and when they gather, analyze and interpret data, providing them an opportunity to draw conclusions and report their findings. The lesson plan will be aligned with the Indiana science standards and to the National Science Education Standards (NSES), as well as the textbook used in high school science classrooms.

The learning goals of the lesson plan is to assist students:

Develop deeper and more personal ways of thinking about science.
Engage in interactive, inquiry-based methods of learning about science.
Obtain a greater understanding of science content.
Address misconceptions they may have regarding science.

One of the inspiring educational websites that have contributed to this project is the official site of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Education Division. As clearly stated on the site, the NASA is dedicated to engaging students, educators and families in NASA-related activities at the elementary and secondary education levels thus to inspire and motivate the students to pursue higher levels of study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) (NASA, 2007). The site includes wonderful technology-based educational resources such as computer simulations, games, videos, and many other multimedia instructional materials that can be used for K-12 science classrooms. Among those affluent resources, I decided to use a simulation program named Rocket Modeler II because it is an excellent tool for students to learn the basics of forces and the response of an object to external forces, and understand physics concepts such as velocity, ballistic flight, and Galileo’s principle (NASA, 2007). Players will need to design a rocket properly to ensure its successful launch. Through learning by design and problem solving, students will be expected to build higher order skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation in the fields of STEM. The National Science Education Standards (NSES) will be connected to the integration of this simulation module in high school science classroom.

References

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2007). The whole child. A report by ASCD Commission on the Whole Child.

Dede, C. (1992). The future of multimedia: Bridging to virtual worlds. Educational Technology, 32 (5), 54-60.

Hardin, J., & Ziebarth, J. (2000). Digital technology and its impact on education. Retrieved September 12, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/Technology/Futures /hardin.html

Jonassen, D. H., Carr, C., & Yueh, H. P. (1998). Computers as mindtools for engaging learners in critical thinking. TechTrends, 43 (2), 24-32.

Kain, D. (2003). Teacher centered versus student centered: balancing constraint and theory in the composition Classroom. Pedagogy, 3 (1), 104-108.

Koschmann, T. (2001, March). Dewey’s contribution to a standard of problem-based learning practice. Paper presented at First European Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative (EuroCSCL), Maastricht, Netherlands.

King, I. C. (2003). Examining middle school inclusion classrooms through the lens of learner-centered principles. Theory into Practice, 42 (2), 151-158.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2007). A message from the Director of Elementary & Secondary Education. Retrieved on November 18, 2007 from http://education.nasa.gov/divisions/eleandsec/overview/index.html

Thomas, R., & Hooper, E. (1991). Simulations: An opportunity we are missing. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 23 (4).

Intercultural competence and the role of technology in teacher education

2007-11-20T18:02:00.000-05:00

Davis, N., Cho, M. O., & Hagenson, L. (2005). Intercultural competence and the role of technology in teacher education. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 4 (4), 384-394.

This article "focuses on intercultural education and the role of technology to facilitate such education in formal courses of teacher ed and in the lifelong reflective practices of educators. The role that information and communication technologies have in increasing the need for education related to globalization and to the increasing digital divide is also recognized. Intercultural ed is a general term pertaining to the ability to understand, empathize with, and respect all ethnicities. Multicultural ed, inclusive ed, ed for social justice, and international ed are terms often associated with intercultural ed. " Three theorectical perspectives and various challenges of applying technology to intercultural education are introduced.

Augmented Reality (AR) Game: Tech Review #4

2007-11-04T20:12:00.000-05:00

According to wikipedia, AR is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real world and computer generated data. At present, most AR research is concerned with the use of live video imagery which is digitally processed and "augmented" by the addition of computer generated graphics. Advanced research includes the use of motion tracking data, fiducial marker recognition using machine vision, and the construction of controlled environments containing any number of sensors and actuators.

