Sarah Chauncey's List: Doctoral Program Research

n recent years, elements of reflective practice have been popularized in state school professional development. As reflective practice has moved into the mainstream, dialogic protocols have been developed by numerous organizations to structure discourse for deep understanding, enhance professional practice and advance organizational learning. This case study reports on the use of a dialogic protocol as a tool to advance educator reflective practice. It finds that the protocol significantly alters prevailing discussion patterns to promote the construction of new knowledge. It recommends further exploration of dialogic protocols by practitioners and researchers as a potentially powerful tool to enhance professional learning

"This article used work from the writing assessment literature to develop a framework for assessing the impact and perceived value of written, audio, and combined written and audio feedback strategies across four global and 22 discrete dimensions of feedback. Using a quasi-experimental research design, students at three U.S. universities were provided with text-based, audio-based, and a combination of text- and audio-based feedback over the course of a semester. A survey asking students to indicate their feedback preferences was administered and analyzed using multiple statistical techniques. The findings indicated that students preferred a combination of feedback modalities; however, selective delivery strategies may be preferable at various levels. "

In this quasi-experimental case study, we compared five sections of a basic undergraduate technology course. Within an asynchronous web forum, pre-service teachers wrote short critiques of websites designed by their classmates. This peer feedback was provided anonymously by students in two classes (n = 35) whereas providers and recipients of peer feedback were identified by their real names in three other classes (n = 37). Computer-mediated discourse analysis methods (Herring, 2004) were used to code student written comments according to substance and tone of feedback. Next, we estimated likelihoods of specific feedback patterns through Analysis of Patterns in Time (Frick, 1990). Results indicated that students who were anonymous were approximately five times more likely to provide substantively critical feedback than were those whose identities were known to their recipients. When feedback was given anonymously, students were approximately four times more likely to provide reasons for needed improvement to a website, and then to suggest design alternatives. In light of advantages afforded by this form of pseudonymity, we conclude with a discussion of pedagogical prescriptions for supporting learners' production of feedback.

This study examined students' perceptions of peer feedback and learning in a large, undergraduate course that incorporated supplementary online discussions. Peer feedback (PF) was facilitated via an automated rating system, within Blackboard discussion forums, for half of the students enrolled in the course. Following the peer feedback process, students in the PF group perceived higher levels of confidence and comfort for posting and responding in online discussions than students who did not receive peer feedback. A significant difference was noted on perceptions of confidence for contributing relevant ideas to the discussions, with the PF students expressing higher levels of confidence, yet not all students perceived benefits to their learning. Implications for the implementation of peer feedback in online and blended courses are provided.

"This qualitative case study of 1 teacher and 10 students in an Advanced Placement English class explores the role of computer-mediated feedback in the creation of a classroom learning environment that was supported through hybrid learning experiences. Data sources included classroom observations, online conversations, interviews with 10 high school students, and informal conversations with a high school English teacher. Both inductive and deductive analyses, framed using a cognitive apprenticeship model, revealed how asynchronous online discussions can support the development of safe and productive communities where students actively engage in subject matter learning. The study reveals how online discussion forums can provide an excellent medium where students observe models of writing, engage in the writing process, and observe, reflect upon, and discover expert strategies in context. This study illustrates how both the quantity and quality of computer-mediated feedback increased over time, resulting in students learning not only from their teacher but from each other. "

"Within the field of education, there has been an increasing recognition of the importance of formative assessment and of structural knowledge. In an effort to fill needs in each of these areas, this article describes an innovative feedback strategy intended to improve students' structural knowledge. Twenty-four high school physics students were assessed using Pathfinder networks (PFnets) for their structural knowledge of a just-completed unit on work, energy, and power. As feedback, students were shown both their PFnet and a referent PFnet and were asked to reflect on the differences. In addition, misconceptions regarding the concept of work were identified in their PFnets and used to present individualized remedial exercises to each student. Following this feedback/remediation session, students' structural knowledge was again assessed. Results indicate that overall structural knowledge improved following feedback/remediation. In addition, structural knowledge of the concept work improved more than a control concept, indicating that feedback plus remediation had a larger effect than just feedback. We discuss the innovative features of the feedback strategy employed: the novel application of a computer-based assessment tool to provide graphical feedback aimed at improving structural knowledge."

Feedback is a “critical function in knowledge acquisition” (Mory, 2004, p. 777),
without which learning would not occur. While research on feedback spans the
last century, recent advances in technology provide an array of new opportunities
for presenting timely and effective feedback to learners. As such, these new
technologies have prompted interesting new questions about how to harness the
power of these tools to improve student learning. In this special issue dedicated to
research on technology-mediated feedback, the authors of the six included articles
describe the impact of new feedback tools and techniques designed to facilitate
learning among a wide range of learners. Although these articles highlight the
use of different feedback tools (audio, computer-based, graphical, rating scores,
etc.) in different settings (K-12, undergraduate, and graduate) and use different
research methods (experimental, survey, qualitative, and mixed methods) to
examine the impact of their uses, the goal of each of these applications is, quite
simply, to improve student learning.

