ResearchMethods/At a glance

At a glance
Subject: Research Methods

Offered by: University of Wollongong, Australia and North-West University, South Africa

Begins Autumn (29th February) 2016

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Team Members
Irit Alony, Open Education Project Officer and Subject Developer, University of Wollongong. Click here to email me.

Sarah Lambert, Manager, Open Education, University of Wollongong

Susan Engel, Program coordinator, Faculty of Law, Arts, and Humanities, University of Wollongong

Meeting minutes
19 April - Meting with Susan and Deborah

Main concern: Subject content is too large to deliver withing the agreed upon timeframe Resolution:
 * Subject is intended to deliver a preliminary understanding and familiarity with the research process
 * Students participating in the subject already have an early understanding of their research topic
 * Deborah and Susan are to review course material once developed

Email from Susan Engel 28 April 2015 Hi Sarah,

With assessments what we discussed at the meeting yesterday that you missed was that we would likely deliver the subjects content in 6 weeks (this was following our discussion during the Model UN subject the other day). So the content would be intensive to keep them focused. Students would do their online contributions, then the only have to finally decide if they're going to pay for the subject in week 5 (the normal census date) and then we'd have the major essay due after that in week 7/8. I'll keep the assessment task in the subject form broad because if it's too detailed it's a lot of paperwork to change but we could decide to have it done in sections - though I think at most a brief proposal then the final paper because we have to streamline the work too.

Cheers, Susan

Date: 30 April 2015 Attendance: Susan Engel, Irit Alony

Target audience

Two cohorts will be running in parallel: UOW (face-to-face), and online. Many of the face-to-face cohort have another project-based subject (6 credit points) in parallel, which includes data collection, analysis, and thesis writing. These aspects (data collection, analysis and writing) will only be theoretical for the RM subject (also 6 credit points).

Learning objectives

Subject learning objectives correspond with those stated for MIST926 Content includes scholarly articles. Free portals to consider for this purpose: RO (UOW), Academia.edu, ResearchGate

Program context

Because of the research project, the RM subject has to complete 'training' students to conduct research early on, and has to run intensively for 6 weeks. This works well with the need for an intensive experience for the online cohort.

Assessments

In terms of assessments, the first assessment involves two short components of a research proposal (1000 words each). Week 4 - Research questions, topic analysis, literature review strategy Week 6 - Proposed research methods and expected analysis methods Another form of assessment involves online contributions prior to the assessment at week4/6 (in week 2 and/or 3). This will require posting preliminary suggestions for topics & methods, and commenting on others' decisions. Suggestions for comments: Strengths and weaknesses of the decision Relevance / pitfalls in specific national /cultural context significance of the research issue etc.

These contributions will be assessed based on their quality & relevance

After week 6, face-to-face students focus on their project-based subject. In weeks 8 -10, another theoretical assessment (take-home exam) is designed around understanding variety of research methods and strategies. A research presentation is another form of assessment - however I am not sure if we agreed on it happening for this subject or in the project subject. (Susan?) If it is used in this subject, online students can do a skype interview.

Subject structure

Ethics - Susan is happy to run it as a separate component (like in NWU's outline). The more theoretical aspects of research (ethics, the research process, research approaches) will be pushed to the later part of the subject, so that the students can get practical early on. Examples of UOW qualitative research can be used as teaching material

Action items

Irit - email NWU with regards to suggested collaboration option Irit - continue developing subject. Revise blueprint to suit revised structure Revise assessment items Flesh out content relevant for various units/components/modules Susan - Discuss payment for Irit with Sarah Sarah - can we re-edit C. Eriksen's interview to repurpose for this subject?

Meeting re assessment items - 2/06/2015 Attendance: Sarah Lambert, Susan Engel, Irit Alony

As discussed in the meeting, Sarah and I will have a skype meeting with NWU to discuss the OER collaboration, and we will inform you on the outcomes.

Also, I will be away from June 25th till August 12th, and will be back in full strength to complete the subject.

My next item to deliver, hopefully before I go, will be a list of content items to be reused from the education subject. Then we can see how to fill in the gaps with OER content.

As for the assessment, I’ll formulate the “research centre” component, where students are asked to group around a research theme, geographical area, or method of their interest, and include at least one “open” student in their group (if numbers permit, I imagine), so they ahvea feedback group for their online contributions.

Looking forward to seeing you next week,

Irit.

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