24. LEARNING THE UNLIKELY AT DISTANCE AS AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE: DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH

Research and development (RD the “practice” resulting from the construct is not always examined in ways that lead to the construct being progressively enhanced. The rapid rise and expansion of technology, particularly computer technology accessible in the classroom, imply a change-of-practice imperative. Development itself needs to be followed by research to test the efficacy of innovation within practice. Nowhere is this more pressing than in the field of statistics education, where technological innovations abound, indeed are implicit, in continuing development. A good feeling about an innovation is not enough to indicate its validity in terms of producing change. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reverse juxtaposition--development and research (D&R)--of the expanding use of technology in teaching and learning statistics. The context for the discussion is an Australian experience associated with a professional development project for teachers in the area of Chance and Data. The reversal of order is significant in this context due to the necessity for development of technologies before their impact can be assessed. The technological innovations relate, first, to the delivery of professional development content to teachers separated by distance and, second, to the multimedia preparation of content. The purpose of this discussion is to address the evaluation of innovation in an acceptable research framework. First, the development of a multimedia program for teacher professional development will be described. Then a research model for evaluating its effectiveness will be advanced.