LIS 724: Educational Research

 

                                                    Introduction

Since when has Nelson ever been wrong? Image source.

    Hello again, blog readers! This week, I’ve been reflecting on the past, present and future. Although our world doesn’t yet resemble that of The Jetsons, with flying cars and lovable robot maids, technology in modern society has still evolved to point where we have self-driving cars and lovable Roomba vacuums instead. In a world that is still experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic, an historic event that is not even half a decade old yet, but has undoubtedly had significant impact on both current generations and generations in the years to follow. Between the global pandemic affecting daily life for countless people and technology advancements always around the corner, further integrating into our daily lives and routines, the future can often like a look scary and uncertain place from where we currently stand. However, our present-day, post-pandemic society and the future yet to come do not have to be viewed with a dreaded perspective, white there is often discussion in news regarding modern technology advancements, there is a tendency for the positive aspects to be drowned out by an ocean of negativity. For this week, I reflect over statistics and infographics from valid research reports that I have been studying, highlighting what stood out to me and to share with you, Readers, what benefits and positivity has come from the integration of technology in our post-pandemic world.   

    The Pew Research Center Report and What Surprised Me

    After reflecting upon the findings from the research organization Pew Research Center’s report, More Americans – Especially Young Adults – Are Regularly Getting News on TikTok by Rebecca Leppert and Katerina Eva Matsa, as the title implies, gathers data about the usage of the TikTok platform as a news outlet by users in recent years, what I found most surprising in the results was not only learning the large number and wide spectrum of adult age groups who use the app for their news source, but also the significant growth in the usage of TikTok for news sharing from the COVID-19’s outbreak in 2020 to the most current data in 2024. As the Pew Research Center’s data collection has found, with TikTok being utilized by users as a news outlet growing substantially from 3% percent in 2020 to 17% percent by the current year of 2024. This growth from members of TikTok’s userbase utilizing the app for information sharing and news coverage is significant due to TikTok’s popularity as a short-video sharing app for the purposes of recreation, with the same fact-gathering center reporting the usage of the TikTok app amongst teenagers on record at 63% of the membership base. The report further gathers data concluding that one out of every four adults in North America regularly use TikTok as a news source, with currently half of the total userbase at 52% report going to TikTok to stay up-to-date on news coverage.

Statistics provided via Pew Research Center.

McCrindle Research Organization Report and What Surprised Me 

    With these data results in mind, how did the COVID-19 virus outbreak impact younger generations, further integrating technology in their daily lives? How will the outbreak continue to influence the lives of generations born not long before, or after, the global pandemic? According to research findings from the McCrindle Research organization, within the article How COVID-19 will shape Generation Alpha by Ashley Fell, it is discussed how Gen Alpha, who already utilize technology throughout their daily lives, the usage of electronic devices has increased dramatically and more fully as an education resource as a result of the pandemic. A consequence of COVID-19 and the global pandemic has led to greater incorporation of technology for work and educational purposes, with McCrindle researchers concluding in their data that 84% of adults believe the COVID-19 outbreak will be defining event for the next generation and will greatly shape Gen Alpha’s development as a generation and its future, with 71% of parents who kept their children at home during the height of the pandemic reported it was a mostly positive experience in terms of their children, despite the issues of parents needing to balance work with keeping their children home in accordance to public distance restrictions, while 82% of adults also reported in agreement the belief that education will be made more available more online in the future. These numbers surprised me, as I assumed going into the data that there would be pushback or more hesitance from parents and their children in using remote learning, but the results were much more overwhelmingly positive towards online learning and its potential than I expected from the findings. As author Fell of the article findings stated in reference to the reported resilience of Generation Alpha, “We gave them the name Generation Alpha (of the Greek Alphabet) because, being born entirely in the 21st Century, they are not a return to the old but the start of something new” (Fell, 2020).

Statistics provided via McCrindle.

                                                  Conclusion

What did people do about badgers breaking into their homes before the internet? Image source.

    Although I was initially surprised by the largely positive reception to both remote leaning and TikTok as a news source, I reflect that I shouldn't be, considering how remote learning has been an overall positive experience in my educational journey. As a university student with a blindness disability that makes driving to in-person classes a significant challenge, I am incredibly grateful for being able to utilize and benefit from being enrolled in online, remote classes. As for the statistics regarding the wide-spread usage of TikTok, I feel it shows that while one should always do their best to ensure the the information they receive online is from a valid source, and we should all be careful when using different platforms, I also feel these numbers regarding TikTok highlight that there is a place for social media in professional fields. When I complete my education and join the librarian profession, I want to help utilize social media platforms in a responsible manner, whether to promote programs, services and resources at the library or be involved in community outreach.

