Update - Month 5 on my AR project

1. What are you doing to setup your Cycle 1? Cycle 1 includes your first detailed plan of action for you Action Research project. Please refer to this URL: http://web.me.com/suebedard/AR/Cycle_1.html 
In addition, many of you will begin analyzing your Cycle 1 data in month 6 of our program. Please refer to this URL for the primary questions you will answer during your first cycle of data analysis: http://web.me.com/suebedard/AR/C1_Data.html

Cycle 1 setup:

My preparation for cycle one is as follows:

1. Define goal

2. Choose simulation and participating class

3. Familiarize myself and classroom teacher with the game

4. Gather background information

5. Design a pretest for class

6. Design a post test for class

I have refined my goal and rewritten my literature review to reflect these changes. My stated goal is to incorporate educational simulation games into the classroom. My approach is to take a non-gaming teacher and have her use a simulation game to teach immunization in the Allied Health class.

The game I chose is Immune Attack. This is a simulation game designed by the America Federation of Scientists. It is played like many of the arcade games that students already play.

I have played the game and made a tutorial Screen flow, which will be shared with the teacher and students who will play the game.

I am gathering background information by designing two surveys. The first survey is for all teachers in my building. It will give me data concerning teacher attitudes towards games and their understanding of simulation games. The second is for the students who will play the game. It will give me data concerning student gaming habits and their attitude toward educational games.

I will work with the class teacher to design a pre-assessment test and a post assessment test. This will follow the standard NC CTE model that determines student learning.

2. What kinds of data are you planning to collect and analyze to show that your AR project is effecting changes and growth for yourself, your intended target audience, and your AR project setting: Quantitative (e.g., Surveys or Self-Report instruments), Qualitative (e.g., field notes, personal logs, record sheets, interviews, video taping, audio recordings)? How will you measure and report the results of these data once collected? Please answer both of these related questions thoroughly.

My quantitative data will be limited to teachers in my building and the students in the class. It will consist of one survey for teachers concerning their knowledge and attitudes toward simulation games. There will be two surveys for the students. The first will ask questions about their gaming habits and the second will ask questions about the game Immune Attack. The second survey will be given after all students have played the game.

Qualitative data will be collected through interviews (mostly audio) with students and teachers as well as notes collected during the implementation of the game.

Student learning growth will be measured through a standard NC CTE type test given as a pre-test and a post-test. There will be no control group in this study. Data that is collected will be reported by both a spreadsheet on the survey and written reports, since some of the survey questions are written opinions.

3. How is your Action Research textbook assisting you with your AR design and development processes? I strongly recommend you read parts III and IV of your McNiff & Whitehead AR textbook if you have not. These sections succinctly explain the designing and doing components of completing a quality AR project?

I am using my textbook as a resource for planning my AR project. I don’t think I could plan without it. The book helps me understand what I am trying to do and really helps me organize my time. Also, having to write about it forces me to think about how I am using the text. One thing I am continually reminding myself is to keep my project “small – focused – manageable.” In my lit review, I have found a mountain of interesting articles. I need to skim and exclude about 80% of these. They are interesting, but do not directly relate to my project.

The text also helps in setting up my data collecting and validating that data. It has also given me advice on getting others involved in my research. Right now I have my principal and two other teachers informed and involved. I am relying on my critical friends to help guide me. I am also learning to weigh my data after I collect it. The book includes a list of questions I need to ask myself as I proceed (pages 103 – 106). This should help me stay focused. It also is advising me on organization of my materials and using things such as photos, videos, sound recordings, diaries and questionnaires. This is material I need to collect during my research. If I neglect this, I won’t have materials to substantiate my project.

4. How has this month’s course helped in shaping your AR project?

This month has helped me to fine tune my AR project. It has forced me to take a critical look at what I have done and what I plan to do. The best part of this month was the sharing of information. I have gone through bouts of frustration with developing my AR project. By working in groups and especially the review at the end, I have been able to see where everyone else is in their research. Some are way ahead of me and others are not as advanced as I am. So I feel a little better about my project. The information I got from my professor and my fellow students has helped me direct my research. I am not as organized as I would like to be, but this month has seen my AR organization become much more cohesive.

Week 4 practical experience blog 3

Another image from Flash. This time I am trying to create a slide show. I still cannot find all the screens and controls that they talk about in the tutorial. I made sure I used the same version, but I'm still confused. I flip back and forth to the tutorial and my Flash document. I'm not sure I want to try to teach this to my students. Oh Well, I have a couple of months until I have to teach it. I'd better get busy and try to learn it.

Week 4 practical experience blog 2

This is my screen shot of a bouncing heart. At least that is what I wanted it to do. I have not been very successful. It seems that Adobe has changed everything in flash from their older versions. I can't find the controls and buttons that they talk about in the tutorial. This is getting really frustrating. I have used Photoshop for years, and they have not changed the location of the basic tools. I think I will try something different and see if I can get it to work.

