Using+Technology+Tools+to+Engage...

**Using Technology Tools to Engage Students With Multiple Learning Style in a Constructivist Learning Environment **

**Artlicle by: Pamela Solvie & Mollie Kloek ** **ED240 Group#1: Henna Abowath, David Kim, Taylor Nguyen, Stella Yap **


 * Overview **


 * Research on technology in preservice teacher education reading methods course in order to support constructivist learning experiences.
 * Technology used both in class and out of class to assist in the course/ learning experience.
 * Addressed multiple learning styles in constructivist environment.
 * Preservice teacher: Student teachers before they have begun any actually teaching. They observe other professionals in the teaching setting.
 * Instructors are highly connected with preservice teachers in order to develop more meaningful and efficient methods of teaching.
 * Acquisition of new technologies to incorporate in teaching.
 * Creating methods of having students more engaged with instructional strategies.

=**Table of Contents**=


 * 1) Background
 * 2) Theoretical Framework
 * 3) Constructivism
 * 4) Learning Styles
 * 5) Technology
 * 6) Methodology
 * 7) Key Research Questions
 * 8) Study Design
 * 9) Four Modes of Learning (Kolb, 2005)
 * 10) Data
 * 11) Findings
 * 12) Technology Tools for Construction of Knowledge
 * 13) Implications
 * 14) Conclusion
 * 15) References

= Background =


 * Goals for this project include:
 * Creation of a constructivist learning environment that targeted learning styles in the presentation and understanding of content.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Provisions for preservice teachers to construct knowledge of theory and instructional strategies, reflect on content and pedagogical practices, and articulate their knowledge and understanding to and with others in the course.This goal was in relation to the standards held by NCLB.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The findings of this study as they relate to technology-enhanced learning experiences and student self-efficacy may prove useful to other instructors, not only of reading methods in education, but of other disciplines as well.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Generalizability to other courses may be limited due to research limitations of this study, including small sample size, lack of control group, and variables present in terms of the number of technology-assisted and unassisted activities and assignments in the study.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">__**Theoretical Framework**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Research deals with three theoretical foundations:
 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Constructivism
 * 2) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Learning style theory
 * 3) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Technology integration in education

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Constructivism__ **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bodies of knowledge used as human constructs.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Built up over time through many factors.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The “Construction” of knowledge through everything (inside the classroom, external, etc.)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The learners are in charge. Teachers are simply a guiding “coach.”
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Learners utilize what they learn from all aspects of life and taken into account during instruction.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teachers provide them with existing tools and provide feedback. Student’s use of metacognition and self-reflection upon this helps them to self-construct learning.

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Learning Styles__ **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Knowledge of learning styles, or ways students prefer to grasp and process information, was used to plan and scaffold students’ work in the constructivist setting.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Viewing learning as a process and not a product, developing inquiry skills, acquiring knowledge as opposed to memorizing, and applying knowledge and skills in the context of relevant settings reflects experiential learning.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Creating conditions in which students interact with experience leads to experiential learning and construction of knowledge.

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Technology__ ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Used with alignment to learning styles to help engage students/ support learning.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Creates “learning by doing” / “learning by seeing” experiences
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The way students respond to learning is also different.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Used in this research: video and audio clips, a Simple Machines Forum discussion board, a wiki, PowerPoint (presentation software), SMARTBoard and SMARTNotebook software, Inspiration (concept mapping software), and a course Web page.

** Methodology **

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Key Research Questions:__ ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The study was an inquiry into the following connections between technology tools and construction of knowledge in a preservice teacher methods course:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Would technology-enhanced activities, aligned with learning styles, support a constructivist environment and student learning?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How would knowledge and use of styles and tools guide learning?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What are the affordances/qualities of technology tools for learning expectations?

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">S__tudy Design:__ **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Total of 30 volunteer preservice teachers from a reading methods course
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Females, 27 and males, 3
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Culturally diverse, 6%
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Single group, divided into 2 sections
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Length of study was16 weeks

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Four Modes of Learning (Kolb, 2005):__ **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Concrete Experiences
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reflective Observations
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Abstract Conceptualization
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Active Experimentation




 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Learning Stage and Learner Characteristics || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assignments and Activities ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Concrete Experiences (CS)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conducting interviews outside of classrooms
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Applying skills on the field
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Acting independently || * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Role play


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Use of the <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__SMARTboard__]
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Audio clips, Video reviews
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom observations
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Collection of reading and writing data
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lesson presentation (guided reading) ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reflective Observation (RO)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reacting to experiences
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Using feedback from experts || * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Quickwrites/double entry journals
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In-class cooperative group work


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Class discussion assignments and field observations
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Concept mapping, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__Inspiration__]
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Discussion board
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reflection on lesson presentation ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Abstract Conceptualization (AC)


