Video data analysis and eye tracking
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Memories of You (Association)
Topic: Seminars

So, went to Jonathan's demonstration of the video data analysis and eye tracking devices. I thought it was quite useful but he got me really scared when he started talking about trying to synchronizing videos (he told me this prior to the session). I don't know what I'm going to be doing in that case!

Anyway, I thought the eye-tracking device would be great for me to do about 2 or 3 cases just to see if the same thing is happening in the remote observation study. Jonathan did say when I'm doing the experiment I should probably do a about 30 participants in a counterbalanced design, and for the first 10 I look at just try to understand the data, and for the next 10 see if I'm picking up any patterns and checking to see if there is any typical or atypical behaviour and for the last 10, check and see what if my theories are being supported. He then suggested take one typical and one atypical participant and analysed in depth. He suggested a time-frame of about 2 months should be sufficient for collecting the data. I hope so!

Video data analysis and eye tracking
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Memories of You (Association
Topic: Seminars

So, went to Jonathan's demonstration of the video data analysis and eye tracking devices. I thought it was quite useful but he got me really scared when he started talking about trying to synchronizing videos (he told me this prior to the session). I don't know what I'm going to be doing in that case!

Anyway, I thought the eye-tracking device would be great for me to do about 2 or 3 cases just to see if the same thing is happening in the remote observation study. Jonathan did say when I'm doing the experiment I should probably do a about 30 participants in a counterbalanced design

Ideas from Jonathan
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Knights of Cydonia (Muse)
Topic: Methodology

Jonathan was telling me that what I plan on doing is somewhat similar to what he did, in that he looked at dynamic (equivalent to WB) and static (equivalent to GB?). Anyway, what he was saying that he found that students who just had to looked at things being displayed were quite passive in their learning but when students had to enter the numbers they became more engaged and perhaps had better learning or understanding - or as I understand were able to self-explain better. So, thought that was a useful finding to me - he called this the sequence effect.

He then said that he thought my tasks that I had were nice and simple and should stick to simple tasks and it was better if I made them happen quick so, only had like 30 minutes of working time. He suggested that I do 3 tasks for each box, 1st taking 1 min, 2nd 2mins and 3rd 3mins. So, makes it 18 mins in all ... that is if I decided to give each student only one box. However, he did caution me that I should make sure the tasks between the three boxes are the same and suggests that I test the tasks out for reliability probably in a class over at the Milton Keynes College, and I might just have to give the teachers some kind of gift for their help (ethical problems anyone?).

Feedback from Chapter 1 Draft
Mood:  don't ask
Now Playing: One or the Other (Paula Abdul)
Topic: Thesis writing

Well, sent off the first draft of the chapter 1 (which I have to admit wasn't that great :D) - it was just about 2000 words. Anyway, John sent back some critical feedback and for some reason I started feeling defensive about my work rather than welcoming the critical feedback. So, I'm trying to understand why I'm feeling like that. I think perhaps I knew it wasn't up to par and I think him giving critical feedback just confirmed that my work wasn't so great but I didn't want to admit it to myself and that I wanted to be given encouragement instead. But one can't give encouragement over not good work, so, got to accept the comments and move on, and try to be more positive towards it.

I think in general I'm just scared at the moment, because I have to start my main study and I still have no idea what I'm doing for it or what exactly I'm looking at and James and Doug will be asking me about it again this afternoon and I would be drawing a blank. I have no ideas. Well, I do have some brief ideas, I'm still thinking about what I'll be looking in the software. I need to still typify what are glass-box, black-box and open-box software in terms of linear programming. Even from my remote observation study I'm not sure how much useful data I can get - especially with people not doing the problems using the software but going back to pen/paper, so, that type of experimental form won't work, because I can't compare between software if people decide to use pen/paper, because it won't be the same things I'll be comparing! So, I'm not sure what I do in that aspect ... this is getting me scared and confused more by the minute - but better find these things out now! 

