Action Inquiry Project Preparation (20 credits at level HE6)

This module will provide the theoretical underpinning for your research work. This will involve an in depth literature review of the literature specific to their topic of research. You need to look at a variety of relevant literature, identifying key concepts, discussing in depth issues synthesised from a variety of sources.

20 credits at level HE6

DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE OF MODULE

You will also be required to justify your research methodology and data collection methods. In order to do this you will apply research methodology literature to your specific research needs drawing out the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen approach.

You will select an appropriate data collection method and pilot this in a small scale way. You will evaluate the appropriateness of this method to your research needs. You will explore audience, media and communication strategies in order to make impact on the identified audience.

You will also mount a small scale exhibition of your pilot work. This will enable you to test out exhibition strategies in preparation for a full exhibition later in the year.

INDICATIVE SYLLABUS CONTENT

Content will be largely determined by the student researcher when relating their focus for inquiry in the work-context to the intended learning outcomes for the module. It is expected that this content will be inter-disciplinary in nature and draw on academic and professional sources including work-colleagues and online community experience and know-how. In addition, specific topics common to the professional theme of the course and other topics relating to the knowledge about action inquiry will be identified and supported by experts participating in hot-seat discussions, where student researchers ask questions and experts respond.

All resources required for the delivery of the module will be available online. In addition, learners will identify resources in the workplace, in libraries, and online that is relevant to their own inquiry.

Topics that may be encountered include:

Research approaches
Data collection and analysis methods
Reviewing literature and professional knowledge • Communicating results in an exhibition

LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

Learning will be supported through an online community of inquiry where student researchers, course staff and invited ‘experts’ will engage in discussions, debates and group activities to explore key concepts, ideas, relevant topics and offer moral support.

Student researchers are expected to develop study habits which enable learning and contribute to assessment through:

personal reflection in a learning log;
regular participation in the online community and
creative reporting to form a 'patchwork' for assessment.

Student researchers will:

identify a focus for their inquiry around issues or opportunities to take action for improvement that they have identified in their work practice; • plan an inquiry with learning activities that address each of the intended learning outcomes of the module;
undertake their inquiry and share selected parts with student researchers for critical feedback;
for each learning activity, create a product for assessment in the student researcher' choice of genre and media;
evaluate the inquiry.

Learning facilitators will:

promote community discussion on potential focii for inquiry;
privately agree student researcher commitment to inquiry proposals;
draw out issues arising in inquiries for community discussion;
model critical feedback in the online community;
make summative assessment of student researchers' work, noting strong points and points to consider with targets for improvement.

Assessment will be through an e-portfolio of work which will address each of the learning outcomes. It will include a summative commentary identifying the individual student researchers learning in relation to the intended learning outcomes for the module in a coherent account of their learning journey.

LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

	Learning Outcomes when you have successfully completed this module you will:	Assessment Criteria to demonstrate that you have achieved the learning outcome you will:
1.	Analyse methodologies and methods of action inquiry, including ethical considerations	Consider sources and arguments and debate in the online community
2.	Plan rigourous action inquiry projects	Create and revise a working document noting questions, methodologies, resource implications, ethics approach, data collection & analysis methods, schedule and indicative literature
3.	Review existing knowledge around your proposed action research	Compare and contrast existing professional and academic knowledge
4.	Evaluate strategies for an exhibition	Create a trial exhibition and test effectiveness in the work context

ASSESSMENT

Your achievement of the learning outcomes for this module will be tested as follows:

Patchwork media: an assessment e-portfolio of learning activities with a summative commentary identifying learning achieved related to intended learning outcomes.

INDICATIVE READING

McNiff J, Lomax P, Whitehead J (1996) You and Your Action research Project, London: Routledge
Coghlan D, Brannick T, (2001) Doing Action Research In Your own Organisation, London: Sage Publications Ltd