The Methods of Research

KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 14, 2019

Bagwell College opens interactive research lab

When Iv谩n Jorr铆n-Abell谩n began teaching at 网红头条, he saw his graduate students experiencing the same frustration that his previous students in Spain had and he had in completing his own dissertation 鈥� they were struggling with what steps to take to conduct research most effectively.

鈥淭he teaching and learning of research methods is usually frightening for students and faculty, and research methods courses are the ones our students postpone until the last possible semester,鈥� said Jorr铆n-Abell谩n, a professor of educational research. 鈥淲hy is that? One plausible answer is the lack of attention and subsequent scarcity of innovation in the teaching of research methods.鈥�

Professor of educational research Iv谩n Jorr铆n-Abell谩n teaches graduate students to utilize the interactive Research Methods — Professor of educational research Iv谩n Jorr铆n-Abell谩n

That was Jorr铆n-Abell谩n鈥檚 inspiration to establish the (IRML) in KSU鈥檚 . The newly opened lab is an innovative space to support students and faculty as they plan and develop their research designs for their undergraduate research assignments, master capstone projects, research proposals and dissertations.

The IRML is based on the , a research framework and web-based tool that Jorr铆n-Abell谩n developed in 2015. Hopscotch utilizes textual, multimedia and web resources to guide the user through a nine-step process, including the research topic and goals, the conceptual framework, research questions and design, data gathering and analysis, and the ethical principles guiding a study.

Hopscotch was received well, with thousands of people using it around world, according to Jorr铆n-Abell谩n. However, users suggested that the platform was lacking an active learning space for students to share and discuss the methodological decisions made in the nine-steps proposed by Hopscotch.

鈥淲e learned that the lack of a social learning space within it was a major limitation, particularly because of its online nature,鈥� Jorr铆n-Abell谩n said. 鈥淚n response, we developed the Interactive Research Methods Lab as a natural evolution of Hopscotch.鈥�

Jorr铆n-Abell谩n and a team of Bagwell College colleagues established the lab, with physical space in the Bagwell Education Building and virtual space for students in online degree programs. The lab can be an asset for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and novice researchers to generate methodologically sound research designs in social sciences and education, according to Jorr铆n-Abell谩n.

Student in the Hopscotch Interactive Research Lab

鈥淚t is the creation of something absolutely spectacular,鈥� Bagwell College of Education Dean Cynthia Reed said at the IRML grand opening, where 网红头条faculty and staff were given a demonstration of how the lab works. 鈥淏agwell faculty came together and created this innovative approach that supports student research and enhances faculty research productivity. We are all very excited about the official opening of this lab.鈥�

Olga Koz, graduate research librarian for the Bagwell College and librarian associate professor, has collaborated in the development the IRML鈥檚 accompanying website that includes related resources and a 360-degree virtual tour, replicating the experience students have in the physical lab. The lab鈥檚 physical space includes customized decals of each step of the Hopscotch model posted on dry-erase walls with AR markers embedded in the decals.

Students and faculty can point their own devices, such as cell phones or tablets, at the AR markers to respond to the question prompts that guide them through the research design process. Then copies of their research design are sent via email so they can return to their work at any time to modify it or share with collaborators.

Users can also jot notes from the information virtually obtained on the dry-erase walls of the lab and their responses to the question prompts are displayed in textual and multimedia formats on a shared 鈥渧irtual鈥� wall. The data is projected on the lab鈥檚 main screen to prompt discussion of the research design decisions being considered and made in real time.

鈥淭he IRML is one of, if not the first, lab in the U.S. to provide users with personalized instruction and practical experience in the process and strategies involved in generating research designs using multimedia and augmented reality contents,鈥� Jorr铆n-Abell谩n said. 鈥淲e will continue to improve and enhance the user experience in the lab.鈥�

Among the first educators to benefit from the lab has been Stephanee Stephens, the director of the Bagwell College鈥檚 that provides consulting services and professional development training to classroom teachers. In that role, Stephens works daily with K-12 schools and districts on utilizing research-based best practices and innovative approaches to learning.

Stephens has been working in the Interactive Research Methods Lab while pursuing her doctoral degree in instructional technology. She credits the IRML, through its interactive components and accessible faculty expertise, with enabling her to create a structured plan for her dissertation and future research on the topic of personalized learning.

鈥淭his innovative and fresh approach to immersive research design is an exploration that I, as a seasoned practitioner but a skeptic novice researcher, never could have imagined,鈥� Stephens said. 鈥淣ow that I have experienced it myself, I struggle to understand how others could possibly design research without it. What an incredible and transformative opportunity this lab affords to students in the Bagwell College of Education.鈥�

Along with Jorr铆n-Abell谩n and Koz, IRML team members include Rachel Gaines, assistant professor of educational psychology; Mei-Lin Chang, associate professor of applied quantitative research and educational analysis; Jihye Kim, assistant professor of educational research; Anete V谩squez, associate professor of curriculum and instruction; and Connie Lane, BCOE grants and special projects manager.

鈥撯€� Jo毛lle Walls

Photography by Jason Getz

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