Week 4 practical experience blog 1

I have found the first thing to try on Flash. I am going to make a slide show of the trip to Ocrakoke Island. All I have to do is follow the steps. We shall see how this goes. Flash is a very versatile program with a lot of different things it can do. Unfortunately, there are many steps to any project. It is very difficult to work on Flash in a limited amount of time like we have in most classes. When I use Flash in my class, I will have to design lessons that can be completed quickly, or have steps that can be finished and added on to easily.

This post answers questions (for now) about my Action REsearch. Please let me know what you think. I need the feedback.

What is your official problem statement?

My official problem statement is the use of simulation games in education. How can they be used to help students achieve better and more meaningful understanding in today’s secondary school curriculum?

I have kept my problem in general terms since I am still researching exactly what game and what curriculum I am working on. I am looking at a game called Immune Attack. The students navigate a nanobot through a 3D environment inside the patient’s body. Their goal is to retrain non-functional immune cells and save the patient’s life. I have talked to our health careers teacher about using it in one of her classes.

How did your research end up shaping this?

I knew I wanted to work on a different way of teaching. I also knew the military has been using simulation games for a very long time. It is an excellent way to teach something dangerous that will minimize physical threat to the student. Business also uses simulation games to teach a variety of subjects by putting employees in real-life situations without causing an adverse effect on their business. I have found that while some colleges and universities are using simulation games, secondary education in America has not embraced this 21^st century tool. Most of the studies I have found are based on research done in Europe. At first, I was thinking of changing my area to something with more information, but as I did my research, I was amazed how much has been done in the field of simulations.

What outcomes are you expecting?

I have decided to use qualitative assessment rather than quantitative assessment. At this point, I am more interested in student and teacher responses and not so concerned about test scores. If I keep with this subject over the years, I would then have to justify my research with quantitative results. I am expecting that I will meet some resistance by both teachers and students at first. There is a learning curve to Immune Attack that has to be overcome. Students in America are used to computers giving them instant gratification on a low level. They usually are not wiling to work hard to get the right information. Once they have the information they need, they are not used to applying it. We have a culture of memorization and multiple-choice answers. So my outcome, I hope, is to show that applied knowledge can be fun, useful and satisfying.

How are your critical friends helping in this process?

Up to this point, I have not involved my critical friends to any great degree. I have talked to them all to assess their interest in my project. I have found that they have different views and should be a great help to me. Some of my critical friends are low on the technology scale. Their opinions will help me clarify my research for those who are not technology savvy. Others are using technology on a daily basis and will give me their views when I am unclear as to my direction.

How is this month’s course helping in shaping your ARP?

The video with Dr. Michael Wesch was interesting in that it gave me detailed information on how a simulation game could work with a large group. The fact that his game was not just computer based, but involved groups meeting and solving problems was very interesting. I never thought about the computer simulation as being only one part of the game. This class also introduced me to many web 2.0 tools that could be a part of a simulation.

week 3 practical experience 3rd blog

This is what I'm trying to do. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it's not working. I think I will have to start over.

week 3 practical experience 2nd blog

Well, I have hit the tutorials on Flash. It is a complicated program, but the results are very professional looking. I am working on the zoom in and out effect.

Practical experience on Flash

For my tool, I have chosen Adobe Flash. I have seen it before, but have not used it. I understand it is very powerful, but also very complicated to use. The first thing I need to do is find some instructions on using it. I will try Lynda, as well as searching the internet. I find that a hands on exercise is very helpful.

BP 10

Follow this link to my comments on Meg William's blog.

BP 9

Follow this link to my comments on Sarah's blog

BP 8

This week’s web 2>0 tool is a site called Pixton. In most of my talks with my fellow teachers, we agree that getting students to write is difficult. Students just don’t like to write. That is why I am excited about this site called Paxton. Paxton will let students create cartoon strips where they can add their own characters and create stories. They can create a character that they can transform into their alter ego to express their opinions. They can also add sound and music, and import their own backgrounds. I showed it to a civics teacher in my school. She immediately saw how she could use it with her students. She is planning to have her students write on current events, complete with news photos as backgrounds. I also took it to an English teacher. She saw how she could have students do reading reviews, even book reports in comic form. I haven’t shown it to our newspaper and yearbook teacher yet. But I’m sure she can use it in her publications. The student’s comics are cleared for publication.

One thing about Pixton is that they do charge for the full use of the site. I have set up a meeting with my principal to discuss how we can get the funding. We in Dare County are fortunate to have a group that is willing to fund projects that incorporate 21^st century skills. If my principal approves, we plan to send in a request for them to pay the fees.

BP 11 Pixton

My video is on Pixton. Not only is it part of my group project, but I found it very promising to use in the classroom.

BP 7

This is a one minute video on Aviary. It is a great tool for students. There is nothing to download and it's free. You must register for an account in order to save your work.

