Research Competencies
Perspective
My research is focused on technology integration and issues related to adoption and diffusion of new technological innovations in education. During integration process for any types of innovations, all stakeholders including teachers should be taken into account (Pedretti, Mayer-Smith, & Woodrow, 1998) since these stakeholders play significant roles in the adoption and diffusion of technological innovations. Teachers’ perceptions toward acceptance of using technology are the cornerstone of the diffusion of technological innovations and should be thoroughly understood before an innovation is adopted and diffused (Vu et al., 2014; Li, 2007).
These issues include encouraging and supporting teachers to use technology in their classes and training teachers in using technology to improve student engagement during the integration process (Barak, Lipson, & Lerman, 2006; Baloian & Zurita, 2009). My research focus has been influenced by many factors including my educational background and teaching experience in middle and high schools as well as in higher education. The debate between Kozma (1994) and Clark (1995) has had a positive impact on my research focus. Based on the debate, I consider the main factor for learning to be methods more than the technology itself, but we can use technology to support these methods.
During my working in Palestine in various positions in the Ministry of Education between 1995 and 2014, I interacted with various technological tools such as TV, video, desktop computers, laptops, tablet PCs, minicomputer (1:1 laptop), and projectors. During my time there, I helped many teachers, students and school principals with their challenges in using technology by providing materials and training in order to facilitate their usage and design visual teaching tools to present content to students.
The Ministry of Education in Palestine started a project called Computer Literacy in 2000, which worked to train all teachers and administrators to use and to be familiar with desktop computers. Since that time, it has implemented many new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools. Even before that time, the Palestinian Educational System was continually changing through implementing new techniques such as Learning by Playing, Learning by Music and others. Based on this recent history of progress, we can expect to see many new innovations introduced into the educational system in my home country in the future. In the beginning of 2010, the Ministry of Education started implementing Promoting e-Learning in Palestinian Schools, a program which aims to improve the learning outcomes in four topics areas includes Science, Math, the English Language, and the Arabic Language. All of the stakeholders’ perspectives on any new technological innovations are vital to the implementation process because the stakeholders’ opinions affect the adoption and diffusion process and time for implementing integration process. Having technology in classroom settings could provide students and teachers more collaborative, interactive teaching, and effective learning environments (Becker, 2002). Teachers’ perspectives and attitudes towards the integration of technology into their practices could inform the adoption and diffusion of innovation in the learning settings (Ertmer & Leftwitch, 2010). Various factors influence technology integration in education, such as teachers’ competencies and comfort with technology, as well as the availability of sufficient resources and appropriate workload for students and teachers (Hew & Brush, 2007; Ertmer et al., 2012, Kurt, 2012).
In order to explore the benefits of using digital games in learning environment, I produced a literature review about mobile digital games-based learning in the R711 course (Readings in Instructional Technology). The literature review enabled me to explore gaps in using this type of media as well as teachers’ roles when using digital games in classroom instruction. I read articles about using digital games on mobile devices that inspired me to think about the adoption and diffusion of mobile technologies in education.
I have prepared a literature review about the adoption and acceptance of mobile technologies in the classroom for teaching. I narrowed my research to focus on using tablet PCs (TPCs), one of the most recent technological innovations used in the educational system in Palestine.
This literature review informed my research proposal which was pursued to produce a descriptive study that included in-depth interview sessions with teachers as a major source of data. Interview sessions enabled me to collect data about teachers’ and principals’ perspectives based on their experience in the adoption and acceptance of tablet PCs in the Palestinian Educational System. I completed the data collection for the study during summer 2015, and the resulting preliminary analysis led to a presentation at a concurrent session of the IST 2016 conference as well as the AECT 2016 Convention.
