Getting Started with Research Karen Belfer, VCC Tannis Morgan, BCIT

Introductions Our experiences Your interests What brought you to this session today?

Our experiences

Your interests

What brought you to this session today?

Why bother? Motivations “ research” vs investigation as part of own faculty development Research in your discipline or educational research?

Motivations

“ research” vs investigation as part of own faculty development

Research in your discipline or educational research?

Overview SOTL, applied research, and research The research process Research ethics Tools Funding Questions?

SOTL, applied research, and research

The research process

Research ethics

Tools

Funding

Questions?

Situating Research SoTL Applied Empirical

SoTL Applied Empirical

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Research: Where it starts Who am I as an instructor? Are my exam questions too hard? Does a course weblog help students feel connected? Is group work helping first year math students? Are employers satisfied with graduates of our program?

Who am I as an instructor?

Are my exam questions too hard?

Does a course weblog help students feel connected?

Is group work helping first year math students?

Are employers satisfied with graduates of our program?

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Research Teaching Expanded Planned reflection and analysis Shortest “distance” from current practice Systematic investigation or exploration via a research process Manageable scope--scalable Teaching context as a laboratory Focus on student learning

Teaching Expanded

Planned reflection and analysis

Shortest “distance” from current practice

Systematic investigation or exploration via a research process

Manageable scope--scalable

Teaching context as a laboratory

Focus on student learning

Research Process (Carnegie criteria) Adequate Preparation Literature review - 25% of time Clear Goals Research questions - derived from own experience, curiosity, lit review Appropriate Methods flow from research questions - “how” vs “what” determines methods to some degree Significant Results Analysis and discussion of what has been investigated, finding flaws in own research, need to investigate further if larger than thought, reflective critique of conducting the research, so what? Reflective Critique So what? what does this mean moving forward in your teaching? related to significant results, how does this affect the bigger picture Effective Presentation Sharing, communication, reporting

Adequate Preparation

Literature review - 25% of time

Clear Goals

Research questions - derived from own experience, curiosity, lit review

Appropriate Methods

flow from research questions - “how” vs “what” determines methods to some degree

Significant Results

Analysis and discussion of what has been investigated, finding flaws in own research, need to investigate further if larger than thought, reflective critique of conducting the research, so what?

Reflective Critique

So what? what does this mean moving forward in your teaching? related to significant results, how does this affect the bigger picture

Effective Presentation

Sharing, communication, reporting

Preparation Adequate Preparation - lit review - 25% of time Engage librarians as a resource Google scholar, interinstitutional loans, AskAway Key words SOTL groups, use the network Research Ethics Board/Review Organizational system: Refworks, cite-u-like

Adequate Preparation - lit review - 25% of time

Engage librarians as a resource

Google scholar, interinstitutional loans, AskAway

Key words

SOTL groups, use the network

Research Ethics Board/Review

Organizational system: Refworks, cite-u-like

Literature Review

Clear Goals What makes a good research question? Simple It addresses a need or a problem that you encounter as a practitioner It is researchable, meaning you are able to collect evidence that would answer the question . It is doable given your time and material constraints. It inspires you and has the potential to hold your interest over several months. It is not too general; that would result in a multitude of sub-questions. It is not too narrow; that would rule out the emergence of other possibilities. It cannot be answered Yes or No How do you develop a research question? need, own experience, curiosity, lit review

What makes a good research question?

Simple

It addresses a need or a problem that you encounter as a practitioner

It is researchable, meaning you are able to collect evidence that would answer the question .

It is doable given your time and material constraints.

It inspires you and has the potential to hold your interest over several months.

It is not too general; that would result in a multitude of sub-questions.

It is not too narrow; that would rule out the emergence of other possibilities.

It cannot be answered Yes or No

How do you develop a research question?

need, own experience, curiosity, lit review

Your questions Share an observation, and what you would like to know What would this look like as a research question?

Share an observation, and what you would like to know

What would this look like as a research question?

Appropriate Methods How are you going to investigate your question? Flow from research questions - “how” vs “what” determines methods to some degree Does your discipline influence your methods? Instruments Process/research design Organizing and documenting it all

How are you going to investigate your question?

Flow from research questions - “how” vs “what” determines methods to some degree

Does your discipline influence your methods?

Instruments

Process/research design

Organizing and documenting it all

Research Design & Methods Qualitative--How? Why? Eg. Case studies, ethnographies, grounded theory Quantitative--What? Eg. (Quasi-)Experimental, correlational, surveys Mixed--combination Evaluation studies--typically program, institutional, or innovation focussed with a clear purpose of assessing the quality and effectiveness

Qualitative--How? Why?

Eg. Case studies, ethnographies, grounded theory

Quantitative--What?

Eg. (Quasi-)Experimental, correlational, surveys

Mixed--combination

Evaluation studies--typically program, institutional, or innovation focussed with a clear purpose of assessing the quality and effectiveness

Qualitative Methods Used to “understand” more deeply. Typically results do not seek to generalize widely. May involve one or more of the following: focus groups/interviews text or discourse analysis observations

Used to “understand” more deeply. Typically results do not seek to generalize widely.

