Childs, M., Brown, M, Keppell, M. & Hard, N. (2013). Wicked issues: higher education research, and institutional innovation for learning and teaching – a reflection on ‘emic research’. A showcase presentation at the HERDA 2013, The Place for Learning and Teaching, Research and Policy Strand, 1-4th July 2013, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand.

1. Wicked issues: higher education research, and institutional innovation
for learning and teaching – a reflection on ‘emic research’. A showcase
presentation at the HERDA 2013, The Place for Learning and Teaching,
Research and Policy Strand, 1-4th July 2013, AUT University, Auckland,
New Zealand.
Merilyn Childs
Australian Digital Futures
Institute, Toowoomba
Merilyn.Childs@usq.edu.au
Mark Brown
Massey University, National
Centre for Teaching and
Learning
M.E.Brown@massey.ac.nz
Mike Keppell
Australian Digital Futures
Institute, Toowoomba
Mike.Keppell@usq.edu.au
Natasha Hard
Australian Digital Futures
Institute, Toowoomba
Natasha.Hard@usq.edu.au
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shellysblogger/ 1

2. About the presenters (click images to find out more)
Merilyn Childs Mark Brown
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3. Preamble
• ‘Wicked’ does not equal “bad”
… or “cool”
• The research that triggered this
reflection lead to great
outcomes! (see slide 13)
• The research partners continue
to warmly collaborate
• Our aim in this presentation is
to foster critical reflection
about research method in HE
• No Ewok was harmed in the
making of this presentation!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalexanderson/8990170752/sizes/z/in/photostream/
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4. Some basics…
• The study : Was funded by
DeHub
• The focus: Managing
institutional change through
distributive leadership
approaches: Engaging
academics and teaching
support staff in blended and
flexible learning at two
Universities
• The partners: Charles Sturt
University (NSW Australia) &
Massey University (NZ)
• The method: eight case
studies were developed
through emic research
http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/4193370268/sizes/z/in/set-72157616350171741/
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5. Emic: of, relating to, or involving
analysis of cultural phenomena
from the perspective of one who
participates in the culture being
studied
Origin of EMIC
phonemic
First Known Use: 1954
Coined by Kenneth Lee
Pike an American linguist and
Anthropologist (June 9, 1912–
December 31, 2000)
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emic
Some terms:
• Emic
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6. Wicked problems are characterised by
the following:
• The solution depends on how the
problem is framed and vice-versa
• Stakeholders have different world
views and different frames for
understanding the problem
• The constraints that the problem is
subject to and the resources needed
to solve it change over time
• The problem is never solved
definitively
Origin: Horst Rittel and Melvin M.
Webber formally described the concept
of wicked problems in 1973
Some terms:
• Wicked problems
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7. Our wicked problem in the context of the HE Sector’s
wicked problem
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/ 7

8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/8603050786/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Dimensions of wickidity#1:
3 emic research strengths
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1. Insider knowled
2. Usefulness
3. Relationships &
partnerships

9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/8603052978/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Dimensions of
wickidity#2:
3 emic research
challenges
9
1. Vested interests,
assumptions and
questions
2. Is it research or PR?
3. What is appropriate
data?

10. Dimensions of wickidity #3: The mighty
challenge of received, preferred wisdom.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/7684774224/sizes/z/in/photostream/
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1. Received wisdom from previous
funded studies to be used in
new grant applications
2. Critique is tricky
3. Vested interests shape what
can, and cannot, be asked
4. Weak analysis of
methodologies and methods,
focus on findings

11. Dimensions of wickidity #4: confirmatory
research.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/8601954407/sizes/z/in/photostream/
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• We will find the droids
that we are looking for!
• We will confirm previou
studies
• We will use methods
acceptable to the fundin
body to produce
knowledge

12. Final Reflection: * wicked problems live, OK?
*when framing: consider & explore the wicked
problems *report the wicked problems so the HE
sector remains critically engaged when doing emic
research.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/7691168406/sizes/z/in/photostream12

13. Outcomes of the study
• Childs, M., Brown, M., Keppell,
M.K. Nicholas, Z., Hard, N., and
Hunter, C. (in press). Managing
institutional change through
distributive leadership
approaches: Engaging academics
and teaching support staff in
blended and flexible learning,
DeHub: Queensland
• A comprehensive set of findings,
3 key lessons and 5 take home
messages available as a short
report
• Eight richly described case studies
of institutional approaches to
fostering learning leadership
• Publications, links and other
resources
• A wikiResearcher
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalexanderson/8578431148/sizes/z/in/photostream/

14. Referenced during presentation
Childs, M., Brown, M., Keppell, M., Nicholson, Z., Hunter, C., and Hard, N. (in press) Managing institutional
change through distributive leadership approaches: Engaging academics and teaching support staff in blended
and flexible learning, DeHub: Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations (DEEWR).
Rittel, Horst W. J.; Melvin M. Webber (1973). "Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning". Policy Sciences 4:
155–169. Retrieved 28th June 2013.
Trowler, 2012. Wicked issues in situating theory in close-up research, Higher Education Research &
Development, Special Issue: Questioning theory-method relations in Higher Education research, (31)3, 273-284.
Doi: 10.1080/07294360.2011.631515
Whelton, M. & Ballard, G. (2002). Wicked problems in project definition,
Proceedings of the International Group for Lean Construction 10th Annual Conference, Brazil, August.
http://mail.leanconstruction.org/pdf/WickedProblemsinProjectDefinitionIGLC10.pdf Retrieved 12h June 2013.
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15. Thanks to Stefan and Kristina Alexanderson for making their wonderful images via
Flickr available using Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
2.0 Generic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/st3f4n/7698537630/
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