Agenda - EDIT 7340

10:00: We will actually use the agenda published her e. Below is a version for your convenience, but may not exactly correspond to what we do in class.

Techniques
Time check
Regardless of your AP or PPP design, these are basic research techniques that you all need to know how to do.

Today's scenario:

Bulldawg Elementary School has been using AR forever. No one remembers how or why it started. Every year, a big chunk of the budget goes toward buying the tests, supported titles, and software updates. In addition, it takes a tremendous amount of volunteer, parapro, and your time to manage the program. On the other hand, circulation is extremely high - and reading scores are generally above average at this school. Here at the end of your first year at Bulldawg, are wondering if this level of support for AR should continue.

What might several researchable questions be, in this situation?

We'll use this realistic scenario as context for exploring the following data collection techniques.

Surveys, pre/post-tests, questionnaires

Write 2-3 sample questions
Leonard's handout (In case the Word version in ELC wouldn't work for you)
Surveys in general
Online surveys: Google Forms is a new one
Questions in micro-detail
Pilot with a similar small group (but don't use these respondents again)
Differences: surveys, tests, questionnaires

Pre- and post-test parallel but not identical (to avoid maturation effect)

Question format will determine quantitative/qualitative analysis techniques

Interviews (Justine): use Stephanie's presentation in ELC as basis for discussion
Focus Groups

Kind of like interviewing, but with a group
You need someone to manage and someone else to record

Best case: audiotape plus have a notetaker

Efficient: more data for the time allowed
Make sure everyone gets to talk.
Consider group effects

Biggest drawback of focus group is social "bias" - participants naturally editing their responses because of others in the room.
OTOH, the brainstorming effect may set in - where ideas build upon ideas and the sum becomes greater than individual parts.

Transcription can be very challenging - identify of voices can get tricky. Will take much longer than 1-on-1 interviews.
Practice, if time

Document/Content Analysis (Liz)

Thoroughly consider any research situation for documents that already might exist.
Examples:

web pages
browser history logs from public computers (or private, with permission)
emails - with permission
policies
children's drawings
existing student work of any kind
texts of any kind
test scores (ethical cautions apply)
notes
photographs - lots of possibilities here (students taking photos; photographing media center activity ...)
journal entries (including self-journaling)
advertisements
just about anything that already exists and can be harvested ethically/legally

Analysis will vary according to the type of document data.
I think this avenue is under-utilized!

Other techiques relevant to your situations?

Lunch

Making a difference - "proving" results - how to know if you're doing a good job
"Proving It" presentation within ELC/Readings: used with permission of the authors
MAF's comments, highlights:

This presentation is extensive - great source of ideas.
Difficulties with the word "prove" - authors are using it in a more informal sense
Slide 2: necessary to prove to administrators. I find though, that it may be equally important to "prove it" to yourself. Find a goal that matters to you. Set about evaluating the SLMP's contribution toward this goal. Do this every year (although perhaps not the first year).

What might be some of the goals that really matter to you?
Should wrap tightly to the PDEP process.

Good review of troubling and encouraging research and how you can use it (Slide 10)
Slides 13-22 : great "cookbook" of data collection ideas
Slide 23: compare this Action Research list of steps to others we have discussed
Slides 24-32 : good PR primer
Slides 33-end: examples
Reference list (Word doc) contains a wealth of readings and tools (note to self: consider these next time I teach this class!)

1:45
Trivia
Last Word: Jennifer L.

2:00
Planner

7340 class business

Crit links go to cdiskin at uga dot edu
Remainder of assignments

Aug 29 | Sep 19 | Oct 10 | Oct 24 | Nov 14 | Dec 12
Planner | Ed.S. Calendar | SLM Calendar | C8 Calendar
7340 Home | Syllabus | C8 | Assignments | ELC | Fitzgerald Home

Day 6 - Dec 12
attendance: optional!

Attend Presentations of 6900 1pm (optional, but highly recommended)
Room 121

End of Cycle 5

You are strongly encouraged to attend the EDIT 6900 presentations today. Click here for agenda.

*Business

Spring Dates:_____; will provide exact schedule in January.
Internship questions? Text (?)
Course Evals : new system. Watch for instructions.
E-Permission and Research Permission forms: in ELC. I'll check on submission, but will not open them til after grades are submitted.
Advisement Forms: update, date

Remaining assignments

A few verbal pointers about the Notebook and the Reflection:

Do not worry about making the Notebook "pretty." Send URL to _______.
Reflections should answer these questions:

What did you learn from this experience about action research, and how will you apply it on the job?
How do you feel in terms of being ready for completing your project on time?

