Action Research : the first steps to start up a pilot experiment in heritage education

Peer-reviewedLes relacions entre els museus i les escoles canvien amb l'ús d'internet. Volem analitzar com aquestes noves relacions tenen lloc a una escala nacional. És important analitzar aquestes noves relacions possibles, que són producte de canvis socials i tecnològics, ja que permeten noves interaccions i participació, al mateix temps que demanen canvis en les formes d'organització, la gestió de recursos web i els models d'ensenyament i aprenentatge. Concretament, les xarxes d'aprenentatge poden establir una nova forma de relació entre els museus i les escoles, i els recursos educatius en línia amb contingut sobre patrimoni cultural poden oferir oportunitats d'aprenentatge i recursos de coneixement més enllà dels límits de l'ensenyament formal. Tanmateix, calen projectes experimentals per a efectuar proves i veure com aquests tipus de pràctiques d'ensenyament i aprenentatge funcionaran en un context social i cultural concret. Així, doncs, la recerca activa pot contribuir al desenvolupament d'una experiència d'aprenentatge, basat en la reflexió i l'acció. L'objectiu d'aquesta experimentació és obtenir un model de treball i millors pràctiques per a aprendre i ensenyar en xarxes d'aprenentatge formades per gestors, professors i estudiants de patrimoni en què els membres produeixin i utilitzin recursos educatius en línia amb contingut de patrimoni cultural. Els resultats d'aquest projecte empíric seran comprovats amb resultats de la primera part metodològica de la tesi doctoral per a obtenir un model que es pugui exportar a altres contextos.Las relaciones entre los museos y las escuelas cambian con el uso de internet. Queremos analizar cómo estas nuevas relaciones tienen lugar a una escala nacional. Es importante analizar estas posibles nuevas relaciones, que son producto de cambios sociales y tecnológicos, ya que permiten nuevas interacciones y participación, a la vez que requieren cambios en las formas de organización, la gestión de recursos web y los modelos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Concretamente, las redes de aprendizaje pueden establecer una nueva forma de relación entre los museos y las escuelas, y los recursos educativos en línea con contenido de patrimonio cultural pueden ofrecer oportunidades de aprendizaje y recursos de conocimiento más allá de los límites de la enseñanza formal. No obstante, existe una necesidad de proyectos experimentales para realizar pruebas para ver cómo estos tipos de prácticas de enseñanza y aprendizaje funcionarán en un contexto social y cultural concreto. Así pues, la investigación-acción puede contribuir al desarrollo de una experiencia de aprendizaje, basado en la reflexión y las acciones. El objetivo de esta experimentación es obtener un modelo de trabajo y mejores prácticas para el aprendizaje y la enseñanza en redes de aprendizaje formadas por gestores, profesores y estudiantes del patrimonio en las que los miembros produzcan y utilicen recursos en línea con contenido de patrimonio cultural. Los resultados de este proyecto de investigación empírico serán comparados con los resultados de la primera parte metodológica de la tesis doctoral para obtener un modelo que pueda ser exportado a otros contextos.The relationships between museums and schools are changing through the use of internet. We want to analyse how these new relationships occur at a national level. It is important to analyse these possible new relationships, which are the product of social and technological changes. They allow for new interactions and participation whilst requiring changes in the forms of organisation, web resource management, and teaching and learning models. Specifically, learning networks can establish a new form of relationship between museums and schools and educational online resources with cultural heritage content can offer learning opportunities and knowledge resources beyond the boundaries of formal education. However, there is a need for experimental projects to test the evidence and to see how these kinds of teaching and learning practices will work within a concrete social and cultural context. Thus, Action Research can contribute to the development of a learning experience, based on reflection and actions. The aim of this experimentation is to obtain a working model and best practices for learning and teaching in learning networks shaped by heritage managers, teachers and students where the members produce and use educational online resources with cultural heritage content. The results of this empirical research project will be compared with results from the first methodological part of the PhD thesis to obtain a model that can be exported to other contexts

Developing clinical leadership: a co-operative inquiry approach to evaluate the benefits of an action learning set with nursing consultants in England.

