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.