Research Designs : Research on Instructional Strategies By: Fatma & Wenshan

Research Designs Research on Instructional Strategies Strategies Research on Educational Technologies Technologies Research on Models for Instructional Design Models Research on Design and Development Design and Development

 A quick Review on research methods  Short Break  Research on instructional strategies  Activity  Implication for Research approaches

Get A Research Method  Quantitative Research › Is the collection and analysis of numerical data to describe, explain, predict, or control phenomena of interest.  Qualitative Research is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of comprehensive narrative and visual (i.e., non- numerical) data to gain insights into a particular phenomena of interest.  Mixed-methods research › Studies that combine qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.

Quantitative ResearchQualitative Research Type of Data collectedNumerical dataNonnumerical data Research ProblemHypothesis and research procedures stated before beginning the study Research problems and methods evolve as understanding of topic deeper Manipulation of contextYesNo Sample sizeLargeSmaller Research ProceduresRelies on statistical procedures Relies on categorizing organizing data into patterns to produce a descriptive synthesis. Participant interactionLittle interactionExtensive interaction Underlying beliefWe live in a stable and predictable world that we can measure, understand, and generalize about. Meaning is situated in a particular perspective or context that is different for people and groups, therefore, the world has many meanings.

 An example › What are the most significant differences in the ways Grade 3 students at K.G school interact with inert media such as books, and with active media such as computer software for learning Mandarin vocabulary?

 The rise,fall & likely Resurgence of Experimentation on Instructional Strategies 1. The Rise What gave experimental design initial impetus for researching IS ?  Field’s behavioural roots.  Experimentation as acceptable research in the field.  Promotion & tenure.  Research journals preference. Hannafin (1986)

2. The Fall ( Hsieh et al.2005) Intervention studies published in Educational psychology journals in 1983 & : To What factors can this trend be attributed ?  interest & acceptance of qualitative studies.  Cost & complexity  Resources & time % % % Hsieh et al.2005

3.The likely Resurgence : - No Child Left Behind legislation (2001)  What works in education.  scientific research is done as a jump off from a peer reviewed journal and applies rigorous, scientific methodologies as its focus. Rigorous Studies Randomized Experiments Rigorous Regression Discontinuity Designs Rigorous quasi-experiments Ross and Morrison

 Types of experimental designs › Randomized experiment › Rigorous quasi-experiment

 Key words (2) › Experiment  A design that involves the comparison of one treatment to another, using two or more different groups. › Randomized Experiment  A design that involves the comparison of one treatment to another, using two or more different groups.  In randomized experiment design, participants are randomly assigned to treatment › Quasi – experiment  A design that involves the comparison of one treatment to another, using two or more different groups.  In Quasi-experimental design, participants are not randomly assigned to treatment. Research Methods Quantitative Approach Descriptive Study Experiment al Study Randomized Experimental Design Quasi- Experiment al Design Qualitative Approach

“The most powerful design for maximizing internal validity is the true experiment (Slavin, 2002).  An example of randomized experiment › Does the “Bio-Sym”, a software package that allows simulated experiments, improve the grade 11 students’ learning in Biology 20? (adopted from Using Experimental Methods in Higher Education Research Ross and Marrison, 2005)

 An example of quasi-experiment › Does “Bio-Sym”, a software package that allows simulated experiments, improve Grade 11 students’ learning in Biology 20? (adopted from Using Experimental Methods in Higher Education Research Ross and Marrison, 2005)

 Definition :  The prescribed sequences & methods of instruction to achieve an objective ( Morrison et al.,2007,p.150)  Factors that determined which IS should be used:  Learning theories.  Type of content.  Desired performance.  Theoretical paradigm ( student charac., Resources, allotted time)

Research Methods Micro- Instructional strategies Macro-Instructional Strategies Message design strategies Focus on teaching Focus on classroom-oriented Focus on Specific content info. Strategies e.g. cooperative perception issues e.g. e.g. facts & concepts learning, problem-based learning pictures, colors & legibility.

 Randomized experimental ? Quasi- experimental? › Rummel et al. (2003) compared usage of a visual mnemonic to free study of a list of theorists’ names and accomplishments. Participants were randomly assigned to either a visual mnemonic or a free study treatment. The visual mnemonic showed an image of one or more individuals with objects to provide the mnemonic device and delayed post-test and a measure of attitude toward the effectiveness of the method. Result showed that participants in the mnemonic group remembered more of the targeted information than the free study group. For designers, this suggests that visual mnemonics are beneficial in helping learners recall important information.

 Randomized experiment? Quasi- experiment? › The study by Cavalier et. Al. (1995) of cooperative learning in a technical training course was conducted. Intact groups were assigned to either a cooperative learning treatment or control (conventional instruction) treatment, both of which were taught by the same instructor. Assessments included a post- test, attitude survey, and group interaction behaviors. Findings showed that practice in a cooperative group environment produced superior achievement as well higher levels of social and cognitive interactions.