Background: As three new Consultant nurses joined two established consultants on the staff of one District General Hospital in the south of England, it was believed that an action learning set (ALS) would offer peer support to enable them to succeed. The aim is to evaluate the lessons learned from the ALS focusing on their leadership. Methodology: Co-operative inquiry is a way of researching with rather than on people, of working with those who have similar interests and who wish to collectively understand their world and create new ways of exploring it. This approach helps also to learn how to change and enhance our working practices. With all active subjects fully involved as co-researchers in all research decisions, three cycles were completed of four phases of discussion, reflection, analysis and action. The process is planned to last for 18 months. Data were analysed thematically. Findings: Four themes began to emerge from the data: development of scholarship, responding to changing need, extending networks and empowerment in role. Whilst they had grown considerably in confidence in their leadership role, they did not feel that collectively they fully embraced the four dimensions prescribed by the Department of Health for the role. Nevertheless, the co-operative inquiry helped them realise how much they had gained from their collective learning in the group (ALS) and how, from the group they feel empowered to lead. Their reflections helped them value the importance of the role for the organisation, their credibility within the organisation and were keen to retain their peer support to ensure its sustainability. Conclusion: The outcomes of the co-operative inquiry included an enhanced understanding of the importance of openness and trust of each other and a willingness to share and learn from each other in a respectful and confidential environment with a receptiveness to change. References: Department of Health (1999) Making a Difference. Strengthening the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Contribution to Health and Healthcare. Department of Health, London. Drennan V. and Goodman C. (2011) Sustaining innovation in the healthcare workforce: A case study of community nurse consultant posts in England. BMC Health Services Research, 11:200 accessed from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/11/200 on 23.1.15 Heron J. and Reason P. (2001) The Practice of Co-operative Inquiry: Research ‘with’ rather than ‘on’ People. In: Reason P. & Bradbury H. (2001) (Editors) Handbook of Action Research: Participative Inquiry & Practice. Chapter 16, Sage Publications, London Learning objectives: The learner will be able to : Understand the importance of action learning sets in supporting and empowering self and others in their clinical leadership. Recognise the value of a co-operative inquiry methodology to learn collaboratively from peers as clinical leaders to enhance their practice. Purpose of the presentation; The purpose of the presentation is to share the lessons learned from using a co-operative inquiry methodology to understand collaboratively and more fully the lessons learned from a year’s Action Learning Set focused on the leadership development for five non-medical consultants and nursing professor. Target audience for the presentation: The target audience is anticipated to be educationalists, senior nurses and nurse researchers. Key Words: Nurse leadership, co-operative inquiry, nurse consultant

Enabling and disabling discourses in promoting RPLO policy and practice in Higher Education

This paper is not available through ChesterRep. It can be accessed at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/194344.pdfThis paper captures and presents some of the powerful and sometimes contradictory discourses, which limit the diffusion and uptake of the recognition of prior learning outcomes (RPLO) in higher education: quality, funding, capacity, and student experience. Each of these is analysed and ‘opened up’ (Derrida, 1978; Bhabha, 1994). In doing so, it aims to ‘open up’ some of those discourses for practitioners and/or leaders to initiate or develop policy and practice in institutions further afield (Kemmis, 2008). The data that forms the basis of this paper was generated through various action research projects in a UK University and multiple development events in the UK.Leonardo da Vinci RPLO projec

Could action research provide the key to true workplace collaboration?

Management practices that serve principles of "efficiency" and "effectiveness" in the capitalist understanding of such notions have generated work practices that purport to empower employees under the guise of employee participation programs. In the fieldwork reported here, action research was used as a vehicle to initiate collaborative workplace engagements for the benefit of an organization and its employees. Our results have implications for action researchers and for social construction theory. We found that collaborative behaviors, modeled through action research to all organization levels, have the potential to initiate change toward respectful pluralist engagements. Authentic participation requires a supportive environment in order for organizations and their employees to truly flourish. It became apparent that New Zealand employment law provided a framework within which to work collaboratively, but the will to do so was not fully evident. However, through action research, the participants began to construct their "common sense" (Berger & Luckmann, 1966: 37) of their shared workplace reality and goals

