The document discusses three action research projects conducted as part of an e-learning research program. The first project created an online community for English teachers in China and Chile but faced challenges engaging participants. The second used clicker technology to support interactive teaching and explored what makes effective concept questions. The third used item response theory to analyze question quality and identify student weaknesses. Initial findings showed participation increased with anonymity and that instruction should be transparent, simple and adaptable with feedback.

1. E-Learning Research in Action Mark Bullen, Nargis Abraham, Glenn Pellegrin

2. TEK Initiative Technology-enabled Knowledge $25 million project to enhance teaching and learning Use e-learning to change and improve teaching Includes an applied educational research program Supports institutional strategy to stimulate applied research

3. Applied Educational Research Goals of the program: To encourage faculty to reflect on their teaching and thus engage in continuous improvement by researching their own practice and the implementation of e-learning technologies and innovative teaching approaches. To sow the seeds of an e-learning research culture in an institution that does not have a tradition of educational research.

4. Challenges Getting buy-in and institutional support for applied educational research Creating a research culture Establishing and maintaining support systems to enable research

5. Action Research Examples Community of Practice Action Research Project Nargis Abraham “ Clickers” Action Research Project Glenn Pellegrin

6. Community of Practice (CoP) Action Research Project CoP website to provide collaboration opportunities for English teachers in BCIT's pipeline programs in China and English teachers in Chile Action research objective: to explore Wenger's "communities of practice" concept using e-technologies Technology used - Quickplace

7. Developing the Materials Building the website Deciding on content – subjects of interest to participants where find materials Creating Video materials Video to enable participants to observe a ‘typical’ BCIT class Created and posted on the CoP site Initial problems with access.

8. Inviting Participants English teachers from China Email addresses were entered in the CoP members’ list Invitations to participate were sent via the CoP; no response was received Follow up via regular e-mail prompted some teachers to access the CoP English teachers from Chile 20 English teachers from Chile were included, to expand the membership and widen the discussion on English teaching Two teachers responded BCIT PELD instructors BCIT instructors were invited to serve as ‘experts’ Two instructors posted their introductions on the CoP.

9. Lessons Learned Individual Needs Motivation to participate Time available Directed discussion Technological challenges Access to participants creating user names and passwords for the CoP identifying e-mail alerts from junk mail Navigating the CoP – need for familiarity and expertise.

10. “Clicker” Action Research Project Peer Instruction … what and why? interactive instructional strategy large class sizes

11. “Clicker” Action Research Project Clickers … what and why? Technology supports instructional strategy

12. “Clicker” Action Research Project “Concept Questions” … what and why? Questions that challenge student understanding

13. Challenges to Constructivist Method paradigm shift in learning / teaching efficiency encourage engagement / participation quality and effectiveness of questions Problem – quality of concept questions Investigation methodology Multiple sessions Variations / Reflection Item Response Theory

14. What’s to learn… study quality / effectiveness of questions identify student weaknesses identify question weaknesses reflect on minor variations of implementations identify most useful “engagement” questions based on IRT characteristic(s) of challenging questions  what makes a discussion question “good”?

15. Initial Findings Participation / engagement Feedback to student / instructor Keep it simple Technology should be transparent Minimize load on student re: learning the technology Instructional reflection

16. Lessons Learned Engagement Motivation to participate Value of anonymity – back of class Difficulty of questions  ordering Repeating questions Ready to adapt Feedback provides valuable information on when students need additional guidance IRT provides view of question quality in terms of discrimination, difficulty and guessing