User:Randyfisher/MP/Hypothesis

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Welcome to Randy Fisher's Masters Project I page

MA, Organization Management & Development, Fielding Graduate University, California (April 2009)


Randy Fisher aka Wikirandy

Hypothesis

Educators from learning organizations are drawn to WikiEducator for three reasons: (1) achievement; (2) power; and/ or (3) affiliation.

Research Question

What motivates educators from learning organizations to provide free instructional and learning content on WikiEducator?

Statement

(Active) Educators provide free content on WikiEducator because they want to experience the in-thing...they want to be part of what's going on....what's popular...what everyone is doing..., because of the affiliation / comunity of support...

Getting there...

  • When educational organizations use (open) wikis for curricula development, educator-employees will increase their contribution of content and interaction

Definitions

  • "Drawn" - they come, and contribute to the wiki, to contribute to the wiki
  • Participation
  • Contribution
  • Learning Organizations
  • WikiEducator
  • See: Glossary

Who Benefits?

Internal / External

  • the organization
  • the instructors / educators
  • the stakeholders
  • the WE Community
  • the world

Motivating Factor(s)

  • internal / eternal motivations
    • from the individuals who contribute
  • the organizational context - "You are going to do it this way"
    • CC-BY IT Policy
    • organizational support by instructional design unit

Data Gathering

Survey

Ask Individual Educators - Why Are You Doing This? What motivates instructors from higher education learning organizations to participate in an Internet-based wiki project (i.e., WikiEducator)

  • your org. came up with the idea
  • you have no choice
  • paid, unpaid
  • extra work, for them...something they never had to do before....extra work.... so why are they doing extra work....so what's their incentive...
  • What does "participate" mean - who comes, who goes, duration

Ask 'groups', who want to use WE for their training and teaching

  • India
  • Ghana
  • NZ

Measuring Participation / Contribution

  • What does participation / contribution mean?
    • who comes, stays, for how long?
  • instructor adds content
  • ID department, vetted by instructors
  • learning from others, and imitate it.... pro-D


Outcome Measures

  • Rate of conversion rate from new users to active contributors
  • Number, diversity and growth of active contributors in the WikiEducator space
    • Note: Active contributors will develop and increase educational content
  • See: Glossary for Definitions

Unobtrusive Measures

  • number of people taking wiki skills training
  • indicators in the community - we have proof....
  • we can see where it's coming from....
  • list of participants, what organizations....,
  • searches for what they've contributed....
    • they're all talking to each other