Three dimensions of reflective thinking in solving design problems: a conceptual model

Design tasks are omnipresent in our everyday lives. Previous research shows that reflective thinking is one of the critical factors in solving design problems. Related research has attempted to capture designers’ reflective thinking process. Yet a close inspection of designers’ reflective thinking taking place during their design process demands further effort. To understand designer’s reflective practice and to find better ways to promote novices’ reflective thinking in solving real-world design problems, a comprehensive model was developed. This model identified three dimensions to guide the understanding of designers’ reflective thinking during a design process: (1) the timing of reflection, indicating the points in the process where reflective thinking occurs, (2) the objects of reflection, showing the different types of objects that designers may reflect upon, and (3) the levels of reflection, referring to the different levels of designers’ reflection. This model provides for meaningful aspects of reflective thinking to be situated in a design process, which can guide educators and instructional designers in developing appropriate learning environments for facilitating novice and practicing designers’ reflective thinking. Moreover, the model can serve as a stepping stone for further research.     

Deaf college students' perspectives on literacy portfolios

The study examined how literacy portfolios were used as tools in a college developmental English class in which deaf students assessed their reading comprehension as well as their writing processes and products. The students' reading and writing assignments involved reflective thinking and were grounded in authentic tasks. Immediate feedback was provided. The study was multidimensional, longitudinal, and ongoing. A variety of field research techniques were used to ascertain the uses and influences of portfolios in regard to students' reading, writing, and reflective thinking. The results support the idea that the use of literacy portfolios can positively influence students who are deaf when they assess their reading and writing abilities.     

Engaging students in reflective writing: an action research project

ABSTRACT

Due to limited exposure to the reflective genre, students experience cognitive, psychological and linguistic issues that prevent them from producing proficient reflective pieces. This study investigated how these issues could be addressed through modelling, the 6 + 1 traits writing rubric and blended learning. The study reports on the experiences of 37 participants in the fourth year of secondary schooling at an all male school in Trinidad and Tobago. Change in a regional examination syllabus which introduced a focus on the reflective mode and reflective writing had implications for teaching and learning. Through one cycle of a practical action research project using an embedded quasi-experimental design, an intervention to address cognitive, psychological and linguistic issues was implemented. Quantitative data were collected using a pre- and post-test and a Writing Attitude Survey (WAS). Qualitative data were gathered through student journals and students’ formative writing assessment artefacts. The intervention succeeded in positively changing students’ dispositions towards reflective writing, developing students’ reflective writing and addressing text organization issues. This research is significant for teachers and students where intentional reflection and reflective writing are competencies that can enhance critical thinking and metacognition and potentially lead to personal, intellectual and professional development.     

An Investigation of Development Toward Instructional Design Expertise

This research investigated expertise development among instructional designers by tracking novice designers' unfolding perceptions of instructional design (ID), design‐related self‐perceptions, and other individual differences. It examined development toward ID expertise from multiple aspects: processes, product, and cognition, through a case study approach. Evidence included qualitative data from interviews, design artifacts, and metacognitive essays, along with quantitative data from questionnaires which assessed goals, need for structure, need for cognition, previous design competence, and design self‐efficacy. Findings indicated that it was not one single characteristic, but the interaction of various factors, that most profoundly seem to influence the development of ID expertise. Relevant characteristics included: perceptions about learning, knowledge and ID; individual needs and learning strategies; and background experiences and orientations. Research in this field will help us to better understand the processes that lead to the development of ID expertise, and to develop better approaches to preparing future instructional designers.     

Traversing the Divide Between High School Science Students and Sophisticated Nature of Science Understandings: A Multi-pronged Approach

This study investigated the effects of a multi-pronged approach of increasing the nature of science (NOS) understandings of high school science students. The participants consist of 63 high school students: 31 in the intervention group and 32 in the control group. Explicit/reflective NOS instruction was imbedded within authentic inquiry experiences and supported by online discussions. The students in the intervention group were prompted to engage in various discussions focusing on essential tenets of NOS in an online environment that assured student confidentiality. NOS views were assessed through multiple data sources including pre- and post-intervention questionnaires as well as students’ responses to online discussion prompts. Results show that the instructional intervention used in this study which combined explicit/reflective NOS instruction with intense inquiry exposure along with ample reflective opportunities in an anonymous online discussion format led to positive learning gains in participants’ understanding the NOS aspects assessed. Implications for enhancing data collection with high school students and for promising professional development opportunities for science educators are discussed.     

An instructional design case event: Exploring issues in professional practice

Cases have been recommended as an important instructional tool for developing professional knowledge across disciplines. In this paper, we begin by defining case methods, a potentially valuable instructional tool for encouraging authentic, active learning. We describe our approach to the design and use of instructional design (ID) cases, and go on to report on the design and use of a Web-based ID case in a team case competition involving six universities. Students and most officials were enthusiastic about the use of ID cases and about this event. Team collaboration and competition were noted as motivating factors for students. The findings are being used to inform ongoing research and development, which is also described.A previous version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Educational Communications & Technology (AECT), Albuquerque, NM, February 1997.The authors may be contacted at the Department of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2495. Phone (804) 924-7471; fax (804) 924-0747; e-mail: Kinzie@Virginia.edu.     