    I share these statistics with you, Readers, because I think they highlight something important, the resilience and adaptability of people in uncertain times. Many of the families around the country whose routines were disrupted by the public safety restrictions, educated their children from home and discovered a new form of learning that benefited students and their households as result. A popular video-sharing app such as TikTok, meant for the creation of fun and silly short-form videos for entertainment, was utilized by children and adults alike for the spreading of important information and global news coverage, ensuring that information coverage would reach masses through the quickest links in a mainstream app. I share these findings with you because not only did I find them surprising to read myself, but I believe they highlight both positive usage of modern technology by today’s youth and young adults during recent historic events, but they showcase the adaptability of the human spirit, that even when society feels scary or modern technology seems risky or just simple passing trends, people can always find good, positive uses for electronic devices in their daily lives. It is important to discuss negative, dangerous threats in the world, but it is also valuable to address positive changes in society as well, such as the clever, creative, kind and resilient potential of modern tech users in a post-pandemic society.

 

 

                                                     Works cited

    Fell, Ashley. “How Covid-19 Will Shape Generation Alpha.” McCrindle, McCrindle Research Pty Ltd, 2020, mccrindle.com.au/article/topic/generation-alpha/how-covid-19-will-shape-generation-alpha/.

    Leppert, Rebecca, and Katerina Eva Matsa.

    “More Americans – Especially Young Adults – Are Regularly Getting News on Tiktok.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 17 Sept. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/17/more-americans-regularly-get-news-on-tiktok-especially-young-adults/.

LIS 724: Active Learning

 

                                                  An Introduction

    Hello Readers! As someone who is currently an university student, studying to earn her master’s degree in Librarian and Information Science, that means I spend quite a bit of time in classes! Do you remember going to school growing up? Having to sit quietly and listen to the teacher’s lectures, needing to ask permission to speak in the classroom or to move around? I imagine for many students in their early educational journey, their learning experiences in school often felt like being talked down towards and passive, not feeling like you had much of a say in what you learned or what was discussed? Or perhaps, Reader, you are a teacher, and looking for new ways to get your students interested, enriched and engaged in their educational lessons, in ways in which students truly feel that they’re taking an active part in their learning experience rather than a quiet, passive listener? Whether you are a teacher or student, Readers, perhaps you would benefit from active learning in your educational journey?

Chart Describing the Examples of Active Learning, Created by the University of Minnesota. Image source.

                                    What is Active Learning?

    “But what is active learning?” You may be asking, dear blog readers. Active learning, as described through research by the University of Minnesota, is a method of teaching in which students, across all grade levels and ages, are encouraged by their teachers to take an active participance in their education, as opposed to more traditional, passive forms of class learning. Active learning can take many shapes and forms, not being limited to any singular style of teaching, class subject or academic discipline, taking the forms of potentially a wide variety of educational strategies and classroom activities. Active learning does not replace traditional classroom setups such as reading, listening to lectures, group projects and students responding to questions when prompted, but rather, active learning is intended to enhance students’ education though teaching them to practice critical and creative thinking, to further develop skills, allow them to discuss material in their own words, learn teamwork with their classmates and to broaden their understanding of the class curriculum and study materials. As described through research by the Cornell University, active learning can benefit students though helping them explore new angles for problem solving; helping students absorb classroom material by talking, writing, and thinking through the lesson plans, form new connections with the material and apply new knowledge to memory through active learning methods and help motivate students to develop new relationships to learning in school beyond simply sitting quietly and listening passively, unengaged with their lessons.   

"A blank sheet of paper equals endless possibilities." - Michael Scott. Image source

                                                       One-Minute Papers

    One example of the many active learning methods teachers can encourage their students to broaden their relationships and understanding with education is through utilizing an active learning method known as One-Minute Papers. One-Minute Papers can be utilized for multiple subjects across different grade levels, benefiting both students and their educators. In class, usually after a topic discussion, class forum, reading, lecture or unit, on any subject matter, the teacher instructs the students to take a piece of paper and pencil or pen, to write down for one minute their thoughts and reflections about what they just learned as a class. This can be helpful in that it encourages students to reflect on what stood out to them in the day's lesson and to voice any questions or observations about their learning experience while the information is still fresh in their minds; while giving the teacher samples of where everyone in class is at with the lesson plan, allowing for both student engagement and feedback at the same time. A benefit of One-Minute Papers is how they are flexible. One-Minute Papers can be arranged to fit the needs of the students, teacher and the subject matter as they are learning new material any given class. It can can ask questions such as “What was the most interesting thing you learned in class today?” Or “What was the most confusing thing in today’s lesson?” These can be written anonymously on blank flashcards if the teacher and class so choose, to be read and reviewed by the teacher at the end of class, followed by a group discussion with students on their opinions on the context of the cards. The One-Minute Papers method of active learning expands upon the concept of note-taking, short writing assignments and end-of-lesson questions with the teacher by turning the talks into something of a game for students. One-Minute Papers, through a creative writing opportunity, allow students to develop their critical thinking skills, while also allowing students the chance to voice their thoughts, questions and concerns at the end of class, becoming engaged with the material on a deeper level through the short-form active learning writing exercises.

