Practice-based research in educational technology
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| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown.
Summary
Technology is dramatically changing educational research processes, at a time of high demand for ‘evidence-based’ policy and practice. This course will help you to find, interpret and evaluate research in technology-rich environments. You will engage in the critical study of original empirical research to learn about cutting edge methods of data collection and analysis. Philosophical assumptions underlying educational enquiry are examined; and associated ethical and political concerns are explored in detail. There is an opportunity to apply what’s been learned using a topic of your choice, by critically evaluating current research or by developing a research proposal.
This course is available throughout the world.
Course content
This course is based on reading and discussing original empirical research. All materials are delivered online and interactions take place via asynchronous online forums. This makes the course accessible from anywhere in the world and gives you the added bonus of being part of a lively international community of students able to learn from one another’s experiences in different cultural contexts.
It is suitable for lecturers, teachers, trainers, developers and other professionals working in the education sector, including schools, universities and colleges. It is appropriate as a standalone professional development course. It can contribute to the MA in Online and Distance Education (F10), the Masters degree in Education (F01) and the MSc in Research Methods for Educational Technology (F22). It can also be useful as a stepping-stone prior to applying to undertake a doctorate (PhD or EdD) in education.
The course looks both at how new educational technologies are researched and at how technology is changing the way educational research is conducted. The list of readings chosen for discussion is updated each year, to keep at the cutting edge of technology-rich research – so it is not possible to give a definitive syllabus until close to the start of the course. However, there are five themes that run through the discussions, attending to ESRC’s postgraduate training guidelines:
- epistemological issues, including objectivity and validity
- theoretical frameworks
- the changing nature of research
- ethics and unintended consequences
- relationships between research, policy and practice.
The studies considered for inclusion in the course would typically use a variety of research designs to look at the educational potential of technological phenomena, such as eportfolios, social bookmarking, wikis, Second Life, mobile devices, podcasting, RFID tags, gaming consoles or Lego Mindstorms. They might use technology-enhanced research techniques such as interviews, logs, surveys, observation, eye tracking, assessments or content analysis. You will also consider bibliographic tools such as ISI Web of Knowledge and EndNote, and the role of quantitative and qualitative analysis tools such as NVivo, Atlas.ti, SPSS, and Interact.
The learning outcomes are:
- Knowledge of the strengths and challenges of cutting edge methods associated with practice-based educational research and evaluation in technology-rich environments
- Skills in locating, understanding and critically assessing published studies relevant to such research
- Critical engagement with the five themes mentioned above
- Experience of applying these knowledge and skills in one’s own professional context, and reporting on the results in publishable form.
Entry
To take this course you must have a degree or equivalent qualification. Your proficiency in the English language should be adequate for postgraduate study. We strongly recommend that you can achieve an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of at least seven. To assess your English Language skills in relation to your proposed studies, you can visit the IELTS website. You must also have continual access to the internet and be confident in online communication. In addition, you should have some experience of reading and understanding academic literature. Success in a previous postgraduate education course will be deemed as evidence that this requirement has been met. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course for you, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
H809 is an optional course in our
- Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education (C23)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Online and Distance Education (D36)
- Masters degree in Education (F01)
- MA in Online and Distance Education (F10)
- MSc in Research Methods for Educational Technology (F22)
Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
In this course you are expected to use a wide range of resources and to study emerging online technology. Most of these will be delivered as web pages, PDF files and web-based tools. We have tried to avoid using inaccessible resources, but some material which is core for the course may not be easily accessible for assistive technology users.
Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. Some students find the amount of reading from technically different sources challenging. In many cases there will be sufficient alternative activities and material to complete assignments successfully. Where this is not the case, you will be given individual support by your tutor, in collaboration with other OU staff. Support for access to Library resources is available from the Library Helpdesk. It is your responsibility to make your particular needs known to the University. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
For courses which study the use of emerging online tools, you may find the services of a non-medical helper will be beneficial. Advice on this is available from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Course materials
What's included
Internet resources, learning activities, online forums, course website.
As an OU student, you can use the Open University Library website. This provides access via the internet to a wide range of online resources such as databases, full-text ejournals, reference sources, ebooks, newspapers, images and more to support your studies. You can use these to do a literature search, keep up-to-date with your subject or read around a topic. Support for developing and improving your information searching skills is available on the Library website and the Library’s Learner Helpdesk is there seven days a week to provide help and advice on finding and using information.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running Windows using Boot Camp or similar.
You will need a headset with a microphone and earphones to talk to your tutor and other students online during some of the course activities.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will guide you on many aspects of the course, who will mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. You will be taught and assessed through a combination of media, including email, online forums and the internet. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
An extended essay takes the place of an examination.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2010. We expect the course to be available once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
A postgraduate course in Education.
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