Cognitive Learning
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Singin' In The Rain (Gene Kelly)
Topic: Literature Review
So, have been reading some stuff on cognitive learning lately, as that is one of the sections in my literature review. There are a lot of theories surrounding this, you have the theory of working memory that Baddeley and Hitch developed about have a central executive system which does the processing. This have two slave systems, a phonological loop (verbal and audio) and a visuospatial sketchpad (visual - like words and geographical locations with respect to things - I think) ... lately they have added something new, an episodic buffer which says that this can use data from both the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad to assimilate and learn better (my interpretation :D).

Well ... after the working memory thingy we have the concept of cognitive load theory developed by Sweeney and others, in which it looks at the capacity of the working memory and how to best used it. They proposed three types of loads: intrinsic - which deals with materials that are new to the person, the germane load - this is where the information is processed and becomes learning (whether surface or deep - I have no idea, but some kind of learning occurs) and then there is extraneous load - this is material that does not contribute to learning directly but rather things in the periphery.

Mayer and his colleagues using the concept of working memory and the cognitive load theory for multimedia learning. Particularly, looks at how a person could have cognitive overload - i.e. reached the processing capacity of their working memory. They use a different approach to Sweller I think, they look at cognitive demands, i.e. the types of processing, a)essential processing - this is processing to make sense of materials and perhaps (??) allow meaningful (something like deep learning - allow the students transfer their learning to different tasks), b) incidental processing - processing materials that do no do anything towards meaningful learning (I guess this is similar to extraneous load) and c) representational processing -this is where a representation of the materials, such as an image, has to be held in the working memory for a period of time.

Thinking about methodology
Mood:  sad
Now Playing: Singin' in the Rain (Doris Day)
Topic: Methodology
So, I was thinking that since its proving a bit difficult to find people who are teaching linear programming and for me to get access to it ... I was wondering if I could actually ever test my research by next September and how to test the difference in learning linear programming with various kind of software.

So, I thought perhaps I could use the computer lab here in IET, and get people to volunteer to learn linear programming (ok - not such a bright idea - but people might be willing!) and get them to use the software and see what is happening.

Anyway, I'm going to check out the Matlab software, I ordered it from AACS (hopefully I'll get a link soon telling me to load it - hope they have licences!), I just need to get the templates or whatever from the M373 course to see what is done.

Meeting with James
Mood:  down
Now Playing: Ain't That a Shame (Fats Domino)
Topic: Meetings
I met up with James the week before Friday (10th Feb) and was supposed to write up some of the stuff he told me here or either in meeting notes and I didn't get around to it - and I felt bad I hadn't done it ... I've fallen and hopefully I don't continue to fall with this procrastination attitude - and I feel a bit dejected about that - and also was suppose to do some of my literature work - and haven't gotten around to it as yet - and that is making me more dejected!

Anyway, onto my meeting with James, we had a pretty long talk for about 1 hr and a half - and it did make me feel good whilst I was talking to him. He told me about the upcoming BSRLM conference in Warwick and asked me to have a look at it (I did - but didn't see anything that was really that interesting). Anyway, he said to look around at other conferences that might focus on engineering or business education.

He told me it might be good to check out the work of Paul Brna who was at Leeds (just checked he is now in Glasgow) and who did work on computer-based learning (as it was known then - I think) - and suggested I look at a good review paper of his work perhaps (through citations).

James also suggested making some contacts with people in PLAC, FELS, Maths particularly CME and KMI. I was supposed to go to a seminar on maths at the KMI podium but didn't attend because it clashed with my induction day and couldn't find the KMI podium when I did decide to slip out and go.

James thought it might be a good idea to interview some of the associate lecturers that were associated with the M373 and BM240 classes to see what the classic difficulties of LP were in particular with the use of the software. He suggested I started with the course chair who might refer me to the staff tutors and they will refer me to the associate lecturers. The staff tutors (if the course is large!) are the people who recruit the associate lecturers and I won't have any problem with the SRPP if I want to talk to them - at least that's what James said.

