Research Methodology in TEL

Gráinne Conole, University of Leicester

12th June 2012UNISA, Pretoria

Emergent technologies and affordances

Resources, OER and Pedagogical Patterns

The TEL landscape

E-pe

dago

gies

, str

ateg

ies

and

lear

ning

des

ign

Interventions

Theo

ry a

nd m

etho

dolo

gy

Evaluations Jameson and De Freitas, 2012

Increasing impact of technologies

Funding drivers

“ICT catalysts”

National policy

Organisational structures

Roles, skills & practice

Teaching, learning & assessment

Mapping the field

Current research & development

Contemporary perspectives in e-learning

Methodological issues

Historical perspective & policy timeline

Discourses & tensions

Emergence of a research field

1. Pre-subject area – no perceived interest

2. Beginnings – questions arise3. Emergence – more

researchers4. Diversification – different

schools5. Establishment – defined

community and alignment with other fields

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominicspics/3399204993/

E-learning as a field

Between stages 3 and 4 Influx of researchers into the area Growth of new units and research

centres Specialised journals Dedicated conferences Community for fostering debate

Organisationalissues

Changing roles

Strategy & policy

Structures & processes

Staff development

Pedagogical aspects

E-literacies

New pedagogies

Models of practice

Case studies of innovation

Learning design

Experiences & perceptions

The e-learning landscape

Underpinningtechnologies

Mobile & ubiquitoustechnologies

The Grid: E-Science

Personalised & adaptive

Standards

Infrastructures

The Grid: E-Science

Standards

Infrastructures

Contextual factors

Funding and policy drivers Cultural dimensions Subject-specific aspects Current hot topics

Accessibility Widening participation Lifelong learning E-business Plagiarism, digital rights, IPR

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/2731067095/

Underpinning technologies New and emerging technologies

mobile and ubiquitous intelligent agents

Understanding the media multiple forms of representation different characteristics of media

Distributed electronic environment standards and interoperability infrastructure and architectures

Access to information structuring and distributing information integrating different portals, gateways and

resources exploiting the different communication

mechanisms

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephanridgway/2942306223/

Pedagogical aspects Student and staff experiences Best methods of

representing information Designing and accessing resources encouraging communication &collaboration integrating with other learning and teaching methods

Development issues new forms of literacy mechanisms for skills updating and development

Understanding the affordances of technologies Exploring the potential for new forms of pedagogy

Organisational issues

Developing models for mapping institutional structures supporting institutional processes sharing knowledge distributing information supporting change engaging different stakeholders

Awareness of external factors Understanding changing roles &

identities Linking strategy and practice

http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldworldworld/4169533699/

Common characteristics

Change Political dimension Interdisciplinary Access and inclusion Convergence &

interoperability Interactivity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3563736956/

Themes

The good & the bad of ICT Speed of change New collaborations and

discourses User focussed Changing practice Wider impact

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76269968@N04/6851364201/

Theme I ICT: the good and bad

Institutional vs. loosely coupled systems

Affordances of technologies

Appropriateness, fit for purpose

Ownership vs. open source

Simplifying the complex Balance of content &

activity

Theme II

Speed of change Web 2.0, Web3.0 Immense amounts of

information New tools and resources The Web for nomads Predicting the

unpredictable A world beyond the Web

Theme III Supporting new

collaborations & discourses New distributed and self-

sustaining Communities of Practice

Interacting with the media Tailored and contextualised Making sense of it all - new

forms of digital literacy & the power of narrative

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fernand0/3368971634/

Theme IV Understanding users

Adaptive and personalised Ethnographic approach to users Semantic web of meaning Supporting the whole learning

cycle The perpetual beta Developing for the unknowable

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/3448804778/

Theme V Changing practice

Reflective /practitioner Changing roles Passive to interactive

technologies New organisational structures

& processes How do you motivate people to

do this? New methodologies for design

and evaluation http://www.flickr.com/photos/centralasian/5234238544/

Theme VI

Wider impact New models for society Blurring of boundaries Distributed cognition ‘Compelling’ experiences A changing world Technology is here and will

continue to have an impact

Discipline issues Variety of feeder disciplines

education research, cognitive psychology, instructional design, computer science, business & management, philosophy, semiotics, critical discourse analysis

