Teaching Research Methods:

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• Teaching Research Methods
• the role of online training resources

Jane Wellens Educational Developer
Tristram Hooley Postgraduate Training Coordinator
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Structure of Talk
Exploring Online Methods
Starting Your PhD
Models of online training
TRIORM
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Exploring Online Research Methods

• Website Launched April 2006 and includes
• a high-quality portal providing training in
  online research methods
• a self-supporting online resource to enhance
  understanding of theoretical and practical
  aspects of online research methods including
  online questionnaires and virtual synchronous and
  asynchronous interviews
• a wide range of good practice case studies
• discussion of the ethical issues of online
  research
• important links and
• comprehensive technical guidance.

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Target Audiences
Students UG PG Distance Campus based etc
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Site link
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Pedagogical Approaches

• Constructivism/Experiential learning
• Online resource-based learning
• Learning by doing
• Learners have freedom to choose how they use the
  resources
• Pace
• Location
• Prior experience/entry level
• Support and feedback provided
• Learning outcomes help learners identify what
  they are trying to achieve

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Types of learning activities

• Structured/guided reading
• Hands on examples
• Demonstrations
• Self-review tests
• Case studies

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How the site can be used - Teachers

• Reference source
• Supplementary resource
• Integration into teaching
• Modular structure addressing different aspects of
  ORM
• Clear learning outcomes/learning objects
• Adaptable for different delivery modes (e.g. face
  to face or distance)

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How the site can be used - Learners

• Structured self-directed learning
• Dip in identifying specific learning
  requirements
• Blended learning
• Campus based course
• Part of distance learning provision
• Modular structure

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Feedback 1

• This will be an invaluable resource. It is clear,
  its comprehensive, and it makes sensible
  evaluations of prevailing opinion and practice -
  Christine Hine, University of Surrey
• The site offers a kind of one-stop shop for the
  relative newcomer to online research and the
  pitch of the modules seems appropriate - Martyn
  Denscombe, De Montfort University
• This is self-study online training of the very
  best kind practical and hands-on theoretically
  sound technically exacting supportive and
  inspirational. I wish this facility had been
  available when I started my own online research
  career - Chris Mann, Oxford Internet Institute
• Lots of nice aspects, well laid out and easy to
  navigate. I would recommend it to students and
  colleagues as an initial portal into learning
  more about online research methods, and as a
  resource for access to further more specialist,
  detailed sources - Claire Hewson, University of
  Bolton
• The layout and design of the website, the level
  of detail in its content, the use of examples and
  references, and the all-round navigation of the
  modules makes this a valuable resource that will,
  I am sure, be of use to many social scientists -
  Chris Taylor, Cardiff University

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Feedback 2

• This is an excellent web resource. Overall, the
  site is well thought out and covers most of the
  key issues which one would expect to see with
  regard to any method. Thus, it provides a
  comprehensive learning tool for researchers and
  will I am sure be widely used in the future -
  Parvati Raghuram, Open University
• My general impressions of the site are very good.
  The layout is straight forward, navigation around
  the site was simple, and I found the whole thing
  easy to use. The content is very thorough indeed
  - Colin Hyde, East Midlands Oral History Archive
• I think the Technical Guide is absolutely
  excellent. It is clear, well written and easy to
  navigate. The content is comprehensive, clear and
  well researched. I have already found it very
  useful myself and would have no hesitation in
  recommending it to anyone who is thinking of
  developing an online survey. - Christine Gratton,
  University of Nottingham
• Yael Levanon, who attended last years Summer
  Doctoral Programme of the Oxford Internet
  Institute with me in Beijing, passed on an
  interesting virtual training environment hosted
  by the University of Leicester called Exploring
  Online Research Methods. It features several
  modules, e.g. online questionnaires, ethics, and
  offers a well sorted area of helpful resources on
  the web dealing with the question of how to run
  online surveys. Thanks Yael, thanks folks at Uni
  of Leicester! Marcus German PhD students Blog

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Starting Your PhD

• Online programme to help new PhD students
• Investigate the range of support services
  available to them
• Discuss the different ways in which PhDs are seen
• Formulate a training plan
• Articulate their research to a non-specialist
  audience and
• Experience working in a VLE for groupwork and
  professional development activities

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Starting Your PhD
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Approach based on Salmon (2000)

• Online lectures and films supported by group
  discussion boards

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Training Needs Analysis
Development
Knowledge construction
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What skills do you need for a PhD?
Information exchange
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Who can help? What is a PhD?
Online socialization
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Where do you work? Who are you and what do you do?
Access motivation
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Trial posting
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Starting Your PhD - Engagement
How useful did you find the Starting Your PhD course overall?

• 29 students enrolled
• 20 accessed the course
• 3608 total hits on site (tutor 31)
• Mean 130 hits
• Range from 14 to 453

• 19 contributed to the discussions
• 286 postings to discussion board (23 tutor)
• Mean 11 postings
• Range from 1 to 46

Answers Percent Answered
Very useful 25
Useful 75
OK 0
Not useful 0
Unanswered 0
Answers Percent Answered
Very useful 25
Useful 75
OK 0
Not useful 0
Unanswered 0
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Feedback

• Quite enjoyed it. I have never used an
  e-learning environment before and this was a good
  introduction to it.
• It was a little more time consuming than
  initially advertised and it was very frustrating
  that so many people dropped out midway through.
• The fact that it directed me to a huge variety of
  resources and we also obtained feedback about
  each of the section. We were encouraged to
  participate in discussions, it was only a shame
  that so many people registered interest then
  dropped out.
• I think there needs to be more of an incentive to
  get people interested and also it was difficult
  trying to do group work when so few people were
  about to work with. I am not sure how this could
  be remedied though as it was promoted as a
  flexible course! The only way I can think is to
  have specific times when people are online and
  there is a mediator online as well to facilitate
  the process as group working via email is not
  something I personally have much experience of.
• Maybe the course could be run longer ? I felt the
  assignments were to close together and when I was
  off with virus for a week I think I missed two.

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Exploring ORM/Starting Your PhDCommon Issues

• Participation voluntary
• Dip-in, dip-out usage
• Completion of activities

• Tutor involvement
• Flexibility

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Future Developments
Exploring Online Methods
Starting Your PhD
Models of online training
TRIORM
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Future Developments - TRIORM

• Teaching Researchers in Online Research Methods
• Online Training Module in Online Research Methods
• A ten week, 15 credit, M-level online programme
• Delivered using the Blackboard Virtual Learning
  Environment.
• Target Audience
• Social science, medical and educational
  researchers wanting to further develop their
  skills in online research methods including
• Established researchers
• Junior researchers
• Research assistants
• Postgraduate students
• University administrators

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Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module participants will be
  able to
• Critically evaluate the use of online research
  methods to address their own and their peers
  research questions
• Design and pilot an online questionnaire or
  online interview to address their own research
  questions using appropriate software/hardware
• Evaluate their online research design in the
  light of feedback from the pilot
• Identify the key issues in successful
  implementation of online research methods from
  the perspective of researcher and respondent and
• Reflect on their experience as an online
  researcher and identify further opportunities for
  development.

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ReflectionsTeaching using online training
resources

• Nature of the subject matter
• High quality resources required
• Tutor input high
• Resources may not be used as expected
• Expectations of engagement
• Reward for participation
• Community of practice