My Final Post

I am continuing my work on the literature review. I reorganized my categories and now I can see that I do have some thorough coverage in some sections. I have never worked so intensely on an assignment before. It is hard but good work. I am wrapping up my lit review and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes! I’ve had to go back and pull more articles for my literature review. Almost done, and will be glad when I can submit.

Nearing the End

Bloom's Remembering: What did I do? I met with Dr. Weaver about my lit review Bloom's Understanding: What was important about what I did? Did I meet my goals We did some reshuffling of my outline and I can see a better theme emerging; moving from a broader topic down to a more narrow topic of BYOD. I understand how the topics connect and will be able to move forward now. Bloom's Application: When did I do this before? Where could I use this again? When I worked on this review before, I had hard time elaborating therefore, my topic was falling short of the require 20-30 page length. I am going back and synthesizing on the areas that are not as developed. I am going back to my articles and pulling more information and also getting more articles. Bloom's Evaluation: How well did I do? What worked? What do I need to improve? This is working well. I am making good progress. Bloom's Creation: What should I do next? What's my plan / design? I will continue to work on my lit review.

Third times a charm maybe

Bloom's Remembering: I did peer reviews for our literature reviews. Student Reflection: I reviewed my fellow Tasmanian Devils’s second draft of their literature review. I was able to get it done before Thanksgiving to allow them time to work on it before our meeting. Bloom's Understanding: Reviewing my fellow devils papers allowed me to see errors that I had made on my own. That was a very important process. I hope that my fellow devils will consider what I have said about their review as I will theirs. Student Reflection: I went through each section and tried to leave honest and critical feedback. This assignment gives me a glimpse of how my feedback will be coming from my committee. Bloom's Application: We gave peer review in one of my classes last semester. It wasn’t as helpful as it is now, because most of us had no idea about APA formatting or synthesizing information. Student Reflection Peer reviews are helpful because there is an unbiased critical eye helping me to make my writing more succinct and properly formatted. Bloom's Analysis: Do I see any patterns or relationships in what I did? Student Reflection: Were the strategies, skills and procedures I used effective for this assignment? Do I see any patterns in how I approached my work - such as following an outline, keeping to deadlines? What were the results of the approach I used - was it efficient, or could I have eliminated or reorganized steps? Bloom's Evaluation: I didn’t do very well on my second draft. But I hope I did a good job reviewing my fellow Tasmanians. Student Reflection: Did I do an effective job of communicating my learning to others? No What have I learned about my strengths and my areas in need of improvement? I couldn’t find any strengths. How am I progressing as a learner? I need to get a better grip on APA formatting. Work on synthesizing my writing. Bloom's Creation: What should I do next? What's my plan / design?- Work hard to beef up this third draft.

Synthesis

I worked on my second draft of my Literature review. I must admit that I struggled with it a bit. One important concept I struggled with was synthesizing. At times it was hard for me to identify times in which I was merely reporting about what I had read. Finally after talking with Dr. Weaver, I got a better understanding. So off I go to try to move forward with synthesizing. It was slow going at first. But I think I am getting the hang of it. When I was writing my first draft, I had pulled particular studies that I wanted to site, and had put others to the side. But now I am going back to get as many articles to support my arguments as possible. So my piles are starting to have a different look. My dinner table is completely covered. I just read that my Literature review needs to be at least 20 pages. I am going to have to spend this next week churning out more pages. I don’t want to sound repetitive, so I will either have to add more sections, or be sure that I have covered each section thoroughly. So now I am ready to start working on draft three with the hopes of continuing with synthesizing and adding more content.

First Draft Behind Me

This week I worked on my first draft of the Literature Review. I have words on the paper which was tougher than I had imagined it would be. I tried to take the advice of Dr. Lowenthal and just write. It was a slow start, but I got words on to the paper. For me getting started was important. I kept looking for articles, but finally I started to realize that perhaps this is what is meant by gaps in the literature. I had a hard time finding some topics because the concept of bringing your own device is rather new. Having an outline helps because it helps give my literature review the flow from each topic that it needs. Dr. Tamim spoke of this, and I think having a solid outline helps when I get stuck. Now for next week, I plan on adding more content and making it cohesive. Taking this lit review in tiny chunks helps keep me organized. In the past when I have done reviews of literature, my writing had no order neither did my research. It was reflected in the quality of output. It was difficult for me, but now while I do struggle, I have some tools that help me. I have noticed a pattern in the advice that we are receiving. We must read and organize our thoughts in an outline. Put the things that we have read into categories. I have tried hard to follow the advice that is being given to me. So, with the draft behind me, I plan to move forward on reading the few articles that I have found that will help build on my topic. I plan on adding more content to my review and working on my conclusion section. I am painting a picture, and I am beginning to see it take form. How exciting!