Ronald Azuma's definition of AR is one of the more focused descriptions. It covers a subset of AR's original goal, but it has come to be understood as representing the whole domain of AR: Augmented reality is an environment that includes both virtual reality and real-world elements. For instance, an AR user might wear translucent goggles; through these, he could see the real world, as well as computer-generated images projected on top of that world. Azuma defines an augmented reality system as one that

combines real and virtual
is interactive in real time
is registered in 3D

The following site includes eight different types of augmented reality (AR) games. Some of these games were discussed in Chapter 11 in detail, some were just mentioned.

http://lgl.gameslearningsociety.org/games.php

1. AR games provide learners with immersive learning environments as AR technology adds graphics, sounds, haptics, and even smell to the natural world as it exists. My favorite one among the eight games listed on the site above is Hip Hop Tycoon, which involve students in meaningful, problem-solving tasks related to reading and math. I really liked the way it embed effective reading and math strategies in activities aligned to the state standards. The unit plan is very well-organized and the deliverables package is thoughtfully prepared.

2. The AR technology is really changing the way we view the world, using sense enhancements over real-world environment in real-time. Although AR systems employ some of the same hardware technologies used in virtual-reality research, but there's a crucial difference: whereas virtual reality basically aims to replace the real world, AR supplementsit. Therefore, I think AR games would engage student in more immersive learning. However, challenges to integrate those games into curriculum would be the cost, time, and teachers' ability to deploy the technology that support the AR environments and sense enhancements.

3. I like Amy's idea of integrating Hip Hop Tycoon into her entrepreneurship class. It's a very thoughtful plan she presented in terms of how to help students build on their previous experiences and develop more defined roles related to the real world occupations using the problem-based activities in the game. I also agree with her that the availability of the hand-held devices might be the major detriment to the integration of the game.

Area Adventure (SLP): Tech Review 2

2007-10-28T22:10:00.000-04:00

http://jjones.iweb.bsu.edu/
http://www.bsu.edu/slp

Area Adventure is a web-based game that helps high school students practice the calculation of perimeter and area. The player is asked to complete a journey around the world, following a route from New York City, Paris, Hong Kong, Cairo, Taipei, to London. When in one city, he or she will have to select the flashing geometric shapes that appear on the landscape and solve the provided math problem by clicking on the correct answers. Such efforts will bring them to the next city until they complete the journey.

The Challenge of the game is based on a clear goal of traveling around the world through recall of math concept and formulas and calculation of perimeter and area of various geometric shapes. The Proclivity can be found in player's motif of successfully advancing to the next destination through his or her effort. The Uncertainty of the game is not obvious, basically because the repetition of similar calculation steps and the easy access to the formulas. However, the game's presentation of spectacular landscapes around the world and the player's curiosity of knowing the next destination help keep the player to continue the journey. In addition, there is little social interaction required in this game.

The following is a further analysis of Area Adventure using the 10-point essential criteria from Shelton:

1. Learning Issue (complex; intentional). Area Adventure features more like a directed instruction aimed at identified problems than a complex game.

2. Learning objectives and goals (explicit or implicit). The learning objectives of this game are explicit - to master the concept and calulation of perimeter and area of geometric shapes.

3. Constraints (interaction, rules). The game includes an environment with constraints (rules) and follow a certain pattern: Travel to a city - Find Shapes - Solve Problems (with help of the notes and grid tool) - Move to the next city.

4. The game kind of mimic real-world process: While traveling along a certain route around the world calculating perimeter and area of the world-famous achitecture, the player becomes a traveler, mathmatician, and architect.

5. This game is a web-based application that requires computer hardware and software. It also askes the player to prepare paper and pencil for calculation. (it might be helpful if it could embed a calculator and scratch sheet in its interface. Just a thought.)

6. Activity (Interactive; Autonomous). Area Adventure is an autonomous game with embedded information.

7. Non-Random (outcomes tied to learning goals, even with some random qualities). The outcomes are based on the player's attempts, not on performance because it still allows you to move on even you give wrong answers. I'd like to suggest the game designer to incorporate some punishment/improvement into the calculation steps.