                  My Experience with One-Minute Papers

    At this time of writing, I am not a teacher, but a university student studying to earn her master’s degree in Library and Information Science, working to become a public librarian after completing my education. With that said however, in the past, I have volunteered at my church’s Sunday school room, babysitting and helping with the readings and bible studies each week with the grade school children, aged from early elementary to middle-school aged. One of the activities I would help the children with was an exercise similar to the One-Minute Papers, in which I asked the children to write down or draw pictures on blank papers anything which stood out them in the chapters of the lesson plans we just read, or any questions they had, to which I would do my best to answer any questions or comments they had about the reading. This exercise was meant to help the children be engaged with readings and lessons taught in the Sunday school class, encouraging them to reflect and voice their thoughts through writing, arts and craft activities.   

                                             Conclusion

We all should strive to have the confidence of Tina Belcher going to school! Image source. 

    Active learning techniques, such as the One-Minute Papers, are not meant to replace traditional forms of education and curriculums in classrooms, but to be an opportunity for teachers and their students to engage with the material from a new point of view. Active learning, as the name implies, is a chance to spark discussion and motive questions within a class setting. Through experimenting with active learning, students have the opportunity to have their voices heard in their education, a chance to be a proactive participant in learning rather than passively listening. If One-Minute Papers do not suit a class, there are a wide variety of other methods and activities for teachers and students to experience with active learning. Traditional forms of education can be difficult for some students, but with active learning, there are a plethora of ways for students to discover which learning styles, activities and exercises are best suited to their interests and needs, both as individuals and as a classroom.    

LIS 724: My Digital Map

                                                                 An Introduction

    Hello readers! Lately, I’ve been thinking about both how quickly the internet has evolved the past few decades and how far the internet has been fully integrated into all corners of society in the relatively short amount of time it has existed. It’s a little crazy to think back on how many hours a day countless people, myself included, must have spent on our phones and computers without even giving it a second thought. Between needing electronics for my coursework, chosen profession and using them for entertainment in my free time, I know I’m guilty of spending multiple hours a day glued to a screen in some shape or form. I can remember when I was a young girl during the early Aughts, I only used the internet for a couple of computer games at most, now as a grown woman, I seem to rely on the internet and my phone apps for all areas of my life, even without consciously considering its influence. When I’m done for the day with schoolwork, research and projects on the computer, I decide to relax… by taking out my phone and looking at YouTube and TikTok, or stream Netflix!

My Digital Map. Image Source: Personal Photos of Lizzy Prain, Created Via Microsoft Word App.

                                      What is a Digital Map?

    The sites and apps we use for recreation or work-based purposes can at times overlap, as well as recognizing how much time we devote to each app can be tricky in addition, especially when electronic devices play such significant roles in day-to-day life, helping us to complete important tasks, for entertainment or to aid in interacting with others for a wide variety of reasons. When reflecting upon my relationship with my phone, laptop and the internet by extension, I designed a digital map, shown above, in order to help organize and chart out my usage across different sites and electronic apps in both my professional and personal lives. But “what is a digital map?” You may be wondering, readers, a digital map is not a map in the traditional sense of the word; instead of showing real-world routes and locations, it categorizes where an individual spends the most of their time online and on which apps, divided into four quadrants: known as personal, professional, resident and visitor. A digital map is like a fingerprint in which each one created is unique to every person, reflecting where they spend the most of their time on their electronic devices, for what purposes and in what capacity, helping electronic device users with reflection upon their favorite sites and apps, or to help users with time management in app and internet usage.

