Week 1 MOOC Reflection

Hello! Welcome to my reflections about the research methods course that I am undertaking as part of my MSc. at the University of Edinburgh. Public blogging, as part of a course, is a foreign and somewhat discomforting notion to me. That said, armed with data about the sheer number of blogs in the world, I am reassuring myself that other than my class mates, no one else is likely to read my musings. If you are the proverbial exception to my rule, welcome anyway. 

This is my first experience of participating in a MOOC. So far, so good. Given my schedule (a job, an MSc and a toddler!) I enjoy what others might find disconcerting; the relative anonymity of a MOOC and the ability to learn and participate as and when I am able. This is somewhat foiled by the fact that the MOOC facilitators are also our course conveners this semester (Hi guys!). 

Let's delve right in though shall we? Last week was largely introductory and we are asked to start thinking about our own research and how some of the methodological theory and practice might influence our interests, how we construct our research questions, and how we might start to think about methodological approaches to answering those questions. 

My research interests (and my methodological leanings) are diverse. 

I live in South Africa, where roughly 80% of grade 4 (roughly 10 year olds) are unable to read at a globally comparable level. According to recently published stats, in the private schooling sector, 65% of children are considered advanced. Suffice to say we are dealing with enormous inequality in our education system which is reflective of the broader challenges that we face as an economy. I mention this because technological interventions are often are perceived and purported to be a solve-all to educational crises such as ours. Assessing whether or not this is the case, or looking at possible interventions to address some of these challenges, are areas of research that are personally interesting and are likely to add value locally. 

(My disclaimer is of course, that a single MSc dissertation is unlikely discover the ultimate solution for any one of the multitude of factors that contribute to this situation.)

In order to formulate a research question, there are some key decisions that I need to make. One of these is about the education level at which I want to conduct my research. While I mention 10 year olds above, I currently work with young adults in a tertiary programme seeking to provide talented young people with access to high quality careers through access to innovative education and work experience. This programme, our alumni network and the existing recruits represent a wealth of data to which I have easy access. 

Some of the questions that are of interest to me include: 

• How might a tech intervention improve literacy rates in 10 year olds in under-resourced schools? 
• How might a tech intervention improve matric (grade 12) mathematics outcomes in learners who previously performed poorly in their final exams?
• How might better equipping teachers with innovative methods and access to tech-based teaching tools and materials improve outcomes in under-resourced schools? 
• How might we motivate young people to be self-directed and leverage online learning opportunities to drive their career growth?

While none of these are perfectly formulated research questions, they are a starting point for my thinking around my research. Your thoughts/comments/guidance are most welcome. 

From a methodological point of view, I am attracted to the idea of a discrete piece of objective, quantitative research, with broad application. That said, my internal conflict with myself is because while I love the idea of this being possible and useful, I don't inherently believe that in the context of what I'm interested in, there is a single, objective answer to any of the questions that I might ask. Given the nuances of our society and it's history, my perspective veers towards a more constructionist view of the world and its problems. 

Ultimately, I am interested in researching people and at this stage, my sense is that a mixed methods approach is likely to offer the most useful and personally satisfying answer to my research question. That said, I need to delve more into what that could look like and what it will require. Qualitative methods, particularly those with ethnographic leanings are potentially the most likely to yield fruitful findings in the specific context in which I'd like to work. 

I look forward to your thoughts and questions.