Design a teaching instruction: Research as Inquiry

Topic:

“Explore the psychological factors which lead terminally ill patients over the age of 50 in South Africa to request their loved ones to assist them to end their lives”

Learning Outcomes:

Students should be able to:

1. Understand that various research methods exists and choose an appropriate method for the study
2. Understand the ethical and legal issues when dealing with sensitive information
3. Understand their limitations and knowledge gaps   

Activities:

1. Find 3 scholarly “conversations” about research methodology and design and using the “research design canvas” by John Latham (http://johnlatham.me/design-research-like-leonardo-da-vinci/) highlight 2 possible research methods for the study and motivate why you feel they are appropriate.
2. Formulate appropriate interview questions and conduct interviews with a Human Rights Lawyer regarding the  ethical and legal issues on the topic. Similarly conduct an interview with a member of Senate at your university regarding the ethical and legal issues in gathering and using information. Based on your findings compile a 500 word motivation on how you will conform to the ethical and legal issues when conducting this study and using the information. .
3. Write a one page essay on the topic without referring to any sources for assistance. Afterward find and analyze 2 scholarly sources on the topic and compare your essay with the information gathered.

Linking Activity to knowledge practice or disposition:

1. Activity one links to the knowledge practice “Use various research methods based on need, circumstance and type of inquiry”.
2. Activity 2 links to the disposition “Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information”
3. Activity 3 links to the disposition “Demonstrate intellectual humility”.

Lecture 5: Frame 2 - Research as Inquiry

Research as Inquiry 

Our 5th class focused on the frame "Research as Inquiry". So what is inquiry you may ask? The picture below shows the process of inquiry...
 

.... But you ask, does this not depict the process of research? I am confused now Well yes it does! Paul Hrycaj posted a comment on Lane Wilkinson's blog saying that this framework is akin to saying "research is research". Well that's what it seems like to me also. When I first read this framework it struck me as the same as the process of conducting research. I suppose further readings and exploration will lead us to understanding the difference between the research process and research as inquiry.

So Inquiry is said to be the searching or request for truth, knowledge or information. The framework defines inquiry as a process that focuses on problems or questions in a discipline or between disciplines that are open or unresolved. The framework also says that inquiry is not limited to the academic sphere but extends to the community as well and focuses on personal, professional or societal needs. 

http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Kuhlthau2013-v30n2p5.html 

I thought the above link is quite interesting. It is about the Common Core State Standards and discusses how inquiry is embedded throughout the standards. However, when reading the standards it speaks to the Framework.

We were given an exercise to do in class regarding refining research questions. It was quite interesting and a good learning experience. Shehaamah gave us these questions we could use to evaluate the research topics and they will definitely come in handy when designing research topics.

Lecture 4: Frame 1 - Scholarship as conversation

Lecture 4 dealt with the specific Frame "Scholarship as conversation" of the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

We learnt that what differentiates a Frame from a Threshold concept is that a Frame is made up of the main idea + knowledge practices + dispositions.

The following Youtube link summarizes the most salient points you would need to understand this Frame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGia3gNyHDM

Shehaamah then requested us to do a task and put it on our blogs. The task required us to design a teaching scenario for the Frame. This is my attempt...

Topic:

Conduct a simple user study to investigate the catalogue usage at an academic library. Write a research report in which you discuss your findings and make recommendations.

Your report should investigate:

-          Are students able to use the catalogue

-          Students attitudes and perceptions about the catalogue

-          The impact of social media and the internet on catalogue usage

Learning Outcomes:

Students should be able to:

1. Realize that the scholarly conversation on the topic is an ongoing one
2. That there are various platforms where conversations on their topic is taking place
3. Add their voice to the ongoing conversations and not be passive consumers of it 

Activities:

1. Find 3 articles that were written in the past six months on the topic and make a summary of the salient points which you then share on Slide Share
2. Find 3 different professional social network platforms e.g. websites, blogs, Facebook pages, Tweets, etc where the topic is being discussed and add your thoughts and opinions on each.
3. Critically analyze the 3 professional social networks you have identified and comment on their stance on the topic and value they add to the scholarly discussion.