Although it is commonly assumed that Paulo Freire was widely influential in the field of education in the United States immediately upon publication of his classic work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, in 1970, the historical evidence indicates otherwise. In fact, Freire's work only began to gain wide reception in the field in the mid- and late 1980s. In the process of charting a new history of the reception of Freire's work in the field, this historical article illuminates contemporary issues with the use of Freire's ideas in educational conversations about social structure and agency. In particular, the article seeks to renew a close, contextual read of Freire's texts, especially Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and invigorate discussion about Freire's primary claim—that education must be the central feature of building movements for radical social change. Similarly, the article seeks to renew attention to the structural concerns that initiated the turn towards critical Marxist scholarship in the field—concerns about the relationship between school and society in the United States that the initial wave of critical scholars knew must be addressed before fully engaging ideas about the ways in which schools may participate in the push for social change.

"There is renewed interest in what can be called an experimentist approach to education research. The claim is that if researchers would focus on experiments and evidence-based policies and practices, irreversible progress in education can be achieved. This experimentist approach cannot provide the understanding of knowledge and human beings needed for meaningful progress in education. Lacking is adequate appreciation for the role of theory, particularly ethical and other philosophical theory. We especially need a theory of our human condition and a keen awareness for how some conceptions of scientific work can influence, and distort, our conceptions of human beings and worthwhile lives. As paradoxical as it might seem at first, to move ahead in education and our service to persons' welfare, we need to look backward to revisit old truths. "

"This study used two surveys, the Activities of Instruction 2.0 (AOI 2.0) and the School Technology Needs Assessment (STNA) to assess the relationship between teachers' level of constructivism and their level of technology use. Results indicate that constructivist practices and beliefs were significant predictors of technology use, after accounting for the contribution of other individual level demographic variables, and school-level environmental factors. Teachers with more constructivist instructional practices were more likely to report using technology; similarly, teachers who believed more strongly that IT was a useful tool for student-centered/constructivist teaching were more likely to use technology. "

"This paper aims to find out two outcomes of feedback in the novice writers' graphic organizers, which are the novice writers' ability to align their ideas to their writing goal, and their perceived germane, metacognitive, extraneous and intrinsic cognitive loads when generating and revising ideas based on the feedback. Data was gathered from the students' graphic organizers, mental difficulty questionnaires and focus group discussion. The findings show that the students' relevance of ideas improved with feedback in their organizers, except for one sub-process. In addition, the students' metacognitive load seems to affect the amount of ideas generated. These findings have implications for media selection mix and social collaborative environments. "

"This research examined the impact of formative quizzes on e-learning designed to teach volunteers how to tutor struggling readers. Three research questions were addressed: (1) Do embedded quizzes facilitate learning of e-content? (2) Does the announcement of upcoming quizzes affect learning? (3) Does prior knowledge interact with quizzing and learning? Participants (n=178) were randomly assigned to condition: (1) no warning, no quiz (control), (2) no warning, quiz, and (3) warning, quiz. Users demonstrated significant learning gains. A predicted main effect for quiz warning was not supported. However, the effect of quizzes on learning was significantly moderated by the amount of prior experience. Low experience tutors learned significantly more when quizzes were embedded compared with expert tutors - a classic expertise reversal effect. A new neurocognitive interpretation for this effect is presented, as well as a call for more “stealthy” assessments that take into account novelty and the learner's zone of proximal development. "

"Qualitative research makes it possible to reveal the often invisible but no less real complexities of social structures and opens venues for knowing human and social life more fully. Drawing on data from two qualitative research studies that used critical incidents as a device for investigating the nuances of human interaction within two educational settings, the authors look across the two studies to illuminate commonalities as well as differences in their approaches. Through this analysis, they demonstrate how the inclusion of critical incidents affords both participants and researchers 'turning points' in ways of thinking about and reflecting upon the complex contexts of their lived experiences. The authors also consider how the use of critical incidents impacts the ethical and practical dilemmas inherent in everyday research practice. "

"The combining of subject areas or disciplines, referred to in this article as curriculum integration, has been recognised as being linked to high levels of student motivation and learning. Sheryl MacMath of the University of Toronto, Jillian Roberts of the University of Victoria, and John Wallace and Xiaohong Chi of the University of Toronto discuss the findings of their case study (n = 23 students) based in a Canadian secondary school where an integrated unit on energy was taught to pupils identified as being 'at risk' of not completing high school. Teacher and student interviews, classroom observations and surveys were used in the case study to investigate student motivation and learning. Results from the study illustrate that students experienced higher levels of motivation and academic success compared to work on previous units. The authors explore how higher levels of student self-efficacy were also recorded due to the repetition of content in different classrooms and across different contexts. The authors argue that further research in this area should examine more than student learning and motivation and highlights the need to focus specifically on opportunities for successful academic experiences where student efficacy is increased."

