Clustering Student Strategies in a Simulated Web Search Environment (Poster 15)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Integrating Technology in Education (San Diego)

Abstract

As research on the digital divide shifts away from questions about access and focuses instead on Digital Information Literacy (DIL) skills and the outcomes of productive use of such skills in digital contexts, we are faced with significant measurement challenges. To meet these challenges, complex, interactive simulation-based assessments have been developed that capture authentic learner performances. In the current study, we describe a multi-step modeling method for identifying distinct strategies captured within process data generated by students using a simulated web search tool within an inquiry task. The method considers the content, timing, and context of student actions. This approach identified meaningfully distinct strategies in students’ search processes, which were associated with differences in inquiry task performance.

Authors

• Caitlin Tenison, Educational Testing Service

• Jesse R. Sparks, Educational Testing Service