{"title":"Causal reasoning with causal graphs in educational technology research","authors":"Joshua Weidlich, Ben Hicks, Hendrik Drachsler","doi":"10.1007/s11423-023-10241-0","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Researchers tasked with understanding the effects of educational technology innovations face the challenge of providing evidence of causality. Given the complexities of studying learning in authentic contexts interwoven with technological affordances, conducting tightly-controlled randomized experiments is not always feasible nor desirable. Today, a set of tools is available that can help researchers reason about cause-and-effect, irrespective of the particular research design or approach. This theoretical paper introduces such a tool, a simple graphical formalism that can be used to reason about potential sources of bias. We further explain how causal graphs differ from structural equation models and highlight the value of explicit causal inference. The final section shows how causal graphs can be used in several stages of the research process, whether researchers plan to conduct observational or experimental research.","PeriodicalId":48170,"journal":{"name":"Etr&d-Educational Technology Research and Development","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Etr&d-Educational Technology Research and Development","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10241-0","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract Researchers tasked with understanding the effects of educational technology innovations face the challenge of providing evidence of causality. Given the complexities of studying learning in authentic contexts interwoven with technological affordances, conducting tightly-controlled randomized experiments is not always feasible nor desirable. Today, a set of tools is available that can help researchers reason about cause-and-effect, irrespective of the particular research design or approach. This theoretical paper introduces such a tool, a simple graphical formalism that can be used to reason about potential sources of bias. We further explain how causal graphs differ from structural equation models and highlight the value of explicit causal inference. The final section shows how causal graphs can be used in several stages of the research process, whether researchers plan to conduct observational or experimental research.
期刊介绍：
Educational Technology Research and Development is the only scholarly journal in the field focusing entirely on research and development in educational technology.
The Research Section assigns highest priority in reviewing manuscripts to rigorous original quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies on topics relating to applications of technology or instructional design in educational settings. Such contexts include K-12, higher education, and adult learning (e.g., in corporate training settings). Analytical papers that evaluate important research issues related to educational technology research and reviews of the literature on similar topics are also published. This section features well-documented articles on the practical aspects of research as well as applied theory in educational practice and provides a comprehensive source of current research information in instructional technology.
The Development Section publishes research on planning, implementation, evaluation and management of a variety of instructional technologies and learning environments. Empirically based formative evaluations and theoretically based instructional design research papers are welcome, as are papers that report outcomes of innovative approaches in applying technology to instructional development. Papers for the Development section may involve a variety of research methods and should focus on one aspect of the instructional development process or more; when relevant and possible, papers should discuss the implications of instructional design decisions and provide evidence linking outcomes to those decisions.
The Cultural and Regional Perspectives Section (formerly International Review) welcome s innovative research about how technologies are being used to enhance learning, instruction, and performance specific to a culture or region. Educational technology studies submitted to this section should be situated in cultural contexts that critically examine issues and ideologies prevalent in the culture or region or by individuals or groups in the culture or region. Theoretical perspectives can be broadly based and inclusive of research, such as critical race theory, cultural-historical activity theory, and cultural models. Papers published in this section include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods articles and reviews drawing on relevant theories, empirical evidence, and critical analyses of the findings, implications, and conclusions within a cultural context.
Educational Technology Research and Development publishes special issues on timely topics of interest to the community, in addition to regular papers.
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