ala 2015 invited research talk: youth collaborative information practices during guided...

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Youth Collaborative Information Practices During Guided Discovery- Based Game Design Learning ALA Conference, 2015 Rebecca Reynolds, Assistant Professor School of Communication & Information Library and Information Science Rutgers University

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Youth Collaborative Information Practices

During Guided Discovery-Based

Game Design Learning

ALA Conference, 2015Rebecca Reynolds, Assistant Professor

School of Communication & InformationLibrary and Information Science

Rutgers University

Middle School Hacker Space

ImgSrc: http://www.globaloria.com

Rutgers University School Librarianship Pedagogy

Information Literacy, Digital Literacy and Computer Science Education

Globaloria: Guided discovery-based game design program and curriculum. MS, HS teachers and students

gain experience and expertise in a range of agentive digital practices.

Constructionist, knowledge-building conditions supporting development of 6-CLAs (Reynolds & Harel Caperton 2009; Reynolds & Hmelo-Silver, 2013)

Learning Objectives: 6-Contemporary Learning Abilities Framework

Learning Objectives: 6-Contemporary Learning Abilities Framework

Social Media Uses in Globaloria

Information Resource Uses in Globaloria

Information Resource Uses in Globaloria

E-Learning Environments as Information Systems

Globaloria Domains of Learning and Expertise

• Constructionist digital literacy (skills needed in knowledge economy => 6-CLAs)

• Computational thinking through game design in Flash and programming in Actionscript

• Core curricular subject matter:o When game subjects are linked to core curriculum and students deepen

knowledge about topic through online research and design

• STEM career interests: Technology & Engineering; Computer Science

• Motivation, Affect, Attitudes, Life Choices, New Possibilities and Horizons

Growth and Reach of Globaloria

Other Learning Management System Course Shells for K-12

Generic Course Management

Generic Course Resource Sharing

Globaloria Research Corpus

Along come Kirschner, Sweller & Clark (2006): Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching (Cited by 2759)

• Staunch objection to constructivist learning on basis of cognitive load research

• Basic Premise: Due to limitations in human working memory, if educators / designers have a learning objective in a knowledge domain they are trying to meet, asking learners to ALSO search for their own resources and make sense of the information is de-motivating and frustrating; detracts from learning, rather than contributing.

The Argument Against Constructivism in Education . . . . The Issue of Cognitive Load

• Over-simplifying “constructivism;” minimizing role of intervention design, scaffolding and guidance present in such interventions (e.g., Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, Chinn, 2007, cited

by 808)• Rich research evidence for effectiveness of PBL, IPjBL &

IBL…(e.g., scholars such as Hmelo-Silver, Martin, Kapur & Kinzer, Blumenfeld, Eccles, Kuhlthau, Eisenberg, Chu)

• We also have a history of positive results in Constructionist contexts regarding student computational thinking, engagement, affect, meta-cognition outcomes (e.g., Harel & Papert, 1991; Harel, 1991; Kafai, 1995; Bruckman & Resnick, 1995; Kafai & Resnick, 1996; Urrea, 2001, 2002; Cavallo, 2004; Kafai & Ching, 2004; Kafai, 2006; Peppler, Kafai & Chiu, 2007; Klopfer, 2008; Reynolds, 2008).

“Constructivist” learning interventions come in many shapes and sizes. . .

Counter-arguments to Kirschner, Sweller, Clark

Balancing the Guided Discovery Debates: Structure structure structure. . . .

Key Factors of Success During Guided Inquiry: Learner Expertise (Novices vs. Experts) Extent of Structure provided by systems, educators, peers,

curriculum

Key Constraint in US Education: Limited number of K-12 CS Education instructors

My research: Issues of structure and agency in educational technology design

and learner engagement – systems design; peer collaboration

Globaloria has served as a rich and complex test case in which to investigate these questions. . .

Broad, Top-Level Research Question

Are certain [generalizable] instructional design affordances employed in Globaloria the best way of teaching the given domains of knowledge to middle schoolers and high schoolers?

Difficult to answer the “best” question because comparative studies are not yet happening. Lots of exploration still of the terrain, and defining / mapping these affordances.

Existing “Effects” findings for Globaloria intervention taken as a

whole Globaloria participation increases science, social studies, and

reading WESTEST standardized test scores, compared with matched case non-participants in West Virginia Quasi-experimental research with match-case controls [Chadwick &

Gore (2010) , Chadwick & Gore (2011) , Ho, Gore & Chadwick (2012) , Ho, Gore & Chadwick (2013)

Globaloria participation increases student engagement and self-efficacy in the “6 Contemporary Learning Abilities” (a framework of 6 dimensions of digital expertise specified in Reynolds & Harel Caperton (2009), Harel Caperton (2010), and tested in non-experimental pre/post design by Reynolds (2011, 2013).