电大网络教材的设计与编写浅析

在电大远程教育教学模式的改革中，精心设计和编写网络教材是一个重要的环节。基于建构主义理论，网络教材的设计和编写要以学生为中心，要为学生创设真实的学习情境，增强“导”的功能，发挥互动交流的作用，以促使学生对知识的主动探索、主动发现和对意义的主动建构。作为网络教材的设计者和编写者，要不断提高学科水平、设计和编写水平，为学习者提供高质量的网络教材。     

Designing for learning in the Yellow House: a comparison of instructional and learning design origins and practices

ABSTRACT

For the past two decades, there has been persistent debate around whether there is a difference between the fields of instructional design (ID) and learning design (LD). While differences in the two approaches are certainly apparent, there are cross-over points that can provide ID and LD researchers and practitioners with opportunities for dialogue about the purposes and remit of research-based practices for optimal design. Though potentially disruptive, initiating dialogues among learning and instructional designers could lead to more thorough and critical analyses of both ID and LD repertoires. Should boundary crossings occur, there is a potential for a third space for the contemplation, research, and practice of design. A goal of this article is to use the notion of Van Gogh’s Yellow House as an anchoring metaphor for the third space – a location for shared discourse, inspiration, collaboration, and challenge for a community of designers of/for learning. Using the impressionist and expressionist terminology to help elucidate the ways of thinking of designers of both traditions, this article examines the history, underlying philosophical approaches, methodologies, and design goals of ID and LD. We conclude that the emergence of a third space for design can help us move beyond the LD and ID dichotomies. We suggest that a socio-materialist perspective alleviates issues of incommensurability by acknowledging ontological multiplicity.     

Instructional design learners make sense of theory: a collaborative autoethnography

Educational technology research and development - Understanding theory is essential to instructional design (ID) research and practice; however, novice designers struggle to make sense of...     

Supporting students’ assignment writing: what lecturers do in a Master of Education programme

Teachers’ instructional practices surrounding written assignments have been little researched, despite writing remaining the primary means of assessment in higher education, including postgraduate professional development programmes. In this paper, we report a study that explored what a sample of lecturers in a Master of Education programme at an English-medium university in Hong Kong did to support students’ assignment writing. We integrate perspectives provided by the relevant higher education literature, the academic literacies approach and North American rhetorical genre studies to shed light on the findings derived from our analyses of interview and documentary data. We showed that our lecturer participants both engaged in direct instruction on assignment writing and provided indirect support. Our study contributed to the existing literature and raised questions for future research.     

Responding to emotion in practice-based writing

This paper will consider the significance of emotion in assessment through reflective or experiential writing in the context of professional practice-based learning. It is based on a 12?month study conducted with undergraduate social work students undertaking what are referred to as ??reflective writing?? assessments. This form of assessment is a requirement in social work education and commonly used elsewhere in professional programmes of study in higher education such as nursing, business studies and education. Drawing on text orientated interviews with students and tutors this paper explores some of the challenges of both producing and assessing reflective writing. Drawing on debates relating to the assessment of reflective writing (Boud in Soc work Educ 18(2):121?C132, 1999) and the benefits of experimental or ??risky?? writing (Berman 2001), the paper offers some strategies for recognising and managing emotion arising from the inclusion of reflective writing professional education. In particular, it will explore the benefits of creating a space for dialogue which can recognise social, educational and historical factors, which influence individual students?? writing practices.     

Finding Direction When the Ground Is Moving: Science Education Research in South Africa

Dynamic visualisations capture aspects of scientific phenomena that are difficult to communicate in static materials and benefit from well-designed scaffolds to succeed in classrooms. We review research to clarify the impacts of dynamic visualisations and to identify instructional scaffolds that mediate their success. We use meta-analysis to synthesise 47 independent comparisons between dynamic and static materials and 76 comparisons that test the effect of specific instructional scaffolds. These studies show that dynamic visualisations are better than static visuals at promoting conceptual inferences about science, consistent with the success of inquiry instruction in science. To realise this potential of dynamic visualisations, instruction needs to help students use the dynamic visualisation to make sense of their own ideas. Scaffolds that are most successful include prompts for reflection, prompts to distinguish among parts of the visualisation, visual cues that identify salient features, multiple visualisations presented sequentially, and interactive features that govern the pacing of activities. We extract guidelines from this research to help researchers plan future studies of visualisations, designers create and refine instructional materials using visualisations, and practitioners customise instruction that features visualisations.     

