CEP 812 TechQuest Research REVISED

  My Techquest project focus has narrowed. It now focuses solely on the use of Student Response Systems (also known as Audience Response Systems and clickers) to provide students with quality and timely feedback, thus resulting in more positive learning outcomes.   While doing my internet research, I came across a variety of articles that spoke to the role of feedback in learning and that listed providing quality and timely feedback among the top practices for effective teaching.  I also found many promoting the use of clickers in the classroom for promoting engaging, classroom discourse, and providing students with feedback.  I plan to tie the two together and explore how they can be used, specifically, in a 9th grade Algebra setting.

What Search Engine and strategies did I use?

Google is the primary search engine used for my research.  I began by searching for article relating to student response systems.  Google would give some general results, but there would also be some scholarly articles at the top of the list.  I would select these sites/pdf documents and can them for the usefulness of their content.  After doing so, I would go through the bibliographies of the useful documents to find leads for other good sources. 

What helped and hindered my search?

I believe that my search was helped by the fact that the use of student response systems are a relatively new technology and are rising in popularity.  Many journals in education contained articles relating to this new and exciting technology and its use in the classroom.  However, this newness was also a hindrance as it limits the amount of long term and in-depth studies available on use of the technology. 

Also, I had some difficulty finding sources that related the use of SRSs to feedback.  There is plenty of research that discusses the role of feedback in the learning environment.  My challenge will be to determine whether or not SRSs can be used to effectively and efficiently generate the kind of feedback necessary to improve student learning. 

How I will search next time?

I will continue to comb through the documents that I’ve found thus far and use the resources cited there as leads for new information.  In addition, I hope to explore the world of Technorati in search of blogs authored by teachers who have used SRSs in their classrooms.  Admittedly, though, I am having trouble navigating the site.  It is massive and my initial search techniques have been fruitless. 

Feedback related research results:

Resource #1:

Seven Principles for good practice in undergraduate education

Chickering, A. & Gamson, Z., (1987) Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education, AAHE bulletin, 39, 3-7

This document, while related to undergraduate education, has tenants that are relevant at all levels of teaching and learning.  One of the principles focuses on the importance of feedback and the types of feedback that are most meaningful for student learning. 

Resource #2:  Formative Assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice

Nicol, D. & Macfarlane-Dick, D., (2006). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice, Studies in Higher Education, Routledge, 31, 199-218

This research document identifies seven principles of good feedback practice that support student learning through self-regulation. Students are already self-assessing and teachers need to give the proper feedback to help direct this self-assessment in meaningful ways that are productive for learning.  Each feedback principle is presented and some examples of easy-to-implement feedback strategies are briefly described.

Resource #3:  What works in classroom instruction

Marzano, R. J., Gaddy, B. B., & Dean, C. (2000). What works in classroom instruction. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. http://www.mcrel.org/topics/products/110

This extensive collaborative effort has used research to identified 9 instructional strategies that have been proven to be effective in advancing teaching and learning.  In the document, each instructional strategy, one of which focuses on feedback, is described, research is presented and discussed, and examples of effective classroom implementation are given.

Clicker related research results:
Resource #4:  Clickers in the Large Classroom

Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. Jane E. Caldwell. Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 http://www.lifescied.org/cgi/content/full/6/1/9

In this document, I was interested in the research related to best practices with clickers, specifically, the segment that speaks to writing good and effective questions to be used with clickers.

Resource #5:  Clickers: A New Teaching Aid with Exceptional Promise

Clickers: A New Teaching Aid with Exceptional Promise. Douglas Duncan. University of Colorado.The Astronomy Education Review, Issue 1, Volume 5, 2006

In general, this is another resource centered around best practiced with clickers.  It speaks to the notion that clickers can be used to answer one of the oldest and most fundamental challenges in teaching:  are they students learning what we’re teaching.  Common mistakes made when using clickers and how to avoid them is described.

In closing, I hope to link solid teaching practice to improvement oriented feedback and then show how clickers (Qwizdom, specifically) can be used to give quick and quality feedback to students and parents.