Action Research conducted during the Spring 2012 semester at Mill Creek High School. Presented to Georgia Gwinnett College students of the College of Education as part of their senior capstone seminar on 30 April 2012.
Explore beautiful and ugly buildings. Mathematics helps us create beautiful d...
Action Research Spring 2012
1. SETTING THE STARTING LINE
Ensuring a common background knowledge
utilizing in-class action research interventions using
individualized differentiation of a core body of
knowledge via student autonomy, online guided
practice and formative assessment.
Catherine Horton Flippen
For Mill Creek High School Action Research projects
2. ABOUT ME:
CATHERINE H FLIPPEN
Professional Secondary Educator
Seven years in education
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Peachtree Ridge High, Mill Creek High
One year in Virginia: Charlottesville High
Educational Technology Evangelist
Follow me on Twitter: @CatFlippen
Digital Footprint: About.Me/CatFlippen
Doctoral Student at the University of Florida
Curriculum and Instruction/Educational Technology
4. TARGET GROUP
Three second-semester Spanish 1 classes
1st Period: 30 Students
3rd Period: 31 Students
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
6th Period: 28 Students
All students new to me as their teacher
Students by grade level:
9th : 39
10th : 28
11th : 21
12th : 1
5. A “COMMON” PROBLEM
Previously, four different Spanish 1 teachers
After the pre-test, apparent that all students…
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Had stronger with different topics depending on previous
teacher‟s emphasis
Might have forgotten some of the more difficult aspects of
Spanish.
After trying to start new chapter, students varied so
widely that new material could not be properly introduced
and practiced yet.
Intervention needed to be applied in order to assure
success for ALL students.
7. GOALS
Use high quality research-based strategies to “re-
teach” specific topics
Provide individualized interventions via a variety of
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
reinforcement
Frequent use of formative assessments with
immediate feedback to show both teacher and
student where student struggles so teacher can
continue to apply effective interventions
Conduct the majority of all above methods using
technological means
9. EXPECTATIONS
Goal #1: All students show proficiency with average
formative assessment grade 88 or higher on the
following topics from 1st semester:
-AR verb conjugations
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
-ER/-IR conjugations
Gender agreement
„Ser‟ versus „Estar‟ usage
Uses of me/te/le gusta(n)
„Tema 1‟ vocabulary usage
Goal #2: Same pre-test re-administered with average
class grade of 88 or higher to illustrate group mastery
11. IMPLEMENTATION OVERVIEW
Two weeks (14 days) of intensive study, reinforcement,
and frequent formative assessments
3 – 4 formative assessments each week
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
No more than 10-15 minutes each
All administered online for immediate feedback
Student able to retake formative assessment within
a 24-hour period
Post-test administered online on the first day (Day 15)
after the time period.
12. HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS
Standards and research-based strategies used in the
intervention methodology include:
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Modeling& Practice
Differentiation
Technology
Assessment with Feedback
13. INTERVENTION #1:
INDIVIDUALIZED GUIDED PRACTICE
Following lessons featuring presentation and
modeling of the topic, students were given a variety of
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
reinforcement activities provided via technology
(internet), including:
Wordchamp
Quizlet
Quia
Memrise
Textbook Companion Website
Students had a choice as to which practices to
complete according to personal preference, providing
differentiation and learner autonomy.
14. INTERVENTION #2:
ASSESSMENT WITH FEEDBACK
Almost daily formative assessment provided via
technology (internet)
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Summative assessment with instant feedback as
well via technology (internet)
With all assessments, students were able to view
itemized immediate feedback after submission to
see in which areas they were correct or incorrect
and, thusly, students discovered in what areas they
needed to practice more.