8. The activity of the game is not repeatable because the process is somewhat linear and the outcome is not associated with the performance, which likely compromises its original learning goals.

9. Scalable (Internal; External). Area Adventure is not internally scalable. However, it has the potential to be developed to include multiple scenarios based on similar instructional objectives.

10. The game contains representations (traveling around the world) not quite affordable in real-world.

11. Cost effective. This is a free web-based game that can be integrated into high school geometry class.

Dr. Stuve Feedback:

Area adventures sure is a pretty game. It is a very positive experience, aestheically. I'm wondering if it's a bit too contrived. It is quite drill and practice, which is good for practice and mastery of discrete concepts, like area and perimeter. But, do you think kids will bore easily calculating the use of shapes on buildings? I don't know, but I was hoping for more challenging problems. Since the shapes are projected on the objects, even when they were actually caused by perspective, I felt a bit cheated. Might the contrived nature of the game negatively effect kids motivation, or it is just me? I would want to do simple practice calculations in a more simpler form of engagement. But, I would want to see kids reactions first.

But, even a simple tasks can be helpful and lead to better, more confident proplem solving later. If the slick imagery of Area Adventures motivates them to practice, as opposed to just giving then I'm all for it.

What are your thoughts on the contrived nature of Area Adventure?

Wei's response:

I agree Area Adventure is very much of a highly contrived design, with its drill-and-practice nature under the camouflage of "traveling around the world." I admit that initially I was it was attracted by its pretty graphic design and the appealing theme of world journey. However, as I kept moving on in the game I started to feel bored by its repeatedly used drills without any real challenge. Everything followes the same pattern. The sequences produce a predictale outcome. The only interactive activity (if it counts) is the feedback (correct/incorrect) to your multiple choice answer. The player is not allowed to choose his/her own route or learning skill level. In general, no "real" real-world problem-solving senario is introduced in the game. And the kids' motivation will likely get affected in a negative way.

Based on what I observed from playing the game, I would suggest the designers of this game increase the interactivity/interaction (more feedbacks, customizing choices) and raise the challenge/complexity level. In addition, a brief introduction to each landscape and a 3-D 360 degree view of it might be helpful to eliminate the view error caused by perspective.

Overall I would like to rate this game a 3 out of 5.

MUDs: Tech Review 3

2007-10-28T21:07:00.000-04:00

As early gaming environments, MUDs have been studied by media researchers and social psychologists since the 1980s. However, as the dungeons and forests of the MUDs were translated from words into 3-D images, such text-based fantasy games were rarely mentioned with their value in education.

The following is my review of this game using three criteria: Teacher Preparation, Class Size, Learner Engagement, and Infrastructure.

1. Teacher Preparation: MUDs were originally designed as a kind of "adult narrative pleasure that involves the sustained collaborative writing of stories that are mixtures of the narrated and the dramatized and that are not meant to be watched or listened to but shared by the players as an alternate reality they all live in together." It's not hard for teachers themselves to get used to such games. However, they may need to figure out how to convert this "adult narrative pleasure" into "kids' narrative pleasure." MUDs used to be considered as intensely "evocative" environments for fantasy play that allow people to create and sustain elaborate fictional personas over long periods of time. But does this remain the same as of today? If not, how can teachers be prepared to engage their students in such "old" environments?

2. Class Size: There should be no class size limits since MUDs support multi-user domains. The only possible constraint might be students' access to computers with Internet connection.

3. Learner Engagement: As text-based fantasy games, playing MUDs requires a comparatively high level of reading and writing skills. So this game genre would be more suitable for high school English class.

4. Infrastructure: MUDs are highly expandable.

Integrating intercultural online learning experiences into the computer classroom

2007-10-25T23:56:00.000-04:00

St. Amant, K. (2002). Integrating intercultural online learning experiences into the computer classroom. Technical Communication Quarterly, 11 (3), 289-315.

"Technical communicators of the new millennium will need to develop certain skills to succeed in international online interactions (IOIs), and computer classrooms with online access can help students to develop these skills through direct interaction with materials and individuals from other cultures. This article presents exercises instructors can use to help students develop these particular skills."

