Comprehensive Exam
1. Review the literature on deliberate practice, and make clear
distinctions between actual work, practice, and deliberate practice.
Explain how these notions 'fit in' with your model of how expertise
develops. Include a short review of the literature on "metacognition."
Is this term current in the literature, or has metacognition gone the
way of "learning styles." (You can give a VERY brief description of
"learning style," if at all.) As metacognition is (or was) understood,
how could it relate to "deliberate practice" ?
Response
2. Explain to what extent one can quantify "increased student
learning levels" in an educational system. For example, in an elite
math and science high school, in which two-thirds of the graduating
class gets into first-rank private colleges and the rest get
scholarships to good state universities, could there be much space for
"increased student learning levels?" Of course you must also look at
the other end of the spectrum. On what sort of scale do you
estimate "learning levels" and how much they could be increased?
Response
3. Consider three devices: the clicker (used by students to
indicate response in a lecture classroom); an iPod (with downloadable
podcasts); and a cell phone (with in/out messaging). Analyze
through comparisons and contrasts the instructional potential of these
three devices. Based upon this, choose technological approach as being
superior and justify your position. As an addendum, discuss the
social and economic impacts of choosing one of the technologies for
classroom use.
Response
4. New technology tools are making it possible for students of
all ages to acquire new information and complete programs of study.
Comment on at least five of the ways in which new technology
tools are making it possible for learning to take place and offer
insights regarding advantages and disadvantages associated with the new
tools. Suggest ways the new or innovative tools will likely alter
the way students learn. Also, offer ideas regarding what must be
done to make certain the next generation of K-12 teachers (university
professors, too) is prepared to effectively use the new tools to
promote student learning. Be specific about different learning tasks,
for example, a physics lab, a chapter in a mathematics book, a piano
etude, …
Response
5. A high school chemistry doctoral candidate remarked that his
students believe they can read "Sports Illustrated" in class while
listening to a lecture and process both sources of information, because
they are a "multi-tasking" generation. He doesn't think this is true.
What is your response to this idea?
Response
6. Choose a significant instructional technology issue or
question that you have identified as you have completed your program of
study and design a research proposal to gain new knowledge related to
that question. Define the problem, review relevant previous
studies, propose an approach to answering the question, describe how
you would analyze the data, and describe how you would report the
results of your study.
Response