Class project for Research Design

1. The Relationship between Situated
Learning Theory and
ABCMouse.com
By: Cassandra Mobley
8/31/2013

2. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM
The impact of learning theories have become effective with online learning programs.
Instructional designer must be “willing to accept that game developers have somehow
stumbled on new learning and instructional theory, it stand to reason that the things we do
know about effective instruction and learning are present these games, if it modified forms.”
(Ferdig, 2009, pg. 180)
If the program meets designers
goal and produces advances
math and reading skills it
may be the prototype for future
k-12 online learning platforms.

3. PURPOSE STATEMENT
The two phases sequential mixed method will support the
combination of Situated Learning with learning program
ABCMouse.com. The qualitative method supports Situated
Learning Theory based in James Jerome Gibson’s Theory of
Affordances, Lev Vygotsky’ s Social Development Theory
and Alan Schoenfeld’s Mathematical Problem Solving while
the quantitative experimental design will illustrates the
effectiveness of applying Situated Learning Theory with
learning programs such as ABCMouse. (Culatta, 2013)

4. RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
To what extent does Situated Learning Theories
assist with the instructional goals of having
“web-based software providing a visual
representation of the learning cycle and
facilitates student’s action and reflection, as well
as their interaction with others” in learning
program ABCMouse?
(Dempsey, Reiser, 2012, pg. 39)

5. Research
Methodology
Strategy
SEQUENTIAL EXPLORATORY which will allow “quantitative data and results assist
in the interpretation of qualitative findings.” (Creswell, 2009, pg. 211)
QUALITATIVE
SITUATED LEARNING THEORIES
SITUATED LEARNING
THEORY
James Jerome Gibson
Theory of
Affordances,
Lev Vygotsky
Social Development
Theory
Alan Schoenfeld
Mathematical
Problem Solving
QUANITATIVE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
PRE-TEST
POST-TEST
CONTROL GROUP DESIGN

6. Research
Theoretical Approach
QUANTITATIVE
Rank-Order Scale
95
Rank-Order Scale
87
Rank-Order Scale
97
LETTER RECOGNITION QUALITATIVE
Q Scores
Pre-test/Post-test
2 75
W Scores
Pre-test/Post-test
3 85
R Scores
Pre-test/Post-test
4 100
SITUATED LEARNING THEORIES
“Theoretical review
in which the researcher
focuses on extant theory
that relates to the problem
under study”
(Creswell, 2009, pg.28)
Quantitative
Qualitative

7. SUMMARY
Ethical Concerns
Experimental Validity
Falsified findings
Unbiased Language
Misrepresentation of data
Inability to Reproduce Experiment
Biases of Focus Group
To overcome these possibilities researcher need to
insure the research can be retested with other
learning software as well as other core subjects.

8. Summary
Legitimation Validity
• A validity strategy with mixed method is
referred as “validity legitimation” which
define by “sample selection, sample
size, follow-up on contradictory results, bias in
data collection, inadequate procedures or the
use of conflicting research questions” as it
relates to the “research process, philosophical
issues and the inferences from the study.”
(Creswell, 2009, pg. 220)

9. SUMMARY
Using the pragmatic worldview, concurrent mixed method and
theoretical review the concepts of situated learning theory will
be investigated with learning platform ABCMouse.com. The
qualitative research will be developed through rank order
survey from a homeschool focus group and supported by
learning theorist Vygotsky, Gibson and Schoenfeld; while the
quantitative research will provide evidence from a true
experiment of student’s progress using the program. The
sequential exploratory strategy will interpret the qualitative
research of situated learning with quantitative research of
knowledge acquisition from ABCMouse to determine the
effectiveness of the program.
(Creswell, 2009)

10. References
Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches, 3rd edition. Saga, Thousand
Oaks, CA.
Culatta, R (2013). Instructional design: situated learning, Lava R. InnovatedLearning.com. Retrieved from
http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/situated-learning.html.
Dempsey J.V. & Reiser R.A. (2012) Trends and issues in instructional design and technology 3rd edition. Allyn &
Bacon, Boston, MA.
Ferdig, R. E. (2009). Handbook of research on effective electronic gaming in education. Hershey, PA: Information Science
Reference.
Picture Taken
ABCMouse Early Learning Academy (2007-2013) Age of Learning, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.abcmouse.com.