Introduction to project- Clare Madge

Structure of presentation 1.Welcome 2.Background to the project 3.Tour of the site 4.The project process 5.Evaluation

1. Welcome Us! Where is your institution/affiliation located? Which of these discipline areas best describes you? (education, sociology, geography, non- academic, IT, other) Have you used online methods in your research? Which aspect of online methods are you most interested in? Have you ever taught/trained in online research methods?

2. Project background Programme: ESRC Research Methods Programme (Phase 2) Period of project: April 04 to July 06 Total amount of award from ESRC: After indexation: £100, (1st round) The project team: -Clare Madge (Geog) -Henrietta O Connor (CLMS) -Jane Wellens (Educational Developer) -Rob Shaw (Learning Technologist) -Tristram Hooley (PG Training Coordinator) -Julia Meek (Evaluation Consultant)

Project aims 1.To produce and evaluate a high-quality online portal to provide training in online research methods; 2.To act as a self-supporting online resource focusing on web-based questionnaires, virtual synchronous and asynchronous interviews; 3.To draw on successful good practice case studies, cover ethical issues of online research, provide resource links and technical guidance.

Achieved…? Critical view External evaluators Social Science Information Gateway/AoIR To be determined? Usage and quality research.

Server log files 3-week period (3 Apr - 24 Apr) Requests for pages = 6,503 Average requests for pages per day = 313 Distinct hosts served = 1,819 From 54 countries UK, USA Higher Education, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Portugal, Slovenia, Israel, India, Non Profit Making Organisations, Malaysia, Netherlands, Italy, France, Poland, Turkey, Estonia, Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, Russia, USA Government, Belgium, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Oman, Finland, USA Military, Switzerland, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Romania, Trinidad and Tobago, Jordan, Spain, Argentina, Philippines, Kenya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Zambia, Tanzania, Chile, Thailand, Japan, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Indonesia, Norway, Mexico, Taiwan, Czech Republic,

3. Tour of the site: Key sections Site link

Modules Module index

Type of content Methodological complexity Case studies Learning activities Resources Referencing systems Print version

4. Project process The process or methodology made apparent; The social production of this technical artefact made transparent; A reflexive process to team working; A variety of FTF and virtual means of group communication used; Dissemination/final site release.

5. Evaluation: Problems with online resources Expensive; Rarely used; Difficult to use; Inflexible – rarely meet our exact needs; Frequently out of date; Anxiety about the reliability of the information; Frequently poorly referenced.

Addressing These Problems Through Evaluation Graphic design/lookGroup feedback Usability evaluation UsabilityHeuristic (expert) evaluation Watching sample users (cognitive walkthrough) FlexibilityClassroom evaluation Academic contentAcademic peer review

Development and Evaluation Project idea Project group evaluation Expert evaluation Usability studies User feedback Design Classroom testing Academic Peer Review Complete Project

Designing Evaluation Ask the experts – speak to an evaluation consultant; Evaluate early and often; Use a range of evaluation techniques; Try to evaluate with a range of different users who are drawn from your target audiences; Act on your evaluation – redraft, redesign and re-evaluate.