Open Research – Insights and Methods
0 likes138 views
The Global Open Educational Resources Graduate Network (GO-GN) aims to enhance research into open education by supporting PhD research and developing open methodologies. A research methods handbook has been created in response to concerns from GO-GN members about research methodology, providing guidance and insights on various research methods. Future editions of the handbook will include additional theoretical perspectives and ongoing contributions from researchers in the field.
Open Research – Insights and Methods
- 1. The Global Open Educational Resources Graduate Network: Open Research – Insights and Methods OpenEdColloquium20 Nelson Mandela University Dr. Robert Farrow Open Education Research Hub Institute of Educational Technology The Open University, UK rob.farrow@open.ac.uk @philosopher1978
- 2. 2 01 Why a Research Methods Handbook? Rationale and concept02 Production Process Crowdsourcing research insights03 Presentation & Style Aiming for accessibility04 Open Research: Insights Reflections shared by GO-GN members05 Impact and Future Editions Next steps STRUCTURE Introduction to GO-GN Background on the Global OER Graduate Network and its members 06 07 Acknowledgements Thanks to all contributors!
- 3. 3 SUPPORTING DOCTORAL RESEARCH IN OPEN EDUCATION GLOBAL OER GRADUATE NETWORK http://go-gn.net/
- 4. 4 GLOBAL OER GRADUATE NEWORK GO-GN started in 2013 as an initiative from Fred Mulder, UNESCO Chair in OER at the Dutch Open Universiteit, in collaboration with Rory McGreal, UNESCO / COL Chair in OER at Athabasca University (Canada). GO-GN is currently funded through the OER programme of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and administered by the Open Education Research Hub from the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University, UK. The aims of the GO-GN are: • to raise the profile of research into open education, • to offer support for those conducting PhD research in this area, and • to develop openness as a process of research. More than 100 doctoral and post-doctoral researchers form the core of the network with more than 200 experts, supervisors, mentors and interested parties forming a community of practice
- 5. Why a Research Methods Handbook? Rationale and concept
- 6. 6 (DECEPTIVELY) SIMPLE ANSWER WHAT IS RESEARCH METHOD? Method: • Approach or technique for conducting research • How a study is completed • How data was collected and analyzed • Testing a hypothesis • Supports a claim to knowledge or validity
- 7. 7
- 8. 8 RATIONALE & CONCEPT WHY A RESEARCH METHODS HANDBOOK? Feedback from GO-GN members consistently raises methodology as an area of concern and the Handbook is a response to this need: • Methodology is hard, and often leads you outside your comfort zone • Learners are rarely encouraged to critically engage with method before doctoral study • People writing PhDs/EdDs can suffer from imposter syndrome, or feel like they are expected to know all this stuff by now • People often don’t feel like discussing these issues in a group But openness also plays a part: • Emergent field of study • Applying methods outside original context • Openness as object of study vs. openness as method • Open practices challenge some of our assumptions about how to do research • Different (academic) cultures can be more receptive to different kinds of research
- 9. 9 RATIONALE & CONCEPT WHY A RESEARCH METHODS HANDBOOK? Rationale: • Addressing confusion and insecurity about research methods by acknowledging complexity • Contextualizing these within open education research • Building a record of the experiences of researchers in open education • Working openly: sharing critical reflections widely • Look for insights into “openness” Concept: • Offering an accessible entry point into methodology • Convey complexity while being supportive • Explaining the philosophical differences that underlie debate about method • Exploring the concept of open research • Collecting and sharing authentic experiences of researchers who have used different methods
- 10. Production Process Crowdsourcing research insights
- 11. 11 TIMELINE (2020) PRODUCTION PROCESS January – Announcement (webinars, survey) February – Webinar; member input into scope, content March – Survey of members closes April – OER20 Workshop (moved online and redesigned) May – Drafting and compiling responses June – Open Editorial Review July – Publication August – Consideration for an Open Education Global research award Sep-Nov – Conference presentations
- 12. Presentation & Style Aiming for accessibility
- 13. 13 TIMELINE PRODUCTION PROCESS July 2020 – Publication
- 14. 14
- 15. 15
- 16. 16
- 17. 17
- 18. 18 Research Design Process (based on E891) (Open University, n.d.)