Pilot Study on the way
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Always Something (Jon Secada)
Topic: Pilot Study
Well, I've already been able to do two participants in my pilot study and I have four lined up for next week. So, it looks promising since I wanted to have 6 students. Not too sure about the software section mixed with mathematics seemed to be getting so far a mixed way of doing things - keeping an eye on it at the moment.

Pilot Study Should Be Going Ahead
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Love Someone Like Me (New Grass Revival)
Topic: Data Collection

Well ... got my software licence on Monday but didn't get the activation keys till yesterday - although haven't tried it out as yet - but hopefully it works out :D ... got to try it soon.

Had to return the laptop since the loan finished yesterday - although I could have renewed it but since I'm using Andreas' computer didn't think I needed it ...

I got a free activation key for the vemotion as well since I told them I needed two copies ... and they were kind enough to do that for me.

I also sent out the email to my participants (only four of them - got to go find 2 others!) and they said they'll be willing to do it, so got to set up some times and dates to do it.

Yesterday got my email survey account set up by Adam J. and Gill gave me the templates this morning - so was able to create the demographics questionnaire this morning - I've tested it and it seems to be working. So, things are looking alright at this point.

Still no sign of the software
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Can't Help Falling in Love (Michael Buble)
Topic: Methodology

Well ... so far no sign of the software ... but should in the meantime put together stuff for it ... double checking the software ... moving around the spreadsheets etc.

Hopefully, everything will work once I get the software. I want to finish this before Christmas because hoping it would inform my main study!

Software for pilot study
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: White Christmas (Bing Crosby)
Topic: Methodology

I am getting a bit anxious about my vemotion software that IET supposedly ordered but can't seem to get a hold of the licence as yet since it is with paypal ... its been 3 weeks since they ordered it but although been asking Fil about it, there hasn't been anything positive feedback as yet.

On the plus side, Jonathan has showed me a software called Netviewer which seems quite promising for remote observation. Jonathan is actually going to be using Netviewer for remote observation in the same way I am going to do it, and he suggested we can write something up later on the differences we've found. It says it has high security so wondering if it will be easier to use behind the OU's firewall than the Windows messenger. It also has a VoIP but not sure if I can record this VoIP with vemotion ... will have to check it out with Jonathan, once I get the software.

Chapter 1 and Pilot Study
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight (Cutting Crew)
Topic: Thesis writing

Well, my writing came to a full stop when I decided to go to the TELMA workshop and haven't done anything since on it ... I've only managed a measly 1850 words ... well, it is still more that I had originally, I was thinking of reviewing it and then rewriting the chapter, but not sure how productive that would be ... I still have to rewrite my pilot study which I have put aside for quite awhile.

 To be fair, I did do the canonical correlation between the two questionnaires that John suggested, but can't make head or tail of how I should proceed to analyse it, and if there is anything of significance between the two questionnaires.

Grand Unified Theories (GUT)
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: When It Comes Down To It (Tasmin Archer)
Topic: Methodology

Well, I'm reading Diana Laurillard's Conversational Framework for learning, I don't think I'm likely to be using it (well who knows!) ... because I do like my cognitive load theory, however, I couldn't help noticing that in the Conversational Framework there is a period in which the student has to internalised or rather reflect on what is being said to them, now in cognitive load theory won't that be the point in the reflection where the germane load is occurring? Laurillard also speaks about the experiential environment wouldn't that in some way be considered a sort of extraneous load if there is no effect in the learning and the teacher providing the information being some part of the intraneous load.

Well, that is just some of my equivalency of learning theories - but that got me thinking ... won't it be cool if we were able to unify all these learning theories and have only one the "Grand Unified Learning Theories" (GULT -has a nice ring to it) - that's my physics background coming into play.

As, can be seen I sort of unified the conversational framework with the cognitive load theory all I got to do is add on the situative learning and the first GULT would be made. I think that might become the ambition of my life ... creating GULTs :)