Project 8: The Research Proposal

Introduction

It is no secret social networking sites have caught the attention of educators. There is the occasional educator who is currently using technologies afforded to them by computer-mediated networks, but most courses that occur within a computer mediated communication system function in a purely online environment. The research presented here does not seek to address exclusive online educational programs. Rather, it focuses its attention on the mixed mode course. A course that contains direct contact with students combined with online components completed within the rules of a social network (Newman, 2004). In the area of classroom education there are many who are not using available technology in their courses. Yet, there is no shortage of research aimed at convincing professors of the potential value for mixed mode education with social networking (Towner, VanHorn & Paker, 2007). Even if the arguments for using a social network in education are nothing more than – Just Do It! These arguments have many educators wondering:

1) Why should they use social networks alongside classroom instruction?
2) How should they use social networks alongside classroom instruction?

These questions lead to some complex answers, if there are definite answers at all. These are outcome-based questions. In simplest form educators are interested in posing a value-based question: What is the benefit of using social networks in educational settings?
Research conducted on the potential value of incorporating a social network with classroom education has already made some important discoveries. First, they identify the potential problems with the traditional classroom lecture formats. The traditional format allows students with high communication apprehension to sit quietly in the back of classrooms creating placing themselves in a purely passive learning environment (Nitsch, 2003). New tools of distraction including the cell-phone, wireless Internet and late night video game sessions that are frequent substitutes for sleeping have the potential to promote this passive learning problem to become no learning at all. The problem with basic classroom instruction is that it often results in either direct copies of what the instructor lectured or simple key points without active student evaluative phrases. The learning is shallow and to the test (Miyake & Shirouzu, 2003).

Studies conclude online exercises can provide students with a continued, asynchronous, self-paced educational platform that offers frequent repetition of material and instant feedback (Nitsch, 2003). The environment creates a platform for collaborative, active learning (Palloff & Pratt, 2003). Even though there are connections between motivation and student retention of course materials, few if any systems have been developed to measure the effectiveness of such pedagogy on the retention of course materials. Moreover current educational assessment tools are loosing pace with rapid technology improvements in the classroom. There is cause to question if the current tools properly measure the link between technology and teaching.
This research proposal highlights the essential process of assessment and evaluation of new pedagogies that is often overlooked, in this case integrating classroom with Facebook to create a learning environment. The goal of developing these measuring tools is to better equip instructors to build lessons and activities that are more effective when conducted within Facebook.

The Grand Strategy and the Question

Rob Tow’s discussion of strategy, tactics and heuristics for research offers a three-level, top-down structure. The structure offers the top level being the “grand strategy”; my overarching goals. This is followed by strategies that support this grand goal. These strategies are clear plans of action, testing, and research. All of these strategies focus their action on achieving the grand strategy. At the primary level are tactics; the details with support the actions of the strategies. Tow points out the importance of first developing a grand strategy and then formulating the actions points and tactics rather than the other way around, which is commonly done (Tow, 2003).

The grand strategy of this research evaluates the benefits of integrating the social network Facebook with classroom instruction. In order to reach the grand strategy a supporting strategy must be developed. This supporting strategy seeks to develop tools, which assess the outcome of classroom activities that occur within Facebook. In following Tow’s model, tactics must be developed in order to create and test the research proposal. These tactics involve several methodologies including observation, interview, participation, auto-ethnographic study and a three-phase case study.

Why use Facebook?

Research suggests students bond better and are more likely to express their thoughts with instructors after reading and engaging with them through Facebook. Even without specific classroom activities taking place on Facebook students use it as a way to ask questions about a lesson or assignment (Piesing, 2007). Students who accessed profiles on Facebook containing levels of self-disclosure by teachers anticipated higher levels of active learning and motivation associated with improved retention levels. Quantitative analysis showed higher levels of student motivation when they viewed the Facebook profile of instructors in high self-disclosure. This in turn leads to higher levels of anticipated motivation and a willingness to be open in the classroom. This self-disclosure contributes greater student participation, teacher clarity and affective learning (Mazer, Murphy & Simonds, 2007).
Methodologies and Case Studies

In order to properly conduct this study several methodologies will be employed. The primary methods include observation, participation, interview, journaling, and case studies. Essential research will begin with observation. Watching and learning how students interact within Facebook will be critical in setting up the proposed projects for the case studies. Observation will take place within Facebook setting up the second methodology, participation.
I will activity participate in Facebook while conducting observations on its use. Active participation will be necessary, as considerable effort will need to be completed in order to setup the system within Facebook. I will also need to participate within several computer assisted social networks to under how the system works. Perhaps learning the system is a great limiting factor of the use of computer assisted social networks in educational settings. Is it simply too much for instructors to manage simple class operating tasks and those necessary to keep a functioning social network structure in place? By participating in this process I will gain a better understand of the requirements of such a system.