The purpose of mess in action research: building rigour though a messy turn

Mess and rigour might appear to be strange bedfellows. This paper argues that the purpose of mess is to facilitate a turn towards new constructions of knowing that lead to transformation in practice (an action turn). Engaging in action research - research that can disturb both individual and communally held notions of knowledge for practice - will be messy. Investigations into the 'messy area', the interface between the known and the nearly known, between knowledge in use and tacit knowledge as yet to be useful, reveal the 'messy area' as a vital element for seeing, disrupting, analysing, learning, knowing and changing. It is the place where long-held views shaped by professional knowledge, practical judgement, experience and intuition are seen through other lenses. It is here that reframing takes place and new knowing, which has both theoretical and practical significance, arises: a 'messy turn' takes place

Co-Operative Inquiry as a basis for Evaluation of Knowledge Management Tools

This paper highlights the changes needed in the practice of IT evaluation when directed towards IT used to support knowledge management. The paper addresses the need for evaluation to recognise the increased emphasis on IT supporting the work of communities of practice in contrast to simply automating organisational processes. A framework that uses a form of action research (co-operative inquiry) is suggested that attempts to widen participation within the evaluation process and to enrich the purpose to which evaluation is put, especially in regard to the IS practitioner and IS users

From pattern appraisal to unitary appreciative inquiry - a critical reflection on the development of the unitary appreciative inquiry method

Summative Assessment of the Core Module „Theoretical Developments in the Science and Art of Nursing“. The purpose of this article is to place Cowling’s unitary appreciative inquiry method in the context of nursing science and the development of unique nursing research methods. Unitary appreciative inquiry is one of a few nursing research and practice methodologies based on Martha Rogers’ theory, the Science of Unitary Human Beings. This article is reflecting the development of the unitary appreciative inquiry method in analyzing articles and literature published by Cowling and other authors that are related to Cowling’s ideas and approaches. A brief overview of the basic concepts, assumptions and principles of Rogers’ theory is given as well as some insights on other major influences on Cowling’s work. The changes that have been made over the past seventeen years from pattern appraisal to pattern appreciation and unitary appreciative inquiry in its current use are mapped and its contribution to current nursing knowledge and practice is critically reviewed. The author of this article strongly beliefs that nursing needs to develop its own research methods based on nursing theories for further development and improvement of nursing science as an independent and accepted discipline in human health care. It is from that perspective that Cowling’s work is reviewed

Integal futures based on the paradigm approach

The study discusses the interpretation of integral futures in the context of paradigm. The dynamic matrix model of futures paradigm has been developed for carrying out meta-analysis of futures. As a result of meta-analysis integral futures and its new paradigms are defined by way of reconstructing futures paradigm history as responses to changing societal needs and through the outcomes of dynamic and comparative analysis of futures paradigms. The study sets the argument that integral futures: a) is entering a new phase in development of futures that responses to societal demands for sustainability, democratic participation and continuous knowledge production and integration, b) it is the phase of cooperation building between theoretical and practical futures, c) it is the complementary development of co-evolutionary and participatory paradigms, d) it unfolds further research perspectives for futures

Developing professional recognition of systems thinking in practice: an interim report

The interim report on developing a competency framework for systems thinking in practice (STiP) provides a step towards possibly developing professional recognition of STiP. The report provides feedback to initial co-respondents involved with phase 1 of this wider inquiry, and provides a platform to a wider audience for initiating a second phase of the inquiry. The phase 1 study had the following objectives: 1. To scope relevant examples of work aimed at giving professional recognition to systems thinking 2. To capture some perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the task of giving profession recognition to systems thinking. Phase 2 of the wider inquiry aims to firstly consolidate the findings from phase 1 but also to focus more on moves towards collaborative modelling of a STiP competency framework. The research is carried out by members of the Applied Systems Thinking in Practice (ASTiP) Group at The Open University (UK) with funding from OU eSTEeM (OU Centre for STEM Pedagogy). The research team for phase 1 comprised of Rupesh Shah (Associate Lecturer), who carried out the core research activities, in collaboration with Martin Reynolds (Senior Lecturer) who is overseeing both phases of the wider inquiry, including support for reporting on research outcomes. The findings reported in sections 4, 5 and 6 remain largely unrefined and in sketch (bullet) form at this interim stage of reporting. The interim report comprises a brief background to the wider inquiry before outlining the approach taken to the phase 1 study. The findings are reported in relation to each of the two study objectives. Three themes arising from the study as identified by Rupesh are then discussed. Finally, some concluding ideas are presented for taking forward the outcomes from this study towards a second phase of the inquiry