- 19. 19 HANDBOOK STRUCTURE PRESENTATION AND STYLE Philosophical Foundations • Ontology • Epistemology • Axiology Research Paradigms Paradigmatic Methods • Positivism / Post-Positivism • Interpretivism • Critical / Transformational • Pragmatic • Multidisciplinarity / Interdisciplinarity • Mixed Methods & Triangulation
- 20. 20Progression through the Research Process (based on Brown & Dueñas, 2020)
- 21. 21 HANDBOOK STRUCTURE PRESENTATION AND STYLE Open Research • Open Research Cycles • Open Practices Designing a Research Project • Planning • Ethical Issues • Managing Risk • Using Technologies • Self Management • Research Design
- 22. Open Research: Insights Reflections shared by GO-GN members
- 23. 23 HANDBOOK STRUCTURE PRESENTATION AND STYLE Action Research & Participatory Action Research Case Study Content / Thematic Analysis Design-Based Research / Interventions Discourse Analysis Ethnography Evaluation Research Experimental & Quasi-experimental research Grounded Theory Interviews and Focus Groups
- 24. 24 HANDBOOK STRUCTURE PRESENTATION AND STYLE Literature Review, Systematic Review & Meta-analysis Mixed Methods Narrative Research Observation (Naturalistic & Analogue) Phenomenography Phenomenology Social Network Analysis Surveys & Questionnaires
- 25. 25 OPEN PRACTICES IN RESEARCH OPEN RESEARCH: INSIGHTS One characteristic feature of open researchers is that they often integrate open elements into what they do. This can include things like: • Agile working & project management • Directly influencing practice • Radical transparency • Social media presence, blogging • Using networks as a research resource • Sharing research instruments and other tools • Use of open data • Open access publication • Technological innovation • Working towards social justice
- 26. 26 REFLECTION PROMPTS RESEARCH METHODS REPORT How do you frame your research? What motivates it? • Describing what is happening (e.g. learner diversity in MOOCs) • Identifying patterns (e.g. how are networks changing learner interactions?) • Challenging existing narratives (e.g. ‘digital native’) • Focus on something overlooked (e.g. importance of sociocultural factors) • Supporting professional practice (e.g. educator development) • Developing new theories • Describing new trends (e.g. open education) • Refine/redefine roles (e.g. MOOCs) What will be the value of answering your research question? Can open approaches enhance or add value? • Directly influencing practice • Producing tools • Data for re-use • Open access publication • Developing networks
- 27. Impact & Future Editions Next steps
- 28. 28 Farrow, R., Iniesto, F., Weller, M. & Pitt., R. (2020). The GO- GN Research Methods Handbook. Open Education Research Hub. The Open University, UK. CC-BY 4.0. http://go- gn.net/gogn_outputs/researc h-methods-handbook/ Images by Visual Thinkery CC BY
- 29. 29 What’s next? • A companion volume focused on theoretical perspectives • Future editions to include ongoing input from researchers • Expand to include discussion of other research methods in open education (e.g. textbook research; COUP framework) • Expand and refine presentation of open research • Build more detailed guidance for research design
- 30. 30 Farrow, R. and Mathers, B. (2020), Conceptualising Research Methodology for Doctoral Researchers in Open Education (with penguins). International Journal of Management and Applied Research, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 349-359. https://doi.org/10.18646/2056.73.20- 025 (Special Issue: Effective Use of Visual Representation in Research and Teaching within Higher Education)
- 31. 31 Farrow, R. (ed.) et al. (2020). GO-GN Research Review (Summer 2020). Global OER Graduate Network. http://go- gn.net/gogn_outputs/research- review-summer-2020/ • Marjon Baas (Leiden University, Netherlands) • Natasha Chtena (University of California Los Angeles, USA) • Glenda Cox (University of Cape Town, South Africa) • Michael Dabrowski (Athabasca University, Canada) • Helen De Waard (Lakehead University, Canada) • Kathy Essmiller (Oklahoma State University, USA) • Paco Iniesto (Open University, UK) • Caroline Kuhn (Bath Spa University, UK) • Rebecca Pitt (Open University, UK) • Hélène Pulker (Open University, UK) • Martin Weller (Open University, UK)
- 33. 33 THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTING! RESEARCH METHODS HANDBOOK Samia Almousa (Leeds University, UK) Marjon Baas (Leiden University, Netherlands, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands) Penny Bentley (University of Southern Queensland, Australia) Aras Bozkurt (Anadolu University, Turkey) Walter Butler (Queensland University of Technology, Australia via the San Jose State University (USA) Gateway Program) Paula Cardoso (Universidade Aberta, Portugal) Natascha Chtena (UCLA, USA) Ada Czerwonogora (Universidad de la República, Uruguay) Johanna Funk (Charles Darwin University, Australia) Jenni Hayman (Arizona State University, USA) Sarah C. Hutton (University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA) Olawale Iyikolakan (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) Katy Jordan (The Open University, UK)
- 34. 34 Caroline Kuhn (Bath Spa University, UK) Sarah Lambert (Deakin University, Australia) Chrissi Nerantzi (Edinburgh Napier University) Jessica O'Reilly (Athabasca University, Canada) Michael Paskevicius (The University of Victoria, Canada) Judith Pete (The Open Universiteit of the Netherlands) Virginia Power (The University of the West of England, UK) Hélène Pulker (The Open University, UK) Verena Roberts (The University of Calgary, Canada) Virginia Rodés (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Universidad de la República, Uruguay) Viviane Vladimirschi (Athabasca University, Canada) THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTING! RESEARCH METHODS HANDBOOK