AR readings 09 12

Reading for my AR project.

I have started my research into gaming. I think I even have a virtual game in mind to work on. Right now I am doing background research. I will be adding things to my AR website as we go. I am also having trouble with my AR website. I will have to reload it on the web. I will let everyone know when I am back online with it.

My first reading is actually a web site;

http://www.wideopendoors.net/educational_technology/gaming.html

It has facts on gaming in education along with 6 questions to ask when evaluating a game. I have copied them directly from the website listed above.

Some questions to ask when evaluating games

1. How compelling or engaging was the experience?

2. How comfortable did you feel with the game controls (interface, etc)

3. Did you feel you were playing or learning?

4. Did the graphic quality help or hinder the experience?

5. What kind of instructional design could you observe in the game?

6. Did you choose to continue on to the next level or stage when you had the opportunity?

This site also contains a link to the game I intend to use in my study. It is called Immune Attack.

I will be referring to this site in the future.

The next is an article on sex differentials in geometry using games and simulations. Although I am not testing a math game, I found their study interesting. Is there a difference in learning between male and female students? Their result was that no significant difference was show between improvements in math scores between males and females that used games and simulations. Both scored higher than the control group.

Anchor, Emmanuel E. Sex differentials in Students’ Achievement and Interest in Geometry Using Games and Simulations Technique.

The next article was a current event simulation game at the University of South Dakota. It involved a simulation of a contemporary event. Specifically it involved the war on Terrorism; or more properly, insurgencies and counterinsurgency efforts. The game became more than just an assignment done in class. Students used blogging to communicate and blogging became an important part of the game. Real news releases were incorporated into the game and students were introduced to a variety of perspectives. Although the governments and terrorist organizations were fictionalized, news events reflected what the players were doing.

Hacker, Kurt. More than a COIN flip: Improving Honors Education with Real Time Simulations Based on Contemporary Events.

The final article evaluates how the three “C” s models for literacy (creative, critical, and cultural) can be applied to the study of computer games in the English and Media classroom. It used examples such as Harry Potter, which is a book, a movie, and a video game. It also analyzed the term literacy and how it applies to computer games and simulations. This is an are that I did not consider before, but I will look at it as part of the game learning process.

Partington, Antony. Game Literacy, gaming cultures and media education.

BP4_Web 2.0 tools

I am doing my AR project on gaming in education. The more I read about it, the larger the subject becomes. When I went to Joomla, I found a lot of podcasts and information on educational gaming as well as recreational gaming. Although this site won't satisfy my requirement for peer reviewed articles, it could be a great site to help me with my research. I can also post my own views. When I teach digital media, especially the advanced class, i can use this site with my students. Of course "Blog sites" is one of the many words that will block a site in school. Like many site, it includes a variety of views. It also includes interesting statistics and where the information originally came from. It's a site I plan on visiting as my research progresses.

Hatteras Island

Follow this link to see our latest threat to life on the Outer Banks. We can deal with hurricanes, but the federal government is another matter

BP6_Sarah's blog

Follow this link to my comments on Sarah's blog. Team Fab strikes again.

BP5_Comment on Grace's blog

Google Docs is great. Follow this link to my comments on Grace's Place blog.

BP_Diigo Group

I have been working on my Diigo group. I Don't know if I have done it right or not. I have invited three critical friends and will work on some more.

BP2_iGoogleScreenShots

These are my screenshots for my iGoogle pages. They are my home tab, my FSO tab, My AR/CBL tab and my ETC tab. I will be adding to them as time goes by.

BP1_Google Reader

They say good things take time, but I’m not always willing to wait. After some experimenting, I think I have Google Reader working. I also have a link in my Google page. I can see two uses for Google Reader. First, it would be an easy way for me to know whenever a site I use is updated. The second use would be to communicate with my students and for them to communicate with each other.

As I try to get my students to communicate with their fellow students and me, I can see a good application for Google Reader. I teach Digital Media as well as Digital Photography. Many of the things I teach are not in textbooks. This would be a great way for my students to keep track of the websites that I want them to use. I could also get them on blogs. I can see that this could be a good way for them to talk with each other even if they are not in the same section, or even the same school.

My school’s guidance department has started to combine my classes. Now I teach two periods that contain both Basic Photography and Photography 2. That means my photo 2 students do not meet face to face. It also means that I spend less time instructing them. Google reader can help them blog classroom discussions. They would be alerted whenever one of their fellow students adds a comment. I could also videotape new lessons (I am already doing one for them this weekend) then they would be notified when I put it online for them.

Of course, my school uses light speed to block unwanted sites. Blog is a word that would automatically block the site. So I would have to work with our tech people to work out the details.

It's all so new

This is my first try at blogging for my ETC class. I need followers. So please help me. Right now, Earl is coming to visit. I had to put everything away. Earl likes to break things. Jim Cantori told me to leave, but I think I am going to stay here.