Authentic Use of Software & Technology in an Applied Statistics Course Damian W. Betebenner, Yun Xiang, & Xiaohui Yue Lynch School of Education Boston College April 11, 2006 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 1 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Perspectives “It takes intelligent people to take full advantage of intelligent machines” –Wooldridge, 1993 ● An emerging problem in technology assisted instruction is the inauthentic manner in which software/technology and instruction are combined. ● Difference between inauthentic use and authentic use of technology (cognitive tool) ● To begin a discussion about how technology can be authentically utilized, investigate subjects where technology already plays an essential role. 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 2 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Purpose – Goal of the study ● To authentically incorporate the use of technology in an applied statistics class. ● To dissect the manner in which technology/software has been effectively incorporated into a graduate level introductory statistics ● To discern insights into the effective incorporation of software use in the classroom where software is an essential component of the subject ● To help educators from any discipline interrogate their own (in)authentic use of technology. 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 3 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Frameworks for the Implementation of Technology ● Definition of “authentic”: Following Hennessy & Murphy (1999), an activity is authentic if it is: ● coherent and personally meaningful, and ● purposeful within a social framework – the ordinary practices of culture ● To make judgments about the purposeful use of technology requires knowledge about how technology is used in society at large. ● Technology use in society at large leads to an investigation of expert knowledge. ● This aligns well with a large number of learning theories. 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 4 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Background “Experts think with machines, they don’t let machines think for them.” ● Many of the implementations of technology in the statistics classroom are lacking due to an inauthentic use of the tools. ● Primary challenge: the seamless integration of computer software use with the development of theory in the class ● Limitations of the lecture/lab class format ● An attempt to overcome the limitation 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 5 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Background ● An authentic use of software requires an operating computer in the classroom that is projected in such as way so that all students can view the process as it takes place---teaching versus presenting. ● The limitation of PowerPoint: Distance between “the pointer” and “the voice”. ● Our solution to this dilemma: instead of projecting the software onto a basic reflective surface, the GUI is projected onto a touch sensitive white board (TSWB). ● Advantages of TSWB. 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 6 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Setting and Methodology ● Critical reflection of practice through participant observation ● The setting for the participant observations occurred at two different universities: ● In 5 classes where a TSWB was made available and ● in 6 classes without a TSWB ● Classes were no larger than 35 students ● How was TSWB used in class? 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 7 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Implementation 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 8 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Implementation 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 9 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Implementation 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 10 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Implementation 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 11 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Implementation 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 12 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Results ● A separate lab is no longer needed to demonstrate software use ● Richer and less contrived examples can be explored ● Students are exposed to an authentic discussion of theory and application ● A price for the teacher: mastery over 2 domains: ● subject matter and ● real-time use of the software ● Unexpected benefit for deaf students. 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 13 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

Future of the Study ● The future of authentic instruction that incorporates technology/ software lies with the interface between the technology/software and the subject matter which, in turn, is brought to life through the instructor’s fluency with that technology/software. ● In situations where technology/software has yet to find an essential niche within a discipline (or instructors are not fluent with its use) the result is usually inauthentic instruction relying upon highly contrived exercises. ● The key to authentic incorporation of technology in the classroom lies with the answer to the question: How do/would/should I, an expert, utilize technology in my own discipline specific research? 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 14 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

References ● Brown, J., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Education Researcher, 18 (1), 32–42. ● Hennessy, S., & Murphy, P. (1999). The potential for collaborative problem solving in design and technology. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 9 (1), 1–36. ● Newmann, F. M., & Wehlage, G. G. (1993). Five standards of authentic instruction. Educational Leadership, 50 (7). (Available online at http://pdonline.ascd.org/pdonline/ diffinstr/el199304_newmann.html) ● Otero, V., Peressini, D., Anderson Meymaris, K., & Ford, P. (2005, January/February). Integrating technology into teacher education: A critical framework for implementing reform. Journal of Teacher Education, 56 (1), 8–23. ● Rogoff, B. (1990). Apprenticeship in thinking: Cognitive development in social context. New York: Oxford University Press. Turnbull, W. (2002). The place of authenticity in technology in New Zealand curriculum. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 12, 23– ● Wooldridge, A. (1993). A comparative view of education: Effective school reforms. Current(351), 4–16. 10/30/26 Department of Educational Research, 15 Measurement, and Evaluation, Boston College

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Authentic Use of Software & Technology in an Applied Statistics Course — AERA Annual Meeting, April 2006.

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