Evidence based research in education Cathy Gunn University of Auckland

Evidence based research in education

Cathy GunnUniversity of Auckland

Theory

Implementation Evaluation

Design

Overview

Objective• Capture contextual complexity• Learn from collective experience• Enhance educational design

Aims• Move research beyond simple

observation & ‘one off’ case studies• Engineer situations to enhance and

understand learning• Combine rigor of experiment with

sensitivity of case study research

A rose by any other name!

• Evidence based research

• Design based research

Qualitative Case studies

Experimental studies

Evidence based research

Why

• ‘Tradition’ & ‘superstition’ relied on for too long

• Integrate research & practice

• Instructional science needs to progress and be transformed

How• Integrate professional wisdom

with empirical evidence to inform instructional development decisions

How

• Teaching methods are backed by quality data AND educational theory

How

• Results reflect or advance theory AND demonstrate impact in context

How• The functional relationship

between intervention & behavioral response is established & clearly defined

So what’s different?• A key aim is to identify, explore,

confirm & advance theoretical concepts

So what’s different?• Move beyond impact observation

to a fully ‘engineered’ approach • The researcher is a key player

So what’s different?• Instructional ‘engineering’ &

research are instrumental to learning outcomes

So what’s different?• Relevance of theory is proved by

ability to work in real world contexts

A practical example• Learning theory underpins activities• Explicit strategies for students• Pilot new learning activities• Evaluate, reflect and refine before full

implementation• Conclusion - it works fine but doing it

takes energy, time and commitment

Integrated approach

• Pre and post lecture self-assessment tests for mastery

• Animations for learning through visualization

• Online resources for review, reflection & integration of information

• Tutorials to address ‘sticky’ issues

Engineering• Empower students with explicit

expectations • Set achievable milestones & help

them stay on task• Be available & in regular contact• Explain & integrate different

learning strategies

Benefits to students• Increased confidence &

motivation through:– sustained communication– 24/7 access to resources and

activities– control over learning process via

feedback– coaching to make informed choices

What next?• Further developments for other

levels• Longitudinal tracking of:

– improvement in academic performance

– retention of students– recruitment of mature students &

facilitation of life long learning

Benefits of evidence based research

• Empower, engineer & evaluate• Improve, enhance & integrate• Understand & respond to

dynamics of situations• Build innovation on what is

already known to work

Benefits (2)• Meet accepted professional

standards for research• Produce compelling evidence of

effectiveness• Respect contextual difference and

complexity• Build top quality learning

environments for students