1. Evidence based research in education Cathy Gunn University of Auckland

2. Theory Implementation Evaluation Design Overview

3. Objective Capture contextual complexity Learn from collective experience Enhance educational design

4. Aims Move research beyond simple observation & ‘one off’ case studies Engineer situations to enhance and understand learning Combine rigor of experiment with sensitivity of case study research

5. A rose by any other name! Evidence based research Design based research

7. Qualitative Case studies Experimental studies Evidence based research

8. Why ‘Tradition’ & ‘superstition’ relied on for too long Integrate research & practice Instructional science needs to progress and be transformed

9. How Integrate professional wisdom with empirical evidence to inform instructional development decisions

10. How Teaching methods are backed by quality data AND educational theory

11. How Results reflect or advance theory AND demonstrate impact in context

12. How The functional relationship between intervention & behavioral response is established & clearly defined

13. So what’s different? A key aim is to identify, explore, confirm & advance theoretical concepts

14. So what’s different? Move beyond impact observation to a fully ‘engineered’ approach The researcher is a key player

15. So what’s different? Instructional ‘engineering’ & research are instrumental to learning outcomes

16. So what’s different? Relevance of theory is proved by ability to work in real world contexts

17. A practical example Learning theory underpins activities Explicit strategies for students Pilot new learning activities Evaluate, reflect and refine before full implementation Conclusion - it works fine but doing it takes energy, time and commitment

18. Integrated approach Pre and post lecture self- assessment tests for mastery Animations for learning through visualization Online resources for review, reflection & integration of information Tutorials to address ‘sticky’ issues

19. Engineering Empower students with explicit expectations Set achievable milestones & help them stay on task Be available & in regular contact Explain & integrate different learning strategies

20. Benefits to students Increased confidence & motivation through: –sustained communication –24/7 access to resources and activities –control over learning process via feedback –coaching to make informed choices

21. What next? Further developments for other levels Longitudinal tracking of: –improvement in academic performance –retention of students –recruitment of mature students & facilitation of life long learning

22. Benefits of evidence based research Empower, engineer & evaluate Improve, enhance & integrate Understand & respond to dynamics of situations Build innovation on what is already known to work

23. Benefits (2) Meet accepted professional standards for research Produce compelling evidence of effectiveness Respect contextual difference and complexity Build top quality learning environments for students