1.  What are the important classroom teaching/learning issues in this case?

• What is the classroom scenario?
• What is the name of the course?  Where does it fit into the program or curriculum?  Who are the students?  Why are they taking this class?
• Is this a face-to-face, Internet, or hybrid course?
• What are the general learning outcomes for this course?
• What learning outcomes are relevant to the case study?
• Brainstorm a list of learning issues that stand out in this case.   
• Describe the current situation in regard to the teaching/learning issue? 

1) What assignments/activities are given?

2) What do students do now?  Why do you think they do what they do?

3) What do you do now?  Why do you do what you do?

4) What teaching strategies do you use now?

5)  What assessments are used?  What are the outcomes? 

6)  What is the teaching/learning problem or challenge?

• Which of the five CREOLE meta-goals are relevant?

Goal 1:  acquire & retain content

Goal 2:  attend to and concentrate on course material

Goal 3:  develop ability to think critically

Goal 4:  become motivated to succeed

Goal 5:  become self-directed/self-initiating learners.

• Which of the Classroom Research textbook case studies are relevant:

1) Chap. 2 Leslies:  Schemata/Role of Background Knowledge, Learning, Memory, Metacognition & Learning Strategies, Control of Cognition, Self-Confidence & Motivation, Self-Efficacy, Attribution, Self-Worth

2) Chap. 3  Captive Audience: Learning Goals, Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation, Expectancy Value Theories, Task Value, Deep & Surface Learning, Grades, Mastery/Performance Goals, Student Ratings of Instruction, Faculty Evaluation

3) Chap. 4  But Is It Working: Peer Learning Groups, Efficiency/Benefits of Group Learning, Guidelines for Putting Group Learning into Practice, Intellectual Development & Critical Thinking

2.  What teaching/learning strategies might be helpful?

• What interventions will you implement?  Over what period of time?
• What is it you want students to be able to do? 
• What student behaviors do you want to change?
• What do you as a teacher want to do differently?
• How will you modify or create new assignments?
• What classroom activities described in the Classroom Research textbook are relevant?
• What classroom activities from CREOLE are relevant?

3.  What learning theories might support or inform these teaching/learning strategies?

• See  Selecting a Theory by Pat Hardre for guidelines on how to work backwards from the CREOLE meta-goals to arrive at possible theories relevant to your case study.
• What does the literature say about your case study?

1) Does your case study involve learning theories?  See CREOLE Module 1 and References at the end of the Module.

2) Does your case study involve motivation theories?  See CREOLE Module 2 and References at the end of the Module.

3) Review the topics from the textbook Classroom Research (see question #1) and the case studies referenced from the literature.  See the bibliographies at the end of the relevant chapter for a list of sources and the list of References on p. 235. 

 4. What research questions and hypotheses does this case raise that might be further investigated in a classroom research project?

• What are you attempting to find out by conducting this case study?
• Hypothesis is a guide for a search of the literature, collection of data, and development of research questions.  What is the hypothesis your case study attempts to answer?
• What research questions are derived from or linked to your hypothesis?
• What classroom assessment data might help you formulate your hypothesis and/or research questions?

5.  What classroom assessment data could be collected to test out these research questions or hypotheses?

• What data collection methods will you use?
• What sample size?
• What CAT’s (Classroom Assessment Techniques) might be used to collect data about your hypothesis and research questions?
• What data on student knowledge, skills, backgrounds, attitudes, reactions to instruction, classroom activities do you want to collect?
• What other data seems relevant?
• What surveys?
• What evaluations?
• Will you compare student performance in your case study to previous student performance?
• Will you compare experimental group performance to a control group?
• How will you analyze the data?

 Conclusion

• Write a summary of your findings. 
• To what extent was the hypothesis supported or not supported?
• To what extent were the research questions answered?
• What additional classroom research questions are raised?
• Do your findings suggest additional classroom research projects?
• What do you plan to do in the future?