Fall 2017

Nov. 20th

Bret Staudt Willet

Once More Unto the Practicum, Dear Friends: Research Lessons from Studying Social Interactions on Social Media

In this brown bag talk, I will present a brief overview of my journey from vague research interests to my practicum proposal. In particular, I will note three big lessons I've learned along the way: (a) how choices in theoretical frameworks affect what we see as researchers, (b) how understanding the experience architecture in the educational contexts we study both gives better insight and helps us conceptualize those we study as participants instead of as subjects, and (c) how finding and implementing new methodological tools can help us approach our research areas in novel ways. I will ground each of these three big lessons in examples from my research on understanding what educators are up to on Twitter, especially as they're talking to each other for educational purposes.

Nov. 13th

Dr. Christine Greenhow, Diana Campbell, Emilia Askari and Sarah Galvin, Michigan State University

Youth, Learning & Social Media: A Decade of Educational Research

Abstract: The increasingly widespread use of social media to expand and deepen one’s social connections is a relatively new but potentially important phenomenon that has implications for teaching, learning and youth development in the 21st century. This presentation provides a systematic literature review of a decade of educational research from around the world to present the state-of-the-field. This presentation reviews empirical research to examine how social media are perceived and used by K-12 learners. In addition, we review the methodological and theoretical underpinnings of this body of work to set a course for future research foci, methodological techniques, and theory-building. Moreover, we present established standards for quality and validity in systematic literature reviews (Boote & Beile, 2005; Machi & McEvoy, 2016; Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, Altman & The PRISMAGroup, 2009); we outline several categories to which the reviewer must attend in conducting a quality literature review. Our scan of selected journals and database queries yielded a total of 51 empirical peer-reviewed journal articles deemed appropriate for review. Two themes were evident in the reviewed studies. The studies focused on students’ informal learning outside of school and students’ formal learning in schools and classrooms. Implications for the design of future research and practice will be discussed in the final paper.

Oct. 23rd

Dr. Aman Yadav, Michigan State University

Learning to teach computer science: Challenges and opportunities for training new teachers.

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a growing enthusiasm and awareness of the need for computer science (CS) education opportunities and particularly a need to engage students in CS ideas and practices to help them understand how computing influences our world. In order to address this need, we need to educate thousands of new computer science teachers many of whom have training in other subject areas. In this talk, I will present findings from studies that have identified unique challenges of teaching computer science and how teachers engage in online professional development in computer science.

Oct. 2nd

Missy Cosby, Michigan State University

Double Threat: Gender, Race, and Stereotypes in Mathematics for African American Girls

Abstract: This study explores the ways Black girls experience mathematics and develop mathematics identities in a society that sustains narratives/stereotypes about their belonging and ability in the domain. Women make up 48 percent of the labor market yet one in every four STEM jobs are held by women; fewer by women of color (Beede, Julian, Langdon, McKittrick, Khan, & Doms, 2011). In 2015, Black girls where only two percent of those taking Advanced Placement Calculus exams in Michigan (College Board, 2015) which underscores that Black girls are making decisions, or decisions are being made for them, about participation in upper-level mathematics well before exiting high school. Issues of access and equity are frequently investigated as explanatory; however, this study sought to investigate ideological influences (e.g., stereotypes, epistemologies in mathematics) for Black girls and their perception of belonging in mathematics spaces. To this end, the following research questions were explored: 1) What stereotypes/narratives are Black girls aware of with regards to both Blacks and girls learning and doing mathematics? 2) What do they say are the justifications or rationales for the existence of these stereotypes/narratives and to what extent they personally subscribe to them? 3) How do they make sense of these stereotypes/narratives in relation to their own emerging identities? A phenomenological approach was taken to this study employing both novel and traditional research methods to uncover the experiences of six Black girls (three high school seniors and three first-year university students) about what it is like learning mathematics as Black girls. Research methods included a variation of Diversity Toss (Teaching Tolerance, 2014) where participants rearrange cards representing aspects of their identity portraying salience in a particular context, a semiotic analysis of image-based mathematical autobiographies, and semi-structured interviews.Findings suggest the racialized and gendered elements of their identities shift across settings (i.e. home, school, math class, with friends) and are most salient in mathematics class. This heightened sensitivity to these aspects of their identities influenced participation and confidence. Black girls expressed beliefs about Asians and Whites outperforming Blacks in mathematics achievement. They did not ascribe to narratives about boys outperforming girls irrespective of race positioning girls above boys in achievement, but not in interest. Notably, Black girls were considered least likely to major in mathematics when compared to women of other races. Differences in performance by race were attributed to disproportionate distribution of resources and not student deficiencies. Other beliefs about the nature of mathematics and mathematics curriculum surfaced as impacting their developing mathematics identities. The girls spoke at length about tracking, privileging speed and accuracy, teacher relationships, pedagogy, and a focus on grades. For them, mathematics at the secondary and collegiate level is irrelevant; disconnected from the social issues they care about. This study’s significance resides in providing a more nuanced understanding of qualitatively different ways that Black girls experience mathematics learning as Black girls and the ideologies that restrict access and participation.

Amy Peterson, Patrick Beymer, & Ralph Putnam, Michigan State University

Synchronous and Asynchronous Discussions: Effects on Cooperation, Belonging, and Affect

Abstract: Supporting productive peer-to-peer interaction is a central challenge in online courses.

Although cooperative learning research provides robust evidence for the positive outcomes of face-to-face cooperative learning (Johnson & Johnson, 1989), online modes of cooperative learning have provided mixed results. This study examines the effects of synchronous versus asynchronous interaction on students’ sense of cooperation, belonging, and affect in online small-group discussions. Fifty-two undergraduate students were assigned to synchronous and asynchronous interaction conditions. The findings support prior research that asynchronous communication interferes with the relationship between cooperative goals and the outcomes of cooperation. Results inform theory and practice, by showing that asynchronous cooperative learning may not work as designed because the presence of cooperative goals do not predict cooperative outcomes.