EFFECTS OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON A FIFTH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM Deborah Blackwell, B.S., M.Ed., M.S. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2013 APPROVED: Scott Warren, Committee Co-Chair James G. Jones, Committee Co-Chair Lin Lin Lipsmeyer, Committee Member Michael Spector, Chair of the Department of Learning Technologies Herman Totten, Dean of the College of Information Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Blackwell, Deborah. Effects of problem-based learning on a fifth grade language arts classroom. Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Computing), May 2013, 166 pages, 25 tables, 9 figures, references, 76 titles. The main purpose of this qualitative research was to discover the effects of problem-based learning on a fifth grade language arts classroom. The secondary purpose was to examine how receptive fifth grade students were to a new way of learning. In this descriptive study, a group of nine students created an alternate reality game as part of a problem-based learning module. The instructional design of the study included three weeks for students to design and construct their games and one week to play, receive feedback and revise based on feedback. Through reflective blogs, semi- structured interviews, video recordings, and observations, data was collected to analyze. Over a period of five months, the data was coded and arranged into categories. The categories merged into themes. The results and findings revealed the impact collaborative groups have on design and enjoyment. Self-regulation skills were found to be lacking in most of the students, intrinsic motivation increased for some students while others developed positive outcomes beyond the scope of this study. Copyright 2013 By Deborah Blackwell ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee for the support, guidance, and encouragement they have provided over the years. Dr. Scott J. Warren, Dr. Greg Jones, and Dr. Lin Lin Lipsmeyer, I am forever grateful for the lessons I’ve learned from you. I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues for the continual support and encouragement over the last few years. The strong cohort we built profoundly affected me. I would like to express my appreciation to my parents who fostered a sense of curiosity, embraced creativity, and established a strong work ethic in me. I would like to thank my siblings for inspiring me to go beyond my middle child status. I would like to thank my children, Stephen, Crystal, and Robin, and grandchildren, Dodge and Truett, for providing the cheerleading section for this journey. Finally, I would like to thank my husband, Claude, for the support, time, and commitment he supplied over the last few years. Your faith in me never waivered. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ..........................................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 1.1. Context of the Problem .............................................................................. 1 1.2. Statement of the Problem .......................................................................... 2 1.3. Research Questions .................................................................................. 2 1.4. The Purpose of This Study ........................................................................ 3 1.5. Overview of the Dissertation ...................................................................... 3 1.6. Definition of Terms ..................................................................................... 4 1.7. Limitations of This Study ............................................................................ 5 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................................ 6 2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 6 2.2. Background ................................................................................................ 6 2.2.1. Factory Model Schools .................................................................... 6 2.3. Learning Theory and Its Applications ......................................................... 9 2.3.1. Constructivism................................................................................. 9 2.3.2. Problem-Based Learning and Constructivism ............................... 12 2.3.3. Foundations .................................................................................. 12 2.3.4. Hindrances to Implementation ...................................................... 13 2.3.5. Implementation Plans .................................................................... 15 2.4. Alternate Reality Games (AltRG) ............................................................. 15 2.4.1. History of Alternate Reality Games ............................................... 16 2.4.2. Alternate Reality Games in Education ........................................... 17 2.5. Design-Based Learning ........................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 3 DESIGN METHODOLOGY ...................................................................... 19 3.1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 19 3.2. Design for Students ................................................................................. 19 iv 3.3. Design by Students .................................................................................. 21 3.4. Summary ................................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH METHODS .......................................................................... 27 4.1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 27 4.2. Research Design ..................................................................................... 27 4.2.1. Design-based Research ................................................................ 27 4.2.2. Characteristics and Approaches of Design-based Research (DBR) ...................................................................................................... 28 4.2.3. Summary ....................................................................................... 30 4.3. Iterations .................................................................................................. 31 4.4. Participants and Setting ........................................................................... 32 4.4.1. Setting ........................................................................................... 32 4.4.2. Participants ................................................................................... 33 4.5. Data Collection ........................................................................................ 38 4.6. Data Analysis ........................................................................................... 38 4.7. Summary ................................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER 5 RESULTS ................................................................................................. 41 5.1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 41 5.2. Process for Analysis ................................................................................ 41 5.2.1. Trustworthiness and Rigor ............................................................ 41 5.3. Analysis ................................................................................................... 42 5.3.1. Group Interactions ......................................................................... 43 5.3.2. Affect ............................................................................................. 58 5.3.3. Project Processes ......................................................................... 63 5.3.4. Self-Regulation.............................................................................. 71 5.3.5. Games .......................................................................................... 78 5.3.6. Engagement .................................................................................. 87 5.3.7. Conceptualization .......................................................................... 90 5.3.8. Perception ..................................................................................... 92 5.3.9. Technology Attitude ...................................................................... 93 5.3.10.Technology-Project Tasks ............................................................ 95 5.4. Summary ................................................................................................. 97 v CHAPTER 6 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS .............................................................. 99 6.1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 99 6.2. Themes .................................................................................................... 99 6.2.1. Theme 1