EME 7938 STUDY QUESTIONS FOR GROUP 5 READINGS

General Directions: Answer each question to your satisfaction and submit according to the course schedule. Although I encourage you to respond in as much detail and at as much length as you find appropriate, please edit the documents that you send to me so that I receive comprehensive responses of no more than about 500 words for any single question. (Please note that 500 words is an absolute UPPER LIMIT for those who feel that they NEED to write that much. I'd much rather you submitted MUCH shorter responses, on the order of a paragraph or so per question.)

Thompson, A., Simonson, M., & Hargrave, C. (1996). Educational technology: A review of the research, 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (ProCopy Packet Available TBA)

Question 1: What are the types of studies that have dominated educational technology research?

Question 2: What are the authors referring to when they speak of innovative research designs?

Question 3: What recommendations do the authors make for the future of IT research. What general areas and specific questions should be pursued? What methods should be employed?

Russell, T. (1999). No Significant Difference Phenomenon. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University. [Much Online] Available http://teleeducation.nb.ca/nosignificantdifference/index.cfm, August 24, 2001.

Question 1: Why did Russell decide to synthesize research on distance education? What did he conclude -- what is the “no significant difference phenomenon”?

Question 2: How should Russell’s NSD conclusion be interpreted? Do multiple studies that consistently failed to find significant differences between two instructional treatments demonstrate that there is no difference as strongly as a comparable number of studies that DID find a consistently significant difference between two instructional treatments demonstrate that there IS a difference?

Question 3: According to Russell, what questions should researchers pursue regarding distance education? Which, if any, of these recommendations apply to other areas of IT?

Clark, R. (1983). Reconsidering research on learning from media. Review of Educational Research, 53(4), 445-459. [Online] Available http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/EDIT572/Nrefcla.html, August 24, 2001.

Question 1: What is Clark’s conclusion about the effects of media upon learning?

Question 2: What does Clark believe to be the potent variable(s) in computer-based learning?

Question 3: What are Clark’s recommendations for IT researchers and practitioners?

Kozma, R. (1991). Learning with media. Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 179-211.

Question 1: Kozma doesn’t disagree with Clark’s synthesis of past research on CBI, he just disagrees with Clark’s conclusions. What does Kozma conclude, and why?

Question 2: Define the term “medium” as it is used in Clark’s article. Define the term “medium” as it is used in Kozma’s article. Are your definitions the same? If not, how do they differ and which is more correct?

Question 3: What are Kozma’s recommendations for IT researchers and practitioners?