16. MEASUREMENTS OF SUCCESS
Reinforcement / Guided Practice Online:
Differentiation: A variety of practices and reinforcement was
provided with specific instruction for each
Student autonomy: Students had the ability to select their
preferred method of practice each day, making the practice more
important to the student
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Practice will be graded upon varying factors including
achievement, time, and submission guidelines
Formative Assessments:
Featuring immediate feedback detailing question subject, student
answer and correct answer (if applicable)
Occurring 8 of the 10 days, available toward the end of each class
and taken at the student‟s discretion
Summative Pre-test and Post-test:
60-question assessment modeled after selections from the first
semester final exam given within the first week of second semester
and analyzing by question for each student and topic
Post-test is the same assessment to be analyzed in a similar
fashion
17. REINFORCEMENT / GUIDED PRACTICE
ACTIVITY COMPLETION
Monitored daily for completion of requirements
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Counted as a daily classwork grade
Assignment (depending on method chosen by student)
posted via Edmodo (socially-oriented Learning
Management System)
Ex: Quia: Complete 2/3 Ser versus Estar Java activities plus
a Hangman challenge and the Columns conjugations
Ex: Wordchamp: Completely 3 sets of practice activities,
including ser versus estar conjugations and usages
Upon completion, submission of completion statement
required for teacher to grade completion
18. REINFORCEMENT / GUIDED PRACTICE
ACTIVITY COMPLETION
1st Practice 8th Activity
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Word Word
Champ Champ
Quizlet Quizlet
Quia Quia
Memrise Memrise
Text Site Text Site
19. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT WITH FEEDBACK
Via Quia, data
collected and
examined for each
individual student and
question as well as the
whole target group and
the whole assessment
Student receives
scores instantly and
know where he/she
struggles right away.
Example data: Quiz on
Ser versus Estar
20. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT WITH FEEDBACK
Data collected after eight formative assessments
given in the two-week time span:
Target Group Average Quizes 6-8 per Class Period
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Quiz 1: 66% 95
Quiz 2: 78% 90
Quiz 3: 76%
85
Quiz 4: 81%
Quiz 5: 86% 80 Quiz 6
Quiz 7
Quiz 6: 83%
75 Quiz 8
Quiz 7: 87%
70
Quiz 8: 89%
Overall: 80.75%
21. PRE-TEST & POST-TEST
60 questions that covered previously learned
material from 1st semester of Spanish 1.
Conducted via Quia (on-line assessment/practice website)
Data collection for average of entire class and of each
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
student as well as per-question for student and per-
question for class
Data showed:
Material from Introductory chapter „Para Empezar‟
sufficiently understood by the majority
Content from „Tema 1” not sufficiently mastered and in
need of review
Content from Chapters 2 and 3 strong in vocabulary but
very weak mastery in grammatical concepts
Post-test was the same test as Pre-test.
25. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
Goal: All students show proficiency
with average formative assessment
grade 88 or higher
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Actual: 80.75%
Conclusion: While the goal was not met, the class
average per formative assessment was shown to
increase positively with each new formative
assessment.
26. POST-TEST
Goal: Pre-test re-administered with
average class grade of 88% or higher to
illustrate group mastery
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Actual: 87.71%
Conclusion: Wow! Pre-Test to Post-Test scores
increased by 13.26% and, with a big of rounding
up, my goal of 88% Post-test average by all 89
students in the target group was just met.
27. EVALUATION – DIRECT CONCLUSIONS
We can conclude based on the research that the
individualized differentiation via online guided
practice selected by student preference and
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
followed by formative assessments with immediate
feedback is a method that is very successful in
reviewing a body of content that has been
previously studied.
We can indirectly conclude that with repetition over
time, student scores on formative assessments will
increase positively. Reasoning behind this finding
should be researched more.
28. EVALUATION – INDIRECT CONCLUSIONS
We might indirectly conclude that with repetition
over time, student scores on formative
assessments will increase positively. Reasoning
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
behind this finding should be researched more.
We might also indirectly conclude that average
formative assessment scores increase positively
due to individualized interventions via student
choice of guided practice activity or perhaps due to
the technological aspect of the reinforcement
activities. More research should be preformed to
verify conclusions.
29. FUTURE RESEARCH
I am very curious at the fact of “student ownership”
when it comes to selecting his or her own method
of practice, seeing as formative assessment grades
increased the more students practiced.
CC BY-NC-ND 2012 by Catherine Flippen
Alternatively, perhaps the more students became
comfortable with the technological means of
practice/reinforcement and formative assessment
that combines immediate feedback.
Additionally, I will be implementing this method of
pre- and post-test as well as two weeks of intensive
review with guided practice, reinforcement and
formative assessments at the start of every second
semester.