CD 243 DevTech Seminar - Fall 2006

CD243 Developmental Technologies: A research seminar Mondays 12-1:15pm, Fall 2006
Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development Curriculum Lab

Prof. Marina Bers Marina.Bers@tufts.edu 627-4490
Office hours: Wednesdays 10-11 or by appointment
Lab meeting Wednesdays 9:30-10:30
(or alternative date based on lab schedule)

Course Description

This research seminar for doctoral or advanced masters students explores research methods used in investigating how computers can have a positive impact in the lives of young people, as well as current research projects done in this field. The course is project-based and prepares students to learn about current academic journals in this field and the process of publication and grant writing in this interdisciplinary area. The course will use cases of current research projects done in the DevTech research group as a way to frame a wider discussion

Permission of instructor is required.

Required assignments:

1) Class and mailing list participation (devtechseminar@elist.tufts.edu).

2) Final paper based student’s research project/interests. The topic and format will be determined together with Prof. Bers.

2) A multimedia rich presentation (Powerpoint or web-based) of the research project the student is working on

3) A selection of two required informative readings (and possible some elective ones) regarding the research project.
These readings are aimed at giving some contextual information needed to understand the issues the research project is addressing.
Students should distribute PDF files via e-mail or photocopies of the readings to all seminar participants the week before their scheduled presentation.

4) Constructive peer-review of projects.
After each presentation is done, students will complete a peer-review sheet distributed by Prof. Bers which will be given to the presenting student as feedback.

Sept 11 Developmental Technologies: an introduction

Readings:
Bers, M (in press) The role of new technologies to foster positive youth development, Journal of Applied Developmental Science.

Sept 18 Research in complex settings: VCLC @ Children’s Hospital as a case study(Power point presentation)

Readings:
Children’s Hospital IRB and amendments, Bers’ 2005 NSF Career proposal
Presenter: Clement Chau

Sept 25  Challenges in interdisciplinary literature reviews

"Scholars Before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation" Educational Researcher Vol 34 No. 6

Literatue Review by Laura Beals

Presenter: Laura Beals

Oct 2 Yom Kipur (No meeting)

Oct 9 No class (Holiday!)

Oct 16   Virtual ethnographies: coding and analyzing Zora logs

Readings:
Virtual ethnographies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_ethnography

Maloney-Krichmar, D., Eckert, K., Preece, J. (2003) A critique of an ethnographic approach to the study of an online health support community:
Advantages, disadvantages, and lessons learned..
Duquense Ethnography Conference, Philadelphia, 10-12 http://www.ifsm.umbc.edu/~preece/Papers/Ethnography_critique_03.pdf
Selection of chapters on Virtual ethnographies
Sample of Zora logs

 

Oct 23   Designing an interdisciplinary research project

Readings:
Bers, M. (2001). Identity construction environments: Developing personal and moral values through the design of a virtual city. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 10(4), 365-415.

Barab, S., MaKinster, J. G., Moore, J., Cunningham, D., & the ILF Design Team. (2001).
Designing and building an online community: The struggle to support sociability in the Inquiry Learning Forum. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49(4), 71-96.

Presenter: Keiko Satoh

• Holmes, B. (2006).Imagine earth without People (doc). From issue 2573 of New Scientist magazine, 12 October 2006, page 36-41
• Report by North American Association for Environmental Education & National Environmental Education & Training Program (2001)Using ENVIRONMENT-BASED Education to Advance Learning Skills and Character Development (pdf)

Oct 30   Positive Technological Development: the challenges of developing a new construct

Reading:
Bers, M (In Preparation). PTD: A framework for working with computers, children, and the Internet
Bers, M (In Preparation). TBA

Nov 6 Design Based research (DBR): Lego engineering as a case study

Readings:
Shavelson, R. J., Philiphs, D. C., Towne, L., & Feuer, M. J. (2003). On the science of education design studies. Educational Researcher, 32(1), 25-28.

TBD by Merredith
Presenter Merredith

 

Nov 13  A case study of DBR: Active Citizenship through Technologies

Readings:
http://www.ase.tufts.edu/devtech/vclc/ACTHome.html
Presenters Daniela and Clement
TBD by Daniela and Clement

Nov 20  Publishing or perishing: how to choose journals and other secrets ….

Readings:
List of DevTech-like journals originally compiled by Prof Bers (please add to this list)
TBD by Natalie
Presenter: Natalie

 

Nov 27  From and idea to a research project I

Readings: TBD by Mirit and Maryna
Presenters: Mirit and Maryna

Dec 4    From an idea to a research project II;

Readings: TBD by Clement and Laura
Presenters: Clement, and Laura

Dec 11  From a research project to a grant proposal

Readings:
Community of science, available resources at Tufts University

Papers are due.