Put something in the dropbox: document with URL, etc.
Class Notebook link

Implementation

Making a difference - "proving" results - how to know if you're doing a good job

What would you add to the "big idea box" we started with?

Looking ahead to next semester: EDIT 7650

Planner
Last Word

Aug 29 | Sep 19 | Oct 10 | Oct 24 | Nov 14 | Dec 12
Planner | Ed.S. Calendar | SLM Calendar | C8 Calendar
7340 Home | Syllabus | C8 | Assignments | ELC | Fitzgerald Home

Day 1
Saturday, August 29
12:30-3:00, Room 121

First Day Blog Post

12:00 Lunch
12:30 Start

Gathering
Wear your nametag!
Welcome
Special welcome for "new" folks
Overview of today
We'll plan to have a breakette at 2p, if needed

Introductions and Re-Introductions

Course Orientation

Big ideas for EDIT 7340

SLM research, research names, and current trends
Middle part of the AP:
Design
Preparation for Data Collection

The syllabus; assignment overview

Calendars: Ed.S. Calendar | SLM Calendar | C8 Calendar
Our class web site
How this class interlocks with EDIT 6900

Things to sign up for:

Jobs (voluntary)(important!)
SLM Research Star Exhibition

Manager: ______
Stake your claim on a name - they will disappear fast.

Where is everything? You will have it all if you:

Do the things listed on the Planner (calendar is there, too). SLM/Grad school dates are listed on the calendar.
Watch the AP Blog for class-specific news and topics. Follow the Cohort 8 blog as well, keeping in mind the audience group as you read.
Monitor your email for SLM-L (rare), ELC emails (even more rare), direct messages from me or classmates. You can also have the blog come to your email.
Watch for ELC notifications. Use your private Discussion Board there for one-on-one Q&A about the AP. This works best for our mutual long-term memory.
Know your way around the 7340 website and ELC. I'll use ELC for private things and Delicious to organize - but will make pointers to and from.

Reminders:

It's best to use your UGA email for most course-related activities, including listserv addresses. Fewer bounce, junk-mail problems. If you prefer another account, remember to have your UGA forwarded to it automatically.

Planner

Your first assignment: Researchable Question

Getting MAF up to speed: round robin review of your project topics

No preparation expected

Wrap-Up

Trivia
Grown-Up Book Talk: Drood by Dan Simmons

Aug 29 | Sep 19 | Oct 10 | Oct 24 | Nov 14 | Dec 12
Planner | Ed.S. Calendar | SLM Calendar | C8 Calendar
7340 Home | Syllabus | C8 | Assignments | ELC | Fitzgerald Home

Day 2 - Sep 19

11a-3p
Room 113
End of Cycle 1
Action Research Cycle

The Action Research Cycle - drawn by Kristie Michalowski, based on Farmer's concept.

Schedule:

11-12: Intern session (all of Cohort 8)
12-12:30: lunch
12:30: 7340 business
1p: Andy Plemmons, Survivor
2-3: class

Business

Asking tolerance for phase differences - it's a Chutes/Ladders process anyway

Topic: Design

Design Assignment

Things you can do: ideas

before and after data collection of student work
interview, survey your teachers, peers
collect student artifacts and products generated during normal teaching activities

Workshop

Things you can't do (IRB, etc.)

anything your school system specifically prohibits (find out!)
videotaping
collecting data directly from minors as individuals (outside of teaching responsibilities)
for all practical purposes, anything significantly outside of the scope of your teaching responsibilities

Last Word - Jim, from Carl Sagan

Aug 29 | Sep 19 | Oct 10 | Oct 24 | Nov 14 | Dec 12
Planner | Ed.S. Calendar | SLM Calendar | C8 Calendar
7340 Home | Syllabus | C8 | Assignments | ELC | Fitzgerald Home

Day 3 - Oct 10

End of Cycle 2
11a-3p

Graphic (removed): Milgram's set-up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacek_nl/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Schedule:

11-12: Stadium Advisement (w/ 6900)
12-12:30: lunch
12:30-3: class

11:00 Cohort 8 Advisement

12:30

Business

Star Exhibition logistics

Probably will use WebCT 7460 Wimba (since this old "class" has most of our group already in it, 6900+7340)
Schedule scketched on agenda below, but may tweak it. Watch the blog for critical announcements.