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Research Group Activities
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After beginning my Ph.D. program in 2014, I became involved in two research groups in the IST department and joined a third in the spring of 2015. These research groups included Design Research, Problem-Based Learning Research group, and Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). My involvement in these groups has been beneficial, not only to gain experience and skills in data collection and analysis, but also in the practical realities of research design, IRB protocol, presentation preparation, group work, manuscript writing, and collaborative skills. A brief overview of my participation and perceived benefit from each group is included below:
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Design Research (September 2014-present)
I have been participating in this group, led by Professor Elizabeth Boling, since Fall 2014. This group has informed my understanding of research in the field of Instructional Design. Since joining the research group, I have been involved in the IRB process, data collection & analysis, conference presentations, and preparing write-ups of research results for the core judgment research. The focus of the group project is understanding of instructional designers’ core judgment. Our research has been presented at the 2016 AERA Conference in Washington, D.C. Our paper was entitled
Problem-Based Learning, secondary school (September 2015 - present)
I have been participating in this research group, led by Dr. Thomas Brush and Dr. Krista Glazewski, since Fall 2014. This research group has allowed me the opportunity to engage more in data analysis of recorded video observations. In this research group, we conducted a research about Screen-Casting Inquiry Behavior, and we presented it at KAERA 2016. I engaged in data analysis of video-recorded observations of students in a secondary school setting. In addition, our sub-group meets weekly to discuss the coding progress in order to achieve inter-rater reliability. The analysis has provided much practice to achieve consistency not only in my own methods but also with colleagues.
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Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (February 2015 - present)
I have been participating in this research group, led by Dr. Kyungbin Kwon, since Spring 2015 semester. This research group has informed my understanding of research in the field of using computers to support collaborative learning in various learning environments. The group is divided into sub-teams. I have participated in research design, IRB approval process, design instruments, coding, conference presentations (IST 2016, AERA 2016), and writing manuscripts. I have completed a research project about An Analysis of Interaction Patterns in the Online Learning Community: A Case Study (Initial Draft). The research presented at AERA 2016 Annual Meeting in around table session..
This research group and its readings have been beneficial to me because the group activities have been associated with my primary and secondary research focus area (mobile technologies and online learning). Furthermore, I am working with Dr. Kwon and four graduate students in IST on a new research project entitled “Integrating iPads in Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes (Initial Draft)”. We obtained approval from IRB, and we are in the data collection stage.
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Research Competencies
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Reviewing and synthesizing literature
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Writing research proposals and conducting research studies
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Understanding appropriate methods of inquiry in studying design
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Applying research methods in an appropriate context
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Developing scholarly writing for presentation and publication
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Knowledge of theories related to IST
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Review and Synthesize literature
Completed: The Impact of Digital Games Based Learning (DGBL) on Student Engagement
This review of literature addresses various issues related to the use of digital games in learning and the impact of digital games on student engagement.
Completed: An Analysis of Interaction Patterns in the Online Learning Community: A Case Study
This literature review related to my second study in CSCL research group. It focused on the models used to analyze the online content. Based on this literature review, we developed our coding scheme to analyze students posting in an online learning community. I have included the literature review in the full version of the study under “Literature Review.
Completed: Integrating iPads in Schools: Teachers' Perceptions and Attitudes
This paper attempts to explore teachers’ attitudes toward using mobile devices in classroom instruction.
Completed: Using iPads to Engage Students in Middle Schools in Learning Via Screencasting
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Write research proposals; design and execute research studies
In conjunction with my goal to appropriately synthesize research literature and identify research gaps, I have written two research proposals, sought and received IRB approval, and collected data.
In Progress: Using iPads to Engage Students in Middle Schools in Learning Via Screencasting
Completed: How Teachers in Middle Schools Design Technology Integration Activities
We got approve from IRB to conduct this study. It is congruent with my goals to understand technology integration by teachers; we are in the process of recruiting subjects to start dta collection.
The article is my first author study. It explores factors influencing adoption and acceptance of mobile technologies in classroom instruction from teachers' perceptions. The study is qualitative study. We will present it in AECT 2016 ----Roundtable
Completed: An Analysis of Interaction Patterns in the Online Learning Community: A Case Study
Working with a partner, we are working on writing the manuscript
Completed: Integrating iPads in Middle Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes
This proposal is within a sub-group team. We obtained IRP approval to collect data
Completed: Khlaif, Z., and Itmazi, J. (2013) “New Paradigms of e-learning in Palestine to Promote Learning Process: A Case Study of Alaws Educational Network (Arabic).” The Communications of the ACS Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1, August 2013.
