Next Steps

Dec 10th, 2017 by bischs

The first next step for the team includes gathering more quantitate data and doing an evaluation design. Below is the outline for just that beginning with a hypothesis and ending with a sample survey for students to gather more information from them. Both verification and validation is key for proper evaluation design. Validation is an internal check: does the product work to make effective prototypes? The verification is the external result: is there a percent increase in engagement and learning based off individual projects and success not grades. During the both the field site visit and the demo day, prototypes were created which provided validation that the design works the way it should. There are tweaks to be made no doubt, but overall the content and set up affords the creation of a prototype. For the verification, the surveys can be made to analyze students preferred mode of learning.

Hypothesis

By presenting material in multiple learning styles the students will possess higher retention of information not only as memorization but as analysis and understanding. The goal in schools would be to have the most number of students learn as much information as they can.

Value Propositions

Prototyping allows a more personal experience with the material and allows one to organize their thoughts in a way that makes sense to them
Prototyping skills can be used to reinforce many different topics in education
Prototyping is traditionally an engineering and design practice taught in higher level education that can be utilized by younger students in many fields
Prototyping gives educators and student an advantage because it allows for auditory, visual, kinetic learning
Prototyping encourages mistakes and failures which are often seen as negative in elementary, middle, and high school. Learning to fail and how to come back is important.

Large scale Testing

A year long study of two middle school science classrooms at the same school of roughly the same size with the same teacher. The information will be the same while the learning would be the dependent variable. The first style of learning would be the current method. Our intervention would be the use of our prototype box. The initial survey would be at the beginning of the year and would be a gauge on the strengths and weaknesses of how they learn right now. The final survey, would be at the end of the year and ideally reflect different learning about how students learn after having access to prototyping throughout the year.

Small scale Testing

This would be smaller usage of the prototype box and much more structured. The students would use the prototype box after each unit to reinforce the lesson, but not to the point where the students have free range over their abilities to prototype. Essentially, this would be a more monitored and supervised usage of the prototype box as opposed to seeing how the students would take ownership of the box. The initial survey would be from the students and teacher to ask how they learn and what they find most intriguing. The final survey would ask similar things, but also ask about the amount of prototyping that they would like to have in the classroom. This would help to evaluate if they would like more of the prototype boxes, or if the intervention was unsuccessful.

Survey for Middle Schoolers Example

1-What subject did you like the most last year?

- Math
- Science
- Social Studies
- English
- Language Arts
- Gym
- Music
- Art
- Other_______

Rate the accuracy of the statement:

I enjoyed math last year.