Making Progress

 I had quite an eventful week!  Even though I did not spend the week gathering and reading each day as planned, I still did some important work.  I met with many professionals  in the field of instructional design. 

This week, I worked on my last third of my annotated bibliography.  Even though I am getting better at Identifying empirical research, I felt that I needed to go deeper and wider.  My goal this week was to learn more about my topic which is SMAR Model and BYOD.  I went to the AECT conference this week and the first session that I attended discussed technology integration and the TPACK model.  Specifically it was about one-to-on iPad integration.  I didn’t know much about TPACK, but I had come across the concept several times in other research.  So I spent some time reading about it.  I also spent more time attending TPACK workshops. 

I had the opportunity to spend time talking to Ward Cates.  He gave me advice about how to spend time researching and narrowing my topic and learn more about what’s interesting to me.  I find a recurring theme of reading the literature.  He suggested that I find 8 journals and read each issue thoroughly going back two years. As daunting as the task sounds, I understand why it’s so important to read the literature.  If I am going to be and “expert”, as Dr. Mims says, then I have to know what the research says.  So I have heard it from the experts and when I have time, I plan on doing more reading outside the demands of course work.  I want to know what’s going on in my field.

Completing this literature review has been a very different experience than ones done in the past.  It has less to do with the volume, but more to do with the knowledge that I have acquire in the process.  I have spoken with the librarian who has given me invaluable searching tips, and I have spoken with many professors who have given me helpful advice along the way.  I am taking note. 

Finally, I am moving forward with my outline.  I am keeping in mind that is a process and in the end I will have a chapter of dissertation.  I am off to a great start. 

Moving at a steady pace

This week I spent time searching for articles for my bibliography.  This search was easier and yet more challenging than the week before.  I have become a better searcher able to refine my technique.  But it seems that I may need to broaden my search criteria because the results are becoming repetitive.  I have to ask, how much research can I include in my review without become redundant? 

Looking at the video advice from professors from other universities is helpful.  I never really thought about how I could fall into to the patterns of writing that reads like a laundry list.  I will be cognizant of that moving forward.  

Getting Better with Time

I was able to meet with Dr. Dennis earlier in the week so that I didn't get too far into my journal search without her help.  Identifying 20 articles was a challenge at first, but it became more manageable after my meeting, and I was able to get the twenty done in the time frame allotted.  I think learning how to properly execute a search of literature was an important goal this week.  I think that I got better as the week went on.  I was able to refine my search and search through other cited articles.  Going to meet the librarina helped me with the annotations assignment because I didn't realize that I was not using the database to the fullest. 

In the past when I completed searches for articles, I only used education full text.  While that is a good start, it is by far not the only option.  I can find articles in databases just based on topics.  I didn't think that I would have any use for articles in psych info, but I learned that there are a lot of theory based articles located in that database which will help me as well.    This assignment would have been beneficial to me in my other classes last semester.  I wish that it could have been offered last year when I just beginning the program and had to do literature reviews.  I would have selected better articles and used more databases for searches.  Even though I feel more confident in my searches, I still need more practice with refinement.  I will use the feedback that I receive from this week to make the required improvements.  

A Fresh Start

I really feel that I am off to a great start this week because I have narrowed my research topic down to something that is interesting to me as well as researchable.  So I have more of a purpose and that will help me move forward with less stress than when I started reading the first assignment.  I think this was an important first start and I am proud.

This week I got to read and get a better understanding of what a literature review is.  This would have been very helpful in my last term when I did a literature review.  Creating a concept map helped me to organize my thinking.  Click here to see my concept map. This will be helpful as I start organizing my thoughts for my literature review.  While reading about the different types of literature review, I was able to see that I will do a more comprehensive review that is a part of a larger body of work.   I will be writing about Bring your own device (BYOD) in school. There is a growing body of knowledge that can be found, and I hope to also be a contributor.   

At the beginning of this week, my main goal was to narrow my topic, and I did that so I  elated to have met that goal.  Next week, I will meet with the librarian.  I hope to have some articles already selected so that I can see how I am improve my researching techniques.  

My Concept Map

Starting the dissertation

 

I found this article on the internet and thought that it would be helpful in my dissertation.  It basically is a compact version of the books that I have been reading.  This article offers tips on picking a topic, conducting a lit review, and narrowing the focus.  It was written by Mellissa Dittman.. It was good.