Completed: I converted my capstone project from my Master’s degree into a conference paper. I presented it in The Third International Conference: e- Learning: From Practice to Performance. Feb 4-7, 2013, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia entitled “A Heuristic ISD Model for Designing Online Courses for Higher Education in Palestine” PDF
Completed: Shraim, K. and Khlaif, Z. (2010) “An e-learning approach to secondary education in Palestine: Opportunities and challenges.” Information Technology for Development, 16(3), 159-173. PDF
Completed: Khlaif, Z (2010) “Students’ Readiness Towards E-learning. A case study of Virtual Classrooms for secondary education in Palestine.” The International Journal of Excellence in e-Learning. PDF
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Understand appropriate methods of inquiry in studying design
Completed: I have taken Y502 (Intermediate Statistics Applied to Education; Syllabus) and Y521 (Methodological Approaches to Educational Inquiry), In addition, I took Y611 (Qualitative Inquiry in Education; Syllabus), which contributed to my skills in qualitative inquiry methodology.
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Apply research methods in an appropriate context
I designed a study to explore the factors that influence teachers’ adoption of tablet PCs in Palestinian Schools. It is a descriptive case study. I interviewed 15 participants (teachers and principals). I used content and thematic analysis.
In Progress: Integrating iPads in Middle Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes
This research is a mixed method approach (qualitative and quantitative approaches)
Completed: An Analysis of Interaction Patterns in the Online Learning Community: A Case Study
In this study, we used content analysis and thematic analysis as well as coding the content into three levels. It is qualitative study.
Completed: Screen-casting inquiry behaviors: What can we see through students’ mobile devices?
I acquired skills in coding video-recorded data. This study is quantitative and qualitative study.
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Develop scholarly writing for presentation and publication
Completed: Core Judgment: An Empirical Investigation into the Implicit Philosophical Orientation of Practicing Instructional Designers.This is an ongoing study from the Design research group led by Professor Boling. Currently, we finished data analysis and presented it at the AERA 2016 Annual Meeting
Completed: Integrating iPads in Middle Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes
Submitted to AERA annual Meeting 2017
Completed: Article Critique
I wrote my first formal article critique on a publication entitled “The Pen Is Mightier than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand over Laptop” as part of the course requirements for R690.
Completed: I presented my study “An Analysis of Interaction Patterns in Online Learning Community: A Case Study” at a concurrent session at the IST 2016 conference. Presentation
Completed: I presented my first-author study “Acceptance of Tablet PCs as an Innovation in Palestinian Schools” at a concurrent session at the IST 2016 conference. Presentation. In addition, I will present it in AECT 2016 in roundtable session
Publications
Completed: Khlaif, Z., and Itmazi, J. (2013) “New Paradigms of e-learning in Palestine to Promote Learning Process: A Case Study of Alaws Educational Network (Arabic).” The Communications of the ACS Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1, August 2013. PDF
Completed: I converted my capstone project from my Master’s degree into a conference paper. I presented it in The Third International Conference: e- Learning: From Practice to Performance. Feb 4-7, 2013, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia entitled “A Heuristic ISD Model for Designing Online Courses for Higher Education in Palestine” PDF
Completed: Shraim, K. and Khlaif, Z. (2010) “An e-learning approach to secondary education in Palestine: Opportunities and challenges.” Information Technology for Development, 16(3), 159-173. PDF
Completed: Khlaif, Z (2010) “Students’ Readiness Towards E-learning. A case study of Virtual Classrooms for secondary education in Palestine.” The International Journal of Excellence in e-Learning. PDF
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Knowledge of theories related to IST
In progress: I’ve completed the core courses in IST, I will finish my my minor courses Spring 2017
IST courses and minor courses completed to gain understanding of the IST field and scholarly knowledge.
- R711: Readings in Instructional Technology (Fall, 2014)
- R690: Application of Research Methods to IST Issues (Spring, 2015)
- Y502: Intermediate Statistics Applied to Education (Fall, 2015)
- Y521: Methodological Approaches to Educational Inquiry (Spring, 2015)
- Y611: Qualitative Inquiry in Education (Spring, 2016)
- R561: Evaluation and Change (Spring, 2016)
- I541 Interaction Design Practices (Fall, 2015)