Action+Research+Ideas

Here are some ideas for Action Research that we've found.

Here is a project I found through Discovery. It is a wiki based project and is totally awesome!! It would be my choice as it is a culmination of so many tools they have learned coming into the 656 class. Description from Discovery: http://masters.discoveryeducation.com/about-our-courses/edim-502/ As the culminating project in EDIM 502 students collaborated to produce a digital research product. The task immersed students in a real-world project-based learning challenge, during which they were able to employ 21st century communication, authoring, publishing, and project management tools such as: Skype, wikis, Google Docs, collaborative mind maps, podcasts, digital video editors, Google Earth, and multimedia mashups. This is the shortcut to the Discovery project. http://group3plants.wikispaces.com/

While the end product is awesome, I would be wary re: gorup projects. This might work as an individual project. But to be convinced that this is graduate level scholarship, I need proof of scholarly writing and research such as lit revs.-aida

Other more research based ideas that include the Lit Reviews...

Another idea I found was through Indiana University / Purdue University - Fort Wayne. It is another project where the student must research current trends in Education and then choose a topic of interest to create their own program. The paper / project would be a culmination of all of the information discovered. Here is the website for the basic information on the Special Project. http://www.ipfw.edu/prst/special/programs/msspecialed.shtml

The sample above is ideal for our DIAL students as it is project-based. -aida.

Check out these wikis...

http://elementary-education.wikispaces.com/Action+Research

http://mindmaps.wikispaces.com/Action+Research

http://gregoconnor.wikispaces.com/Action+Research+and+Action+Learning

http://edc565uri.wikispaces.com/actionresearch

http://actionresearchprojects.wikispaces.com/Action+Research+Projects

http://myarp.wikispaces.com/

http://jandl-stat21.wikispaces.com/Action+Research

Here are some of the emails that I am copying and pasting for us to review.

I personally would like to see a big modification in the AR and I've mentioned that before.

From: Stoddart, Dr. Sue Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 3:22 PM To: Michlowski, Dr. Aida; Linskens, Jenna A; Hoffmann, Malia M; Wagner, Bob Subject: AR

I have been on the Action Research Wagon today – finding out why the turnaround time is so long and only getting examples of when it goes quickly or excuses why it doesn’t. There is just not enough time to do it the way we have always been doing it. Too many students are now taking IPs because of this. Faculty then teach off contract and students are doing research while taking another class too and sitting twiddling their thumbs during the Action Research class instead of gathering data. I hate to say this as I have been the long standing advocate to never get rid of Action Research in this program but may just decide to go the way of other Universities because of all this and have them do a different culminating project instead. Plus, I don't need people telling me their undergrads do better work than our grad students (Michelle M.) - she has never even read a final paper. Thanks for letting me vent.

Colleagues,

This past spring semester, with Sue's blessings, I experimented on a new action research course design taking into consideration students and faculty feedback. I put the lit review early on in the semester and moved the abstract towards the end. But the major change was on resubmissions and grading. Although the criteria in the rubrics remained the same, the items were scored as U for unsatisfactory and S for satisfactory. The students were allowed unlimited resubmissions until every item in the criteria was met and then they got the 10 points.

Here is the problem: Majority of the students were not conscientious in observing deadlines and doing re-writes. The class ended in mid-April but there are still six students who have not even submitted their Results section and only six out of 14 students have completed their Final Report. The reason they gave was delay in getting IRB approval due to site permission issues delayed their data collection. Hmm, I tend to think that another reason would be- there's no penalty for submitting work late so what's the rush? I know they are sick of me reminding them and so am I (sick of me).

<span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: monospace; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Another thing I observed: A few used me as a proofreader knowing that they will get the corrected version and eventually get the full credit anyway. One even submitted all of her previous action assignments and expected me to look at separate documents. Another kept resubmitting the same original copy with the same mistakes insisting it is her research and she should be free to write it the she wants. Unbelievable.

<span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: monospace; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Lessons learned: For future classes, stick to due dates. Allow only one resubmission (if submitted before the deadline) and score both the first and second submissions, average them for the final grade for that module. This way, there is accountability and we separate the scholars from the ^#$%&*@.

<span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: monospace; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I would like to have the course shell finalized and ready for the upcoming classes starting in June for Ed Tech and in July for the DIAL summer institute. Your thoughts and suggestion are very much needed and welcomed.

<span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: monospace; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Thank you,

<span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: monospace; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Aïda Michlowski, PhD, JD