 Pick a study topic.  Discuss whether you would choose true experimental design or quasi-experimental design to your study, and Why?  Briefly identify what your research process would be.

 Internal & External Validity Guala (2002) defines: “an experimental result is internally valid, if the experimenter attributes the production of an effect B to the factor A, and A really is the cause of B in the experimental setup E. The result externally valid, if A causes B not only in E, but also in a set of other circumstances of interest F,G,H, etc.” Validity Threats  Factors has the potential to bias results.  Knowledge of validity threats, why is it important ?

most commonly referenced threats to validitymost commonly referenced threats to validity Selection  participants in groups may be unlike in some way Teacher  one group receive exposure to a better teacher than the other  Mortality  Participants drop put of the test, making the groups unequivalent.  Interaction  Two or more threats can interact  Maturation  Change due to aging or development  Experimenter Bias  Expectations of an outcome may inadvertently influence participant or cause the experimenter to view data in a different way  History  Unexpected events occur between the pre- and posttest, affecting the dependent variable

1. Balancing Internal & External Validity: Internal validity means eliminating sources of extraneous variance in testing treatment effects; orients researchers to design experiments in which treatment manipulations can be tightly controlled. Educational psychology researchers External validity : - interaction of medium and method. - Realistic media applications need to be established. Educational Technology researchers

1.2 Basic-Applied Design Replications  Basic designs demand high degree of control to proved valid tests of principles of instruction and learning; once principle has been tested with consistent results, study is replicated in real-world.  Levin’s Stage Model (2004) - Model for educational intervention research. - Consist of 3 stages:  Stage 1  Formulating ideas & hypotheses + initial observation.  Stage 2  Controlled laboratory experiments on strategies of interest ( high internal validity).  Stage 3  Randomized field trials (RFTs)  At student level.  At classroom level.  At school level.

Conducting RFTS At the Student Level At the Classroom Level At the School Level

Design Research/design-based research (DBR): Brown (1992) & Collins (1992)Design Research/design-based research (DBR):  Definition : a systematic but flexible methodology aimed to improve educational practices through iterative analysis, design, development, and implementation, based on collaboration among researchers and practitioners in real-world settings, and leading to contextually-sensitive design principles and theories (Wang and Hannafin, (2005) p.6 )  Some common characteristics :  Interventionist :The research aims at developing an intervention in the real world.  Iterative : The research incorporates a cyclic approach of design, evaluation, and revision.  Process oriented: the focus is on understanding and improving interventions.

 Some common characteristics : Utility oriented : The merit of the design is measured, in part, by its practicality for users in real contexts. Theory oriented : The design is based on theoretical propositions, and field testing of the design contributes to theory building.  How does DBR differ from other approaches? Design- based research vs. Laboratory experimental research (Allan Collins 1992) Design-based research vs. Action research (Reeves, Herrington, & Oliver 2005; Wang & Hannafin, 2005)

 How do I get started with Design-Based Research: Begin with a meaningful problem Collaborate with practitioners Integrate robust theory about learning and teaching Conduct literature review, needs analysis, etc. to generate research questions Design an Educational Intervention Develop, implement, and revise the design intervention Evaluate the impact of the intervention Iterate the process Report DBR Example of DBR

 Trends in Product & Tool Research:  Focused on non-instructional products  caused expand of the definition of the design &development research.  e.g. Nguyen(2005) EPSS needs assessment :oops, I forgot how to that! Perform. Improv.  Focus on media and technology use in the field.  e.g. Lewis (1993) The effect of computer simulations on introductory thermodynamics understanding.  Focus on distance learning products &Web-based tools.  e.g. Koszalka (2001) Designing synchronous distance education: a demonstration project

 Instructional Technology: Looking Backward, Thinking Forward Instructional Technology: Looking Backward, Thinking Forward

References: › Van  Richey, R. C., Klein, J. D., and Nelson, W. A. (2004). Developmental research: studies of instructional design and development. In Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 2nd ed., edited by D. H. Jonassen, pp. 1099–1130. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.  Ross, S. M., Morrison, G. R., and Lowther, D. (2005). Using experimental methods in higher education Research. J. Comput. Higher Educ., 16(2), 39–64.*  The Rise of Behaviorism--The Psychology of Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner By Kendra Van Wagner, About.comKendra Van Wagner  Hsieh, P., Acee, T., Chung, W., Hsieh, Y., Kim, H., Thomas, G., Levin, J. R., and Robinson, D. H. (2005). Is educational intervention research on the decline? J. Educ. Psychol., 97(4), 523–529.  Levin, J. R. (2004). Random thoughts on the (in)credibility of educational–psychological intervention research. Educ. Psychol., 39(3), 173–184.*