Starting an empirical study of the study group Intro to Javascript

[mponti]

Hello All!

For those who don't remember me, I introduced myself here:
http://groups.google.com/group/p2pu-new-courses/browse_thread/thread/816b559efe02474a/de47af4d8b8cf346?lnk=gst&q=marisa+ponti#de47af4d8b8cf346

I am planning to start an ethnographic study of another course run at
P2PU. The course I have selected for my study is "Intro to
Javascript" (http://www.p2pu.org/en/groups/javascript-101/).

The purpose of the study is to describe the sociotechnical practices
developing around the use of an open online learning environment in
order to compare such practices to those developing around the use of
a closed online environment. Special attention is given to how digital
technologies and openness affect learning and knowledge creation in
both formal and nonformal educational practices.
The driving research question I seek to answer is: How do digital
technology-mediated centralized and decentralized learning
environments differ in practice and how do learning and knowledge
creation evolve in the two environments?

The study will be ethnographic and will include observations and
interviews held with selected participants and other related people to
describe or explain their experience with the course.

Data collection will take place between September and December 2011.

In relation to ethics. According to the guidelines offered by The
Association of Internet Researchers on Ethical Decision-Making and
Internet Research, as well as the Norwegian National Committee for
Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities, which
published Research Ethics Guidelines for Internet Research, I do not
seem to need an informed consent for doing my study on the content of
the course, because "information that one counts as public can freely
be used for research purposes".

Participants invited for an interview will be asked to sign an
informed consent form,instead.

I need to contact the course organizer and inform him/her about this
study.

Marisa

[Alison Cole]

Hello Marisa!

Let us know how we can assist you in your studies and if you run into trouble contacting the organizer or participants.

Best,
ALISON

--

Alison

[mponti]

Thank you, Alison!