DISCIPLINE
The learning design can be used across disciplines. It is currently being taught to a cross-disciplinary cohort.

This implementation specifically focuses on Research Methods applied in a Social Science context.

DURATION
The learning design is constructed to build on a series of smaller, collaborative, authentic tasks, each scaffolding the research skills and concepts necessary for the final authentic research task .

The design is structured as a single semester postgraduate unit based on a series of 15 weekly tasks of approximately 3 hours, six fortnightly group assignments of approximately 6 hours each, building to a final task (20 hours).

ICT USED
The web-site for the unit is accessible via a CD-Rom, which is distributed to all students, and an online site. The online site gives students access to computer-mediated communication tools.

DELIVERY CONTEXT
The learning design can be delivered totally online.

For equity reasons, a CD version of materials is provided to all students, as well as a print version. All three versions include the same content resources. The difference between the static materials (i.e. CD and print) and the online web site is that CMC tools are only accessible from the online site.

Many of our students are off shore or live considerable distance from the university (often thousands of kilometres). The extra cost of being online to undertake the complete unit of work in the learning design is an unreasonable expectation, hence the combination of CD (for access to the learning environment) and brief periods each week online (to interact on the bulletin boards) overcomes equity issues.
2 hour workshops are conducted every second Saturday afternoon during the semester. Although attendance rates are high, these workshops are not compulsory, as the cohort includes external students. The main objectives of the workshops are to:

• promote collegiality; and
• provide technical and theoretical support for students.

Notes from the workshops are posted on the bulletin board for the students that are unable to attend on campus. Students are grouped in learning teams of three, with each ‘external’ student grouped with ‘internal’, workshop-attending colleagues. One of the responsibilities of belonging to a team involves providing feedback from the face-to-face workshop to team members who could not attend.

TARGET AUDIENCE
The unit in which the learning design is implemented is a core postgraduate unit for the faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences. It is usually the first postgraduate unit undertaken by students enrolled in a Masters degree in Education, Psychology, Nursing, Public Health or Security Studies.

Most students have little prior knowledge of research methods or using a statistical computer package.

Many have limited ICT skills (apart from word processing skills). Many students have not undertaken any statistical studies since completing their secondary schooling.

Most students have extensive work experience in their chosen field of postgraduate study; e.g. Education, Psychology, Nursing, Public Health, Security Studies.

COHORT
The learning design was not designed for a particular size cohort. Working with 20 postgraduate students can be equated to a 3 hour tertiary staff workload. However, a cohort of more than 20 implies involvement of more than one instructor, or double the workload. Ideally, an instructor:student ratio of 1:20 provides the administrative boundaries for a feasible cohort size.

The learning design has been successfully implemented with

• 45 students in each semester cohort for 2001;
• 65 students in semester 1, 2002;
• 40 students in semester 2, 2002.

For each implementation, two staff co-taught the unit. In future, three staff would be used for a cohort of 65.

In order to maintain the expected postgraduate student/staff interaction within the boundaries of tertiary workload expectations without compromising the integrity of the interactive learning design, the staff:student ratio of 1:20 is critical.

BROADER CONTEXT
The learning design forms the basis of the introductory research methods unit. The simulation of two Masters students and their research projects provides a model of the appropriate size and nature of a Masters study.

On completion of the unit, postgraduate students are positioned to continue their development of a research question within an appropriate theoretical framework, and design an appropriate methods section for their proposed study.

The research tasks integrated into the analysis of the virtual data provide the postgraduate students the necessary basic data collection and analysis skills to undertake their proposed study. The choice of a topical and significant social issue as the simulation focus itself models the applied nature of postgraduate study.

The planned student outcomes of the learning design are:

• Experiential approach to developing research skills, data analysis, quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Simulated research experience of working within a research team.
• Understanding of the link between research question and appropriate method - either quantitative, qualitative or a combination of both.
• Conceptual development of the theoretical assumptions underpinning research methodologies from constructivist position through interaction within the simulation.
• Ability to select and design a methodology appropriate to their chosen dissertation focus.
• Ability to use a statistical package (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) to collate, analyse and present statistical research data.
• The confidence and ability to use ICT as a means of interaction with research colleagues, for communication, sharing documents, co-construction of conceptual analysis of data, co-construction of knowledge.

IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Students are required to work in learning teams of three (including a minimum of one 'external' team member who cannot attend workshops).

They are expected to submit six mini- assignments as a team - each mini-assignment to be posted on the general bulletin board by a certain date.