Benefits wealth of methods & approaches different perspectives

Drawbacks no shared language and

understanding lack of cohesion to the area

http://www.flickr.com/photos/argos_t/3381333665/

Choice of research methods Tension between

Focus on evaluation or research Quantitative vs. qualitative approaches

Choice of methodologies Has an impact on outcomes Tends to be based on previous

experience, favoured methods Approaches

Exploring individual case studies Developing generic models Undertaking systematic reviews Applying specific theoretical

perspectives Active involvement and action research Accounting for context - Activity

theory, Actor Network Theoryhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/5857443389/

Methodological issues Tensions

between policy makers & practitioners

stakeholders with conflicting agendas efficiency gains/effectiveness vs

improving learning Research vs. roll out to policy &

practice

http://www.flickr.com/photos/caseorganic/4068771695/

Feeder disciplinesWealth of methodsNo shared language

Tension between quantitative and qualitative

Methodological issuesLack of rigor/anecdotal, Academic credibility

Methodological innovations?

New theoretical frameworks

Research

Practice

Info

rms

Resources

Improves

LearningEnhances

Networks

Builds

Strategy

Gui

des

Policy

Shapes

TheoryDevelops

Development

Consolidates

Methodologies• Activity Theory• Actor Network Theory • Design-Based Research• Learning Analytics

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcoutas/4996881007/

Activity theory

Theoretical perspectives

• Activity theory– Takes account of context– Subject and object focus– Mediating Artefacts

• Actor Network Theory– Actants and non-actants– Networked perspective

• Design-Based Research– Agile – Problem, solutions, development and

evaluation

Actor Network Theory (ANT) • Humans and tool equal• Good for describing networks

Design-Based Research

A systematic, but flexible methodology aimed to improve educational practice through iterative analysis, design, development and implementation, based on collaboration between researchers and practitioners in real-world settings, and leading to contextually-sensitive design principles and theories.

Wang and Hannafin, 2005

Benefits

• Means of dealing with real learning contexts

• Iterative: design, implementation, evaluation, refine

• Gives rich insights into complex dynamics

Facets

• Make assumptions and theoretical bases explicit• Collect multiple types of data• Conduct ongoing data analysis• Invite multiple voices to critique• Have multiple accountability structures• Engage in dialectic among theory, design and

extant literature

Barab, 2006

DBR and Learning Design

• Builds on theory & prior research

• Pragmatic• Collaborative• Contextual• Integrative• Iterative – problem,

solution, evaluation• Adaptive and flexible• Generalisation

• Builds on ID, OER, Ped Patterns research etc.

• Practical tools & resources• Work with practitioners• Real, authentic contexts• Mixed-method approach• Problem, implementation,

evaluation and refinement• Agile, based on practice• Coherent LD framework

Problem and solution

• Teachers want – Examples of good

practice– Others to talk to

• Solution– Social networking site– Best of web 2.0– Iterative design and

evaluation http://cloudworks.ac.uk

Vision

Technical interventions

Evolving: socio-technical co-evolution

Social interventions

Beta release RSS feeds, activity streams etc

Events listing, voting, favourites, etc

Content seeding

Event support, flash debates, etc

Open reviews, expert consultation, etc

Evaluation

Problem and solution

• Teachers want– Design guidance– Means to share and

discuss designs• Solution

– Design representations– Based on empirical

evidence and theory

Learning Analytics

Measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for the purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which it occurs

US Department of Education

• We leave trails everywhere we go and that data is valuable

• (George Siemens)

Erik Duval

Other approaches

• Cultural research – narrative and gender

• Post-cognitivist turn• Phenomonology• Critical and historical

research

What is needed in a world of new and proliferating e-learning practices are research approaches that are multiple and varied and that recognise their heterogeneity explicitly. (Friesen, 2009)

From Web pages and forums to complex online interactions

Are we up for the challenge???

Conclusion

• Exciting and important time for TEL research

• Multiple theoretical research perspectives and methodologies emerging

• What are the key research questions we need to address?

• How do we ensure impact on policy and practice?