OpenEd20

This session will present an overview of the Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN) Research Methods Handbook. The aims of the GO-GN are:
- to raise the profile of research into open education,
- to offer support for those conducting PhD research in this area, and
- to develop openness as a process of research.

More than 100 doctoral and post-doctoral researchers form the core of the network with more than 200 experts, supervisors, mentors and interested parties forming a community of practice.

The Handbook was developed by members of the network who are researchers in open education, and serves as a useful starting point for anyone wishing to do research in education with a focus on OER, MOOCs or OEP.

To contextualise this approach, an accessible and brief description of the types of methods typically used in research into education and educational technology will be provided. Some of the contrasting philosophical, epistemological and ontological commitments of different research paradigms will be described. Theoretical perspectives will be outlined (though not fully explored).

The Handbook benefits from a range of illustrations (courtesy of Bryan Mathers) which are intended to make the Handbook more relatable and accessible. Reflections on the process of creating the visual journey will be shared.

Finally, the presentation will offer up for discussion a provisional model of open scholarship including open practices (agile project management; directly influencing practice; radical transparency; sharing research instruments; social media presence; networks); open science (open access; open data; open licensing); digital innovation (HCI; data science; open source technologies); and normative elements (challenging dominant narratives; promoting social justice; and reducing barriers to educational access).

Learning Outcomes:
- Delegates will benefit from an overview of research methods in open education
- Processes of open collaboration to produce a manuscript will be shared
- Supporting critical reflection on practice