And in to week 5...

And in to week 5…never have the week numbers seemed so prominent in a course; if you don't need to be active in online activities and use the traditional distance method, it appears to be easier to fit in your own timescale for tasks and activities.

These few weeks have been really tough on the study front and that hasn’t included carrying out all of the on-line tasks; however, the readings and reflections have been completed. Due to time constraints, I can’t see that I’ll be unable to read and comment on other’s blogs, but I have noticed that there are few (or no) postings so far in the TGF on the last 4 papers, so perhaps I am not as far behind as I thought. Time this week must be spent on constructing the first TMA and to this end I have tried to take a step back from the theory and consider again what issues I would like to research. I have also looked over what I think I will be taking away as key thoughts from this block. These may look a little disorganised here (I should find out how to insert a mind map image onto this blog), but are a summary of important points that I would like to bear in mind when constructing my TMA.

Many methodologies and tools –
Interviews; questionnaires; statistical data analysis; computer based text analysis; coding schemes; text (or transcript) analysis; discourse analysis; observation

And lots of dichotomies (if that is the correct expression) in considering research –
Knowledge - positivism/’out there’ and constructivism/’in your head Tools – critical and analytical
Qualitative and quantitative
Methods and methodologies
Pedagogies and social/political perspectives
Action research and activity theory
Investigations and evaluations

In reviewing the readings, I want to capture some of the key thoughts that may be relevant to where I ending going with my research;
Oliver, M., Roberts, G., Beetham, H., Ingraham, B. and Dyke, M. (2007); p22 ‘…whether these multiple perspectives are…a sign of an immature discipline…’; p23 ‘…what is or might be ‘forgotten’ when knowledge is digitised…’ re Baker; the concept of communitarianism; theme of learning to understand rather than gaining ‘truth’; ‘petit recits’ versus ‘grand narratives’ (Lyotard, 1979).
Hiltz, S.R. and Meinke, R. (1989); ‘…qualitative analysis can be effective for generating theories but not so effective for rigorously testing them…’ (Hammersley, 1992).
Still to research the concept of a ‘deep feature situation’ in learning.

I have basically used the review to create a table, with heading a of methodology, link to research paper, strengths, weaknesses and relevant to use in answer research question or not? This should allow me to focus on what I consider to be the most relevant aspects and to follow a logical thought process of
1. consider research question
2. select particular methods/tools
3. interpret using a theoretical position
….which should be what the methodology is as a whole.
Hope I have got this right; for example, I am understanding that a research instrument is the same as a tool? And a tool may also be the method?