Aside from observing the online behaviors of college students I will conduct personal interviews. I will a conduct a majority of these interviews. To further assist and help remove potential fear in truth responses, I have asked several students to complete interviews for me. There is much evidence to suggest the person conducting the interview can have considerable impact on the responses. Given I am in an authority figure over several of the people who will be interviewed I would like to remove that potential impact on at least some of the results.

The Pilot Study – Phase 1:

In order to pursue design research in the effectiveness of connecting classroom instruction with technology mediated social networks a simple pilot study was developed. A course exercise was moved from the classroom to the social network Facebook. All students were already a part of the network and a Facebook group of the course CM297: A/V Production was setup. In order to ensure student confidence in participating the group was closed to only students registered for the course. The study involved four key phases and several methodologies:

1) Observe student behavior and use of Facebook outside the classroom. Engage the students in general conversation about their use of Facebook when observed using it in computer and video editing labs. Through these observations gage candidates for personal interview based on the usage, habits, openness and comfort level with research conductor.

2) Pre-Interview (several videotaped and transcribed) students regarding their use of the social network Facebook and their opinions on it value as an educational tool. Standard questions avoiding yes/no responses include:
• Describe how you use Facebook in your everyday life. Are you an active or passive user? Explain why you consider yourself either.
• Why do you participate in social network Facebook? Explain the benefits you receive by participating within the social network.
• Discuss negative aspects of your participation within Facebook.
• What are areas integrating Facebook with classroom instruction would benefit you?
• Describe a classroom lesson or activity that would work well as an exercise on Facebook.

3) Develop an online class exercise to take place in Facebook. This activity is to be based off of the responses of the initial interviews. In other words, let the students select the item they feel would be most beneficial to take place within Facebook. Setup the exercise and monitor activity, establishing the goals of the learning exercise before it begins.

4) Post-Interview (several videotaped and all transcribed) the same students regarding the experience. Standard questions avoiding yes/no responses include:
• Explain the appropriateness of the course activity within Facebook.
• Quantify your personal level of participation and buy-in to the assignment.
• How did the process help you better reach the educational goals of the project?
• What adjustments to the statements you made in the pre-interview regarding using Facebook in an educational setting would you make?
• What effect did the exercise have on your participation and retention of course materials?
• What would you change about the project that would improve retention?

Initial Pilot Study Results:

The pre-interviews provided a excellent foundation for the design research pilot study. Not only did the interviews make available a clear Facebook project idea for the classroom, it confirmed the use of Facebook within the sea of social and educational networks. When questioned about the use of Facebook in an educational setting senior college student Rebekkah Breitbarth responded, Facebook is where the students are. It’s what they use. Freshman Marcus Taplin added, if want them to use it; you need to meet the students on their own terms. There are too many systems to learn and be a member of. A key to participation success is using the system students are familiar with.

Pre-interviews also indicated a high level of communication apprehension by students in the course. Most of the students felt they and others in the course tended to simply sit in classroom having minimal interpersonal contact with the instructor or students. This seemed especially true during sessions where student work was critiqued leading to an exercise idea, online viewing of student work combined with in class and online discussion. In a purely online educational environment student work is always critiqued through social networking. However, none of these traditional classroom freshmen and sophomore students had engaged in this type of critique session.

The Facebook group for the course was setup, all students invited to participate and the lesson scheduled to begin during a class session and hopefully continue beyond. Students were explained clear learning objectives of the exercise before it was started. It was absolutely essential students were aware of what they should be learning through the exercise before it began so at least limited assessment of retention of knowledge could be measured.

1) To view other students projects (normally done in class) and comment on them
2) To begin and foster online social discussion of assignments
3) To learn proper critiquing techniques both positive and constructive including areas to address, how to address them and what to expect
4) To create comfortable dialog and a positive learning environment, not simply a support environment.

Students were given a class period to work on formulating and posting their responses and the professor would also actively participate. Initial responses to the exercise indicated a much higher level of participation than in class discussion rendered with even the quietest student demonstrating something valuable to contribute. Responses were not kept to one or two sentences but generally short paragraphs of information that contained critical commentary.
Post-interviews are ongoing as the Facebook group continues to function until the end of the academic term, which is May 14, 2008. However, preliminary post-interviews with participants have revealed thoughts and trends of the success of the pilot study. With twelve members of the course actively participating 25% indicated the exercise did get them to interact with the process of critique beyond the level they expected. When interviewed student Marcus Taplin, previously interviewed supported the success of one of the learning goals. He responded his understanding of methods of critiquing students have a much higher retention rate as he is able to return and review comments by both fellow students and professors. He also indicated communication apprehension was not a problem because being able to write out comments gave him more time to think. He developed a conclusion the lack of discussion during in class critiques may have more to do with a fear of public speaking and peer relationships than a lack of thought or opinion. While it is far to early to determine if connecting classroom instruction with continued conversation through the social network Facebook will have any significant effect on the fear of public address in the classroom students interviewed clearly made the connection.