Image Source

                              Analyzing My Own Digital Map

    After creating and giving time to reflection upon my digital map. I found that are many websites and phone apps that I use in my daily life, both in my schoolwork routine and for purely recreational reasons, realizing I use more apps than I had initially anticipated when beginning this project! I most commonly use Google for both professional and personal purposes, with the apps I visit most being YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook as a resident for personal usage, each of them used for recreational reasons or keeping in-touch with friends and family though the apps' messaging systems. When I’m not scrolling through social media, I’m using the Hulu, Peacock, Netflix and DisneyPlus apps to stream my favorite programming either in the morning or at the end of the day. I enjoy using Goodreads, Webtoons, Reddit, TikTok and Instagram for primarily browsing as a visitor over being a resident because I know I would get more addicted to screen-time than I already am if I spent longer period on those specific apps. I do my best to limit my Instagram and TikTok viewing as I feel I could get lost in Wonderland down those particular rabbit holes of the internet! I enjoy reading Goodreads in a recreational capacity, but have also found myself needing the app for professional reasons as well due to my study in library and information science. Furthermore, I found that most of the websites and phone apps I need for school or planning my future career in the librarian profession, I am usually also a resident of the sites in order to stay up-to-date on related news and research for my university projects. In essence, I feel that I use nearly just as many apps for my professional work in the resident quadrants, as I do as a resident in the personal quadrant of my digital map.

                                              Conclusion

Seraphine proves you can be a superhero and an influencer! Image Source

    I was a little surprised when I really stopped and thought about how many phone apps and websites that I use for both work and recreational reasons. I feel that I am responsible in that I don’t devote more time to my personal apps during the work week over my professional apps, while striving to use my personal apps more on the weekends or saving them for the evening when my school day is over and my daily responsibilities have been fulfilled. I also feel that creating my digital map was helpful in reminding myself to strive for a balance in how much screen-time I use each day. There is no shame in needing electronic devices for work or using them to play and relax during free time, but I think the digital maps are a useful tool for taking time to stop and reflect on one’s digital usage over the weekdays. I‘m glad to have created this digital map chart as it can help me focus, reflect and try to plan out my recreational screen-time better for the future.

There's always time for a selfie! Image Source

LIS 724: My Relationship with Technology

                                            An Introduction  

Hello readers! In our modern day and age, it can easily feel as though technology has significant influence in every area of our daily lives. Modern technology has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, playing integral roles in our education, workplaces, recreation, public spaces, and even as a key component in our socialization with others. Electronic devices, in their current forms, are ever-present in the society of today, it can be difficult to imagine life without them, or what life was like before their existence, despite the reality of how short of a time it was ago. How does one unbiasedly reevaluate their relationship to technology when it dominates so many different aspects of one’s daily needs and social interactions?

My phone model. Image Source

Image Source

    My Relationship with my Android Cell Phone

    Reflecting upon on my relationship to modern technology, specifically my relationship my Android cell phone, I find myself struggling a bit with balancing when to use it and when to put it down. Similar to many people my age, I assume, I use my phone for nearly every area of my life, whether it’s for work, to socialize with family and friends, or to simply relax, play and scroll down an endless rabbit hole of apps and websites after a long day. I grew up during the early aughts, a time in which cell phones and the internet where still in their early stages, and thus, did not have a significant impact in my childhood outside of my enjoyment of playing computer games like Barbie or The Sims on my family’s Dell computer in the living room. It wasn’t until high school, when my parents saw that every kid and their cousin did indeed have cell phones, that I was given my first Android phone. Ever since then, I have owned an Android phone, now using it in adulthood for a variety of recreational, work-based and socialization reasons.

    Being given a cell phone as a teenager felt like a key to the rest of the world had opened up for me as an individual. I was sickly when I was a small child, which meant I couldn’t go out as often as I would have liked as a young girl to play with other kids my age, and due to living in a rather isolated, rural community with an eye disability which made traveling on my own to the nearest towns and cities a difficult challenge all onto itself even now as an adult, having a cell phone on hand was a genuine game changer for me and what I could accomplish on my own as an independent young woman. I feel that my relationship to my android phone is ultimately a positive one, as it allows me to complete work assignments, make arrangements when I need it, to stay connected with my friends and family, or to simply play games, read and unwind at the end of the day. Besides reading e-books, or scrolling through apps such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Webtoons for fun, I really enjoy using the camera app on my phone to create memories with my loved ones or to make creative photography projects as a hobby. Below, is a collage I made of my family and myself using my android phone’s camera app as a positive example of my phone’s modern capabilities.

Image Source: Personal Photos of Lizzy Prain

                                                   Conclusion 

"Ennui. I am what you call 'The Boredom'." Image Source

      I feel that I struggle with knowing when to put my phone down and just be in the moment without a screen, an issue which is likely shared with many people around the world similar to myself. It can be tricky at times, as many situations require the usage of a phone in one way or another. I think I often at times grab and use my phone almost unconsciously, simply because it is in reach, almost as though it were a muscle memory. Recently, I have been trying to manage how much I use my cell phone by setting personal boundaries, such as limiting my recreational screen time to just half-an-hour intervals in the afternoon and evening, or by putting my phone away an hour before I go to bed.  In essence, I plan to continue using my phone for the foreseeable future, as I feel that the positives of having it are beneficial to me and the needs of my personal circumstances, outweighing the negatives which come with owning a cellular device in modern society. I feel its important that I find the right balance in using my cell phone, to recognize its positive features and beneficial impact on my life, without letting screen-usage be all-consuming in the process.