May involve one or more of the following:

focus groups/interviews

text or discourse analysis

observations

Quantitative Methods Typically seeks to generalize to a large population. It is “hypothetically” more objective and less interpretive. Examples include one or more of the following: Surveys Experimental Design Content analysis

Typically seeks to generalize to a large population. It is “hypothetically” more objective and less interpretive.

Examples include one or more of the following:

Surveys

Experimental Design

Content analysis

Our SOTL/Ed Research Examples Cardiology applied research - quantitative surveys, validation of instruments Net Gen learner - mixed methods interviews/focus groups; survey Teaching Presence and Voice Feedback - qualitative discussion thread; interviews Question Analysis with Clickers - quantitative clickers, Item Response theory , Classical Theory of Tests

Cardiology applied research - quantitative

surveys, validation of instruments

Net Gen learner - mixed methods

interviews/focus groups; survey

Teaching Presence and Voice Feedback - qualitative

discussion thread; interviews

Question Analysis with Clickers - quantitative

clickers, Item Response theory , Classical Theory of Tests

Matrix: Appropriate Methods

Tools Data Gathering Digital: Text, audio, video, surveys Backups! Security and privacy (ethics) Data Analysis SPSS/NVIVO/MaxQDA/Microsoft Word Notes Data visualization tools

Data Gathering

Digital: Text, audio, video, surveys

Backups!

Security and privacy (ethics)

Data Analysis

SPSS/NVIVO/MaxQDA/Microsoft Word Notes

Data visualization tools

Brainstorm Select one of your research questions and discuss with your partner/group how you would gather evidence/data What are the challenges you would be faced with? What kinds of roadblocks would you anticipate?

Select one of your research questions and discuss with your partner/group how you would gather evidence/data

What are the challenges you would be faced with? What kinds of roadblocks would you anticipate?

Results Analysis and discussion of what has been investigated Finding flaws in own research need to investigate further if larger than thought reflective critique of conducting the research so what?

Analysis and discussion of what has been investigated

Finding flaws in own research

need to investigate further if larger than thought

reflective critique of conducting the research

so what?

Reflective Critique So what? What does this mean moving forward in your teaching? How does this affect the bigger picture?

So what?

What does this mean moving forward in your teaching?

How does this affect the bigger picture?

Effective Presentation Sharing Communication Reporting

Sharing

Communication

Reporting

Research Ethics Human dignity Free informed consent Vulnerable persons Justice and inclusiveness Minimizing (balancing) harm Privacy and confidentiality Audio recording vs video recording Security of data

Human dignity

Free informed consent

Vulnerable persons

Justice and inclusiveness

Minimizing (balancing) harm

Privacy and confidentiality

Audio recording vs video recording

Security of data

Funding Funding Calendar (Science focussed) http:// www.bcit.ca/appliedresearch/funding/fundingcalendar.shtml Funding Opportunities (Social Science focussed) http://ltcollaboratory.org/funding

Funding Calendar (Science focussed)

http:// www.bcit.ca/appliedresearch/funding/fundingcalendar.shtml

Funding Opportunities (Social Science focussed)

http://ltcollaboratory.org/funding

Support Peer support Mentor support Collaboration - with students, with other institutions Role of Teaching and Learning Centres? http://ltcollaboratory.org/

Peer support

Mentor support

Collaboration - with students, with other institutions

Role of Teaching and Learning Centres?

http://ltcollaboratory.org/

Summary Think about your orientation (and your disciplinary orientation) to doing research Think about your comfort level with qualitative and quantitative methods Think about your question Think about the forms of evidence/data you might want to access or collect

Think about your orientation (and your disciplinary orientation) to doing research

Think about your comfort level with qualitative and quantitative methods

Think about your question

Think about the forms of evidence/data you might want to access or collect

Parting Words We believe the time has come to move beyond the tired old "teaching versus research" debate and give the familiar and honorable term "scholarship" a broader, more capacious meaning, one that brings legitimacy to the full scope of academic work. Surely, scholarship means engaging in original research. But the work of the scholar also means stepping back from one's investigation, looking for connections, building bridges between theory and practice, and communicating one's knowledge effectively to students. E. L. Boyer

We believe the time has come to move beyond the tired old "teaching versus research" debate and give the familiar and honorable term "scholarship" a broader, more capacious meaning, one that brings legitimacy to the full scope of academic work. Surely, scholarship means engaging in original research. But the work of the scholar also means stepping back from one's investigation, looking for connections, building bridges between theory and practice, and communicating one's knowledge effectively to students.

E. L. Boyer

Thanks View/download the presentation and access the resources at http://researchworkshop.wordpress.com

View/download the presentation and access the resources at

http://researchworkshop.wordpress.com

Models Boyer 1990 Examples in relation to model

Boyer 1990

Examples in relation to model

Boyer 1990 model Motivate Faculty Teaching Discipline Interdiscipline Outside Awareness Raise awareness Reflection Discuss and reflect about teaching practice Investigation Identify SoTL research, define research strategies. Application Analyze research finding, interpret and make changes to the classroom. Communication Communicate findings

https://my.wsu.edu/portal/page?_pageid=177,280640&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL Washington State U.

Resources Good explanation of Evaluation research http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/evaluation/index.htm

Good explanation of Evaluation research http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/evaluation/index.htm