Let’s discuss What is one research problem you would like to
study in the domain of educational technology?
How would you collect the data?
Comparative studies Research question: kas õppimine X vahendusel tagab
paremad õpitulemused kui õppimine ilma X-ta? (X = radio, TV, video, transparencies, e-learning…)
Research design: experiment, experimantal and control group, pre- and post-test
T.Russell: No Significant Difference Phenomenon, 355 studies, resulting with: no difference
How to interpret this result?
The great media debate Was launched early 1990-s, still active
Richard Clarke: “Media will never influence learning!”, medium is merely a transport vehicle, which influences the learning no more than delivery truck changes the taste or nutrition quality of fruits it transports to shop
Robert Kozma: this is wrong approach, we should rather ask: what are the actual and potential relationships between media and learning? Can we describe and understand those relationships? And can we create a strong and compelling influence of media on learning through improved theories, research, and instructional designs?
Contemporary view: each tool have different affordacnes, selecting a tool affects; A.Maslow’s the Law of the Instrument: "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
Alternative research approaches
Norm Friesen: there are more option on methodological side From cultural studies: narrative research Post-cognitivist turn: action research, distributed
cognition Phenomenology: interpreting experiences Critical and historical research: myths of e-learning,
influence of military funding on e-learning
From computer science: data mining, simulations, development research
Estonian studies Tiger in Focus (2001)
ICT and school culture (2003)
Tiger in Focus 2 (2004)
IEA SITES (2007)
ICT and other cross-curricular themes (2008)
Laptop schools (2009)
OECD PISA (2009)
Vt. http://www.tiigrihype.ee/et/uuringud-ja-monitooring
Examples form PhD topics Kai Pata: Scaffolding of collaborative decision-making on environmental
dilemmas
Piret Luik: Efficient Characteristics of Educational Software in the case of electronic textbooks and drillsl
Margus Pedaste: Problem solving in web-based learning environment
Terje Väljataga: Learner Control and Responsibility: Expanding the Concept of Self-direction in Higher Education
Kairit Tammets: A cross-border knowledge-management in teachers' lifelong professional development
Mart Laanpere: Pedagogy-driven design of virtual learning environments
New trends in educ. technology research
E-portfolio, competence management
Open Educational Resources, e-textbook, MOOC
1:1 computer use (incl. BYOD, m-learning)
“Serious games”, gamification
Learner models and recommender systems
Digital learning ecosystems
Learning analytics