I’m no artist, but I created the attached illustration of a prosumer type model of a research agenda where the agenda itself is a network of e-learning researchers and practitioners – sort of focuses as much on the process as the product.
You will see four critical areas connected in a network, each one of which spans and connects many specific groups. The 4 areas are a documentation area where results, vision for the network, celebrations etc take place. The second is the research question and theory area, where we investigate, appraise and synthesize current ideas and directions. The third is the projects area where different groups tackle projects, develop and share methodologies, tools etc. Finally the administration area is where the network itself focuses on funding and relates to the various research teams, schools, institutes, private companies etc. This network and associated groups, of course, operate within the collective learning and activity of the wider Net, extending to other disciplines and other countries.
The diagram is rough and likely there are other areas missing, but it has the advantages of:
- Allowing us to focus in our document construction on an ongoing network versus a static document
- Allows focus on each of the four areas that has most interest to participants
- Reflects the way that we actually operate in real life
- Allows and supports development of new groups of researchers to spin off the generalized framework of the network agenda
- Gives us a structure for a final report
Disadvantages are that:
- It may seem too ‘spacey’ to attract support and funding
- The network structure may not be tight enough to maintain a coherent set of actions
- It may seem more like a social support system than a means to galvanize collaborative efforts and effective dissemination.
The question then becomes how is this network administrated, funded, governed etc? Is it like (and thus a competitor to CNIE or Canada Council for Learning)? Will it provide enough of an organization framework to support a large increase in e-learning research? How is it different than say CIDER, which has not been able to attract critical mass of producers/contributors.
Your thoughts about the value or the details of this model most welcomed.
Terry