 

You've watched other classmates sweating over their dissertation topics, poring over the literature, agonizing over their research design, writing and editing. Now, it's your turn.
But, when and how do you begin?
Ideally, dissertation advisers say, students identify a research interest in the first or second year of their program and then use that general area as a theme throughout their coursework. But students don't need to view that general area as a trajectory of their career. Instead, experts encourage students to view the dissertation as a teaching exercise, in which they learn how to conduct, design and analyze independent research.
So first off, you need a topic.
"The topic is the foundation for everything-with a good topic and research question, you'll be set to go," says Melinda Stoops, PhD, a director of the counseling center at Framingham State College in Framingham, Mass., who has spoken at APA conferences on writing the dissertation.
Experts offer the following advice on tackling these beginning stages of your dissertation-from getting organized to narrowing your topic to identifying your problem and research questions.
Then, take it one chapter at a time, dissertation advisers say.

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 PICKING A TOPIC

When deciding your topic, keep in mind that you will undoubtedly spend the next few years immersed in it, says psychologist John Cone, PhD, a professor emeritus at Alliant International University (AIU) and co-author with Sharon Foster, PhD, of "Dissertations and Theses from Start to Finish" (APA, 1993). Cone advises the following steps to pick a topic:

• Ask a favorite professor, preferably one active in research, about possible topics.
• Read departmental information on the research interests of the faculty to find a topic a faculty member is interested in as well. Consider asking the faculty member to be a part of your dissertation committee, which will help guide you in your research.
  
• Read an empirical paper that interests you and see what future research is suggested in the discussion section.
  
• Think about term papers you enjoyed writing and choose a topic that reflects those interests.
  
• Sift through literature reviews in your areas of interest-such as in the Annual Review of Psychology, Psychological Bulletin and Clinical Psychology Review.
  
• Avoid topics in which you are overly emotionally involved-such as research on depression if you or a family member is depressed. Such emotional elements can interfere with your research, Cone says.
  

To narrow your focus, identify what within your chosen topic area interests you, says Foster, a psychology professor at AIU. Bounce ideas off a mentor and consult the literature to determine what has been done before, she advises. Also, consider choosing a topic that you've already been exposed to, such as through your master's thesis or a research project.
That's exactly what sixth-year doctoral student Jody Ernst did. Ernst-who is in the University of Texas at Austin's individual differences and evolutionary psychology program-has spent her entire graduate career researching behavioral genetics.
"Selecting the topic sort of fell into place naturally as a product of the research I have been doing for the past five years," Ernst says. In particular, her dissertation investigates the genetic factors that influence problem behavior development over the life span.
"It is helpful to choose a topic that builds upon past work you have done," Ernst says. "I think this makes the process of identifying the big questions much easier because you are already familiar with the relevant literature."
But, make sure you have passion for the topic. Nate Tomcik-a fifth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at the University of Tennessee-has an interest in his research on therapists' views of couples therapy because it allowed him to integrate research with his clinical work with couples.
"My advice would be to not choose a topic that is an unappealing offshoot of your adviser's work or a project that you have lukewarm feelings about in general," Tomcik suggests. "It's important to remember that the dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint, and lukewarm feelings can turn cold quickly.
"If I didn't love my dissertation idea as much as I do, I know it would have been much harder to stay on track and focused," he adds.

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 CONDUCTING THE LIT REVIEW

Once you've identified a topic, the next step is to write a review of the literature in the area. The lit review section will include a brief introduction to your topic, introduce key concepts and review the existing literature.
But be prepared: The lit review often is the most difficult part of the dissertation, Foster maintains.
"Sometimes you are going to feel lost and like you don't know where you're going," Foster says. "The reason for that is because you are trying to do several things concurrently-you're trying to learn about this whole field and get a conceptual framework of how to map out this area of research."
But, it's nothing your classes haven't prepared you to take on, Foster says.
Cone and Foster also suggest that students:

• Determine how experts in the field have organized their thinking by reading chapters or integrative articles they've written.
  
• Find meta-analyses, journal articles or books on the topic and scan their reference sections for other references.
  
• Identify key journals that cover the topic and scan their table of contents from the past five years for material.
  
• Search electronic bibliographies-such as PsycINFO (which contains nearly 2 million citations of journal articles, books and dissertations in psychology) or the Education Resources Information Center, or ERIC, which offers a database of journal and other education literature.
  
• Identify major authors in the area and search for them by name in databases, such as PsycLIT, to determine if they've written on other related items.
  
• Determine if related research might be published under different keywords.
  

