Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Abstract

Classroom practitioners are often asked to adopt continually changing standards, to be collaborators and reflective practitioners, and to make new and evolving technologies an integral part of their practice. Understanding Problems of Practice: A Case Study in Design Research describes a process for thinking about and reflecting on innovative practice – the design research process. Each of the five phases of the design research process is exemplified by a discussion of how the authors used this process to create a technology education course for perspective secondary educators. In this chapter, the authors explore the fourth phase of the design research process, evaluating learning outcomes. Acknowledging that even though design decisions may result in powerful learning environments, they may not result in powerful learning. Thus, it is necessary in the fourth phase of the design research process to evaluate learning outcomes. The authors describe strategies and techniques recommended in the design research literature associated with evaluating learning outcomes. They conclude the chapter with the fourth phase of the design research project in which they describe how as classroom practitioners they used quantitative research methods to evaluate changes in teacher attitudes and technology knowledge.