R_+D4


 * Starts September 9, Thursday and ends September 15, Wednesday. Initial postings are due September 11, Saturday.**

For this discussion, first you need to read chapters 6 and 10.


 * PART ONE.** Building on things shared from Discussions 1, 2, and 3, you need to access the UWG library database to search for two refereed or peer reviewed articles published after 2004. This will bring your article count to 8. Summarize each article for its general contents and share them with your peers in this discussion board (150-300 words each). Don't forget to identify and describe the type of data collected that will be analyzed to determine the solution to the identified research problem.

Make sure you include an accurate APA (6th ed.) citation of each article in your posting. This will be your first initial posting. PDF copies of the actual articles should be attached to this initial posting.

Huett--Approaches Used in Articles

In //Best practices in teaching K-12 online//, DiPietro, Ferdig, Black and Preston (2008) interviewed 16 Michigan-based virtual school teachers in an attempt to tease out some best teaching practices for the K-12 online learning environment. The researchers, located in Florida, used //Adobe Connect// to interview the 16 teachers at a distance. There were two sessions: the first was a logistical, informative session, in which the teachers were given the seven questions they would be asked to address in the second meeting (the actual interview). A few examples of the questions asked are as follows: what are the pedagogical practices you use to teach math?" (DiPietro et al., 2008, p. 15) "What are your values/beliefs regarding virtual school teaching, and the pedagogical practices you implement?" (DiPietro et al., 2008, p. 15). Data was analyzed using the "four foundational techniques of grounded theory: coding data, using a constant comparative method, theoretical sampling, and data synthesis" (DiPietro et al., 2008, p. 15). As a result of the interviews, a number of "best practices" emerged, but as the authors say in their discussion, "without research on best practice, it is impossible to identify exemplary instructors. Without research on subjectively-defined exemplary instructors, it is impossible to determine best practice" (DiPietro et al., 2008, p. 28).
 * Article 1**

In //The reality of virtual schools//, Barbour and Reeves (2009) provide a literature review of the virtual school literature spanning from 1995 to 2008. In their study, they seek to determine how virtual schools have developed, note how virtual schools and their students are described in the literature, determine the benefits and challenges of virtual schooling, and identify what research is needed to aid in the improvement of the virtual school movement. In terms of data collection, the authors explain what databases they consulted and the key terms they used. "As much of the literature for virtual schooling has primarily been disseminated through private research centers, evaluations or doctoral dissertations" (Barbour & Reeves, 2008, p. 403) the authors had to use additional means beyond consulting books and refereed journal publications. They used the iNACOL, SITE, and AERA conferences as venues to share ideas with colleagues about where to find additional information on the field. They also used methodologically rigorous Doctoral dissertations and Masters' theses where they could find them.
 * Article 2**


 * References**

Barbour, M., & Reeves, T. (2009). The reality of virtual schools: A review of the literature. //Computers & Education, 52//(2), 402-416.

DiPietro, M., Ferdig, R. E., Black, E. W. & Preston, M. (2008). Best practices in teaching K-12 online: Lessons learned from Michigan Virtual School teachers. //Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 7//(1).

My research study is looking at ways for graduate instructional technology students to review online and blended courses in K-12 settings. The project was conducted during two semesters this year, and we are in the process of organizing the data we currently have.

To measure the extent to which we provided instructional technology graduate students with authentic experiences evaluating real online courses, we will employ an attitudinal survey, including both quantitative and qualitative (open-ended) questions. To measure the extent to which our intervention gave teacher designers feedback as to how well their courses covered state curriculum guidelines (GPS) and the extent to which our intervention gave teacher designers feedback on the design and interaction of their online courses, we conducted a pre-survey (qualitative), and will conduct an attitudinal post-survey (including both quantitative and qualitative questions). In addition, the feedback created by the graduate students--in the form of quantitative data on the iNACOL instrument and mixed data on the GPS instrument--as well as the mixed feedback presented through the final //VoiceThread//s--will be included in the final results. (This paragraph was used in Discussion 3; I didn't realize that I was jumping ahead when I included this last week.)

Several concepts jump out at me from this week's readings. As we conduct our research, we may eventually be asked if we think that the inferences drawn from our study can be generalized to the target population. We will need to keep the idea of population validity in mind. Treatment variation validity is a concern to me since the graduate students did not all review the same courses. Treatment variation validity, "the ability to generalize across variations of the treatment" (Johnson & Christensen, 2007, p. 271) is a concern to me since each team of reviewers had to look at a different course. The quality of the courses varied, as did the subject matter, and the graduate students' experiences with teaching the content. We may need to note this in our write-up.


 * References**

Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2007). //Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches// (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2007). //Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches// (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

"The perspectives of virtual school teachers in the K-12 virtual school arena remain relatively unexplored, leaving a gap of understanding for how virtual school teachers experience this transition, and how it translates into their instructional practice." (12) (DiPietro)


 * PART TWO.** Secondly, based on the readings and at this point in your thinking about your potential research project, identify types of data or sources of data that you will use/access in relation to the research problem you identified. Please explain your rationale and the appropriateness for using it (at least 150-300 words). Make sure that you include at least a reference to key ideas from chapters or articles you read. This will be your second posting.

**NOTE: Both initial postings are due September 11, Saturday at 11:59 pm.**


 * PART THREE.** As part of the collaborative learning process, you are expected to discuss with your peers the ideas and summaries shared in this discussion board. Your active participation should be characterized by the following:

1. Each student should post MORE THAN SEVEN (7) comments or replies to their peers’ postings.

2. At least 3 of these comments or replies should focus on SIMILARITIES between peer postings and those posted by the student.

3. At least 3 of these comments or replies should focus on DIFFERENCES between peer postings and those posted by the student.

4. At least a comment or reply should focus on the lessons learned from the shared peer postings to the student’s approach in finding solution to his/her research problem.

5. At least a comment or reply should include a question about the articles shared by another student to the student’s approach in finding solution to his/her research problem.

6. In each posting, a comment or reply to a posting should include the name who is receiving it. This is important to generate a sense of community building by addressing in name those who are involved in the online conversation.

**NOTE: This discussion closes on Wednesday, September 15 at 11:59 pm.**

Expected Outcomes

1. Included in the subject heading the following -- "Lastname-Approaches Used in the Articles" for first initial posting; “Lastname-Planned Approach” for second initial posting.

2. Posted two initial postings.

3. Posted more than 7 comments or replies. At least 3 focused on similarities and another 3 focused on differences. At least a comment or reply focused on value to student’s approach in finding solution to his/her research problem.

4. Included pdf copy of articles reviewed.

5. Proper citations using APA format 6th edition.

**Finally, please check the assessment form for this discussion that is located in the appropriate learning module.**