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Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology Dr Ester Ehiyazaryan, Lecturer University Centre Doncaster, SCORE Fellow [email protected] Tel: 01302553809

OERs in research methods teaching

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This presentation was delivered as part of C-SAP dissemination event at University Centre at Blackburn College on 1 September 2011.

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Page 1: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Dr Ester Ehiyazaryan, Lecturer University Centre Doncaster, SCORE [email protected]: 01302553809

Page 2: OERs in research methods teaching

Context

•SCORE – Support Centre for Open Resources in Educationhttp://www8.open.ac.uk/score/

Aims of SCORE:•Provide skills training in developing and reusing OER•Build evidence of the impact of OER in HE•Address issues such as IPR and support the establishment of a legal framework for rights management•Enhance our understanding of how OER are used in various contexts

Page 3: OERs in research methods teaching

ContextUniversity Centre Doncaster

•Blackboard VLE; repository; online discussion forums

•ePortfolio – used for formative assessment and feedback; peer support; recording PDP

•Online assessment - Turn it in

•SPACE project, Performing arts: www.space.fusedworks.com(Phase 2 JISC/OER)

‘The term ‘blended e-learning’ recognises that the opportunities for using e-learning on its own are far fewer than where e-learning is integrated into (blended with) other approaches as a form of blended learning.’

(Littlejohn and Pegler, 2007, p.1)

Page 4: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Methodology

•Action research study – second and third person participation – colleagues from Education, Sociology and Criminology

•Collaborative evaluation and embedding of OER in research methods teaching

•A scaffolding approach to introducing OER – OER research methods collection:

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/5548

Page 5: OERs in research methods teaching

Repositories used:

Jorum Open: http://www.jorum.ac.uk/

HumBox – humanities teaching resources on the web: http://www.humbox.ac.uk/

SlideShare – sharing presentations online: http://www.slideshare.net/

iTunesU – audio and video OER available from the iTunes store

NCRM – the National Centre for Research Methods – developed by the ESRC and part of a strategy to improve the quality of research methods teaching: http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/view/subjects/

(see also John MacInnes report to ESRC: ‘Proposals to Support and Improve the Teaching of Quantitative Research Methods at Undergraduate Level in the UK’.

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Page 6: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Criteria for selection

16. GRANUALITYDoes size matter? Is it easier to reuse small bits of content (assets), or is it preferable to search for big, significant resources?

Purpose

Concerns

Quality

Technology

Resources

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18. CONTEXT-FREEOne theory is that stripping out context-specific information makes resources more easy to reuse. What do you think?

Purpose

Concerns

Quality

Technology

Resources

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21. INNOVATION

Resources which make innovative use of technology can be difficult to produce. Is this is a good reason to reuse them?

Purpose

Concerns

Quality

Technology

Resources

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(Chris Pegler, ORIOLE project)Chris Pegler’s reusable card game is available here: http://orioleproject.blogspot.com/p/shop_16.html

Page 7: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Criteria for selection

(Learning Object Attribute Matrix (LOAM), Windle, Nottingham University)

Interactivity (no interactivity >50% of RLO is interactive)

Media richness(no visual or audio elements Media elements are of exceptional quality)

Feedback(none includedFeedback is adaptive to learners needs)

Page 8: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Research questions:

•What considerations were key for tutors in deciding whether to reuse a resource?•What was the USP of OER as identified by tutors (what differentiates OER from current provision)•How did tutors intend to reuse and embed the resources in current provision?

Page 9: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

The Experiment (video file). A discussion of an experiment based in prison on guard-prisoner relationships. The experiment is compared to the controversial Zimbardo study (1971):

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9786447/1-05 The Experiment.m4v

Interdisciplinary learning – the example of iTunesU

‘The Experiment’, The Open University, iTunesU

Page 10: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

•strong story telling potential•media rich and visually attractive•works in an interdisciplinary way•Feedback, support and assessment would have to be provided by the tutor

Interdisciplinary learning – the example of iTunesU

Page 11: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Granularity – does size matter?

Large: Online QDA is a set of learning materials which address common issues of undertaking qualitative data analysis (QDA) and beginning to use Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS) packages. University of Huddersfield, content by Graham Gibbs:http://onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/index.php

Small:Dave Harris at MARJON: Tips for students by an experienced lecturer on how to improve questionnaire design and what common mistakes to avoid:http://www.arasite.org/mmedia/addvalquaire/index.htm

16. GRANUALITYDoes size matter? Is it easier to reuse small bits of content (assets), or is it preferable to search for big, significant resources?

Purpose

Concerns

Quality

Technology

Resources

By B

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Fin

gerh

ood

http:

//w

ww

.flic

kr.c

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7943

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Page 12: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Granularity – does size matter?

A smaller resource is:

•Less academically credible/ significant•Supports autonomous learning•Creates less work for the tutor in introducing for autonomous use - flexibility

Some ideas on how to make your questionnaire more attractive, D. Harris at Marjohn

Page 13: OERs in research methods teaching

Granularity – does size matter?

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

A bigger resource is:

•More likely to be academically credible/ significant•Would require a higher level of self directedness from the learner.• Would create more work for the tutor in introducing for autonomous use

Online QDA, Huddersfield University

Page 14: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Level and context specificity

•Rigid level specificity can detract from the flexibility of the resource.

•Level specificity is where the workload for the tutor comes in where reuse is concerned (this does not necessarily imply repurposing)

•Working 'at different levels' is what OER naturally do and this underlying pedagogical principle supports the theory of ZPD (Vygotsky).

•OER need to work at different levels in order to be truly reusable.

Page 15: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Level and context specificity

18. CONTEXT-FREEOne theory is that stripping out context-specific information makes resources more easy to reuse. What do you think?

Purpose

Concerns

Quality

Technology

Resources

By M

aske

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p://

ww

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.com

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•Resources do not need to be context specific to be reusable•A context free OER would require the educator to carry out further work in setting the resource in a subject specific context

Page 16: OERs in research methods teaching

Embedding Open Educational Resources in Research Methods Teaching in Education, Social Science and Criminology

Conclusions

The interdisciplinary nature of OER aids narrative construction; allows learners to internalise knowledge (constructivism); has the potential to address some of the difficulties which learners have with research methods learning.

The size of the resource (granularity) …influences learner autonomy; …affects perception of the resource by tutors (academic credibility); …determines the level of work the tutor will have to do in introducing the resource in a programme of study.

Context and level specificity – rigid level specificity detracts from the flexibility and reusability of the resource. Level and context specificity is where the real work for the tutors comes in. This is what creates a clash with the assumption of time saving – the time will still have to be put in, in making the resources context and level specific, but not in creating of new content – moving away from creating content and towards designing learning.