ICLEP: Interactive Case for Learning Education Psychology

Abstract

Students enrolled in educational psychology courses without field experiences have difficulty connecting theory to practice. To address this we created an interactive case to help students apply theories to classroom situation. The case, which focuses on operant conditioning, went through several iterations based on data collected. Data included: closed and open response survey items, classroom video and audio, and user interaction data. This proposal describes the process of adjusting the case based on the data to help students move from having a performance focus to more of a mastery focus. Changes to the case included: adding images, richer explanations, and more action choices. Changes were also made to how the case was presented to students by the instructors and a scaffolding tool was added. Follow-up interviews after the most recent experiment indicates the changes were successful and it is an effective tool for learning about operant conditioning in the classroom.