Purpose: This inquiry is the first comprehensive, empirical analysis of the nature and measurement of flow in elementary teachers. The clearest sign of flow is the merging of action and awareness, that is, the degree to which an activity becomes spontaneous and automatic and individuals lose conscious awareness of themselves as they perform a task such as teaching. The basic objective of the research was to examine the theoretical structure and measurement of flow in elementary teachers. Research Methods: A typical sample of 260 elementary teachers from rural, urban, and suburban elementary schools in Ohio was used to test two rival explanations about the nature of flow. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the goodness of fit of the two models. Findings: Two rival explanations of flow, the Jackson-Marsh and the Quinn models, were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The Jackson-Marsh model of flow proved to be a better explanation of flow of elementary teachers than the Quinn model. Consistent with Csikszentmihalyi's explanation of flow, the construct consists of nine elements, all of which form an integrated whole. In addition, and as predicted, optimism was positively related to flow. Discussion: Because most flow research has been in sports and leisure, Quinn's research in knowledge work seemed especially relevant for the study of flow in teachers. In spite of that fact, the Jackson and Marsh model was the better fit; the Quinn model provided insight into the dynamics of flow in elementary schools. Finally, although optimism was positively related to flow, it was academic optimism, not dispositional optimism, that was a strong predictor of flow in elementary teachers. Conclusions: The nature of flow in schools is instructive, offering insight into the elements of flow and how they collectively and individually inform us in pursuit of optimal teaching and learning conditions, but much more research remains to be done.

"This paper reports the results of a systematic literature review on empirical studies exploring relationships between parental behaviours and children's Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). The literature search resulted in 22 studies published between 1980 and 2009. Studies were analysed in terms of their research findings and their methodological approaches. The analysis of the studies’ findings led to the formulation of a theoretical model identifying three parenting dimensions (Challenge, Autonomy and Contingency) and six parenting behaviours (Metacognitive Talk; Active Participation; Understanding of Control; Shifts in Responsibility; Emotional Responsiveness and Contingent Instructional Scaffolds) that were differentially related to metacognitive and motivational aspects of SRL. The methodological analysis revealed that the great majority of the studies targeted Caucasian and highly educated families, were correlational, predictive or comparative in nature, focused on individual behaviours of parents and children, and used mostly quantitative data-analysis techniques. Challenges and future directions in this area of research are discussed."

"As implemented in North Carolina, Early College High Schools are small, autonomous schools designed to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and are prepared for postsecondary education. Targeted at students who are underrepresented in college, these schools are most frequently located on college campuses and are intended to provide students with 2 years of college credit upon graduation from high school. This article reports on preliminary 9th-grade results from 285 students in 2 sites participating in a longitudinal experimental study of the impact of the model. These early results show that significantly more Early College High School students are enrolling and progressing in a college preparatory course of study. This expanded access, however, is associated with somewhat lower pass rates for some courses, suggesting the need for strong academic support to accompany increased enrollment in more rigorous courses. Implementation data collected on one school indicate that it is successfully implementing the model's components. "

"Early childhood curricula should be authentic and child-centered, however, many teachers still rely on direct instruction lessons. To better define how an integrated curriculum meets the needs of students, this study examined teacher talk and actions during instructional activities with first and second graders under two conditions: (1) subject-integrated social studies lessons of an integrated curriculum unit (experimental condition); and (2) single subject-focused mathematics lessons of a traditional separate subject curriculum (control condition). The mixed-methods study sought to define and compare characteristics of both curriculum approaches. Fourteen hours of observations were collected in each setting. In the integrated curriculum setting, the teacher was a facilitator of teamwork, offering choices, and giving praise; students made choices, decisions, and worked collaboratively. In the traditional setting, the teacher delivered direct instruction and controlled behavior; students followed directions, recalled knowledge, and worked individually. Less teacher energy was expended for behavior management in the integrated curriculum setting, indicating intrinsic motivation of students. Implementation of integrated curricula is recommended because of the student-centered focus that results in greater motivation, ownership, and teamwork, along with deeper knowledge connections. Because many factors hinder implementation, teachers need support when first teaching with this approach."

"Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional strategy in which students solve problems and reflect on their experiences. Different domains need different approaches in the design of PBL systems. Therefore, we present one case study in this article: A Java Programming PBL. The application is developed as an additional module for the Learning Management System (LMS). This way the LMS is extended by PBL functionality and the LMS learning resources can be used in PBL. "

"The notion of a system adapting itself to provide support for learning has always been an important issue of research for technology-enabled learning. One approach to provide adaptivity is to use social navigation approaches and techniques which involve analysing data of what was previously selected by a cluster of users or what worked for previous users or learners of such system and to use such analysis to guide and help the current user. New techniques are now available that rely on emergent or self-organising methods to analyse a large amount of interaction data being generated by large-scale online learning communities, interactions with learning resources or learning management mechanisms. One such technique is swarm intelligence, a set of computing algorithms in the form of multi-agent systems that simulate how swarms of insects or birds move or work. It has been applied to various intelligent functionalities such as adaptive content planning, computer-adaptive testing and assessment paper generation. In this article, we provide a survey of the various approaches in swarm intelligence that explores potential mechanisms to adapt and individualise learning and assessment. We hope that this article can inspire future studies in this exciting area. "