Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer

Quest for a survey instrument

I am on a quest for a survey instrument. I am looking for an established survey that has been published (has a theoretical framework and has passed statistical tests for validity and reliability) that addresses the following broad question relating to learning in 1:1 environments: What is really going on inside classrooms? These questions should include:

  1. What specific tasks are teachers asking students to complete in and outside of class?
  2. To what degree are these tasks constructivist, open ended, involving the creation of authentic knowledge products, and focused on higher order thinking skills (ie Bloom’s Taxonomy, not just knowledge/comprehension level thinking)?
  3. How are students regularly engaging with the curriculum?
  4. To what degree do the types of tasks/assignments students are completing reflect a traditional content transmission-based model of education, or a more engaged, learner-centered, project-based and constructivist approach?

I had a conversation this morning with some district curriculum and technology directors on the topic of measuring outcomes for a 1:1 project. Their school board is focused on test scores, and this is not a surprise: Almost everyone in our educational environment is myopically (and I might add somewhat ignorantly) focused exclusively on student test scores.

One of the most important things to measure in a 1:1 initiative is what is actually happening in the classroom! I think the following graphic illustrates what I am thinking here:

Classroom Instruction

If you have any suggestions for survey instruments that fit the above criteria, please let me know! 🙂 The LoTi is one possibility, but I want to know what other options are available.

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On this day..


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One response to “Quest for a survey instrument”

  1. Conn McQuinn Avatar

    Cheryl Lemke’s Metiri group (www.metiri.com) has worked with the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SEDTA, http://www.setda.org) to develop a pretty intensive, on-site observation tool. I participated in a trial of it two years ago. I know it’s more involved than a survey, but I don’t know how you can access the information you’re looking for without actually sending someone into the classrooms to look!

    I tried to find a place where you can access it, but it may be available only as a for-fee service through the Metiri group. I believe it forms the basis for their Technology Integration Profiles for Schools service. More talented searching at the SEDTA site my uncover it.

    Conn