2.0: Conduct and analyse research
2.1:
Planning action research
The purpose of the research
is to ascertain to what extent has the ILFEC (Inner London Further Education
College), the organisational capabilities to delivery effective Blended
Learning Courses. Furthermore, for the rationale of clarification, the
following (5 stage) strategy analysis will employ the - model of Grant (1991,
pp.1-2) - resource-based theory of competitive advantage:
- Resources: Identify and classify the ILFEC’s resources. Appraise
strengths and weaknesses relative to other colleges identify opportunities for
better utilisation of resources.
- Capabilities: Identify the ILFEC’s capabilities. What can
the college do more effectively than its rivals? Identify the resources inputs
to each capability, and the complexity of each capability.
- Competitive advantage: Appraise the rent-generating potential
of resources and capabilities in terms of (a) their potential for sustainable
competitive advantage, and (b) the appropriateness (the environmental factors
that govern an innovator's ability to capture profits generated by an
innovation) of their returns. Page 7 of 19 PRP: Research article Author: Mr
David Hilton
- Strategy: Select a strategy that best exploits the ILFEC’s
resources and capabilities relative to external opportunities.
- Resources gap: Identify resource gaps which need to be
filled. Invest in replenishing, augmenting and upgrading the ILFEC’s resource
base.
2.2:
Mixed methods proposal
A mixed methods design was
adopted - Cresswell (2007) - to conduct the research, because its methodology
had the flexibility to accommodate the FE College based environment. In
particular, a sequential explanatory design (SED) was used where quantitative
data is collected and analysed, followed by qualitative data.
The raison d'être for using
the (SED) was that it would provide the designer and audience with a better
understanding of the research problem, by converging (or triangulating) both
broad numeric trends from quantitative research (student and teacher surveys)
and the detail of qualitative research (decision-makers web-log and management
policies). Primacy is given to the quantitative data, because a research object
gauges what the students and teachers actual perceive - as the blended learning
approach - at the ILFEC; the qualitative data will be used primarily to augment
quantitative data. The data analysis is connected and integration will occurs
at the data interpretation stage and in the discussion. An addition
justification, for employing the (SED) is the fact that it is especially
beneficial when explaining study findings, particularly when they are
unexpected.
2.3:
Data collection
The data collection role is
tasked with gathering the three key types of resources intimated in – Grant
(1991, pp.1-2) – Resourced Based View (RBV) i.e. tangible resource, intangible
resource and organisational capability. Therefore, to achieve this aim the data
collection has been divided into four design areas:
(1) Student Survey,
(2)
Teacher Survey,
(3) Decision-makers (2013) web-log and
(4) the ILFEC’s currentpolices & strategies relating to Blended Learning were consulted
comprehensively by access to the ILFEC Internet and hardcopy downloads.
2.4:
Pilot research
A student - Gomez (2012) -
assisted in developing and running a pilot research project - as part of his
prince's trust (1 week placement) programme. The student shadowed my time-table
for a week, utilising furnished Blended Learning material to contextualise the
questions and developed a set of student survey questions. The pilot research
was useful in that it produced a set of questions - which did not directly
mention blended learning - whose language and content was based on the needs of
the targeted student population. These questions were subsequently expanded
upon. The following Blended Learning material was developed for a presentation
- I gave on a sharing best practice training day last year - and used as a
template to frame questions around the topic.
2.5:
Hilton (2011): Schematic: Off-line components
2.6:
Hilton (2011): Schematic: On-line components
2.7:
Hilton (2011): Schematic: Blended Learning programme
2.8:
Execution of action research:
4. The ILFEC current polices & strategies - Ref.:
College’s: Staff-Intranet.
2.8.1:
Student Survey (2013_SS):
A longitudinal quantitative survey was sent during the
(6th - 11th January 2013) to sample population of 121 students who are studying
BTEC Level 3 Extended & Ordinary Diploma in Business (Year 1 & 2) – at
the ILFEC’s Business & Retail Department. Specifically, each student was
individually contacted by an email.
The
overall purpose of the survey was to ascertain students' opinions on the
following variables of Blended Learning at the ILFEC:
Page 1: Participant’s details: Questions 1-3,
Page 2: Off-line Learning: Questions 4-10,
Page 3: Online Learning: Questions 11-17, and
Page 4: General learning support: Questions 18-25.
