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My Research Journal
Tuesday, 10 October 2006
Preparation plan for the main study (yikes!)
Mood:
 incredulous
Now Playing: Killing Me Softly (Roberta Flack)
Topic: Methodology
I'm a bit miffed ... I just made this post but for some reason it got lost!!!!! Never mind was just saying I have no clue what to do for my main study although I need to send in a plan by the end of this week. I was thinking that if I can get this remote observation pilot done in the next 2 weeks, then I can start looking to pilot the remote observation studies for Nov-Dec - not sure how that will work since I need some participants - so need to start advertising for people in the next two weeks perhaps but also need to develop the questions and decide what I'm going to look for in the software. I can start the advertising in maths forum and on my website (which I sort of have people being redirected to :D). I really want to start the main study next year Jan-Feb, so fingers crossed at this point. My initial plan for the main study in terms of participants is that for each software (CAS, LP and spreadsheets), and each discipline (SA, HA and HP) that I would have students using it as a BB and WB(so hoping this plan can still work!): For each category is 15 students, so therefore, a total of 90 students per software and 270 for all.
Posted by prejudice
at 4:21 PM BST
Remote observation study continues :)
Mood:
 a-ok
Now Playing: Put your head on my shoulder (Paul Anka)
Topic: Methodology
So, still haven't got a computer to do my recording stuff :( ... but hoping once Andreas leaves I can use his computer (he isn't aware of my devious plans as yet - but he leaves on Friday - so not sure how well that goes ... I'm still waiting to see what IT can do for me. Anyway, yesterday I loaded up the webcam software etc. on Andreas computer and I checked it this morning when I came in and it seems as if what I want to try will work, because I recorded the stuff on Andreas computer and it seemed to work fine when I connected as two persons, one on windows messenger and msn messenger ... the only problem is because I didn't have application sharing accessible to me as a non-administrator - I wasn't able to do it (unfortunately!) also, couldn't do the Bulent screen recording on his computer (because I'm not able to record to his C:program files drive! - but was able to do it on mine (only realised I could have done that after 30 mins of trying to get it to work on his computer :S) ... was suppose to set up netmeeting yesterday but couldn't remember where it was located ... ok found it under the internet ... located under netmeeting in programme files and then run conf.exe (for some reason couldn't find that yesterday!). Oh well, got to ask Andreas if he minds me using his computer and loading up software etc :) ... hope he doesn't - but once he leaves he doesn't have to use it ... right?
Posted by prejudice
at 3:16 PM BST
Monday, 9 October 2006
Remote Observation Study Problems Again!
Mood:
 bright
Now Playing: Like a Virgin (Madonna)
Topic: Methodology
Well, last Wednesday I finally got my webcams - hooray! - but not for long :) ... didn't get the headphones till Thursday (hooray again ... but not for long) ... didn't get the tablet PC till Friday (yes! Phil decided to replace the notebook with that - but still not quite on the hooray path!) .. as it turned out the tablet PC is too slow, it cannot process the webcam video fast enough, I just get it as stills occurring rather than a flow of video. So, at the moment requesting a notebook or a desktop to see if I can get that to work!! Watch this space to see what happens in my remote observation study.
Posted by prejudice
at 9:20 AM BST
Tuesday, 3 October 2006
CAL '07 Conference Abstract
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: I want you so bad (Heart)
Topic: Seminars
On Friday, submitted the CAL abstract and it is looking pretty good. James sent me some comments and did it up quite nicely, and got Rebecca and Gill to look at my abstract also (and in turn looked at theirs!). Now go to get the work done, so that I have something to present.
Posted by prejudice
at 4:46 PM BST
Remote Observation
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: I'm a Believer (The Monkees)
Topic: Methodology
My remote observation exercise/ pilot study has come to a full stop at the moment ... because I don't have any webcams or microphone. Unfortunately, the week before when I asked IT for webcams they had lent it out and they said they will be expected some at the ending of last week - and as of today there is still no webcams. I have ordered my own webcam through Amazon but it seems it won't arrive till next week also, so got to put off this pilot at least for a week until I get some equipment. Just recruited someone from the internet to help me pilot the excel worksheet - so he will act as a distance student in the UK, and will get Amalia and Ritch to one also so, they will act as distance students in a developing country.