For example, Foster says in her research on girls' aggression, "aggression" as a keyword didn't cover it. Without trying other keywords, she would have missed key information on "delinquency" and "conduct disorders," which use similar criteria to define the population.
Jennifer Reese-a fourth-year doctoral student in the PsyD program at the University of Denver-used what she calls the "scavenger hunt" approach for her lit review; she scanned reference sections of relevant books and journal articles and then found those referenced sources as well. She is validating the use of Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise, a behavior training method that uses discrimination against a person's eye color to teach Caucasians about prejudice and oppression. Reese even spoke with Elliott-a retired schoolteacher who created the experiment in the 1960s-to get background on what similar studies had been done.
So how do you know when you've gathered enough for your lit review? "I know when I go to the reference sections, and I'm not finding any new things-when I keep turning up the same things over and over again," Foster says.

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 IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AND QUESTIONS

Once you feel confident that you've covered the literature, identify the rationale for your study, why it's important and what hasn't been studied about it before, Foster says.
To do that, Cone suggests writing a paragraph or two summarizing the literature review. Then, determine what unresolved issues are identified in the most recently cited studies-and most relevant to your study. Select one of these issues and formulate one or two research questions and associated hypotheses.
When formulating the research question, consider whether you'll be able to recruit enough participants, Stoops says. Ask your dissertation committee-which usually comprises three or four faculty members you choose when you first begin your dissertation-for feedback on whether they believe you'll be able to recruit enough participants or obtain animals, if needed, dissertation advisers suggest.
After her extensive lit review, Ernst was able to pinpoint her research questions for her dissertation on problem behavior development, including: Are there predictable developmental trajectories for problem behaviors? What factors influence the development of problem behaviors for vulnerable individuals across the life span? She identified these questions by finding the gaps within the problem behavior development literature.
Both the statement of the problem and research questions will be lumped in the introduction of your dissertation, which provides an overview of your study. But, while the introduction is sometimes the first chapter in your dissertation, don't feel compelled to have it be the first thing you do, says Framingham State College's Stoops. She didn't write her introduction until after doing her lit review and methodology.
However, Ernst wrote her statement first and then continually added relevant citations as she came upon them.
"Writing the intro first helped me to organize my thoughts about gaps in current research and helped me to identify what new and relevant information I would be adding to this line of research," she says.

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 STAYING ON TRACK

Whatever methods you choose, even these beginning stages to your dissertation may seem overwhelming. So treat your dissertation as a job, Cone advises. He suggests committing 10 to 20 hours per week for 12 to 18 months to avoid becoming a casualty to the All But Dissertation (ABD) label. Set specific work hours and choose a specific place to work, he advises.
And tap the guidance of others-such as professors, peers or other mentors-who can help you through the process, Foster adds. (For tips to finding a mentor, see Building mentorships for success.)
"People who are a little ahead of you in the process can be very helpful," Foster says. "They will tell you what they've gone through and normalize your experience and give you leads."
One way to get a peer network for your dissertation: Join the APAGS dissertation listserv.
Another is taking a class on the dissertation process. That certainly helped Chris Bernuth, a sixth-year counseling psychology doctoral student at University of Missouri-Columbia, to stay on track. The professor's due dates and the class's extra support prevented procrastination, he says.
"Very smart people can become ABD because they procrastinate or think they can write the dissertation in a couple of all-night sessions, and you cannot do that with a dissertation," Foster says.
When Stoops was working on her dissertation, she combated tendencies to procrastinate by setting deadlines with her dissertation chair. One way to set those deadlines, Cone says, is to list each step in chronological order and then use it to create a milestone chart.
And most importantly, Cone says students can be confident about their ability to complete the dissertation.
"After all," he says, "you have made it this far."

Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-Based Teaching and Learning.

Discusses engagement theory (students meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks) and the three components, collaboration, project orientation, and authentic focus, and outlines research questions to establish its efficacy.

This was a great article.  I have been taking the advice of the books that I have read as they say that it is important to do a lot of reading of research to narrow down a focus.  I always find myself  gravitating towards the articles that have to do with Technolgy Integration.  For me I really want to help educators use technlogy in a way that is meaningful to the learners, and in a way that will help make thier classrooms run more efficiently. 

How to Select a Dissertation Committee - Questions to Ponder for Doctoral Students

I was thinking that it's about time that I begin speaking with professors about working on my committee.  So read pointers in the Lunenburg book, and found some helpful information on the web also:

 

Choosing a dissertation committee is one of the most important decisions of a doctoral student's doctoral career. Although it may seem like an easy and straight forward task, there are often complications and issues that may arise as a result of dissertation committee choices.

 Early in doctoral studies, try to become involved in research. Finding out about faculty members' interests and research pursuits is a way to ensure that you line yourself up with a committee that not only understands your research interests, but is interested in putting the time into seeing you through your dissertation. Read department bulletins, publications and announcements to find out more about faculty activities. However, while collaborating with faculty is an excellent thing to do and can result in good opportunities for you, do not let this deter you from exploring other options. If you stay focused on one faculty member you could be doing yourself a disservice in the long run.