The learning environment encourages teams to share their development of each mini-assignment by interacting on an individual team bulletin board. Team members are expected to negotiate roles and share the responsibility of ensuring mini-assignments are posted on the general bulletin board on time.

Group Assignments (36%)
Team members share the same score for group assignments. (6*6 mini-assignments). The assessment criteria varies to accommodate the specific nature of each mini-assignment. The assessment criteria for each mini-assignment are outlined in the assessment description for the students.

The learning design incorporates an overall model for these criteria, structured to encourage higher-order responses to each task:

• Clear evidence of having understood the task (question answered at simplistic level; task complete) –2 marks.
• Appropriate referencing/evidence from Kingston data to justify response –2 marks.
• Critical reflection on how the tasks complement the research methodology – 2 marks.

Collaboration (4%)
An additional 4 marks is allocated to each team for working collaboratively.

The 4 stated criteria (one mark each criteria) for working collaboratively include:

• Maintaining their team for the semester ( unless exceptional personal circumstances for a team member).
• Each team member interacts on the team board at least once for each group assignment.
• Each team member takes responsibility twice for posting the final version of their group assignment.
• Evidence of each team member contributing to development of each group assignment.

Individual Assignment (60%)
A final individual assignment (the Envelope) worth 60% of the final grade is submitted either electronically or by post. The Envelope is a 1500 word summary of the evidence relating to the impact of the school closure, justifying selection of evidence. This assignment is intended to be an opportunity for students to demonstrate their higher-order conceptual understanding of the research findings and analysis skills developed over the semester; i.e. 'conclusions' from the data and context and theoretical perspectives provided.

A series of no more than 10 enclosures (working documents illustrating analysis of data and conceptual analysis of research findings) are to be appended to the summary. A minimum of four new pieces of data analysis must be included as enclosures. Students may choose to include one or more of their group assignments as enclosures if they are considered appropriate evidence.

Assessment criteria for the envelope:

• 30 marks for the 1500 paper outlining the impact of the school closure ( as outlined in the unit plan)
• 20 marks for the quality of the enclosures ( meet the criteria of no more than 10, must include 4 new enclosures, appropriate evidence etc)
• 10 marks for the linking and justification of the enclosures within the context of your argument.

IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES USED
The assessment integrated throughout the learning design uses experiential models to assist students understands research methodologies, linking skills for data collection, analysis and conclusions to theories.

The group assessment strategies are carefully developed in an authentic research setting to provide opportunities for:

• Structured research-skills development for data analysis and conceptual analysis.
• Developing the theoretical understanding required for the methodology section of a Masters Thesis.
• A simulated research experience of working within a team.
• Making the link between theory and practice in data analysis.
• Modelling the skills and understanding required for the data analysis section of a Masters Thesis.

The outcomes of the group assessments become a progressively more sophisticated whole class resource for the more intellectually challenging individual assignment, which models higher-order conceptual and data analysis

This final assessment provides an opportunity for the students to draw on all the activities over the 15 weeks to model the discussion and conclusions section of a Masters Thesis.

WHY ICT IS USED
There were several factors influencing the re-development of the Research Methods unit into an online mode:

• Over the last decade, a significant proportion of postgraduate students choose the flexible/external mode of delivery of this unit for reasons related to lifestyle or distance. Consistent feedback from these students indicated their sense of isolation from the research culture and collegial support networks available to on-campus postgraduate students.
• The Teaching and Learning Plan for ECU encourages the development of more flexible modes of delivery to better meet the learning needs of the students, and especially postgraduate students.
• There was a need to upgrade the development of research skills incorporating use of ICT within the existing learning design for the unit.

HOW ICT USE HELPS
The integration of ICT into the learning design for the research methods unit provided the opportunity to break down the barriers of distance and isolation from peers and to provide a scaffolding for developing an inclusive postgraduate research culture. It also provided the opportunity to encourage students to broaden their access to current and challenging resources through suggested web sites and E-Journals. Students are encouraged to use ICT to develop a global sense of research methodology.

The integration of bulletin boards into the learning design allows students time to reflect and respond to issues raised in workshops or on the bulletin boards in a broader, asynchronous timeframe.

MOST IMPORTANT ICT CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING DESIGN
There are three key aspects of using ICT in the learning design

• Improved group communication, both within and between learning groups.
• Opportunities to make the learning public and to respond to each other’s learning through the use of the bulletin board(s). This was particularly evident in the posting of group assignments for whole group access.
• Opportunities for students and staff to extend and share the resource base through web searching and bulletin boards.