The classroom dynamic : a theory of classroom structure and interaction

This study compares a “student-centered” class in which the curriculum is characterized by little reliance on technology and a flexible and even improvisational pace and scope, to a technology-integrated course in which the instructor follows a very specific and highly sequenced plan (Instructional Systems Design, or ISD). This study also seeks to demonstrate the capabilities of Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA), a systems approach to qualitative research developed by Norvell Northcutt and Danny McCoy. The purpose of this study is to investigate how students understand the two different curriculum approaches. The results of the study indicate a significant difference between the two courses. The results also provide a “mind map” or a system, which seeks to capture the lived reality of the participants. The study identifies a universal system describing the classroom dynamic. The system provides a tool for the diagnoses of problems or predictions of outcomes of classroom interactions.