He also thought that the MSc dissertation - there could be a possible journal paper in that - and I should try and convince John to help me write it. I will need to have more reference to the literature and be clear about it and also recent literature.

James thought it was also useful that I interview the students when they did their project in March - however, I thought they were doing a project using linear programming only - as it turns out it could be any operations research technique! Anyway, I've 4 interviews lined up for mid-march to see what the students did - and hopefully at least on of them did linear programming.

Making my mandatory post
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Lips Like Sugar (Seal)
Topic: Interviews
so, I'm forced to make a post into this blog since, my reminder keeps popping up to say go make a post ... and I can't very well make it go away unless I do it.

Anyway, today I started my telephone interviews of the students ... well, so far I've only done one ... got one definitely booked tomorrow at 1:15 and another this afternoon after 6 ... so, that will be three definite interviews. I have a feeling that might be all that I might get - since I keep calling the other people's phone and it keeps ringing out or switched off - but I have to keep at it.

The reason I took so long to get on with these interviews was because I couldn't get a hold of the telephone recording equipment - but today when I called up Sarah it turns out there were cassette recording systems but they were trying to get me the digital systems, that is why they didn't reply my request (well at least I think so!) - but I've taken the cassette recording ones - I don't mind - I can always translate it into digital output ... if there is an audio output in the player which I could then feed into the computer - bit long - but will prefer to have it in digital format.

The one girl I've spoken to so far, says she can hardly remember what she did - but I thought she remembered pretty well. She hadn't done any of the problems etc - as I suspected. I expect people won't attempt these until their mini-project comes around which is due in mid-march. But I've been able to extol a promise from this interviewee that I can interview her again at the end of March to see how she got on with her project. Hopefully, will find out something more then. Because as of now, she has not attempted any problems, did any graphical problems or looked at Excel Solver - so couldn't get much out of it. They'll definitely have to do that for the mini-project ... so, I think I might get more rich data then.

Observation exercise
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Wooden Heart (Elvis Presley)
Topic: Methodology
So, went to Cranfield on Monday and did the observation exercise - I'm not quite sure what is it so new that I learn or whether that helps me to formulate the research question any better ... I'm really not sure f my future observation exercises might be pointless. Anyway, I'm supposed to do some interviews with some students later this week over telephone - so hoping I can find something that is better there.

Now let me see what I thought was unique or different about this observation ... well, there was:
1) A lot of concentration on the formulation of problems (so guessing this is a soft-applied context) and the first instance when the formulation problem was given, this was definitely not a mechanical problem - but more a constructive or perhaps interpretive problem - students had to figure out how to solve the problem. However, in fact this was not a formulation problem when one thinks about it, in fact it was a mixture of a formulation and solution problem, because students had to think about what constraints could affect the answer - and guess an answer in the end.

Now, looking back and reading the quotes I've written it is getting a lot more interesting - probably I didn't think through all I could do with this data.

Questions I want to pilot
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: That's What Daddy Wants (Wayne Hancock)
Topic: Research questions
So, got the observation set up over in Cranfield on Monday - and I am still wrestling with what I expect to get out of it.

So, I'm brainstorming here - all I keep remembering is that I'm looking at the learning and teaching of linear programming in various learning contexts - although it is really learning rather than teaching.

Ok, let's see what are the main goals of this pilot study:
1. Pilot my observation skills
2. Pilot my interviewing skills

So, essentially I'm piloting two methods of data collection.

Just got an idea - I wanted to use Galbraith and Haines mathematics computing attitude scales - I was thinking I could have pilot here in the OU with people who would have perhaps did linear programming or mathematics at the undergraduate level or perhaps using OU students - not sure what I'm looking for in that case - but just as pilot to compare how these attitudes may differ from discipline or possibly by students taking the course, if whether their attitudes of mathematics-computing compare well to the course that they were undertaking.

Or perhaps I can interview people who did linear programming here in the OU and as them how they felt about it, what kind of software they used and what they thought about the software etc. It might be a long time ago for these people and they mightn't even remember the course.