Cross-Cultural Psychology

2007-10-14T15:11:00.000-04:00

Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y. H., Segall, M. H., & Dasen, P. R. (1992). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. New York: Cambridge University press.

This book is a comprehensive overview of cross-cultural studies in psychological development, social behavior, personality, cognition, and perception. It covers theory and applications to acculturation, ethnic and minority groups, work, communication, health, and national development. Cast within an ecological and cultural framework, it views the development and display of human behavior as the outcome of both ecological and sociopolitical influneces, and it adopts a "universalistic" position with respect to the range of similarities and differences in human behavior across cultures: basic psychological processes are assumed to be shared human characteristics, but culture plays variations on these underlying similarities.

Education in Second Life - Mini Tech Review 1

2007-10-14T14:02:00.000-04:00

Second Life has recently become one of the cutting-edge virtual classrooms for higher education. It fosters a welcoming atmosphere for administrators to host lectures and projects online, selling more than 100 islands for educational purposes. Students can be engaged in social learning activities and find it enjoyable to interact with other avatars while learning in this space. Among the more active educators in Second Life are librarians. There are numerous libraries within what is referred to as the Info Islands. A virtual reference desk in SL is staffed by real life volunteer librarians for many hours every week. They also teach workshops there to help librarians and educators learn more about Second Life.

Late in 2006, a trend emerged whereby large consortia purchased several islands comprising an archipelago of education-focused land. The land is then subdivided into smaller parcels and rented to colleges, universities, and educational projects. Typically, land is rented for as little as $200 per year and comes with permission to use some common space for larger events. The consortial model has allowed for many more institutions to offer participation to students and faculty within a learning-centered environment. There are now many universities, colleges, schools and other educational institutions researching the use of Second Life as an environment for teaching and learning which offers a community of practice and situated constructivist learning.

Ball State-related Second Life resources links:

CMD in Second Life

Going Virtual: Libraries in Second Life

Complexities in the evaluation of distance education and virtual schooling

2007-10-14T02:57:00.000-04:00

Vrasidas, C., Zembylas, M, & Chamberlain, R. (2003). Complexities in the evaluation of distance education and virtual schooling. Educational Media International, 40 (3/4), 201-208.

This paper discusses the complexities and issues involved in the evaluation of distance education and virtual schooling. In order to provide an anchor to the issues involved in evaluating online projects, the authors first present the evaluation design of a virtual high school project. Then the emphasis of the paper is on the goals of the evaluation, stakeholder analysis, eevaluator role, data collection, and data analysis. Finally the authors discuss the need for evaluation of distance education and the ethical responsibility of the evaluators involved.

Major project idea?

2007-10-14T00:59:00.000-04:00

Still struggling with ideas for EDTEC770 major project (for which I would like to do an evaluation/comparative study for international distance education programs)...

Well, here is where I am:

1. Last year, my colleagues and I did a research on learner perceptions of interaction in the Global Media Network. What we did was a pilot study that examines the learner-learner, learner-instructor, learner-content, and learner-media interaction. We conducted an online survey which resulted in 16 respondents, with 7 from a BSU-located GMN classroom and 9 from their Taiwanese counterparts. It was a fairly small sample size but it was not too bad for a pilot study. The survey consisted of 6 parts: 1. Demographic, 2. Learning Style, 3. Interaction Frequency, 4. Interaction Depth, 5. Satisfaction, and 6. Open-Ended Questions. Likert Scale was applied to all questions except those in Part 1 and Part 6. The reliablity statistics showed our 21-item instrument is reliable (Cronbach's Alpha=.879) and can be distributed to a large sample in the future study. Based on the findings, we suggested that the GMN participants preferred interaction with the classmates and media and they might want to see some improvement in their interaction with the instructors and course content. In addition, findings of group comparison (American VS Taiwanese cross-tab) provided some clue for further study on cross-cultural difference and international collaborative learning in the distance learning environment.