Be straight forward and honest with potential dissertation committee members-be prepared with a line of research you are interested in exploring so that you can let them know your interests and ask them if this would be of interest to them. Inquire as to potential sabbaticals or other plans they may have which could interfere with your dissertation. Remember, the most important thing about selecting a dissertation committee is that you come first. If you do not watch out for yourself and ensure you are able to complete your dissertation, you cannot expect faculty to do this for you even though they may appear to be looking out for your best interests. They are also looking out for themselves and their careers.

Inquire as to which faculty members are tenured and which are getting ready to go up for tenure. Faculty are typically extremely busy, especially those who are not yet tenured. They are in the process of trying to complete their own research, write articles for publication and make themselves as indispensable to the department as they can. While these faculty members may be more willing to become a dissertation committee member, they may also be busier and less able to put in the time when it comes down to the wire for you completing your dissertation.

While most schools may allow you to have a committee member outside of the department, and in some cases this may be helpful, you also want to be sure that this person is going to be accessible and has the necessary background for you to be able to complete scholarly work. While this person may be eager to assist you and become a member of your dissertation committee, if they are extremely busy or you do not have easy access to them, you may find you spend more time trying to track them down or waiting for them to return work to you. They are also not accountable to the department chair or dean at your school.

 During courses, if you enjoy the professor's style, their feedback on your work and their willingness to work with students, inquire as to whether they are looking for a Teaching or Graduate Assistant, or help with a research project. This is a great way to get to know them better and may turn into a possible research or dissertation opportunity for you.

 Sit in on courses of professors who you may be interested in working with on your dissertation. Observe their teaching style, and most importantly, their interactions with other students. This can tell you a lot about how they may interact with you during the intimate working process of a dissertation. Read their research in published journals, and if possible read their own dissertations. This will give you an idea of their working style, writing style, attention to detail and research methods preferred. You also want to inquire about professor's willingness and ability to do qualitative versus quantitative research. If for example you are planning on doing a qualitative research study for your dissertation, you do not want a dissertation committee member who has never done qualitative research and does not value this type of research.

Get to know the politics of the department. One of the biggest challenges in choosing a dissertation committee is the member's ability to "play well in the sandbox" together. You do not need or want the stress of dealing with faculty conflict during your dissertation. You want your dissertation members to not only respect one another, but to also respect the other members' ability to do research, to teach and to critique work.

The most important person on your dissertation committee is your dissertation chair. This is the person who can make the difference on whether your ride is a smooth or rocky one. They are the person who will be the first to read and critique your work, who will distribute your work when ready to the other committee members and who you will turn to for support and encouragement if you should find your motivation is low. You should be able to trust this person, respect and value their feedback and want to spend some time with them as the dissertation process is not only time consuming, but it can be energy draining. Most importantly, be sure of this person's agenda. Do they really want you to succeed and finish in a timely manner? Are they more interested in their own work or research? This can be especially tricky if your dissertation is using this person's data, or is a spin off on a project they initiated. What is this person's management style? Are they going to micromanage you or are they pretty much hands off and are willing to let you pursue your interests? You may want or need a person who is going to be constantly looking over your shoulder. Only you can truly answer this question. Your work styles should match and your chair should be able to give you the direction and help you need when you need it. Another indication of who to select for your chair especially is their ability and quickness to respond to emails, phone calls and the like. If weeks go by and emails and phone calls are not responded to, this is not the person you want as chair or perhaps even on your committee. This is a reflection of how difficult it will be to get them to read and respond to your work.

 Your dissertation chair may also be able to help you select the rest of your committee. This can be both good and bad. While it may make the selection process easier, if something goes wrong with your chair (such as them leaving the department), the rest of the committee may no longer be as on board with your research, or your chair may be unwilling to work with other faculty who you would like to. Do not allow your chair to dictate who you select or to limit you as to whom you select. While this is the person you want to please the most, you also do not want to be subject to their own personal nuances. In my experience, my chair who ended up not getting tenure and leaving the department, "suggested" who I should select on the committee and let me know who she felt was not appropriate. The result was she became inaccessible once she left the department, and I had committee members I did not necessarily want to work with.

 You want your committee to have strengths in different areas. While it may be easier to have a committee who always work together, they may also not be willing to confront or critique one another's work. You should have one member who is very good at statistics, while another is excellent in editing. While dissertation members do not have to be familiar with every aspect of your research, and depending on the program, you may not have a faculty person who is, they should at least be interested and able to understand materials you present them with, as well as possess the ability to critique the literature and your research methods. You also want your committee to have a balance of being able to be both supportive and critical. While perhaps it would make your life easier, you do not want all the dissertation members to push everything you send them through with few comments, editing or criticisms. This could result in a disaster when you go to defend your dissertation and are unable to answer audience questions or when publishing your work and unable to answer editorial questions.

