VirtualMV/Research Workshop/Activities/Session 1

Session 1: Learning Activities

Research Question for 2015 workshop: What is the commonly accepted approach to Project Management?

Research Question for 2014 workshop: What are the advantages of using Facebook to enhance tertiary learning?

• 1.1 Discussion: What does the research question mean? What does the lecturer want to know?

• 1.2 Quick Question: Is the paper relevant to the question? (In this case the answer should be yes)

• 1.3 What will your answer look like? (What does a Research Report look like?)

Quick Look: Research report template

• 1.4 In the article(s) highlight sentences you could use to answer the question.

• 1.5 Using what you've highlighted, write about 2 sentences which answer the research question.

Include ONE direct quote and ONE paraphrased idea.(The follow examples give you an idea of thes - note they do not answer the research question)

• quote: "Facebook ... was justified, provided [it] was not a manditory requirement (Nesbit & Martin, 2012)"
• paraphrase : e.g. Nesbit and Martin (2012) recommend that Facebook not be manditory.
• Note that you can change the meaning of what the author intended - called "out of context".

Discussion: What is meant by "synthesis"?

Synthesis: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements; it also refers the act of putting parts together to form a whole (Omari, 2006). Compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions Production of a unique communication Production of a plan, or proposed set of operations Derivation of a set of abstract relations Questions like: Convert an "unhealthy" recipe for apple pie to a "healthy" recipe by replacing your choice of ingredients. Explain the health benefits of using the ingredients you chose vs. the original ones (Bloom's taxonomy, 2015). Bloom's taxonomy. (2015, February 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:17, March 3, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_taxonomy

Activity: with the person next to you, check you've both "synthesized" rather than copied - rewrite if you need to.

Discussion: What is meant by "critical thinking" and "critical evaluation"?

"critical thinking" / "critical evaluation": "the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion" (Critical thinking ,n.d.). critical thinking. (n.d.). Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon. Retrieved March 02, 2015, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/critical%20thinking

Activity: with the person next to you again, rewrite what you've done to show critical thinking.

• 1.6 How to Cite & Reference

Quick Look: How does the article do this? (Look at in-text citing and the Reference section).

Link: Twist Library APA Referencing Guide

• If you are using Nesbit and Martin (2012)[1] you will notice the referencing style is NOT APA (Koskela and Howell is APA).
  • Look at Nesbit and Martin (2011) " eLearning: A Solution in a Crisis: Don’t Forget the Pedagogy " which has been done in APA.

• 1.7 Add the in-text citation and the reference to the end of what you've written.

Tip: Many authors confuse the use of and and &. All you need to do is think "is it part of a sentence" if so use "and", otherwise "&" (So & is always used when citing inside () and in references ).

Post-session activity

• 1.8 (LO 1a, 1b) Continue writing the body of the report (about half a page) - synthesizing and critically evaluating information from article(s), citing in text and building the reference section.