2. For my EDTEC699 class, I planned to develop another evaluation study proposal on the GMN. However, this time the focus is on the faculty and staff perceptions rather than the learners. A possible title for this study might be - Instructional Needs and Technology Support in International Distance Education: A Qualitative Study of Faculty and Technology Staff Perceptions. Professional development and technology support are essential for faculty to successfully develop distance education program. Over the past several years, as the numbers of courses offered through the GMN system has increased, so has the discussion among university faculty regarding the technology support in this environment. Among those discussed issues, what interest me most are the GMN faculty perceptions on their demand for training opportunities and the actual technology assistance they receive, and how such perceptions compare to those from the technology staff involved. In an effort to identify the possible discrepancies between the needs and the actual support which might have an essential impact on the distance course development, I would like to investigate the above-mentioned issues through qualitative methods (e.g., interview, observation, etc.).

3. For EDTEC770 class, I originally planned to do a cross-cultural study on the GMN. However, I found it extremely difficult when cross-cultural issues add to the depth and magnitude of complexities in evaluation. I can still use the methodology from my first study and run some stats to test the difference but I don't know if that is a good idea or not. I really need some help.

P.S.
Lee, C., Clausen, J., & Ma, W. (2007). Learner perceptions of interaction in the Global Media Network. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.). Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2007, 1800-1806.

Abstract:
Interaction has critical impacts on the effectiveness of distance learning. To understand interaction based on learners' perceptions can assist learner-oriented learning, as well as enhance the instructional design. This paper focuses on the online interaction perceived by the learners in the Global Media Network (GMN) project, an international synchronous distance learning environment initiated in 2005 at Ball State University, Indiana. The primary data collection method is an online survey which focuses on four types of online interaction. The findings reveal the learning preferences and perspectives of the GMN participants toward different types of online interaction, which could be used for further improvement of the GMN course development. Because of the small sample size in this study, further study should include a much larger number of participants.

Building bridges between serious game design and instructional design

2007-10-14T00:24:00.000-04:00

Kirley, J., Kirkley, S., & Heneghan, J. (2007). Building bridges between serious game design and instructional design: A blueprint for now and the future. In B. E. Shelton & D. A. Wiley (Eds.), The design and use of simulation computer games in education (pp. 61-83). Sense Publishers.

This article discusses how to balance fun and engagement with learning, how to build effective design teams that use each other’s strength, how to create common models and processes, and how to develop innovate games that will revolutionize learning, not only the outcomes but how we define and understand it. In fact, one of the strengths of technology is that it keeps us from getting too comfortable in our seats. As new technologies emerge, so do new forms of communicating, collaborating, and creating. This calls for constantly rethinking our approach to design and development, especially as we are challenged to deal with new design concepts and capabilities (e.g. what can your game engine do), different types of designs (e.g., how will your learner experience and process virtual environment), and how game design and instructional design can come together to create learning environments that are increasingly authentic, engaging, and that help people to see the world from a different perspective. Its implication for educators would be how to use simulations to produce positive impact on the students in terms of teaching and inspiring them in meaningful ways.

In praise of epistemology

2007-10-14T00:22:00.000-04:00

Shafer, D. (2007). In praise of epistemology. In B. E. Shelton & D. A. Wiley (Eds.), The design and use of simulation computer games in education (pp. 7-27). Sense Publishers.

(excerpts from class discussion)

Shafer asserts that thinking about simulation games from the perspective of their epistemologies opens up a new and important way of thinking about education itself. To prepare for life in a world of global competition that values innovation rather than standardization, young people need to think like innovators. The highlight of this article is how Shaffer extracted games from the computer context and place them into a pedagogical framework as an epsitemology. This is a profoundly deep (i.e. cognitively and socially) treatment of the potential of games in education. Epistemic games: games that recreate the process of how people in the real world learn to think like creative professionals (p. 24). Students can make higher level thinking decisions and content connections to real life professions/situations rather than just remember facts to answer specific response questions on a standardized test. Using inquiry and simulations can help children to play out the logical sequence of steps needed to complete a task while risking nothing and perhaps even mapping out different scenarios – all of which leads to enhanced problem solving skills. This might be the center idea for my project.

