Grainne’s position paper for hotseat January 2010
Theory & Methodology in Networked Learning
Phrasing
‘changing and contested nature’
‘theory as an antidote to technical determinism’
‘understand, work with and subvert structures – organisational, discipline, career.’
Definitions
Required as a result of evolving trends with different foci of inquiry
Networked learning – a term that is inclusive of everyone and everything involved.
Methodology – describes how different philosophical positions would interpret data. Methodology aligns with different epistemological beliefs and views of the world.
Theory – structure, idea or it can be empirical ie based on measurements and observations of reality.
Diversity of theory
Touchstone
Tool
Principle
Provides a framework for example a way of understanding and predicting something.
Can have explanatory power
May consist of general assumptions, laws
Models – are ‘abstract representations that help us understand something we cannot see or experience directly ( Conole, Oliver et al, 2007) e.g. Kolb’s learning cycle. Models are often represented visually. Garrison, community of learning model.
Framework – ‘structure and/or vocabulary that supports explication’
Research traditions ( not strictly a definition) historical, cultural, political influences all collectively shape traditions. Also influenced by birth discipline and/or experience of practice.
Theoretical perspectives, dominant discourses
- Cultural historical activity theory – key notion is mediation by artefacts
- CoP
- Actor Network Theory ‘ considers both people and technologies as Actants in a connected network and in particular that it is the relationship between these actants that is important.’ ‘Focuses more on the form that a network takes’ and their formation and sustaibility.
Methodological approaches
note there can be different levels of analysis micro, macro & meta
Content Analysis
Henri, 1992 identified 5 dimesnions that can be used to evaluate CMC, namaely participative, social, interactive, cognitive and metacognitive
Garrison – interaction of 3 core components, cognitive presence, teaching presence and social presence.
Gunawadena et al, 1997 – types of cognitive activity the participant engaged with, questioning, clarifying, negotiating, synthesising, etc as well as the types of argument they put forward, the resources they used and any evidence of changes in understanding.
De Laat et al – multimethod SNA + content analysis + critical event
SEE JONES article for effect of context doing the collaboration using a computer with all seated around the computer.
Ethnography
Case Studies
Action research
Evaluation – but note the relationship between evaluation & research remains contested. One way to distinguish them is to consider how the findings are used ‘ if they are interpreted by an immediate, local audience and used to support decion making, the study was probably an evaluation; if the findings are interpreted in terms of theories and are presented as a contribution to knowledge , it was probably research’
Questions
How often is the data collected a reflection of the data that is generated?
What is technology enhanced learning?
Examples
Cloud works as a case study;
Theoretical perspective was socio-cultural drawing on artefacts. At this stage ( early 2010) cloudwork research uses the following frameworks, Goffman – face work, Engestrom, expansive learning, Levy – collective intelligence.Resources
TLRP TEL associations Challenges of Interdisplinary conference in 2007 http://www.tlrp.org/tel/tel-seminars/the-challenges-of-interdisciplinary-research/
Cloud scape of interdisciplinarity
http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1954
Special edition of JIME published in 2002 and edited by Martin Oliver
Oliver, M. (2002). Special Issue on Theory for Learning Technologies: Editorial. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2002 (9). ISSN:1365-893X
Research methods knowledge based
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/
ESRC National Cnetre for Research methods
Beissel-Durrant, G., (2004) A typology for Research Methods within the social sciences. Available at
http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/115/
Conole, G., & Oliver, M., (2002)
Contemporary perspectives in e-learning research: themes, methods, and impact on practice
Jones, C., (1999). From the sage on the stage to what exactly? Description and the place of the moderator in cooperative and collaborative learning, ALT-J, 7(2), 27-36
Yin, R., (2009) Case study research: design and methods 4th ed., London, Sage.
Centre for interdisciplinary research
http://www.crucible.cl.cam.ac.uk
