Objetivos perseguidos y líneas de actuación

One of the objectives of this inquiry is to examine the way in which students use the exploratory data analysis [EDA] software package, TinkerPlots, to develop an understanding of covariation. This requires close examination of students working at computers whilst using TinkerPlots. To accommodate working closely with students at the computer, the research methodology most appropriate needed to be qualitative and interrogative (Merriam, 1998) in order to explore student learning within the complex technological learning environment afforded by TinkerPlots. As Creswell (2003) points out, adopting a qualitative research approach allows the researcher to interrogate the process that is occurring as well as the product or outcome to understand how things occur, which aligns with the objectives of this inquiry.

Qualitative research in education is about understanding what teachers and students do in educational settings. The goal is to study the participants‘ view of the situation (Creswell, 2003). Educational design research methodologies provide the opportunity to interrogate educational settings from this perspective. The methods utilised are selected on their ability ―to fit the specifics of the problem and situation, and may consist of any one or a combination of explanatory, interpretive, experimental, computational, mathematical or exploratory methods‖ (Sloane, 2006, p. 44). To ensure educational design studies are considered credible, rigorous research propositions are needed to address the criticism that qualitative education research often fails to bridge the gap between theory and practice (Cobb, Confrey et al., 2003; DBRC, 2003; Sloane, 2006). The methodological objective of this thesis is to create a learning environment ―to investigate the possibilities for educational improvement by bringing about new forms of learning in order to study them‖ (Kelly, 2006, p. 108) with the aim of linking theory and practice in situ to provide evidence that has the potential to inform teaching practices, curriculum development, and knowledge of student learning (McKenney, Nieveen & Akker, 2006).

Educational design studies are ―a series of approaches, with the intent of producing new theories, artifacts, and practices that account for and potentially impact learning and teaching in naturalistic settings‖ (Barab & Squire, 2004, p. 2). Educational design studies are cyclical in nature and provide the opportunity to develop theories in conjunction with the implementation of instructional sequences. They are based on design-analysis-redesign cycles that move toward an understanding of learning and activity or artefact improvement. Importantly, they are theory driven as they test and advance theories through interrogation of educational problems and are particularly suited to the exploration of technology-based learning environments (Seeto & Herrington, 2006). As noted by Seeto and Herrington (2006) when implementing an educational design research project,

The value of this approach is that it is focussed on designs and processes that respond to the local context; it is grounded in theory and yields knowledge or guidelines that can be shared and used by others to improve educational practice – demonstrating a commitment to theory constructions and explanations while solving real-world problems. (p. 744)

The interventionist nature of educational design research allows the implementation of a research process that is flexible in terms of facilitating the incorporation of lessons learnt throughout the inquiry into the research design, for the development of both theoretical understandings and the promotion of improved educational objectives (Sandoval, 2004). Educational design research promotes analysis of data in the early stages of a study with the intention that insights gleaned are used in the later stages (Bannan-Ritland, 2003). Analysis of data throughout a research project allows for ongoing theory development and refinement of the research process. The evaluative and reflective nature of the cyclic process allows early results from research to guide the development of interventions and learning sequences. It enables the interventions to be responsive not only to the needs of the researcher in terms of shaping a study and gathering vital evidence but also to the needs of practitioners and students to ensure learning outcomes are realised.

A general model of educational design research includes four phases – development of the research questions, selection of data and data collection methods, design of artefacts and processes, and analyses and evaluation. It ―is a research approach that is particularly suited to the exploration of significant education problems and technology-based solutions‖ (Seeto & Herrington, 2006, p. 742). Seeto and Herrington aligned their research methodology with the integrative learning design (ILD) framework developed by Bannan- Ritland (2003). The phases of the ILD framework are (a) Informed Exploration, (b) Enactment, (c) Evaluation: Local Impact, and (d) Evaluation: Broader Impact. The Informed Exploration phase may include activities such as conducting literature reviews, carrying out needs analyses, and determining the form of teaching intervention to be developed. The Enactment phase is characterised by the development, implementation, and refinement of the intervention over a number of cycles. Refinement of theories and suggestions for redesign arise from the Evaluation: Local Impact phase, while dissemination of data, evaluation of the impact, and consideration of the consequences of the intervention for the long term occur in the Evaluation: Broader impact phase. The ILD framework is utilised by large projects that are expected to be delivered over a long period of time. The extended research period provides the opportunity for the implementation and evaluation of interventions to be iterative (Bannan-Ritland, 2003).

This inquiry utilised the ILD framework developed by Bannan-Ritland (2003) as a guide for designing the inquiry. In recognition that the present inquiry was short term as well as to accommodate the context of the inquiry, the titles of the phases of the ILD framework were modified. Consideration was also given to the educational design based research model used by Seeto and Herrington (2006), who implemented a study that explored the development of a web site for teacher education students. Although their study was relatively short term – less than one year – they applied the phases of educational design research successfully. Table 0.1 details the phases of the ILD framework, the Seeto and Herrington model, and their relationship to the phases developed for the present inquiry.

Table 0.1

Phases of Educational Design Research in Relation to the Present Inquiry

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4

ILD framework (Bannan-Ritland, 2003)

Informed Exploration

Enactment Evaluation: Local Impact

Evaluation: Broader Impact Seeto and Herrington

model (2006) Analysis of practical problems by researchers and practitioners Development of solutions with a theoretical framework Evaluation and testing of solutions in practice Documentation and reflection to produce ―design principles‖ Reasoning about Covariation with TinkerPlots (Present inquiry) Analysis of practical problems Development of solutions with a theoretical framework Evaluation of solutions Application of solutions and reflection on implementation

Educational design research has been used in many studies that interrogated and informed the design of technological learning environments (Reeves, 2006). In the case of Seeto and Herrington (2006), educational design research based on the ILD framework guided the development of a web site for accessing online learning. The purpose of their study was to create a collaborative research environment where software designers worked with education researchers to develop a set of design principles for the development of web pages that facilitated the delivery of teacher education courses.

Although the present inquiry utilises the precepts of educational design research to investigate the way in which students use the software environment to conduct data analysis, it is not the intention of the inquiry to make a contribution to the design principles of

TinkerPlots. The intention is to take advantage of the iterative nature of educational design research to use the outcomes from each stage of the inquiry to inform the next stage of the inquiry. This strategy aligns with and is the enactment of Phase 4 of the ILD framework for this inquiry.