I could possibly interview OU students who did the course?? Got to go through SRPP for this - but still need to come up with what I'm looking for ... probably could call it exploratory research just like exploratory surgery :D

Still haven't got to the questions I want to get from the pilot study ... I think from the observation/ interview study at Cranfield I want to see:
1. What kind of approach is used in teaching linear programming for this course? I.e. is it more like a soft-applied approach or a hard-applied approach etc
2. How are the lectures presented?
3. The amount time spent on formulation, solutions etc and the problems given to the students
4. The amount of interaction that the students have between them and the teacher
5. When is the software whipped out for the students to use and what are the problems and comments that the students have when using the software
6. What they do when they are behind the computer - i.e. follow teacher's instructions to the law or do their own thing


From the teacher interviews:
1. Why the particular approach is used for these particular kind of students? i.e. soft-applied/ hard-applied - and whether a different approach would have been better in the teacher's opinion
2. Would this course be sufficient to meet their future goals in their field?
3. How much they think linear programming would be used in their future jobs etc.
4. Why the choice of software?
5. Would they have preferred a different software?
6. What problems they see with using the software and problems that student's bring up?
7. How do they go about assessing student's linear programming accomplishment
8. What kind of problems are set for them - in assignments, tests or projects?

As for the interviewing of students at Cranfield and maybe in the OU:
1. What they think of linear programming - is it a hard or easy concept?
2. Do they think it will be easy to implement? Or do they see themselves using the concept or using some other concept
3. What they found hard about linear programming?
4. What they enjoy most or least about studying it?
5. Do they enjoy using the software for linear programming? What they enjoyed the most/ least?
6. Would they have preferred some different kind of software?
7. What problems they see when using the software and learning?

Well, these seem all like questions I want them to understand - but to what purpose? To merely illustrate how linear programming is taught at one institution (or learning context) and to highlight the problems/ challenges of teaching linear programming (and with software)?

Seems good to me :D

Observation Study on the 6th
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Listen to your heart (Roxette)
Topic: Methodology
I've set up an observation study of linear programming at Cranfield university (I think the guy over there might be a bit unwilling - but got the appointment so nevertheless - I thought I might be coming over as pushy - but Gill says for our PhDs we should be persistent).

Anyway, from the case studies workshop I attended was thinking I should take out some pictures - but wonder what are the ethical and legal considerations of that? Do I need to get the people to sign a photo release? Or the university's permission? I'm not even quite sure if I could just go and observe the students with the lecturer's say so without getting the university's permission!!

This is getting quite complicated ... but ... anyway, I'm doing it ... if it becomes a complication, probably can just say sorry :) and take my data and leave? Anyway, will have to write to the guy and ask ... will do it on Monday. Or maybe I should do it now? I don't know if that will be too pushy? But Gill said to be persistent .... hmmm ... bit ambivalent.

Well, I just created the email, all I need to do now is to send it but I wanted to tell him that I will like to talk to him about 10-15 mins before or after the class but I should at least tell him on what - but I have no idea what the what is as yet!!!

U500 Case Studies Worshop
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: I Swear (John Michael Montgomery)
Topic: Seminars
So, went to the case studies workshop on Tuesday, I attended the same one last year, but last year I had an entirely different focus ... whilst this year I have no focus :D. No that's a lie ... I do have some kind of focus, I know I'm looking at how linear programming is taught and learnt in different learning contexts. What I am not certain about is what these learning contexts are.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm going to employ case studies ... or if I do, it will just be some aspect of it rather than a full blown case study. The guy who did the workshop (Terry Newholm) in his presentation said that (I think he was quoting someone else) is that a case study is about 'researching an organism in its environment'. Now, that's an interesting concept but I think for the case of learning and teaching linear programming there really isn't any contained environment, as in a classroom, where learning only goes on - not sure what I'm getting at, but I think what I'm trying to say it is not a closed system but an open system (just to borrow some terms from thermodynamics), and I guess the 'total energy' for learning is not confined to the classroom :D (wonder if that even makes sense!).