Posted by prejudice
at 4:38 PM BST
Tuesday, 26 September 2006
CAL '07 abstract
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: Barbara Ann (The Beach Boys)
Topic: Seminars
I churned out an abstract for the CAL '07 conference - but not quite sure how good it is, sent it oft to James, Doug and John - so, far got a response from John - who said it looks alright - once it is tidied up. At first didn't know what to submit, James and I have been contemplating it for awhile, but we couldn't find where exactly to put in the abstract since the abstracts calls for debating the use of CAL '07 (Title: Development, disruption and debate), and couldn't figure out how my present research fit into the themes (ICT & Learning - So what?, New directions, creative expression and learning, ICT for development) - as there seem to be more in the format of making an argument or debate that technology can have a disruptive effect. However, what is quite surprising is that when I registered with the website, there outline for the abstract doesn't seem to imply there should be debate but rather present information from a study, as they suggest that it should have an introduction, methods, results and discussion. Now I didn't read that before I put together my abstract (only saw it when I clicked the submit an abstract link which then ask you to register and then you get that information!), so don't have a results and discussion. Now, there is a very good reason why I don't have a results and discussion as yet - its because James suggested I write up my remote-observation study for it - and since that haven't quite started - I don't have any results and discussion - I guess I could probably pad a bit and say what my expected results and discussions might be (have a feeling that won't get me into the door - but could try). Ann thought that it might be a good opportunity to submit an abstract to such a conference - since some of the proceedings will be journal published - so why not give it a try?
Posted by prejudice
at 2:44 PM BST
Monday, 18 September 2006
New pilot
Mood:
 chillin'
Now Playing: Do Wah Diddy Diddy (Manfred Mann)
Topic: Data Collection
Well, I've decided to venture into a new phase of my pilot studies, to test out my remote observation methodology, so, to do this, I decided to create some problems for people to do, whilst I'm observing them. I'm not sure what the problems are going to be as yet - but have made an excel file which calculates the expected values of lotteries in black-box, white-box and grey-box mode - just got to get the problems to see what happens (mostly using VBA - went to a VBA training workshop last week so using some of that knowledge!). I don't want to write it here - because planning to use Gill, Rebecca and Cling to help me - so don't want to give them a head start - but going to create the problems elsewhere - and write about them after the study.
Posted by prejudice
at 11:34 AM BST
Wednesday, 13 September 2006
Meeting with Peter Galbraith
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: Satrangi Re (Dil Se)
Topic: Meetings
After Peter contacted me through this blog (I knew this blog was good for something!) - I arranged to meet him in London on Friday. It was great meeting with him and chatting with him. He suggested a few papers that I could read including one by Ramsden on technology use by chemistry students (have it written down on my notepad but left my notes at home), also a literature paper by Michelle Artigue which summarizes their work in Paris on CAS and mathematics. He also suggested looking at Diana Mackie's (??) work - there should be paper in the last ICTM. He indicated that I should contact Diana and also Chris Haines about a group on tertiary maths education that exists in the UK - so, I have to do that. He also clarified how, he and Chris Haines created the mechanical, constructive and interpretive problems - which I thought was useful. I told him about the current work I'm doing using the maths-computing inventory and told him I would keep him and Pat informed. It was a really good meeting all the way around. Enjoyed meeting and talking to him immensely.
Posted by prejudice
at 10:00 AM BST
Updated: Wednesday, 13 September 2006 11:16 AM BST
Wednesday, 30 August 2006
Pilot Study yet again!
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: Teahouse on the Tracks (Donald Fagen) - where do they get these titles from??
Topic: Data Analysis
So, back to my pilot study - still have no clue what my data is saying - got too much factors that's all I could figure ... getting more confused by the moment - at first thought to do covariate analysis but that has got me even more confused - I think I'm going to go simple and build from that. Wish me luck :D.
Posted by prejudice
at 11:05 AM BST
Friday, 25 August 2006
Feeling a bit on the slump
Mood:
 lazy
Now Playing: Another Pot O' Tea (Anne Murray)
Topic: Data Analysis
I don't think I've made any real progress with my work thus far ... when it comes to my data analysis, John as suggested I ignore the non-normality (well not ignore exactly!) - and find literature that suggest that ANOVA's are robust against the non-normality and heterogeneity of variance assumptions (he suggested I read Box's paper) ... my problem - I'm not sure if you can actually mix both - so, what I'm going to do is pretend there is not a large violation of either, and continue with ANOVA's but might use Brown & Forsythe's F instead for the heterogeneity - since there are unequal sample size - oh well still deciding. Anyway, got to decide quick since got to send in a report on this by next Friday!
Posted by prejudice
at 9:39 AM BST
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