Finally, the most important person next to the dissertation chair on the dissertation committee is you. You have to spend some time doing self-exploration. What do you think are the most important qualities to have in the dissertation committee members? What do you want the process to be like for you? How much involvement and management do you feel you need and want? How much space, support, guidance, encouragement, freedom or security do you honestly need (and want) from your committee members. What is your timeline? What do you want to do after your dissertation? (this can help guide you as to who to select on your committee for interests). Do you need someone who is going to be able to be there for you to talk to when you have difficulties? How rigorous do you want your dissertation to be? Do you want it to be a scholarly work that contributes something to the field or are you doing this to just do it and get through your program? How much of a self-starter are you and do you need someone on your committee to be able to push you and provide you with deadlines and time management?

 Choosing a dissertation committee is not a process to be taken lightly as it can mean the difference between you graduating when you want to, or much later than expected. It can mean the difference between having numerous headaches as a result of other people's personality, demands and expectations, or having a pleasant and academically rigorous and rewarding dissertation process.

How Do I Find My "Slither" of Research

 

 

Here is a little information about the program that I facilitate at STCC. It was developed by Pearson, and I am still learning about the various components. I work in the Reading lab, and I see that the students who are motivated to finish, do just that. Other students only work on the program when they are in class, and that was not the intention of the program. Most of the work is to done outside the classroom, and tests are the only things that need to be done in class as they are proctored. I am still thinking about the problem or question that I could have, and I think student motivation could be something that I delve deeper into… hummm:

More about MY LABS PLUS:

MyLabsPlus is a dynamic online teaching and learning environment designed to support online instruction programs with rich, engaging customized content. Convenient administrator tools and dedicated administrator support allow departments to grow their programs with confidence.

Jackson State Community College's Mathematics Department Wins Prestigious Bellwether Award Pearson's MyMathLabPlus helps colleges and universities improve student performance, control costs

Using Pearson's MyMathLabPlus, an innovative online homework and tutorial system, Jackson State Community College has achieved a 13 percent improvement in student learning, a 45 percent increase in its student pass rate and a 12 percent increase in retention--all while realizing a cost-per-student savings of more than 20 percent.

MyMathLab, MyMathLabPlus Help Colleges and Universities Control Costs, Increase Student Gains Pearson, University of Alabama Honored for Groundbreaking Use of Technology to Increase Student Achievement

Pearson and the University of Alabama have received top honors from a consortium of the world's leaders in education and learning technology, in recognition of their innovative use of technology to improve math achievement.

Pearson offers colleges and universities even more benefits with MyLabsPlus--an enhanced version of the MyLabs and Mastering programs, featuring more robust administrative and reporting tools and enhanced customer support.

Pearson Announces Plans for Integration of Learning Technologies with Oracle.

Integration expected to enrich students' online learning experience, save institutions time and money

Pearson announced plans to integrate Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise Student Administration Integration Pack (SAIP) with a variety of Pearson products, including the Pearson LearningStudio advanced online learning environment and Pearson's MyLabs and Mastering personalized learning solutions. The announcement was made at the 2009 EDUCAUSE annual meeting in Denver, one of the largest gatherings of education technology professionals in the world.

My Labs Plus

I have been giving some thought to what I would do my dissertation on, and I keep coming back to the My Labs plus program that Southwest TN Community College uses for their remedial programs.  They are all online, however the students have to do testing on campus as it has to be proctored.  I am interested in studying it more, but what would be my problem or question?  I know I have time, but it has a way of sneaking up on me….

 

 

The History and Future of AR

The term "augmented reality" has been around since 1990 but that doesn’t mean that it was never there before. The moment that man-made gadgets that could relate to their environment and supply their users with information based on that, AR was there. It’s just that nobody thought to call it that.

 So, for those who want to know how it all went down, here is the history of augmented reality from birth to where we are today.

 Beginnings

From 1957, a gentlemen known by the name of Morton Helig began building a machine called the Sensoria. It was designed as a cinematic experience to take in all your senses and, shaped, rather like arcade machine from the 80s, it blew wind at you, vibrated the seat you sat on, played sounds to your eyes and projected a form of a stereoscopic 3D environment to the front and sides of your head. It was supposed to be impressive with its demo film of a cycle ride through the streets of Brooklyn but it never sold commercially and was very expensive to make films for largely because it involved the camera man having three cameras strapped to him at all times, and while it was really more an adventure in full virtual reality, there are clearly elements of AR involved with both the devices in place between the user and the environment and that fact that the environment itself was, itself, the real world viewed in a real time situation - even if recorded.

