Seeking Integrity in VR Educational Research 3: It keeps on happening
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It keeps on happening
[To protect identity, I am PURPOSELY going to change some things by asking AI to rename and reword some of these statements.]
Heather steps up the microphone and says "Within the past 3 weeks...
New Journal
Title proper: VISIONARIUM :
Abbreviated key-title: Visionarium
Other variant title: iJEDIE
Other variant title: International journal of emerging and disruptive innovation in education
Original alphabet of title: Basic roman
Subject: Dewey : 371
Subject: Education, teaching, training of special groups of persons. Special schools
Corporate contributor: Lindenwood University.
Publisher: [St. Charles Missouri]: Lindenwood University, 2023-
Dates of publication: 2022- 9999
Description: Began with: Volume 1, issue 1 (2023)
Frequency: Three times a year
Type of resource: Journal
Language: English
Country: United States
Note: Volume 1, issue 1 (2023) (digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu viewed Aug. 8, 2023).
Note: Volume 1, issue 1 (2023); title from cover image (digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu viewed Aug. 8, 2023).
Medium: Online
Indexed by: ROAD
Journal summary:
The journal provides a diverse, interdisciplinary forum for the publication of original peer-reviewed scholarship, data, and research addressing intersections of education and technology. Education in all domains increasingly incorporates emerging technologies and their novel use in learning environments, such as current pedagogical explorations of gamification, mobile and adaptive learning, digital humanities, machine learning, blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Immersive Realities, to support innovative teaching methods and engaging learning experiences. With the rise of new educational platforms and metaverses, iJEDIE focuses on emerging trends in research to bridge the artificial divide between scholarship and innovative pedagogical applications. Submissions to iJEDIE will include, but are not limited to, the following themes of interest:
- Emerging technology and pedagogical application in specific disciplines or learning environments
- Issues and applications in secondary education
- Issues and applications in post-secondary education
- Application of education technology in enterprise, industry, and nonprofit environments
I'm sorry, could you hit me over the head with the word application one more time?
Published by Lindenwood University -a NOT regionally accredited institution, however, their Teacher education program (which this would appear to be under the auspices of) is CAEP accredited. Unfortunately, it's not a strong tie to claim that a particular university or institution's reputation applies to the people within. It's very possible (and I've seen it!) but it's a weak link, IMO, as great researchers can be within poor institutions and vice versa.
Interesting how the journal description looks like the panel it was derived from...
"April 21, 2023, the Senior Editorial Board and organizing committee of the International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education (iJEDIE) hosted a panel of speakers on Emerging Technologies and the Future of Education. The session invited researchers and practitioners from a wide range of fields, including Education Technology, Digital Humanities, Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and more. Speakers will discuss their recent research into how emerging technologies may be used to disrupt, enhance, and/or revolutionize traditional approaches to education for the benefit of both teachers and learners.
I italicized and/or bolded the similar wording between the panel and the journal.
I don't know about you, but I'm getting a very strong "applications" vibe here. Notice how application is contrasted to research. Hmm...can you say "chip on shoulder"?
Speaking of the journal
This is a quote from volume 1:
“There is now clear evidence that virtual reality can greatly enhance academic performance and educational attainment for students in both academic and higher education institutions” (Rephrased via Bing).
This sentence came from the end of a literature review section, which in fact, did NOT make this particular statement CLEAR with EVIDENCE.
Hello? Editors? A good editor would catch a claim like that NOT being substantiated in writing. You do plan to have editors in your edited journal, right?
But wait there's more
No need to wait to read articles that contain this like of non-editing! You can just read a special issue coming out next year that is dedicated to, ahem, utilization of XR. Membership in the parent organization is US$150/year.
JAID special issue, sponsorted by AECT ($150/year membership):
Journal of Applied Instructional Design (JAID)
Special Issue: Designing Extended Reality (XR) for Authentic Learning
Watch how the highlights are nearly all the same concept:
For this special issue, we are interested in presenting current research in applied
instructional design methods for utilizing VR, AR, MR, and other immersive
technologies to foster authentic learning experiences. We are inviting articles that will
provide readers with practical ideas, strategies, methods, and techniques on topics related
to designing, implementing, and evaluating instruction using XR for authentic learning
experiences. Furthermore, we seek contributions that provide evidence about the efficacy
of XR technologies, including the challenges encountered during their application in
authentic settings. The articles should inform the study and practice of immersive
learning in preschool, K-12, higher education, or work-based contexts. We invite
scholar-practitioner perspectives as a means of disseminating and developing new ideas
in instructional design. We aim to share expertise, success stories, and lessons learned
from failure.
Everything old is new again
Oh and do you think the PwC thing is old news?
5 days ago on LinkedIn:
and here is the luscious "4 times" quote! (If you've been reading along, you know this is the key phrase to look for.)
And there there was this comment, saying "That study is gold"
It's a report. It's not research. It's marketing. Say it with me "MAR-KET-TING"
And the commenter is using it for their dissertation on "the potential impact of IVR learning platforms on teaching presence"?
The PwC report did not measure presence, in any of the academically accepted ways, nor any of the man-on-the street ways. The word presence is in the report zero times.
Summary
Falling into the trap of thinking that just because it is published means that it's fact-checked is false.
Most of the volunteer reviewing jobs I've been on contain 2 reviewers and 1 editor. Rarely do I ever run into anyone else with an educational psychology research background that knows about research models that do not stand up to publishing scrutiny (methods like comparing non-comparable instructional methods or exposing learners to novelty effect). I know a source that ran a 91-93% acceptance rate on articles. Owch! That's the "write your name at the top of the paper and you get an A" publication standard. Cringe!
A person's biases show up in their writing and editing-- this happens to me just the same--- no stones being thrown in glass houses here.
But there has been an undercurrent that I've detected running for the past 3 years:
Most folks are generally skeptical about learning in VR. It looks like a game.
Pro-VR people realize that "published research" is a way of adding validity & gravitas to their pro-VR stance.
Pro-VR people have been slipping pro-VR pieces of research into low publication standards sources and getting their overblown and hype statements like "staff learn 4x faster" flown right under radars.
Pro-VR people sit back and say "The research proves it! Come and buy some VR for education!"
This all happened in the past 3 weeks. August...August of 2023. Can you see way this Seeking Integrity series must continue?
I just can't face palm enough.
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