Competency 2: Create Knowledge
- Demonstrates ability to describe common research methods in Educational Technology
- Demonstrates ability to read and evaluate Educational Technology research
- Applies research findings to the solution of common problems in Educational Technology
Representative Artifacts:
Narrative:
Reading and Evaluating Educational Technology Research
The artifact attached to this posting is my Individual Paper for EDCI 513. This paper endeavored to defend a “new” pedagogy for teaching writing that revolves around peer review, and a generally much more relaxed view of sharing and revising writing, prior to grading. This type of writing pedagogy is, recently, being heavily influenced by the advancement of educational technologies. No discussion of this method would be complete without touching on the limitations, benefits, and proven practices of the current technologies being used. The knowledge base for this paper was derived from a careful analysis of a variety of research on the subject, from a wide geographic area, as well as personal correspondence with practitioners of the method described. Coming to a practical model of peer feedback required a deep understanding of the relevant research, and the methods used therein, as well as a critical eye for what research was truly applicable to the situation.
Applies Research Findings to Common Problems in Educational Technology
After reading and evaluating a plethora of research on the topic, it became clear that there were great benefits to a particular model of feedback, for student writing. This paper explains why other popular methodologies for providing feedback showed such variance in their effectiveness, and also, how peer feedback initiatives could be designed to allow for maximum effect. Traditionally, teaching writing has been a difficult endeavor. Most teachers lament the lack of time to engage with each student’s writing on a deep level. This methodology could provide a way around that problem, by letting the students themselves shoulder most of the feedback responsibility. By giving and receiving feedback, kids engage deeper with the process of writing, the reception of their words by their audience, and the content of the writing. While no single study outlined this process in its entirety, it was clear that by combining the most effective hallmarks of the most applicable studies, backed by support from real-world practitioners, a successful method could be created and defended.
Ability to Describe Common Research Methods in Educational Technology
Analyzing research and understanding the methods used to conduct it are vital to being able to think critically about a given theory or method. This paper exemplifies my ability to identify and utilize research that is readily applicable, but also my ability to use more general or theoretical research to guide the evolution of my thinking.
Individual case studies and anecdotal evidence led me to research more comprehensive studies on the topic of peer feedback in writing. Qualitative studies into the effects of peer feedback on various populations was the first stop, which led me to more specified, comparative studies between different types of feedback. I began this paper with certain assumptions in mind, but ended up amending those notions based on the research I came across. Some of the quantitative research was surprising to me (for example, students providing peer feedback gained more skills over the course of the study than those receiving feedback), but by analyzing the research methods and results, I was able to incorporate that new information into my description of effective peer feedback. I think this paper is a solid demonstration of my ability to synthesize a variety of research and information, and create a useful model from it.
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