Learner-Centered Psychological Principles: A Framework for School Redesign and Reform

2007-10-14T00:21:00.000-04:00

American Psychological Association's Board of Educational Affairs (1997, November). Learner-Centered Psychological Principles: A Framework for School Redesign and Reform. Retrieved June 2006 from http://www.apa.org/ed/cpse/LCPP.pdf

During the last few decades, science education has been highly influenced by constructivism and constructivist approaches to teaching and learning science has been widely promoted. This perhaps can be attributed to the trend that school curricula tend to be based on learner-centered constructivism to promote students who can function successfully in real-world contexts. As learner-centered psychological principles provide a framework for developing and incorporating the components of new designs for schooling, it has been widely acknowledged that learning is influenced by environmental factors including technology and instructional practices and is most effective within the context of real-world learning situations. The learner-centered approaches are associated with learner control characterized by learners making choices in the pacing, sequence and selection of instructional materials. Intrinsic motivation, which is proved as associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students, can be facilitated on tasks that are comparable to real-world situations and meet needs for choice and control. This article provides constitutive/operational definition for learner-centered concepts that can be supportive to my study.

Remote labs: The next high-tech step beyond simulation for distance education

2007-10-14T00:19:00.000-04:00

Hamza, M. K., Alhalabi, B., Hsu, S., Larrondo-Petrie, M. M., & Marcovitz, D. M. (2002). Remote labs: The next high-tech step beyond simulation for distance education. Computers in the schools, 19 (3-4), 171-190.

The authors believe that while simulations have a significant place in distance education, they can hardly replace the need for real laboratory experiences, which tend to simulate and intensify all types of learning skills in students. The lack of real response of real physical elements to real inputs suggests that simulation software should be used for a limited set of experiments. In situations when real labs are not as appropriate or effective, however, simulations provide substantial assistance. Simulations are appropriate for teaching in a controlled environment, such as teaching theoretical concepts, confronting students with their misconceptions, and teaching students with limited metacognitive skills. When the concepts accentuate theory, a well-designed simulation package will meet instructional objectives. However, educators need to be aware of the following drawbacks when implementing simulations in classrooms: the design of a simulation depends largely on the student’s perception as anticipated by the designer; simulation software at its best might only produce an approximation that can yield erroneous results; the results of experiments conducted through simulation software must be programmed for use within the scope of distance learning parameters; the thrill of spontaneity from autonomous experimentation vanishes; and the excitement and interest that accompany remote lab experimentation may be absent. I should take into account those factors during the project design.

Simulations and e-learning: An Epic whitepaper

2007-10-14T00:17:00.000-04:00

Clark, D. (2006). Simulations and e-learning: An Epic whitepaper. Retrieved on October 1, 2007, from http://www.epic.co.uk/content/resources/white_papers/sims.htm

This Epic white paper articulates that although simulations provide experiential learning that is quick, cheap and safe, they are still all rare in e-learning. This is not only due to the limitations of the current web-based technology, but most importantly, our limited expectations and imagination. The paper details the seven key types of simulation, explores the design implications of producing simulations and gives metrics for their evaluation - also detailing numerous case studies. The author argues that if e-learning is to mature and motivate, it must embrace simulations as a potent and flexible tool for experiential learning. I agree with the author that the chief limitation to more widespread use of simulations is not technological, or cost-related, but a limitation of imagination because “the field of e-learning simulations is much wider and more diverse than many people think.”

Epistemology of the digital age

2007-10-06T17:14:00.001-04:00

Chapter 1 discusses epistemology that underlies our current learning system. Referring to the chart of the branches of philosophy, let's discuss the reality, knowledge, and values that compose the philosophy of educational design in the digital age.

What do you see from this cartoon in terms of reality, knowledge, and values?

