A Case for Story: Learning Technologies in K-12 Environments Points on the Qualitative Path Sharon L. Comstock Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

From Folktales to Tales of Folk It all begins with a story…. Research opportunity as an evaluator on a NSF project in high schools Eureka! There are folk in them there hills… Story as authenticating evidence that fills gaps in data gathering: where science and story meet.

Research Realty: Location, Location, Location… Graduate Fellows In K-12 Education ( Funding agency: NSF ) Multiliteracies: Cybraries in K-12 Libraries ( Funding: Australian Research Board ) Center for School Improvement, University of Chicago, Web Institute for Teachers ( Funding:U of C, CSI )

What is “GK-12?” Nation-wide, NSF initiative Advanced graduate students in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Technology (SMET) disciplines SMET teachers in K-12 settings Technology-enriched classrooms, integrating computer-based modeling, visualization, and informatics Photo by S.L. Comstock

Computer scientists in pre-calculus and biology Molecular biologist in honors biology Biologists in advanced placement and regular biology Mathematicians in after- hours, vocational school math classes So, Who are the GK-12? Photo by S.L. Comstock

Evaluation: A Mixed-Method On-site observation Structured formative online surveys ( on.html ) on.html On-site Video and photography Artifacts Unstructured interviews

I thought you said something about a story? Surveys are limited tools Unstructured interviews, coupled with site visits, seem to answer the “how” of technology integration Story fills the gaps in formative evaluation

Storytime The narrative approach: notes taken, later written, reviewed with subject The taped interview: transcribed verbatim Sample of online data this year…

Interpretative Art Case study as “bounded” object Ethnographically informed The holistic researcher Resulting narrative and creating of meaning: reader as co-discoverer Balancing paradox: participant/observer; teacher/learner; scientist/storyteller Photo by: S.L. Comstock

“Tit, tat, tout…” Reaching beyond disciplinary boundaries: “If you partition a problem along discipline lines, your solution can be wrong,” Prof. Peggy Miller. LIS’s role in studying how technologies are being used in real-world situations My role as a collector of stories…

…this tale has yet to be played out!” Textual analysis of data, using ATLAS software and motifs/tale types to more deeply identify patterns and significance More in-depth interviews with widening circle of students, fellows, teachers, and administrators Inclusion of learning in K-12 cybraries and teacher development initiatives

Selected References Ceglowski, D. That’s a good story, but is it really research? Qualitative Inquiry; Thousand Oakes; June 1997; Vol. 3, Issue 2, pp Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Glesne, C. & Peshkin, A. (1992). Being there: Developing understanding through participant observation. Becoming Qualitative Researchers: An Introduction. White Plains, NY: Longman, Mixed Methods Handbook for Evaluations (1997). Frechtling, J. & L. S. Westat, eds. Division of Research and Evaluation, NSF. Washington, D.C. ( 153/START.htm.)