1. Meeting the challenge of teaching research methods online Findings from the Pedagogy of Methodological Learning study
Debbie Collins

2. Focus of my doctoral research
How is research methods being taught online?
the approaches, strategies, tactics and tasks
the challenges teachers are seeking to address
How is digital technology, specifically the affordances of the online teaching space, being used to support:
delivery of course content?
pedagogic approaches, strategies, tactics and tasks?
Is the role of the technology necessary to achieving the pedagogic goals identified?

3. Research Methods Case study Semi-structured interviews
Document analysis
Observation
Document-stimulated reflection

4. Possible frameworks for looking at online research methods pedagogy

5. Nind & Lewthwaite typology of research methods pedagogy
Approaches
The teacher’s guiding theory, values, principles, identity
Strategy
The grand plan for achieving pedagogic goals
Tactics
What the teacher does in-situ to implement the strategy
Tasks
Actions that learners (& teacher) have to do

6. Technological Pedagogic Content Knowledge
‘representation of concepts using technologies;
pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content;
knowledge of what makes concepts difficult or easy to learn and how technology can help redress some of the problems students face;
knowledge of students' prior knowledge and theories of epistemology;
knowledge of how technologies can be used to build on existing knowledge and to develop new epistemologies or strengthen old ones.'
Mishra, P. & Koehler, M.J. (2006): 1029

7. Early findings

8. Some challenges of teaching research methods online
Amplifying generic research methods challenges e.g. student diversity, student engagement
Technological e.g. students having required hardware/ software
Communication e.g. channels
Temporal e.g. for synchronous sessions
Flexibility e.g. to tailor to individual student’s needs

9. Meeting the challenge – Student engagement
Approaches – student centred, active learning Strategies – seek student feedback, use of examples/ literature that are relevant to students’ research interests, unstructured, structured Tactics – Questions to students, prompting Tasks – students find articles, reviewing articles, group discussion, posting to the forum

10. What role does the technology play?
Pedagogy
Technology
Approach
Student-centred
Strategy
seek student feedback
Unstructured/ structured
synchronous discussion sessions
/ message board with individual students
Tactic
Questions to students
Asynchronous – using the message board (pre-planned and in response to posts)
Task
students find articles to review and share with group
Use of message board to share articles, discuss points

11. What role does the technology play?
Pedagogy
Technology
Approach
Student-centred
Strategy
Use of examples/ literature that are relevant to students’ research interests
Find out student interests through / message board exchanges
Tactic
Questions, probing
, message board
Task
students find articles to review and share with group
Use of message board to share articles, discuss points

12. What next? Further data collection and analysis
Focus on role of technology in approaches, strategy, tactics, tasks
Exploring application of TPAK to my data

13. Questions, comments