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Modeling Collaborative Interaction Patterns in a Simulation-
Based Task
Jessica J. Andrews, Deirdre Kerr, Robert J. Mislevy, Alina von Davier,
Jiangang Hao and Lei Liu - February 2017
Simulations and games offer interactive tasks that can elicit rich data, providing evidence of complex skills that are difficult to measure with more conventional items and tests. However, one notable challenge in using such technologies is making sense of the data generated in order to make claims about individuals or groups. This article presents a novel methodological approach that uses the process data and performance outcomes from a simulation-based collaborative science assessment to explore the propensities of dyads to interact in accordance with certain interaction patterns. Further exploratory analyses examine how the approach can be used to answer important questions in collaboration research regarding gender and cultuaral differences in collaborative behavior and how interaction patterns relate to performance outcomes.
Identifying Common Mathematical Misconceptions from Actions
in Educational Video Games
Deirdre Kerr - March 2014
Educational video games provide an opportunity for students to interact with and explore complex representations of academic content and allow for the examination of problem-solving strategies and mistakes that can be difficult to capture in more traditional environments. However, data from such games are notoriously difficult to analyze. This study used a three-step process to examine mistakes students make while playing an educational video game about the identification of fractions. First, cluster analysis was used to identify common misconceptions in the game. Second, a survey was given to determine if the identified in-game misconceptions represented real-world misconceptions. Third, a second educational video game was analyzed to determine whether the same misconceptions would be identified in both games. Results demonstrated that the same misconceptions were identified in both games, and on the survey.
The Effect of In-Game Errors on Learning Outcomes
Deirdre Kerr and Gregory K.W.K. Chung
October 2013
Student mathematical errors are rarely random and often occur because students are applying procedures that they believe to be accurate. Traditional approaches often view such errors as indicators of students’ failure to understand the construct in question, but some theorists view errors as opportunities for students to expand their mental model and create a deeper understanding of the construct. This study examines errors in an educational video game that are indicative of two specific misunderstandings students have about fractions (concerning unitizing and partitioning) in order to determine whether the occurrence of those errors makes students more likely to learn from the game or more likely to be confused by the game. Analysis indicates that students who made unitizing errors were more likely to be confused by the game while students who made partitioning errors were more likely to learn from the game.
The Mediation Effect of In-Game Performance Between Prior
Knowledge and Posttest Score
Deirdre Kerr and Gregory K.W.K. Chung - December 2011
Though video games are commonly considered to hold great potential as learning environments, their effectiveness as a teaching tool has yet to be determined. One reason for this is that researchers often run into the problem of multicollinearity between prior knowledge, in-game performance, and posttest scores, thereby making the determination of the amount of learning attributable to the game difficult. This study uses tests for mediation effects to determine the true relationship between in-game performance and posttest performance, determining that in this case in-game performance is a perfect mediator of prior knowledge on posttest score. In the small sample in this study, prior knowledge predicted both in-game performance and posttest score, but when in-game performance was added to the model prior knowledge was no longer predictive of posttest score controlling for in-game performance.
Measuring Opportunity to Learn and Academic Language Exposure
for English Language Learners in Elementary Science Classrooms
Jose Filipe Martinez, Alison L. Bailey, Deirdre Kerr, Becky H. Huang, and Stacey Beauregard
January 2010
This study piloted a survey-based measure of Opportunity to Learn (OTL) and Academic Language Exposure (ALE) in fourth grade science classrooms focused on teacher practices with both native speakers of English and students who were English Language Learners . In the survey, teachers reported on the instructional practices, materials, and context of their science classrooms. Exploratory factor analysis was used to analyze the survey results in order to determine the dimensions underlying the survey items. Results indicated that OTL and ALE were distinct dimensions of instruction, rather than overlapping approaches. ELL-specific instruction was also a distinct dimension, corresponding with traditional instructional approaches such as rote memorization rather than the recommended OTL and ALE approaches.