Problem-Based Learning

2007-09-30T01:49:00.000-04:00

Duch, B. (1996). Problems: A key factor in PBL. Retrieved on August 19, 2007 from http://www.udel.edu/pbl/cte/spr96-phys.html

Duch argues that good problems are a key factor in PBL that motivates, focuses, and initiates student learning. Characteristics of good problems include 1) engaging students' interest and motivate them to probe for deeper understanding of concepts, 2) requiring students to make infomation-based decisions or judgments, 3) Collaborative work with group members; 4) open-ended initial questions that are connected to previous learned knowledge or connected to controversial issues; and 5) incorporation of content objectives. In addition, good problems should challenge students to achieve higher-level critical thinking. The author then identifies 3 levels of problems which place questioning at different cognative levels ranging from Bloom's Knowledge to Evaluation, with several problem exmaples designed for Physics and Biology classes that demonstrate the application of the three levels. I enjoyed reading this article because it has not only presented a clear definition of what constitute a good problem but also provided exellent exmaples around the three levels based on Bloom's Taxonomy.

Question #1. Are you using PBL in your teaching? If so, describe. If not (or even if you are) why is PBL hard to "do" in your teaching?

I have to admit that it is hard for me to answer this question because of my lack of teaching experience.The only teaching position I have had before I entered this program was an English tutor at a weekend foreign language school back in China. However, exactly like what my classmate Diana said about her teaching, "the time period and frequency that I have with the children does not lend itself to this type of indepth activity. " Fortuately I was assigned as a grad assistant to assist the instructor of EDTEC120 class this fall. In the first two weeks I've already seen some PBL activities. For example, the instructor let the students who are new Mac users to solve technology problems through PBL -- these future teachers need to be self-sufficient with computers and the best way to do this is to convert everyday challenges as opportunities to learn. They are asked to pose and answer questions on an user-driven discussion boards. If answers and questions are indexed and searchable, the resulting knowledge base can be a valuable resource for the next challenge. So hopefully when in service, they will be able to use this same knowledge-building model with their students on any other topics.

Question #2. What might some relationships between Inquiry, PBL, and computing be? Can you give an example beyond those provided from your own school?

Usually inquiry is the first and basic step to implement a PBL activity, as learners must engage in inquiry to get information about the problem. That's why Problem-Based Learning can also be called Inquiry-Based Learning. If supported by the computer technology, PBL can be put into maximum use. Mindtools are a good example to illustrate the positive relationships between computing and PBL. Collaborative distance learning environments, simulations in the classroom, and many other computer-mediated approaches can all count toward this effort.

http://www.udel.edu/pbl/

Reflection on Computers as Mindtools

2007-09-30T01:16:00.003-04:00

Jonassen, D. H., Carr, C., & Yueh, H. P. (1998). Computers as mindtools for engaging learners in critical thinking. TechTrends, 43 (2), 24-32.

I remember I had a hard time drawing flow charts for my Instructional Design class last year. At first I tried to draw the charts with Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, or Photoshop. They didn't work so well. Then I started using Inspiration. I felt so happy that Inspiration had provided me with a handy tool that allowed me to visualize and connect all the ideas for the project. In addition, it also allowed me to hyperlink those ideas with related resources.

Another example is the use of MSN and Skype to communicate with my family and friends back in my home country. Making international phonecall is so expensive and inconvenient. Online chatting (text, voice, and video) saved me a lot of money and made the communication simple and effective.

According to Jonassen, technologies should not simply become tools that the learners learn from. Rather, they should engage the learners in a process of knowledge construction. The concept of "Computers as Mindtools" provides me an in-depth understanding of meaningful learning and critical thinking supported by computerized technologies that occurs in our daily life.

When drawing a flow chart with Inspiration for my Instructional Design class, the software helped me to analyze and organize what I know and what I was learning. Accompanying the use of technology were the high-order thinking skills, as my work was to develop a concept map that connected a large number of ideas to each other via links. This process is what Jonassen called "Semantic Networking." And the Inspiration software I used belongs to the semantic organization tool category, one important member of the Mindtool family.