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Retrieving information from authoritative sources
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Researching
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading || * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading course text and professional articles
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lectures, PowerPoints
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Web page, Wiki
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__Electronic Reserves__]
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Analysis of a reading program
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Exams, Phonics review
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lesson plan development (Read-aloud, Shared Reading, and Guided Reading) ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Active Experimentation (AE)


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Applying theories in problem-solving
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conducting small group discussion and projects
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Receiving peer feedback
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Observing the teacher as a model of the profession || * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Analysis of children’s reading and writing
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lesson presentation/analysis of student learning
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Text leveling
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Literacy PowerPoint project
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Concept maps, graphic organizers
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Inspiration, Discussion board, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__MythbustersDiscussionBoard__]
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">SMARTBoard
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Audio and video clips ||

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Data Collection and Sources ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Data was gathered and responses were categorized into the four learning styles modes. Data were gathered on:


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students’ use of technology tools;
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Their use of information on learning styles to guide their own learning; and
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Student performance in the course.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sources of data included a questionnaire, four course exams, a reading and writing analysis assignment, analysis and suggestion by preservice teachers and a literacy PowerPoint project.

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Findings__ **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Based on the performance scores and learning style mode, the students were sorted into one of three learning style clusters or groups:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cluster 1 (the active experimentation): was characterized by above average scores on active experimentation, average scores on abstract conceptualization and concrete experience, and below average scores on reflective observation.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cluster 2 (the reflective observation): was characterized by reflective observation scores that are well above average, active experimentation scores that are well below average and abstract conceptualization and concrete experience scores that are average.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cluster 3 (the reflective observation/abstract conceptualization): was characterized by above average reflective observation and abstract conceptualization scores and below average active experimentation and concrete experience scores.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the three different performance clusters, it showed that there was a inverse relationship between the level of achievement and a preference in learning style.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students in the abstract reflective cluster did much better than those in the active cluster or the reflective cluster..

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Technology Tools for Construction of Knowledge__ ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students’ perceptions of how technology was supporting their learning style varied. Perceptions of whether or not technology was supporting their understanding of course content also varied.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students indicated they were not sure as to the helpfulness of some tools to be used outside of class in understanding course content.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Across all three clusters, students indicated that audio and video clips used in class supported their learning.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although responses to the four open-ended questions provided a picture of how adaptive individual students were in adjusting to or making use of a variety of tools in the course, these comments are not reflective of the entire group and are not reported here, with the exclusion being information on use of video clips.

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Implications **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although no significant differences were found among the participants in preferences for particular technology tools among the three learning style clusters, students’ responses on the Likert scale questionnaire indicated they believed technology tools were assisting them in the construction of knowledge
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It seems preferences for technology are not as indicative of performance as is a match between characteristics of the tool and learning styles.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The results indicated the students with the strongest and most rigid learning style preferences also had lower scores on the four exams, the reading and writing analysis project, and the literacy PowerPoint project. The students found to have strengths in more than one learning style performed better on these particular assessments. ”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No huge difference in what students thought about particular technological tools
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The questionnaire shows that students believed technology tools did indeed assist them with construction of knowledge
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scores did not seem to have drastic difference, with or without technology. Could have been the manner in which the instructor used the tools, the resistance of the use of technology from students, etc..
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not generalizable due to small sample size, no control group, and many variables (assisted/unassisted activities)
 * As a result of this study it seems more needs to be done to support students’ ability to adjust to meet the requirements of tools and tasks

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Conclusion:__ **
 * Technology tools have the ability to address students’ learning needs in terms of learning style preferences, as students work as individuals and groups to construct knowledge.
 * Selecting these tools to match the characteristics of the modes of learning and discursive practices that are a part of individual and social construction of knowledge is critical.
 * Using the four modes of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation, technology tools can be successfully integrated to support student’s construction of knowledge
 * Continued research on affordances of technology aligned to learning needs is necessary to support appropriate and effectual use of technology enhanced learning experiences that are beneficial for all learners.

__**Poll Everywhere:**__

question #1: @http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/MTExNjM2Mzc2Mg

question #2: @http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/LTE1NDY5NTE3NzQ

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> References: ** Solvie, P., & Kloek, M. (2007). Using technology tools to engage students with multiple learning styles in a constructivist learning environment. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 7(2), 7-27.

Thirteen Ed Online. (2004). Workshop: Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved July 12, 2012. [|http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html]

Bill Browning. (2012). Learning Styles. Retrieved July 12, 2012. []

SMART Technologies. Retrieved July 12, 2012. []

Inspiration. Retrieved July 12, 2012. []

UCI Library. Retrieved July 12, 2012. []

Discovery. Retrieved July 12, 2012. []

University of Phoenix. (2012). Kolb’s Model of Learning. Retrieved July 12, 2012. []

Polleverywhere. Retrieved July 12, 2012. []