Now a question, that Terry asked us to consider in our research what kind of cases and how many cases should we choose. Well, I obviously had to go from a modernist/positivist approach because it is the only approach I know that I'm comfortable with. So, using that approach, I decided I'll have three learning contexts ... and these learning contexts will be based on the disciplines or should I say focus of the course. That is ones that are hard-applied, soft-applied and hard-pure ... where:

1. soft-applied means the course is application intensive such that there is a high attention on formulation, on just getting the answer (i.e. no theory) and possibly some attention on applying the sensitivity analysis - this will perhaps mean that soft-applied courses will be most likely in using linear programming software - checking this theory against what I found in my MSc literature it shows that 92 % of the soft-applied did use software, but pure-applied were quite close to this also (90 %).

2. hard-pure means the course is means that there is a high attention on the theory of solving the problem and theory of finding the values for sensitivity analysis, possibly of using a wide range of mathematical notation and approaches such as algebraic, matrices, Lagrange etc.

3. hard-applied means the course places almost equal importance on the formulation, solving of the problems and solving the sensitivity analysis, through calculations and with a means for application, basically a very balanced course.

I wonder if I ask the students from each of these types of courses if they will prefer another learning context, for example if the soft-applied will prefer the hard-applied approach and whether this is dependent on the disciplines they come from or is in fact intrinsic to the their way of study (this will mean that I'm throwing out the theory that approaches of study are dependent on the course the student is studying for but rather intrinsic to the student) or whether this is matter of what the student expect to get from the course i.e. to pass the course, apply this in a job or understand a subject thoroughly.

Anyway, those will be my three learning contexts, but from each of them I can choose case studies from two more situations, one in which students have high computer affinity or ability (hopefully measured by an inventory) and have a low mathematics aptitude (again measured by an inventory) and then have cases chosen from the situation vice versa i.e. high mathematics ability and low computer affinity - that way I am able to get the two ends of the spectrum. However, from each of these contexts I should have at least have 2 or 3 cases. If I do that, that'll mean either 12 or 18 cases in all. Terry recommended have less than 12 cases to allow the reader to follow all the cases!

Anyway, even with all these cases I think I'm forgetting that I am trying to look at the benefits of intermediate steps or different types of softwares in providing the steps - I'm not quite sure how these cases will provide this, this will obviously be dependent on the type of software that is being used by each of the students - and how am I going to measure these benefits? Is it the benefits of learning linear programming with/without steps directly related to their , to their job prospects, to their understanding of the subject or to their passing of the job? How do I measure the benefit?? Hmmm ... that reminds me that Rebecca recommended a paper by Conole and Dyke to me on the concept of affordances to me which might help me in deciding what the benefits are - since they looked at the affordances of ICT - which I don't quite understand as yet - since I haven't read the paper - but I think it has something to do with the extent to what the software can do and the extent that people utilise this extent - or something like that - that's the gist I got from Rebecca.

My draft research question
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Hippy (Atomic Kitten)
Topic: Research questions
So, based on my supervisory meeting last month in December, the research question that I'm currently working with is:

How do students learn linear programming using software in various learning contexts?"

I originally had learning environments but Doug thought learning contexts might be more suitable. As it is, this research question is still broad and they did suggest using a number of sub-questions to focus into what I need to research.

I'm back from vacation
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley)
So, here I'm back from vacation and I feel a bit backward since everyone has sort of getting on with their research and I'm still in the same place I was last month.

Gill is starting her pilot this week!! And I haven't even got around to thinking about my pilot. I've all these tasks I had set up on MS Project and I haven't even looked at Project so it is likely that I'm falling behind.

I know that my pilot has to do with observations or something like that but I still have to get together a list of universities etc and likely lecturers and see when they are willing to let me come observe them. I think I'll have to do that today, so, I can feel as if I'm getting some stuff done :D.