When chatting with my friends and family online through MSN or Skype, I was engaged in a meaningful conversation with one or a group of people. Those conversation tools helped me to interpret or visualize the message (e.g., a smiley face icon, webcam) and sometimes provided me a community-like environment(multi-user chatting, NetMeeting) which promoted socially co-constructed learning and communication. And best of all, they are totally free and user-friendly!

Highlights from the article:

I. Technologies should not support learning by attempting to instruct the learners, but rather should be used as knowledge construction tools that students learn with, not from (p. 24).

II. Classification of Mindtools

1. Semantic Organization Tools (analyzing & organizing; represent semantic relationships among ideas)
1.1 Databases: computerized record keeping systems; analyzing and organizing subject matter (e.g., MS Access, Filemaker, dBase, MySQL)
1.2 Semantic Networking (concept mapping): represent the structural relationships of knowledge; reflect the process of knowledge construction (e.g., SemNet, Learning Tool, Inspiration, Mind Mapper)

2. Dynamic Modeling Tools (describe the dynamic relationships among ideas)
2.1 Spreadsheets: computerized, numerical record keeping system, amplifying mental functioning; requires abstract reasoning, supports problem-solving activities, higher order reasoning (e.g., Excel. Representing, reflecting on, and calculating quantitative information)
2.2 Expert Systems: program that simulates the way human experts solve problems; an artificial decision maker; problem-solving: (e.g., PyKe, MQL 4, CLIPS)
2.3 Systems Modeling Tools: building simulations of dynamic systems and processes (e.g., Stella, Model-It)
2.4 Microworlds: exploratory learning environments or discovery spaces in which learners can navigate, manipulate or create objects, and test their effects on one another; ultimate example of active learning environments, because the users can exercise so much control over the environment (e.g., Sims, Math Worlds, SimCalc)

3. Information Interpretation Tools (access and process the info; e.g., search engines scanning info resources like WWW, and locating relevant resources for learners)
3.1 Visualization Tools: represent and convey mental images (e.g. MacSpartan)

4. Knowledge Construction Tools: When learners function as designers of objects they learn more about them than they would from studying about them (e.g., Logo; Papert's constructionism)

5. Hypermedia: designing multimedia presentations requires project manage skills, research skills, organization and representation skills, presentation skills, and reflection skills (e.g., Flash, DreamWeaver, HTML)

6. Conversation Tools (socially co-constructed learning)
6.1 Online Telecommunications (sychronous: Chats, MOOs, MUDs, videoconferencing; asychronous: email, Listservs, bulletin boards, computer conferences)

III. Rationales for using technology as mindtools

Learners as designers
- the quickest way to learn about sth. is to have to teach it; learners are teaching the computer;
- Mindtools require learner to think harder about the subject matter, constructing their own realities by designing their own knowledge base
Knowledge construction, not reproduction (a constructivist use of tech)
- Mindtools function as formalisms for guiding learners in organization and representation of what they know
- Learners are actively engaged in interpreting the external world and reflecting on their interpretations (participate and interact with the environments - mindtools)
Learning with technology
- The effects of technology vs. the effect with technology
- Learning w/ tech: the learner enters an intellectual partnership with the tech
- Qualitatively upgrading the performance of the joint system of learner plus tech (mutual enhancement between the computer capabilities and the learner's thinking and learning); The whole of learning becomes greater than the sum of its parts
(Un)intelligent tools
- The appropriate role for a computer system is not that of a teacher/expert, but rather, that of a mind-extension cognitive tool
- Planning, decision-making, and self-regulation of learning are the responsibility of the learner, not the computer
- Computer system can serve as powerful catalysts for facilitating these skills
Distributing cognitive processing
- The learner and the computer should do the part they do best
- Learners should be responsible for recognizing and judging patterns of information and then organizing it
- The computer system should perform calculations, store, and retrieve information
Cost and effort beneficial
- software readily available & affordable
- easy to learn