Opportunities for Research in Instruction

Additional Components

Ginger Holmes Rowell, Ph.D.

Department of Mathematical Sciences

Additional Components

• Using Existing Evaluation Instruments

• Involving Students in Instructional Research

• Disseminating Your Results

Using Existing Evaluation Instruments

• Benefits– Saves time and trouble– Already tested for reliability and validity– Appropriate analysis methods for using instrument

and scoring results already exist– Can make comparisons with national norms or with

others who have used the instrument.

• Disadvantages– It may not ask exactly what you would like

Example of Existing Instruments

• The Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS), Candace Schau (cschau@unm.edu)– 28 questions, takes 10 minutes, free, validated– Assesses 4 components of student attitudes (Affect, Cognitive

Competence, Value, Difficulty)– Includes demographic questions (academic background, self-

confidence, expected grade)– Pre- and post-course versions available– Provides instructions for scoring– The author requests you share your data with her.

http://www.unm.edu/%7ecschau/infopage.htm

Plenty of Other Examples Exist

• Source for Classroom Assessment Tools– http://www.flaguide.org/index.php

Backup Slides

Backup Slides

Another Source

• Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL)– http://oerl.sri.com/

Backup Slides

Backup Slides

Glossary

Other Sources

• ERIC/AE Test Locator– The major printed indexes that identify and

review educational and psychological measurement instruments

• ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation

• Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HAPI)• Washington State University Assessment &

Evaluation Center

Additional Components

• Using Existing Evaluation Instruments

• Involving Students in Instructional Research

• Disseminating Your Results

Involving Students in Instructional Research

• A Win-Win Situation– Students learning about research – Faculty gaining insight from students

• Examples– Internet Applet Assessment

• 2 students: 1 Rubric, 1 website, led to Co-PI on a NSF Digital Library for Statistics Education (CAUSEweb)

– Biostatistics Laboratories• 2-semester Class Project (78 students), 1 student assistant, 1

paper so far

Involving Students in Instructional Research

• Help students understand the research/creative process (perhaps different in different disciplines)

• Start with a (SMALL) research question related to the Instructional Research that you are doing

• Conduct a literature review• Carefully formulate hypothesis• Decide how to assess hypothesis• Collect data & analyze data• Report the conclusions• Decide what should be done next

Additional Components

• Using Existing Evaluation Instruments

• Involving Students in Instructional Research

• Disseminating Your Results

Disseminating Your Results

• Three Dissemination Components

– Materials Developed

– Research on Effectiveness of Materials Developed

– Student Research (if included in your project)

Disseminating Your Results• Disseminate Materials Developed

– Traditional: • Textbooks, Workbooks, Software, Prints, CDs, …

– Maybe less traditional: For smaller items (individual modules)

• Peer-reviewed Journals (education and discipline/education) – See next slide

• Peer-reviewed Digital Libraries – MERLOT (www.merlot.ort)

– NSDL (www.nsdl.org)

– Eisenhower National Clearinghouse(http://www.goenc.com/)

Disseminating Your Results

• Research on Effectiveness of Materials Developed– Presentation at national conferences– Peer-reviewed Journals

• Some Options: – See handout list– For more details see website:

http://www.mtsu.edu/~rowell/publish_teaching/index.htm

• Student Research Journals– On Campus: Scientia (www.mtsu.edu/~scientia)