Linking Activity to knowledge practice or disposition:

1. By concluding activity one, students will realize that there is constantly new and recent research being produced on the topic. This links up with the disposition which states “ learners... recognize they are often entering into an ongoing scholarly conversation and not a finished conversation”
2. By concluding Activity 2 students would have actively searched and found various scholarly inputs on the topic as well as various platforms where this takes place on. Activity 2 links with two dispositions which states “learners... seek out conversations taking place in various venues” and “learners... recognize that scholarly conversations take place in various venues”.    
3. By concluding Activity 3 students would have showed their understanding of the topic by not only commenting but also motivating their comments. They would be adding their voice to the ongoing conversation. Activity 3 links to the disposition which states “learners... see themselves as contributors to scholarship rather than just consumers of it”.

Lecture 3: Threshold Concepts (TCs)

Threshold Concepts are likened to portals, gateways, doorways, etc. whereby crossing over the threshold you enter a new space over limitless possibilities. Understanding and mastering TCs allows for seeing the world anew and juxtaposing "old knowledge" with the new ideas and integrating them to make more sense of the world.

TCs are said to be the core information features of a specific discipline; understanding them makes it easier to understand the knowledge base of that discipline. However, in one of the videos we viewed in class the speaker explained TCs not as the core but more as the perimeter of the discipline. So if viewed as a circle, once you have infiltrated the perimeter you are inside! So too once you understand TCs, understanding other concepts within a specific discipline comes naturally then.

This past week has been a difficult one for me w.r.t. work and studies and trying to juggle various deadlines. At one point I felt like I was being pulled under and barely had my head above water. But as I pen this I feel much more on top of things having done some prioritization and some soul searching. I do realize that I have to read more and engage more with the lecture notes and prescribed readings so that I can understand the concepts better. And I must make time for revision definitely. Another issue that concerns me is that I am slightly apprehensive to just post anything for fear of sounding stupid or ignorant seeing as how the blog is in the public domain.

However, my class mates are really supportive and I really value their input. We have started a Whats app group and its come quite handy keeping each other abreast of things.  

 I found the following Links to be quite interesting:

http://www.ilthresholdconcepts.com/publications.html
This first link is actually very exciting as its a current undertaking of a Delphi study to validate the threshold concept approach for information literacy and to identify threshold concepts for information literacy. This study is separate from the ACRL task force that is using threshold concepts in their new framework, though one of the coauthors Lori is a member of the task force. The authors of this site are the authors of the article A THRESHOLDS CONCEPTS APPROACH TO THE STANDARDS REVISION.
 
A Delphi study is a qualitative research method in which a small group of experts are asked to answer questions about a topic in writing, anonymously. The answers are collected and summarized by a moderator, and then sent back to the experts. This process is called a round. In each round, experts read the responses of their peers, make adjustments to their own answers and address questions raised during the previous round. The idea is to remove undue influence caused by a person's reputation or demeanor that might influence results if the group of experts gathered together in person. As such, the best ideas rise to the top. There is a tab on the site where you can contact the researchers and give your in put about the topic. Its fascinating as it is happening in real time. I cannot wait for the outcomes of this research.

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lseteachingblog/2012/10/11/threshold-concepts/
This blog looks at what exactly are TCs are and how can they be used to inform teaching?

http://acrlog.org/2015/01/30/whats-the-matter-with-threshold-concepts/
Recent conversations about ACRL’s draft Framework have raised questions about both the theoretical value of threshold concepts and their usefulness as applied to information literacy instruction. This post responds to some of the arguments against threshold concepts and clarifies why the authors believe that the model can be a productive way to approach information literacy instruction.

Enjoy the readings!