Hi Terry,
I think we need to have a tight organizational model - but this could be in two phases perhaps or two levels. One project to roll out across various contexts would probably be highly valued because of it's completeness. That said, if we can get pan-Canadian commitment to an "
accord" of sorts -then we can decide to work together to chose that first question/project in year 1, then next one in year 2, or some fashion. If someone's interest isn't captured in year 1, then we might still get their commitment if there is a promise that their interest is captured in a later year. We need commitment per province of various potential "torch holders" so if one falls out, then another can fill the spot.
I like your idea of the sample email to provincial education reps. However, I think it's important to be very systematic in this - how do we know which ministers are being contacted in which province/territory? it would be good to at least have a point of contact to map out who is being brought in so as to ensure that no one is left out. Perhaps a new thread to just simply post the names of people that have been invited from govt or other organizations. If one wants to be discreet about it, they could fire it off to one of the moderators for posting (sorry!). Thoughts on that? or save the systematic approach to the funding approach I'm about to describe...
To be honest, I like the idea of a funding proposal that we can come together on - so we can all sign off on - and each provincial group of co-PIs agree to submit the complete document to their provincial contacts - ministry of ed or advanced ed or ?? - this document would be the complete pan-Canadian research agenda - including a) funding to support the network and b) funding to complete the research on i) its part in a pan-Canadian study (like the teacher ed wiki mentioned above), and perhaps ii) a provincially-focused study or study on a different question. (?) Each provincial/territory group of researchers would submit the proposal within the same time frame. Let me ask you - if you were a Minister of Ed/Advanced Ed/etc. and you received such a proposal - showing that this group got their act together and had all of these academic players pulled together and you were asked to contribute your 1/13 to the pot, wouldn't you feel inspired to do so? and perhaps even concerned about it being 12/13 funded and your province was the one left out?? Perhaps the Federal or other organizations (Industry Canada, etc.) would be the ones to help contribute to the communication/network/travel funding part or to help cover shortages in a given province/territory.
I've got a new skookum research lab here starting up now (with co-director, Allyson Hadwin). It's a CFI-funded Technology Integration and Evaluation Research Lab worth over $700,000 and could use some of the VC infrastructure to help support/connect with the others across Canada. I know there are many sites out there, but we could easily get funding for the small desktop units, or software, for those who don't have easy or cheap access. Or else I'd love to invite as many of you out here to Victoria to enjoy the daffodils and ocean view in the middle of winter... ;) (speaking of which, we have a wonderful conference centre connected to the Empress Hotel downtown which would be great for another CNIE conference...)
For TOPIC thread: The activity in conducting this research as a pan-Canadian network will be a research project worthy of attention in and of itself - perhaps that should be listed as another topic. The e-research element as an off-shoot - who better to understand the ethics and implications than DE researchers?
For a new STRATEGY thread: Now, it looks like our thread has sort of evolved out of "best methodology" into "best strategy"?? should the organizational/practical elements of how to do this be a new thread? We could repost or move some of these over.
This brings up another point. I know that many educational technology faculty members across Canada have a responsibility to serve the teacher education programs at their universities (as many are posted in Faculties of Education), so it may be that not all attention is focused on the e-learning part of it necessarily, though they may have it as a secondary research interest or be well-practiced in teaching in an online or blended manner. I think it would be important to approach these folks at all PSEs across Canada as they could help to hold up this network and even help to do some of the provincial data collection if it is agreed upon to do a one project/many sites idea. Again, we would want depth per province/territory in case someone puts down the torch, another needs to follow. I think personally that it would be important that these folks be in the status to be eligible for tri-council funding, so they could continue the "attack" on that front. Targeted email invitations would be important.
For the TOPIC thread: For the research component - sorry - should be writing over in that thread... - oh, well - perhaps people could quote/reply in the appropriate thread instead as I'm on a roll... - we should have the primary discipline studies/topics (by DE researchers), but also secondary discipline studies - to serve the stakeholders in other fields (nursing, health, etc.) that may be doing their dedicated programs online or in blended mode. So, this is more about some of the "special populations" being served and perhaps this includes international students specifically. These research streams might allow for additional funding targets to be included - funded by their parent funding agencies outside of education.
Sorry - I've got my eyes on the money piece a bit too much...
I definitely have an organizational bent - gets me carried away sometimes... I'll try to dig out your diagram, Terry, and try to map this onto it. Where did I see it? In your PowerPoint? if you recall, I can find it. The levels of evidence, which I think is necessary, would be the layers underneath each topic bubble.
Curious to hear your thoughts on this - or maybe I'm too ahead of myself in which case hold it as "food for thought."
TTYL,
Valerie
skype: swirvine