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Research in Distance Education: from present findings to future agendas. Closing keynote presentation. Martin Oliver Higher Education Academy Research Observatory
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From present findings to future agendas: communities and the Higher Education Academy Exchange
Martin Oliver
London Knowledge Lab
& Higher Education Academy
…what happened to the Observatory?
“The project formerly known as…”
As of last week, it’s (currently) the Higher Education Academy Exchange• No substantive change to purpose, form, timescale etc
The Higher Education Academy Exchange
A service promoting and exploring the use of practice- and research-based evidence to influence policy and practice in teaching and learning in Higher Education
Tools to enable access to evidence and syntheses of this evidence (e.g. prototype repository and syndicated search, wiki)
Spaces (real and virtual) to help communities explore evidence-based practice and its implications for students' learning
Overview of development
• August 07 – July 08 – “Phase 0”• Scoping the Observatory• Landscaping report for e-learning (exemplar area)• Generation of pilot resources and services• Proof of concept piloted at Academy conference
• July 08 – June 09 – “Phase 1” • Development phase• Pilots focusing on community engagement• Promoted at Academy conference July 09
• July 09 – “Phases 2, 3, etc”• Adding functionality, broadening engagement, etc
We’re here
Landscaping evidence use in e-learning
Series of exploratory studies within e-learning Beetham, Sharpe & Benfieldhttps://mw.brookes.ac.uk/display/hearoc
‘Landscaping’ consultationInterviews with key informantsSurvey (116 responses)Follow-up interviewshttps://mw.brookes.ac.uk/display/hearoc/
A resounding “Yes, but…”
Keen on single point of access; research reviewed, evaluated and synthesised
After that, great variability
“The impossibility of categorising respondents as users, producers, policy makers or intermediaries for research is in itself is an important outcome.”
Authority with the sector, not for it
Variability reflects differing questions and practices within the sector
Contrast with the dominant (caricatured) medical modelValuing qualitative research, reflective practice, etc
Building of theories and narratives, rather than mathematical models
Politics of quality control: who’s allowed to write to it?
Evidence in e-learning of benefits arising from involving practitioners in research, rather than differentiating researchers from practitioners (the studied)
The proposed approach
A social model of knowledge production and useExpertise of the sector, not for the sector
A scalable approach (people can develop as many topics as they’re interested in)
A sustainable approach (not dependent on central budgets, subscriptions, administration and control, etc)
Sensitive to differences in evidence use, vocabulary, interest, etc.
Strategic (spotting emergent topics, identifying gaps, informing decision making, etc.)
A theorisation
Wenger’s communities of practice modelPractice and Reification as necessary but fundamentally different (experience and abstraction)
Reifications received by communities and meaning negotiated in relation to practice
A social account of acceptable (policed) interpretation
This has implications for how we make sense of researchHow big are these communities of practice? Any overlap with disciplines, institutions, departments, special interest groups…?
Piloting community approaches
How do people produce, share and use evidence?SIG siteExpert review Community discussion of practiceOpen peer commentary on published research
Review processes, to identify approaches that may have wider valueFeed these back to inform the development of the whole observatoryCurrently, findings are mostly about problems…
Building from this: e-Learning projects
Small grants for research
Historically: projects awarded, visited once, conclude by generating reports
New model
Projects awarded, brought together, given technical infrastructure (wiki, Ning)
Are visited, encouraged to use Web2.0, brought together mid-project and again at end
Wiki for Academy-funded projects (& others)
www.academy-research-observatory.pbwiki.com
Understanding social use of evidence
Success will depend on documenting and understanding communities’ use of evidenceAn evidence base for our work, as well as for others
Working with pilot groupsSpecial interest group, membership group focusing on professional role, etc.
Further projects building capacity for this
Longer term vision
People can…Look to see if there’s relevant evidence about their problems
Add their own evidence to existing reviews (community authoring)
Find other people interested in these issues
Form and support Special Interest Groups
Support events, e.g. through centralised calendar, document store, space to develop shared interpretations
Pose questions to the sector if they can’t find what they want, which might spur new work or groups
And it’s happening here…
Centre for Distance Education
“From present findings to future agendas” event
Research into practice publication
An example of the kind of process we want to see happen more oftenHow can this be sustained and built on?
Towards 2012…
What can you do in three years?
One big project?
Two small projects?
One bit of development, implementation and evaluation?
Set up, run and possibly wind down a special interest group?
So… what’s the single issue you care about the most?
What are the priorities for the CDE that can inform our services to learners? (challenge from this morning)
Understanding our students• Describing what they do (e.g. mobile use in Africa, studies of vet
use of images in CoMo) – or letting them do this• Describing what they don’t do and why (e.g. ‘non-progressers’ and
reasons for non-completion)• Asking what they like … but not taking this at face value (e.g.
didn’t take up study skills modules even if they needed them)• Debunking “them and us” (e.g. “culture” as a proxy for variation)• Understanding how peoples’ use of technology varies (e.g. the
Proteins students: richness & enhancement vs. accessibility)• Theorising what they need (Denise’s issue with feedback)
And…
• Teachers are learners too• …in the most constructive sense! (So they also need
understanding…)• Giving time/space/support to relate this to practice• Supporting comparative and exploratory work (what
happens elsewhere, and what can we do with this stuff…?) as an opportunity for learning
Conclusions?
The Exchange/Observatory: less about what we should look at, more about how we should look at itNew round of project planned; emphasis on social processes
What can be learnt from the work here?What can change our work with students?
What connects to wider debates or the concerns of other communities?
This will need support and encouragement: a few people will do it anyhow, but with the right environment, more will benefit
Thanks!
Emails - [email protected]
More information at:http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/observatory
Piloting site:http://academy-research-observatory.pbwiki.com/