Team Experiences for Science and Social Studies Preservice Teachers

Becoming an effective literacy learner requires a bit of slowing down and appreciating the reflective nature of reading and writing. Literature circles support this instructional direction because they provide opportunities for immersing students in discussions that encourage their personal responses. When students feel their personal responses are nurtured and respected, they develop confidence to grow beyond status-quo thinking and to engage in critical perspectives on meaning making. These reflective practices from personal to critical are important ingredients for effective literacy learning.     

A design-based research case study documenting a constructivist ID process and instructional solution for a cross-cultural workforce

As the need for instructing a globalized workforce increases, instructional designers must embrace the constraints and the opportunities these projects provide in order to move the field of cross-cultural instructional design (ID) forward. Cross-cultural projects offer multiple avenues for growth in ID practice, overcoming cultural barriers, and a venue to apply and test contemporary models, methodologies, and theories in ID. This design-based research case study employed a rapid prototyping methodology and the constructivist ID model, Layers of Negotiation, to collect critical cultural information for the design of this cross-cultural instruction. Instructional strategies deemed effective for instructing an unskilled workforce in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, included job aids, situated learning and apprenticeship principles consisting of modeling, coaching and scaffolding. Use of the constructivist ID model and instructional solution for a cross-cultural workforce for The Dubai Mall are presented. Evaluation results indicate the success of the instructional strategies varied dependent upon worker culture, and the sequential nature of the instructional strategies.     

‘I’m just not that comfortable with technology’: student perceptions of and preferences for Web 2.0 technologies in reflective journals

Encouraging reflective practice and developing reflective practitioners is a goal of many disciplines in higher education. A variety of pedagogical techniques have been used to promote critical reflection including portfolios, narratives and reflective journals. Over the past decade, the use of Web 2.0 technologies with students has been increasingly adopted in higher education settings and many educators have integrated these technologies into reflective assignments. These educators assume that students, who are members of the Net Generation, are technologically savvy and have the ability to integrate the use of Web 2.0 technologies into learning. However, while there have been studies examining the outputs of reflective assignments using Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, e-portfolios and wikis, there has been little research examining whether or not students actually use technology for these types of assignment if given the choice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore if technology was appropriated or rejected by students for a reflective journaling assignment. Results are based on a content analysis of 42 student journaling assignments and interviews with eight students. Findings suggest that (1) students are not as technologically competent as assumed; (2) students chose to use basic/fundamental technologies (e.g. word processing) because they viewed it as the easiest way to complete the reflective journaling assignment; (3) student perceptions of what makes an assignment ‘good’ influenced their choice to use Web 2.0 technologies; and (4) overarching student perceptions of higher education and learning impacted their appropriation of technology. Implications are discussed and recommendations for both research and practice are made.     

Evaluation of an intervention to help students avoid unintentional plagiarism by improving their authorial identity

Students with poorly developed authorial identity may be at risk of unintentional plagiarism. An instructional intervention designed specifically to improve authorial identity was delivered to 364 psychology students at three post‐1992 universities in London, UK, and evaluated with before‐and‐after measures of beliefs and attitudes about academic authorship, using the Student Authorship Questionnaire. Changes in questionnaire scores showed that the intervention led to significantly increased confidence in writing, understanding of authorship, knowledge to avoid plagiarism, and top‐down approaches to writing, and significantly decreased bottom‐up and pragmatic approaches to writing. For understanding of authorship, knowledge to avoid plagiarism and pragmatic approaches to writing, significant intervention by year of study interaction effects showed that the greatest improvements were among year one undergraduates. Direct evaluative feedback showed that 86% of students believed the intervention helped them avoid plagiarism and 66% believed it helped them write better assignments. Post‐intervention focus groups revealed changed student understandings about authorial identity and academic writing. The results show that interventions can help students avoid unintentional plagiarism by adopting more authorial roles in their academic writing. Further research could explore other influences on authorial identity, and examine the impact of authorial identity interventions on other outcome indicators.     

How Do Instructional‐Design Practitioners Make Instructional‐Strategy Decisions?

Many theories have been proposed to help instructional designers make instructional‐strategy decisions, yet it is not clear if these theories are actually used by ID practitioners. This study used a web‐survey to examine the design strategies of 113 ID practitioners. The survey asked respondents to rate how frequently they used learning or ID theories as well as 10 other design strategies, to help make instructional‐strategy decisions. Respondents were also asked how often they used different information sources to learn about new theories, trends, and strategies, and to respond to a set of contrasting statements depicting objectivist vs. construc‐tivist assumptions. The results indicate that ID practitioners most often rely on interaction with others both as a means of making instructional‐strategy decisions and of learning about new theories, trends, and strategies. Only fifty percent of the respondents said they regularly use theories when making instructional‐strategy decisions, using other design strategies more frequently instead; and most practitioners are eclectic in their underlying philosophical assumptions. Based on these results, we discuss implications for training and ongoing support of instructional designers.