Now What? (Education and Technology in a Post COVID World)

I have loved classical music for as long as I can remember. If you, too, are a ‘classics’ fan then you’ll recognize the wordplay in this week’s title. According to study.com, a ‘theme and variation’ in music refers to a main theme woven throughout a piece, all the while allowing the composer to sprinkle variations on that theme throughout. Yet the piece continues to come back to that main idea time and time again.

This type of musical work instantly sprang to mind while reading this week’s articles. I guess this is my indirect way of saying that everything this week seemed to keep coming back to the clash that often occurs between researchers (with their methods for obtaining data) and the practical applications and useful information teachers need for their classrooms.

Indeed, teaching in both K12 and Higher Education environments is most decidedly not the neatly-organized laboratories of clear, concise data that most researchers would seem to appreciate (particularly those invested in quantitative studies…but I digress). Roblyer (2005) discussed widespread criticism of research design when it comes to educational research, even going so far as to state that “ill-conceived research” has “little impact on teaching methods” (p. 193).

Citing his belief that educational researchers should use medical research design as a model, Roblyer (2005) then proceeds to list what he believes to be the pillars of good educational research. His list includes making a “clear and compelling case” for the need of the research study itself, as well as an “evidence-based” approach (pp. 194-195). He also reminds readers that “people are more likely to adopt an innovation if they see the advantage of the new strategy relative to what they currently use” (p. 197).

Here’s where it gets really interesting: Roblyer’s work ties in perfectly with Gutièrrez and Penuel’s (2014) call for researchers to display a greater understanding about teachers’ ‘in-the-trenches’ need for relevance when it comes to studies in and about their classrooms. They cite the need for studies that “draw causal inferences about politics, programs and practices” and that “require(s) in-depth qualitative research” (p. 19). (Ahem…less numbers data…ahem).

In fact, speaking of my beloved qualitative methods, Gutièrrez and Penuel (2014) highlight a growing trend of studies in educational research involving “more direct observation” as well as growing “institutional support of ‘research that is ‘relevant to education practice and policy’” (p. 19). The authors also call for studies that include the involvement of a variety of interested parties like teachers, parents, district and school leaders, community stakeholders, and even students themselves when possible.

The reason? Gutièrrez and Penuel (2014) explain that researchers may be suffering from a blind spot when it comes to the relevance of their study.

      "The problems that researchers initially think important to address are      
      not likely to be the same ones that diverse education stakeholders      
      perceive as important. What is needed are specific methodologies for
      bringing relevant stakeholders together and deliberating about the
      problems that can and should be addressed through research and
      development projects. The process is time-intensive..." (Gutièrrez &
      Penuel, 2014, p. 20),

I like this idea, as well as the variations of it woven into the other works assigned this week. This synthesizes nicely with my overall goals for practical research on how people learn in online environments, particularly based on their generational experiences. Armed with this knowledge in the classroom, teachers could have a greater understanding of effective design for teaching students of all ages.

As noted before, I purchased the updated edition of Sawyer’s The Cambridge Handbook of The Learning Sciences. It was very interesting to note that the second chapter references learning design and the research studies that go along with it. The authors of Chapter 2 (Nathan & Sawyer) discuss the need for ‘translational research,’ “research that is driven by considerations of clinical and widespread application” (p. 27).

Additionally, as a graduate assistant in Central Michigan University’s Literacy Center, I’ve been tasked with reading about the foundations of literacy in anticipation of assisting with new research. Ironically, the readings parallel the same variations on the theme we’ve been discussing: practical, usable research is needed for teachers working in the trenches of the classroom. When it comes to education, abstract interpretation of data is not especially useful. It all comes down to consistently coming back to the theme of what works.

Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Educational technology research that makes a difference: Series introduction. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 5(2), 192-201.

Gutierrez, K. D., & Penuel, W. R. (2014). Relevance to practice as a criterion for rigor, Educational Researcher, 43(1), 19-23.

Nathan. (2014). Foundations of the Learning Sciences. In The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (pp. 21–43). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139519526.004