Problems Identified Through the Pilot Study:

Problems and limitations of the case study where quickly identified through the interviewing and observation process. Many of these problems were related to limited scope of the pilot study due to time and resource limitations. Several other problem areas where identified for use in the development of a new pilot study review outlined in the final research design proposal.

• A comprehensive examination of the educational goals was not conducted and therefore precise measurements of retention could not be established. Student success and retention was measured through their perceptions as reveled through interviews. Instructor observation also provided feedback on whether the educational goals were better learned, but specific statistical data is not available.
• The results of the case study were not measured against a control group who did not complete the social network exercise.
• With only one exercise conducted and measured the potential for possible abnormalities is high. Drawing conclusions on retention based on one class exercise cannot provide any broad and conclusive evidence.
• Student background was not available. Key factors including current GPA, and academic potential were not directly applied to the results.

The Pilot Study – Phase 2

A second, more extensive pilot study is planned for a summer term course involving 28 English-speaking students from China. Throughout the course activities and lessons will occur within the Facebook social network. The courses three instructors will produce daily journals detailing the results of the lessons and activity. This autoethnography will be used to assess the success of exercises within Facebook relative to the specified learning objectives of the lesson. To use the social network Facebook, a group will be established before the course begins. Students will be invited to join by informational e-mail if available or will sign-on during the first day of the course. The pilot study will serve to enhance learning by combining Facebook and classroom instruction by:

• Conducting several self-disclosure exercises before the course begins
• Reducing communication apprehension by requiring critique and discussion to occur online as well as in the classroom
• Involving outside participation allowing the students to invite outside guests to the group

With this phase there is no standard by which to measure outcomes. Therefore the goal of the case study is to reflect on which exercises would work within the framework of the Facebook social network and to draw observational data collection from those exercises. The data collected would then be used in phase three where standards and outcomes can be measured again a control group.

The Pilot Study – Phase 3

A third phase pilot study is also planned as a semester long exercise building off of the data collected from the first two phases. In this study three sections of the same course, Audio/Video Basics, will be taught with three different approaches.

• Section A will be taught in the traditional classroom only model. This includes instruction by lecture and in-class exercise and will serve as the control group.

• Section B will be taught with traditional classroom instruction combined with discussion and critique available in Facebook. Students will be invited to participate but the instructor’s role will be limited within the Facebook component. Students will be left to build the social interaction primarily on their own.

• Section C will be taught with traditional classroom instruction combined with extensive use of Facebook in classroom exercises, discussion and availability of course materials.

In order to collect comparative data from the extensive pilot study several rules will be employed.
• Student will partake in pre and post interviews regarding approaches, problems, and successes
• Each student will take an exam at the beginning of the course to measure initial knowledge to compare with learning goals
• Sections will be weighted as equally as possible in regard to student GPA
• An additional faculty member will oversee instruction ensuring each section is equally presented the same materials
• All students will take exactly the same final exam

Data collected will be used to examine different trends in learning and assessment throughout the course. This will be the key tool in determining whether and which exercises that made use of the Facebook social network most affected retention of information. It is this information that will provide key insight into the types of lessons that could and should be built into a classroom experience that includes activity within the Facebook system.

Discussion and Conclusions

There is clearly no shortage of research indicating the use of new technologies including social networks with classroom instruction has potentially huge advantages. Yet, little research has been fine tuned to assess which types of interaction within Facebook are most effective. It is important to note this study does not intend to focus on immersion as creating greater retention. Rather its grand strategy is to develop new classroom, technology based lessons and interactions within Facebook and measure their effectiveness at increasing the likelihood the student will achieve the learning objectives of a course.

It is likely this research will best serve the academic community by providing examples of implementation of social networks in classroom education. This implementation is likely to be slow and with specific steps. Yet in order for these steps to be created one must develop a strategy to measure their effectiveness at increasing retention.

Works Citied

Julie, Sturgeon. “Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging: Avoiding these Pitfalls Will Help Students Get the Full Benefits of Online Journaling; Web 2.0.” T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education) February 1 2008: 26(3).
Mazer, Joseph P., Richard E. Murphy, and Cheri J. Simonds. “I’ll See You on “Facebook”: The Effects of Computer-Mediated Teacher Self-Disclosure on Student Motivation, Affective Learning, and Classroom Climate.” Communication Education 56.1 (2007): 1-17.
Newman, Adam. “Measuring Success in Web-Based Distance Learning.” Research Bulletin – Educause Center for Applied Research February 18 2003: 11.
Piesing, Mark. “Facebook: Friend Or Foe?” The Times Educational Supplement (2007).
Tow, Robert F. “Strategy, Tactics, and Heuristics for Research: A Structuralist Approach.” Design Research 2003: 135-144.
Towner, Terri, and Abigaile VanHorn. “Facebook: Classroom Tool for a Classroom Community?” Conference Papers — Midwestern Political Science Association (2007): 1.