In 1966 Professor Ivan Sutherland of Electrical Engineering at Harvard University invented the first model of one of the most important devices used in both AR and VR today - the head-mounted display or HMD. It was a monumental piece of kit that was too heavy for the human head to actually bear and so hung suspended from the ceiling of the lab instead which was how it got its nickname as The Sword of Damocles. Being early in the scale of computer technology, its graphical prowess was fairly limited and provided just simple wireframe models of generated environments. Nonetheless, it was the first step in making AR a usable possibility.

 

AR is born

While it might have been around for a few years in one shape or other, the phrase Augmented Reality is supposed to have been coined by Professor Tom Caudell while working in Boeing’s Computer Services' Adaptive Neural Systems Research and Development project in Seattle. In a search to find an easier way to help the aviation company’s manufacturing and engineering process he began to apply virtual reality technology and eventually came up with some complex software that could overlay the positions of where certain cables in the building process were supposed to go. It means the mechanics didn't have to ask or tries to translate from what they found described in abstract diagrams in manuals.

 

At the same time, in 1992, two other teams were made big steps into this new world. LB Rosenberg creates what’s widely recognized as the first functioning AR system for the US Air Force known as VIRTUAL FIXTURES where fixtures were what he described as cues to help guide the user in their task and did so in very big letters.

 A second group, also fond of capping things up, made up of Steven Feiner, Blair MacIntyre and Doree Seligmann - all of whom now lead in the field of AR - submitted a paper on a prototpye system they called KARMA (Knowledge-based Augmented Reality for Maintenance Assistance). The team from Columbia Uinversity built an HMD with Logitech-made trackers attached to it and the object they were dealing with - a printer. The project was then to develop 3D graphics of a ghost image to show people how to load and service the machine without having to refer to instructions. The paper went down rather well and was widely cited within the science community.

 And just to prove it’s not all work, work, work, AR hit the arts world in 1994 as Julie Martin (presumably not of Neighbors fame) became the first person to bring the concept into public performance. She created a government-funded show in Australia, sounding rather like a ITV celeb show, called Dancing in Cyberspace where dancers and acrobats interacted with virtual objects projected into the same physical space as themselves. Sadly, we haven’t been able to track down any reviews.

 

The app revolution

 Until 1999, AR remained very much a toy of the scientist. Expensive, bulky equipment and complicated software all meant that the consumer never even knew of this growing field. As far as they were concerned, explorations into virtual worlds had died along with the Lawnmower Man. All that was to change though when Hirokazu Kato of the Nara Institute of Science and Technology released the AR Toolkit to the open source community. For the first time, it allowed video capture tracking of the real world to combine with the interaction of virtual objects and provided a 3D graphics that could be overlaid on any OS platform. Although the smartphone was yet to be invented, it was what allowed a simple, handheld device with a camera and an internet connection to bring AR to the masses. Almost all of the Flash-based AR you see through your web browser will have been possible because of the ARToolKit.

Educational Implications of AR in the Classroom and Training Environments

There are many different ways for people to be educated and trained with regard to specific information and skills they need. These methods include classroom lectures with textbooks, computers, handheld devices, and other electronic appliances. The choice of learning innovation is dependent on an individual’s access to various technologies and the infrastructure environment of a person’s surrounding. In a rapidly changing society where there is a great deal of available information and knowledge, adopting and applying information at the right time and right place is needed to main efficiency in both school and business settings. Augmented Reality (AR) is one technology that dramatically shifts the location and timing of education and training. My research describes Augmented Reality (AR), how it applies to education and training in the k-12 sector and the potential impact on the future of education.

I have narrowed down my focus, and I am finding it difficult to find empirical evidence that supports my thesis.  However, this is a fun process.  I am off to training Thursday to hear how AR can be integrated in to the classroom environment.  There are a lot of educational implications for AR and we are just scratching the surface. 

Narrowing My Focus

I read an article called, Alien Contact!: Exploring teacher implementation of an augmented reality curricular unit.  This paper reports on findings from a five-teacher, exploratory case study, critically observing their implementation of a technology-intensive, augmented reality (AR) mathematics curriculum unit, along with its paper-based control. The unit itself was intended to promote multiple proportional-reasoning strategies with urban, public, middle school students. The researcher used lesson transcripts, observation field notes, and teacher electronic journals, along with pre-/post-interviews and pre-observations to examine differences in implementation between the AR and Control versions of the unit. The author observed less mathematical substance and more adaptations to structure and quality during the AR implementations. In addition to uncovering some significant limitations with AR as it is currently utilized, this study also addresses gaps in the technology literature. Criticism of technology literature includes the fact that it does not consider the effects of teacher and curricular factors on technology-based curricular interventions. By closely examining the implementation of one augmented-reality based, mathematics curriculum, this research provides insights about how and why such curricula become transformed in the classroom.

