Theoretical Frameworks
This research will apply an interpretive framework from a constructivist-interpretive and critical paradigm (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). The interpretive researcher is described as a bricoleur (Denzin, 2017; Denzin & Lincoln, 2011), one who “understands that research is an interactive process shaped by one’s personal history, biography, gender, social class, race, and ethnicity and those of the people in the setting” and that the “qualitative researcher who uses montage is like a quilt maker or a jazz improviser. The quilter stitches, edits, and puts slices of reality together” (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011, p. 5). I push this notion of researcher as bricoleur by suggesting this interpretivist research as a crystallization accomplished by an alchemist, mixing elements into something precious and worthy of recognition. I will explore this metaphor further in the methodology, methods, and justification sections of this proposal.
The theory of connectivism (USC: Learning and Teaching, 2014) will be explicated within this research. Connectivism relates to the role of cognition when generating connections and networks, both internally and externally to the human brain. Siemens (2012) set out the principles of connectivism as a “response to a perceived increasing need to derive and express meaning, and gain and share knowledge. This is promoted through externalisation and the recognition and interpretation of patterns, which are shaped by complex networks” (Tschofen & Mackness, 2012, p. 125). The four key principles of connectivism - autonomy, connectedness, diversity, and openness - (Bell, 2011; Couros, 2010; Siemens, 2012; Tschofen & Mackness, 2012) are supported by emerging technologies that are shaping human cognition in the way we “create, store, and distribute knowledge” (Couros, 2010, p. 114). For this research, the cognitive processes within the connectivist structures of teacher educators will be explored in the stories of their lived experiences as they navigate and make sense of complex MDL and OEPr amalgamations.
Since this research is positioned within the cognition and learning field of study, I am interested in exploring the inner and outer cognitive landscapes. Research into the cognitive theory of multimedia learning focuses on the demands on cognitive processing, specifically working memory (WM), to manage multimedia information within complex teaching and learning environments. Processes are described as essential, extraneous, and generative (Mayer, 2017). There are specific cognitive demands placed on teacher educators when using multimedia and exploring MDL. Multimedia is holistically defined by de Vries (2003) as “the influence of different symbol systems” presented concurrently or consecutively using text, pictures, sound, and animation (p. 157). Conceptions from the theory of connectivism, the impacts of cognitive load theory (van Merrienboer & Sweller, 2005), and the socio-cultural cognition (Kirschner, Sweller, Kirschner, & Zambrano, 2018) may be further revealed by teacher educators as they engage with MDL to enact their OEPr.