This was achieved by sending the survey via the ensuing scheduled
messages:
1st
Message: General perceptions of teaching at the ILFEC. 79 emails
mailed on January 6, 2013 8:51 PM Page 10 of 19 PRP: Research article Author:
Mr David Hilton
2nd
Message: General perceptions of teaching at the ILFEC. 46 emails
mailed on January 8, 2013 11:40 AM
3rd
Message: General perceptions of teaching at the ILFEC. 34 emails
mailed on January 10, 2013 9:08 PM
2.8.2:
Teacher Survey (2013_TS):
A longitudinal quantitative survey was sent (14th - 26th
January 2013) to sample population of 128 Teachers from 6 principal teaching
areas, across the ILFE's 4 main campuses. Each teacher / lecturer was
individually contacted by an email.
The overall purpose of the survey was to ascertain
teachers' opinions on the following variables of Blended Learning at the ILFEC:
Page 1: Participant’s
details: Questions 1-2,
Page 2: Off-line
Learning: Questions 3-9,
Page 3: Online
Learning: Questions 10-17, and
Page 4: General
learning support: Questions 18-31.
This was achieved by sending the survey via the ensuing
scheduled messages:
1st:
Blended Learning Survey - Practitioner Researcher Programme, 127 mailed on
January 14, 2013 9:17 AM
2nd:
Reminder: Please Take My Survey, 100 mailed on January 17, 2013 12:15 PM
3rd:
Reminder: Survey - Practitioner Researcher Programme, 82 mailed on January 23,
2013 11:00 AM
Note: Prior to the launch
of the survey, a copy of the PRP course guide and an outline of its objectives
was sent to all potential recipients, so as, to contextualize the aim of the
activity.
3.8.3
Decision-makers’ web-log (2013):
A longitudinal qualitative (survey) - Decision-makers
(2013) weblog - was sent during (31st January 2013 – 23rd February 2013) to
sample population of 20 decision-makers – associated with aspects of learning
at the ILFEC.
The overall purpose of being to provide responses to the
following 3 comment areas:
1. Offline Learning,
2. Online Learning and
3. Support Structures.
The Decision-makers weblog (2013) asked the following
request for information:
“As a
decision-maker or contributor - in the area of Blended Learning - could you
please comment on the current actual developments and medium-to-long-term
strategic objectives - for offline components / platforms - at the ILFEC (Inner
London Further Education College) i.e. time-lines and actual resources in place
to accommodate the college's E-Learning strategy (2009-12) + Innovation &
E-learning - Operation plan 2009-2012).
“In particular, has the college appropriate policies to
promote greater use of the offline components / platforms stated in the
schematic above? Also, are they any developments that will provide classroom,
which are more suitable to a Blended Learning approach to teaching?
“In particular, are there plans to employ a greater
proportion of online classes in the future? For example, utilising, LMS
(learning management system), such as, Moodle 2.0. Also, are there strategies
being put-in-to-place, which moves collaborative lessons away from an
email-centric approach to ones which encompass, assorted methodologies? Lastly,
does the college intend to encourage a wider use of online teaching instruments
i.e. mobile / multi-platform and social learning environment tools?
“In particular, is the college going to supply an
accessible ILT (Information Learning Technology) strategy that incorporates
clear policies on: Blended learning and specifically learning support, training
and reward mechanisms?
“The survey
uncovered a communication gap between the users (students & teachers) /
content supplier (teachers) and policy-makers. Consequently, is the college
going improve communications between decision-makers and users and also offer
more learning support (or other) career roles in the future?”
This was achieved by sending the web-log via the ensuing
scheduled messages:
1st:
Web-log (blog) survey on Blended Learning at the ILFEC, 20 mailed on 31 January
2013 20:22
2nd:
Support to the final phase of the research - Oxford University - on Blended
Learning at the ILFEC, 23 mailed on 11 February 2013 11:33
3rd:
Research on Blended learning at the ILFEC + Attachment, 20 mailed on 15
February 2013 08:02
2.8.4:
The ILFEC’s current polices & strategies relating to Blended Learning:
- Chief Inspector’s Annual report 2010/11
- E-learning Strategy (2009-12)
- Learner First Observation Policy
- Advanced Teacher Programme
- Professional Development Programmes
- Business Systems Development Group
- Skills for Life Strategy (2012-2015)
- Learning Plus: Employability and Skills pathway
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