Ethics of Research: the IRB (aka Human Subjects) Proposal Process

The reason why ethical research is crucial: Stanford Prison Study; Milgram's obedience experiments; Tuskegee Syphillis Study; Brown-eye Blue-eye/Jane Elliott
These social experiments all show the power of deception and have been famously controversial. (Results were not uniformly bad, however.)
Recent example on PBS: Great Britain, matchmaking agency, extensive experiments that did no obvious harm but people needed to know what they were getting into
Basic ethical principles

informed consent - participants and their parents (if minors)
risk - including public exposure; all kinds of possible harm; anonymous or confidential; relation to grades
distribution of benefit and burden: should not unfairly benefit one group over others
protection for vulnerable participants

The IRB process: Click here for related materials (Human Subjects; Guidelines; Applications). This site shows the enormity of the research enterprise at UGA - across all disciplines. (Optional)
Class IRB Guidelines

2009 changes:

Incentives now must be tracked as income.
No public web publishing. **Dr. Clinton and I are exploring another option - more later.
Discuss what might need taking down; assignment pages remain public

Resource: Ethical Research from Fullerton (extensive!)
Bottom line: don't implement any elements of your project without my okay.
Questions?

Design into Development

Quick Progress Reports from each person (verbal, 2 min)
Design reprise as needed

Development of Instruments and Materials (the Assignment, due 11/1)

List each piece
Examples: questionnaires, pre-tests, interview protocols, observation instruments, lesson plans, consent forms, invitation messages
Keep timeline in mind
Take each piece of your design and make it, following Farmer's advice (if any)
Consider pilot testing - especially of surveys
Resources: coming soon to ELC 7340 Resources

Survey design: Leonard
Interviews - Jones

Wrapping Up

Looking ahead

Planner

Send me trial balloons, questions as needed
Can schedule verbal consultations as needed during the week

Last Word - Westlandia by P.Fleischmann, read by Jim

Aug 29 | Sep 19 | Oct 10 | Oct 24 | Nov 14 | Dec 12
Planner | Ed.S. Calendar | SLM Calendar | C8 Calendar
7340 Home | Syllabus | C8 | Assignments | ELC | Fitzgerald Home

Day 4 - Oct 24
SLM Research Stars
Exhibition Day
virtual - stay home
Login just before 10am
End of Cycle 3
Wear your sunglasses and prepare to be starstruck!

Exhibition Page

Wimba archive files available for most of today's online meetings in WebCT 7460 Wimba.
Schedule

10am: everybody logon to WebCT 7460 Wimba - (the first one you see on the list)

General instructions and format for the day
EdS folks will log off; 6900 stay behind for brief Q&A on any course topics

10:30- 1:30: Individual visits to exhibits
12:30: nominations due for Wacky aWards
1:30: log on for Star wrap-up
After wrap-up, 7340s stay for class Q&A

Wimba backup plan: call 201-549-7592, PIN 51315976

Login to WebCT 7460 Wimba classroom before 10am - listen for the music .
Someone please remind MAF to turn the Archive on.
While waiting for class to start: pull up links on this page in different windows

EDIT 6900 and EDIT 7340

10am: Exhibition instructions:

Independently visit as many exhibits as possible. Leave comments on 5 to 10. However, don't feel constrained - comment on as many as you like.
Some have set up Comment spaces on the WebCT 7460 Discussion Board.
In your comments, be constructive and/or complimentary. Try not to repeat what has already been said.
Nominate at least one for Wacky Award - prior to 12:30 (or as early as you can). More than one nomination per person - welcome. Do this via Skype IM or direct email to me (mfitzger at uga dot edu).
Group meetings possible after our p.m. "meeting."
Upload your Star rubric into the dropbox by Sunday midnight.

Talk about Critique if needed

due 11/15
lesson available (text only)

(7340 can log off prior to EDIT 6900 business)
-----------------------------------------

1:30
Everybody logon
Star Wrap-Up: Wacky aWards
Disperse to groups as needed

EDIT 7340 only
2010 dates:

Internship meetings, 9a-12:
Jan 23, Feb 6, Mar 13, Apr 17.

EDIT 7650, 12:30-3p:
Jan 23, Feb 6, Mar 13, Apr 17.
Feb 20: conference day; you will pre-arrange for a 30-minute private conference with Dr. Clinton.

Planner
Q&A

C7 Exhibition Page

Aug 29 | Sep 19 | Oct 10 | Oct 24 | Nov 14 | Dec 5
Planner | Calendar
6900 Home | Syllabus | Assignments | ELC | Fitzgerald Home