Existing “Effects” findings

Globaloria attenuates known Digital Divide effects including gender, socio-economic status, and some race categories given sample (Reynolds & Chiu, JASIST)

Existing Effects findings Conditions among factors that influence the learning, as measured

quantitatively, thus far: Intrinsic motivational disposition among students predicts successful

knowledge outcomes in Globaloria (Reynolds & Chiu, 2013, ICLS)

Self-reported uses of the learning management system features in a survey – variation in resource uses, linked to attitudes and outcomes (Reynolds & Baik, 2013, ASIST)

Inquiry Mechanisms Research Reynolds (Revise & resubmit, JIS): Data Source is over 40 hours of

observational video footage of student guided discovery among 6 student teams (18 students) Findings: Significant variation in engagement across the categories among students

was charted, and certain patterns emerged. Some categories of task appear related to some categories of students’ chosen CIS

modality for solving problems emerging from the given task. Types of processes engaged also appear to relate to incident resolution

(resolved/unresolved). Student engagement in advanced programming tasks in particular, and uses of the

LMS resources on coding, appear related to measured game design knowledge outcomes.

In Progress: Testing results in a new dataset of over 200 hours of screen capture footage of 26 students over 5 key timeframes of activity, coding data at the single minute increment-level, and quantitatively measuring relationships among Tasks, CIS Modality adopted, and inquiry incident outcomes.

Inquiry Mechanisms Research Reynolds & Goggins (In progress, JLA, CSCL): Data Source is Google Analytics

page view data, and wiki LMS trace log data on page edits, file uploads: Findings: Students in participating schools use the earlier phases of the

curriculum offerings (Units 1-3) significantly more so than latter (Units 4-6); those who get to later phases and view the information resources build better games (so the resources do help)

Student teams use different engagement modalities (distributed work evenly shared; role-based work with tasks divided)

Student teams edit wikis and upload files with variation (up front engagement, mid-year, end of year, all low, all mid, all high)

Exploring how these patterns (within-team, across-time) interoperate, and predict learning outcomes

Future possibility: If predictive, we can build diagnostic tools for educators, who can intervene early to, interrupt and re-direct less-effective patterns

Inquiry Mechanisms Research

Reynolds & Leeder (in progress, Computers & Education) In-depth case studies: What specific types of programming problems do

students aim to solve, and how do they do so using wiki-based LMS (successes and failures):

Question formulation Search strategies for the given resource Information use strategies

Analyzing failures in particular, aiming to develop better information literacy scaffolds and supports to improve blended learning:

Students: better types of questions to ask; better search strategies; better information uses relying less on trial and error, more skilled application of code;

Teachers: what teacher practices are needed? Systems: how can the information system be better designed?

Which affordances are best? Right now, understanding mechanisms, developing

improvement guidelines is key

Globaloria as test lab for self-driven guided discovery; quite a rare opportunity to investigate this in a contained, confined, semi-controlled intervention happening at a growing level of scale

Moving forward, we expect to be able to conduct comparative research; not there yet.

Img Src:http://Renovatedlearning.comhttp://www.coetail.comhttp://pierce.cc/wordpress/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackerspacehttps://vimeo.com/ppldtv

Informal, playfulCreativity, imagination

Hands-on experience, design, creationMaking rather than consumingExploration, experimentation

Problem-solvingInquiry

Critical thinkingSocial skillsTeamwork

Scaffolding from peers and adultsMath, science, language arts, technology, craftsPerseverance, effort, resilience, self-regulation

Qualities / Concepts Associated with Maker Spaces

Replace uncritical claims with evidence-based language:“Learning objectives,” “Instructional affordances,” “Outcomes”

Celebratory Claims… Evidence-Based Practices

Celebratory, uncritical language

Discerning, Explicating, MEASURING Objectives, Affordances, Outcomes

Maker spaces are great for fostering creativity.

“One learning objective in this program is for students to cultivate. . . X, Y, Z”

Students work in teams, gain social skills, and build self-esteem.

“We designed our maker space with the specific environmental conditions of X, Y, Z, each of which is known to be supportive of … [student cognition/affect/behavior]”

Students learn problem-solving skills, and critical thinking!

“I have observed/measured that in X problem scenarios, X types of students demonstrate critical thinking by solving Y issue in Z particular ways, including [dialogue; inquiry; use of expert resources, etc.]

Chapter 9, upcoming publication with Springer Publishing:

Developing 21st Century Skills with Inquiry- and Project-Based Learning: International Perspectives

Chu, Reynolds, Notari, Taveres, Lee (2016 forthcoming)

Data Sources for Evidence-Based Practice in Inquiry- and Project-Based Learning