LIS 724: Self-Evaluation of Framework

 

                                                 An Introduction   

     Hello readers, in our modern digital world, technology can advance and change in a relatively short amount of time, with the ways in which people can utilize that technology looking vastly different today from what was commonplace twenty or even ten years ago. In the grand scheme of time, technology has made significant leaps and bounds in advancements in a blink of an eye. Modern tech tools and devices are heavily integrated into various areas of daily life to various degrees, with a key cornerstone of society being the potential applications of technological advancements for educational purposes across differing grade levels and life stages of human development. In present day, technology has evolved to the point where it can have seemingly endless applications for recreational, work and educational possibilities. However, while technological advancements in recent years have transformed educational resources in a wide variety of different shapes and forms, that does not mean that technology is always used to its full potential in school classrooms by teachers and students.

Image Source: PowerSchool

                                    Explaining the SAMR Model

    The SAMR Model, which stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition, was developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura as an asset in which educators can step back to look at how they and their students interact with modern software and devices; this model evaluates if they are integrating technology into their classrooms in an effective manner or to discover the full potential of their electronic resources. Through comparison and reflection of the previously stated tiers in the SAMR Model. Each tier highlights an aspect of modern technology that can utilized for learning that teachers can reflect upon and review in which ways each of the four levels apply to their classes’ experiences or be useful moving forward.

    Within the hierarchy, Substitution means the replacement of traditional learning material and classroom activities, such as paper, in exchange for electronic counterparts, such as the usage of file-sharing programming such as PDF files, Microsoft software, or Google Drive. The following tier, Augmentation, refers to enhancing the content already in use by the teacher and students, such as though multimedia, adding hyperlinks to written work or utilizing comments through electronic messaging. The third tier is Modification, which refers to transforming the learning methods of a classroom, differing from the previous levels in that it is not replacing or enhancing educational content, but transforming the method of how lesson plans are taught to students, such as the creation of communication channels through means such as Moodle, Canvas or Google Classrooms, made possible with modern digital classroom management software. The fourth and last tier is Redefinition, which means examining and refining how modern technological tools, programs, ecteronic communications devices transform traditional educational methods into brand new learning experiences for students, in ways that would not be possible in prior generations. This can refer to students messaging with classmates or their teacher, or receiving digital feedback on their schoolwork in quicker speeds than without the aid of technology.

"Topsy!" Image Source

                                             My Self-Evaluation 

    At the time of writing, I am not a teacher, nor do I have a background in education, only prior experience babysitting. I am still a graduate student focused on my studies and not employed at the moment, with career plans to work to become a public librarian after completing my education. With that being said, I found the SAMR Model a very useful resource and after reflecting upon my relationship to technology, I found that I am myself someone who primarily uses the first two tiers of the hierarchy, Substitution and Augmentation. I use these two tiers as my schoolwork and prior employment historically focused on making written work digital, the creation of documents and saved files, or the creation of PowerPoints for different projects. I feel that while I am good with the technology I am already familiar with, I know I always have room for improvement. In my future work environment as a public librarian, I want to have learned each of the four levels of the SAMR Model in order to help both patrons and co-workers when needed. I wish to better understand implement the tiers of Augmentation and Modification in particular in order to improve my skillset while helping navigate the computing and database systems of my future public library workplace. Although I am taking a different career path from an teacher, I feel I can still apply what I learn from the SAMR Model into my future goals working in the public library, such as learning how to reflective among the tiers, and evaluate if modern technology is being used to its full potential for the library patrons, such as improving communications, the program calendar, cataloging and database systems, electronic borrowing and the usage of digital material in the library for the improvement of the patrons’ experiences.      

                                                    Works Cited

    Powerschool.Com, PowerSchool, 13 Apr. 2021, www.powerschool.com/blog/samr-model-a-practical-guide-for-k-12-classroom-technology-integration/#:~:text=The%20letters%20%E2%80%9CSAMR%E2%80%9D%20stand%20for,help%20students%20visualize%20complex%20concepts.

    Terada, Youki. 

    “A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 4 May 2020, www.edutopia.org/article/powerful-model-understanding-good-tech-integration.