5 research outputs found
Data and Experience Design: Negotiating Community-Oriented Digital Research with Service-Learning
In this research with reflection paper, we discuss our experiences from a graduate level service learning course in which we assisted the local food bank on exploring the efficiency of their client tracking software, Link2Feed. In the semester-long project, we developed a close relationship with the staff of the community partner and worked to explore functionality and usability (Johnson, Salvo, & Zoetewey, 2007; Johnson, 2010) of Link2Feed. Throughout the semester, we applied various academic skills like taking interviews, rhetorical analysis of the software, and analyzing the community partner needs and how the software meets those needs. At the end of the semester, we were able to provide a detailed report on the features of the Link2Feed and its embedded functions. We also found ways to address the current needs of the partner organization for big data collection, reporting, and visualization. With the framework of experience architecture (Potts & Salvo, 2017) and workplace-based writing and communication and composition with community, we discuss the challenges of negotiating the needs of the community partner, their infrastructural limitations (DeVoss, Cushman, & Grabill, 2005), and the use of academic research to enhance the community partner’s efficiency to generate big data and knowledge via digital technologies. In this paper, we also reflect on the overall process of conducting a semester-long service learning/ community engagement project and the challenges and benefits of negotiating community partner’s priorities, the challenges in investigating an unfamiliar software platform, and the importance of regular communication with the professor
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Assessing Equity and Inclusion in Research Teams through Constructive Distributed Work
We present results from a pilot study assessing the efficacy of a project management and team building heuristic by analyzing a recent grant writing project completed by an interdisciplinary, interinstitutional research group. That heuristic, 'constructive distributed work' (CDW), integrates core principles for professional development (developing rhetorical confidence, using a networked model of mentoring, and sustained attention to infrastructure) with team-specific best practices mapped to the functions of collaborative work. The threedimensional nature of CDW affords both consideration of overall team effectiveness and its impacts on equity and inclusion. The pilot study confirmed the role the research group's team communication platform played in successful coordination, and demonstrated how the research group's commitment to rhetorical listening helped keep their collaboration inclusive. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of this method for collecting data and coding, and helps to set parameters for future research. We conclude by summarizing possible changes to the CDW heuristic and research design refinements suggested by the pilot study.American Council of Learned SocietiesImmediate accessThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]