I am narrowing my focus every day by reading research.  I know that I want to know more about how AR has been implemented in the K-12 classroom, particularly the younger students in lower middle and elementary schools.

Augmented Reality in the Beginning

Ahh... so I have decided on researching augmented reality. I plan on attending the Technology on Thursday.  I have spent the past days reading about augmented reality and its impact on education. 

Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with live video or the user's environment in real time. Basically, AR takes an existing picture and blends new information into it. One of the first commercial applications of AR technology is the yellow first down line in televised football games.

 The key to augmented reality is the software. Augmented reality programs are written in special 3D augmented reality programs such as D'Fusion,  Unifye Viewer or FLARToolKit.  These programs allow the developer to tie animation or contextual digital information in the computer program to an augmented reality "marker" in the real world.

 The end user must download a software application (app) or browser plug-in in order to experience augmented reality. Most AR applications are built in Flash or Shockwave and require a webcam program to deliver the information in the marker to the computer. The marker, which is sometimes called a target, might be a barcode or simple series of geometric shapes. When the computer's AR app or browser plug-in receives the digital information contained in the marker, it begins to execute the code for the augmented reality program.

 
AR applications for smartphones include global positioning system (GPS) to pinpoint the user's location and its compass to detect device orientation. Sophisticated AR programs used by the military for training may include machine vision, object recognition and gesture recognition technologies.

Some of the many actual or potential uses of augmented reality:

• The changing maps behind weather reporters.
• A navigational display embedded in the windshield of a car.
• Visual displays and audio guidance for complex tasks.
• Images of historical recreations integrated with the current environment.
• A display in a pilot's helmet that allows the pilot to, in effect, see through the aircraft.
• Mobile marketing involving product information displayed over that product or its location.
• Video games with digital elements blended into the user's environment.
• Virtually trying on clothes through a webcam while online shopping.
• Displaying information about a tourist attraction by pointing a phone at it.

Boeing researcher Thomas Caudell coined the term augmented reality in 1990, in reference to a head-mounted display Boeing used to guide workers as they put together electrical wiring harnesses for aircraft equipment.

Here are five potential uses of augmented reality in education today.

 Create 3D, augmented reality stories with ZooBurst. ZooBurst is an amazing service that allows you to create a short story complete with 3D augmented reality pop-ups. Students could use ZooBurst to create short summaries of books that really jump off the screen. ZooBurst offers an iPad app to complement the web-based version of the service.

 
The Getty Museum offers a neat way to view art through augmented reality. As employed by The Getty, augmented reality creates 3D displays of art from printed PDF codes displayed in front of a webcam. The example that The Getty provides in the video below is a 3D display of one of the cabinets of curiosities created by Albert Janszoon Vinckenbrinck. If you want to try it for yourself after watching the video, the directions are available here.

 
Fetch! Lunch Rush! is a neat use of augmented reality to create a mathematics lesson for young students. The free iPhone app (it also worked on my iPad 2) was developed by PBS Kids. The purpose of the app is to get kids moving about a room in search of numbers that are the correct answer to the questions posed to them on the app. Students read the arithmetic problem on the app then search out the correct answer. When they think they have found the correct answer they scan it with their iPhones or iPads to find out if they are correct or not.

 
Spacecraft 3D is a free iPad app produced by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Spacecraft 3D uses augmented reality technology to bring NASA spacecraft to life on your iPad. To get started using the app you first need to print out the spacecraft target codes. Then your students can scan those target codes with their iPads. The spacecraft then becomes a 3D model that your students can explore.

 Star & Planet Finder enables you to locate the planets and stars in the night sky through your  iPhone or iPad. To use the app, select from a list the planet or constellation you want to locate. Star & Planet Finder will then give you directions to move your iPhone or iPad until you can see through the camera display the planet that you're looking for. The free version of the app only identifies planets. For $.99 each you can add lists of constellations, lists of satellites, and lists of brightest stars to the app.

Finding a Topic is Not Easy!

So I have been milling around for weeks now trying to decide what to research.  And I have decided to research…. (drum roll please) … Augmented Reality.  Dr. Grant will do a presentation on that, and I will definitely be there. 

I haven’t narrowed my focus, but I am so excited to just have a topic.  I have been reading journals to help with that.  Will be posting them soon.