Research Methods for the Learning Sciences

1. Research Methods for the Learning Sciences C term, 2010 January 15, 2010

2. Today’s Class • Administrative Stuff • Philosophical Underpinnings I • Probing Question for Wed, Jan. 20 • Survey

3. Administrative Stuff • Did everyone sign up for an ISP (unless you are auditing)? • If not, and you want to receive credit, please talk to me after class

4. Syllabus • Everyone has downloaded this off the web, right?

5. Required Texts • None

6. Recommended Texts Available Used on Amazon for <$40 total • Rosenthal, R., Rosnow, R.L. (1991) Essentials of Behavioral Research: Methods and Data Analysis: 2nd edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. • Simon, H.A. (1999)Sciences of the Artificial: 3rd edition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. • Ferguson, G.A.(1971)Statistical Analysis in Psychology and Education. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

7. Recommended Readings[available online, check your email] • Hamming, R. (1986) You and Your Research. Presentation at Bell Labs. • Agre, P. (2001) Networking on the Network. Manuscript online. • Bem, D.J. (2002) Writing the Empirical Journal Article. The Compleat Academic: A Career Guide. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

8. Required Readings • Listed in the course schedule on the web • Wed, Jan. 20 readings now online

9. Required Readings • Are not actually all that required

10. Required Readings • This is a Research Methods class • I have intentionally assigned more reading than you can realistically do 100.0% of • I expect you to be strategic and apply meta-cognition • To decide what is absolutely crucial • And what you should skim to be prepared for class discussion and for when you need the method in 3 years

11. Course Goals • Learn data collection, design, and analysis methodologies that are particularly useful for scientific research in education • Learn how to apply these methods to your own research program • Be able to accurately select a valid method for answering a specific research question, and to defend that choice effectively but collegially • Draw conclusions at the appropriate level of generality from the results obtained from a method • Be able to identify the contributions and significance of research from other research paradigms

12. Assignments • 5 Assignments • You will apply methods we’ve learned in class to real data and/or research questions • If you want, you can use your own data and research questions! • Or you can use mine • Each assignment counts for 15% of grade • Late policy and turn-in policy is in your syllabus

13. Assignments • QUANTITATIVE FIELD OBSERVATION/TEXT REPLAYS • INTERVIEW/CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY • THINK ALOUD • COGNITIVE MODELING • TRANSFER/PREPARATION FOR FUTURE LEARNING

14. Probing Questions • Will be given out at the end of every class (or almost every class) • Write a 1-3 paragraph response (or follow the directions) • 15% of grade total • Late policy and turn-in policy is in your syllabus

15. Class Participation • 10% of final grade

16. Examinations • There will be an incredibly painful and grueling examination on April 1 • Fortunately, it will count for 0% of your grade

17. Plagiarism and Cheating • Don’t do it • If you have any questions about what it is, talk to me before you turn in an assignment that involves either of these • University regulations will be followed to the letter

18. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities • See syllabus and then see me

19. Surveys • Periodically, I will put up a survey on the web so that you can anonymously give me feedback on the previous class or assignment • Please fill these out, as it will help me improve this course for you!

20. Questions • Any questions on the syllabus, schedule, or administrative topics, before we launch into the fun?

21. Today’s Class • Administrative Stuff • Philosophical Underpinnings I • Probing Question for Wed, Jan. 20 • Survey

22. Anderson et al versus Greeno

23. Anderson et al versus Greeno

24. John Anderson • Leader of development of ACT-R Theory • Pre-eminent attempt to develop a unified theory of cognition

25. My grandadvisor

26. Lynne Reder • Extremely influential researcher in memory and cognition

27. Herbert Simon • Nobel Laureate in Economics • One of the “fathers” of both Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence • Important Philosopher of Design and Applied Science

28. Jim Greeno • Key theoretician of situationalist perspective • Former editor of Cognitive Science

29. Fairly unpleasant rhetorical practices on both sides • Use of straw-man arguments, name-calling, comparison to unpopular researchers • We’ll come back to this at the end of the semester • But for now…

30. What are the scientific differences between Greeno and Anderson et al?

31. What are the scientific differences between Greeno and Anderson et al? • Understanding learning in context as part of a system, versus understanding learning as something that an individual does • Arguing for learning in context versus abstract transferrable learning • Arguing for the decomposability of learning phenomena versus arguing for a holistic/systems perspective

32. Questions (according to Greeno)

33. Which group of authors is more comprehensible? • Anderson et al • Greeno • Both are comprehensible • Neither are comprehensible

34. What are the differences in writing style between the two groups of authors?

35. What are the differences in writing style between the two groups of authors? • Decomposed linear argument versus dialectic

36. A key difference between Greeno and Anderson et al • Should learning be understood • in context as part of a system • can not be decomposed or studied in parts • or as something that an individual does • decomposable, meaningfully can be studied in parts

37. This is not just a debate between Greeno and Anderson et al • And it is not just a debate from 13 years ago • It is a very ongoing and current debate, not just in education but elsewhere

38. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework • “Ways to design” • “The cross of pane” • Neo-Aristotelianism

39. Dick Buchanan • Founder of journal Design Issues • Inventor of term “wicked problem” • Key modern theoretician of design

40. Richard McKeon • Key 20th century philosopher • Referred to as the “Evil Professor” by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintanance

41. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST ENTITATIVE

42. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST ENTITATIVE

43. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST In education, called “the Cognitive Approach” by its friends ENTITATIVE

44. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST You can understand things “in themselves” ENTITATIVE

45. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST You can understand things separately from their contexts ENTITATIVE

46. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST Individuals learn skills and concepts ENTITATIVE

47. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST Key method: REDUCTIONISM ENTITATIVE

48. What is reductionism?

49. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST We can understand complex phenomena by understanding their parts and how those parts interact ENTITATIVE

50. Buchanan and McKeon’s Framework HOLISTIC EXISTENTIALIST ESSENTIALIST Emergent phenomena can be understood by first understanding the motivating factors and processes ENTITATIVE