Evidence based research in education Cathy Gunn University of Auckland
Dec 26, 2015
Evidence based research in education
Cathy GunnUniversity of Auckland
Theory
Implementation Evaluation
Design
Overview
Objective• Capture contextual complexity• Learn from collective experience• Enhance educational design
Aims• Move research beyond simple
observation & ‘one off’ case studies• Engineer situations to enhance and
understand learning• Combine rigor of experiment with
sensitivity of case study research
A rose by any other name!
• Evidence based research
• Design based research
Qualitative Case studies
Experimental studies
Evidence based research
Why
• ‘Tradition’ & ‘superstition’ relied on for too long
• Integrate research & practice
• Instructional science needs to progress and be transformed
How• Integrate professional wisdom
with empirical evidence to inform instructional development decisions
How
• Teaching methods are backed by quality data AND educational theory
How
• Results reflect or advance theory AND demonstrate impact in context
How• The functional relationship
between intervention & behavioral response is established & clearly defined
So what’s different?• A key aim is to identify, explore,
confirm & advance theoretical concepts
So what’s different?• Move beyond impact observation
to a fully ‘engineered’ approach • The researcher is a key player
So what’s different?• Instructional ‘engineering’ &
research are instrumental to learning outcomes
So what’s different?• Relevance of theory is proved by
ability to work in real world contexts
A practical example• Learning theory underpins activities• Explicit strategies for students• Pilot new learning activities• Evaluate, reflect and refine before full
implementation• Conclusion - it works fine but doing it
takes energy, time and commitment
Integrated approach
• Pre and post lecture self-assessment tests for mastery
• Animations for learning through visualization
• Online resources for review, reflection & integration of information
• Tutorials to address ‘sticky’ issues
Engineering• Empower students with explicit
expectations • Set achievable milestones & help
them stay on task• Be available & in regular contact• Explain & integrate different
learning strategies
Benefits to students• Increased confidence &
motivation through:– sustained communication– 24/7 access to resources and
activities– control over learning process via
feedback– coaching to make informed choices
What next?• Further developments for other
levels• Longitudinal tracking of:
– improvement in academic performance
– retention of students– recruitment of mature students &
facilitation of life long learning
Benefits of evidence based research
• Empower, engineer & evaluate• Improve, enhance & integrate• Understand & respond to
dynamics of situations• Build innovation on what is
already known to work
Benefits (2)• Meet accepted professional
standards for research• Produce compelling evidence of
effectiveness• Respect contextual difference and
complexity• Build top quality learning
environments for students