As an IT student or professional you will have to solve all kinds of IT challenges. To do this, you will have to answer questions in order to arrive at a suitable solution, such as "What does the end user actually want?" and "Are there perhaps suitable solutions for this already?". When finding an answer requires more than "just Googling" and clicking on the top answer, you will have to conduct an investigation to arrive at a correct answer.
In this building block you will learn what conducting research actually is (not just for scientists!), You will be introduced to the research cycle, use it to determine an approach for your research (at question level) and to reflect critically.
Do you have any questions or comments about this building block? Please contact Danny Plass (Saxion).
Learning goals
After this building block:
you know what research is and why we do it (even though we are not scientists)
you know which steps you go through when you answer a (research) question (the research cycle)
you can come up with an approach to answer a (research) question based on the steps in the research cycle
you can take a critical look at the steps that you want to go through or afterwards, with the help of a few reflective questions
Within the DOT framework, you try to solve a central question. In order to develop a solution for this problem or opportunity, you need information, such as "What are the wishes of the end users?" (Field), "What kind of IT solutions have been tried for this problem?" (Library), or "Is this prototype indeed faster than the old application?" (Lab). These are examples of questions you can answer by doing research. When you do research, you go through the research cycle.
What is research?
Is this research?
Is this research?
Someone uses a script to systematically try out how many players can play an online game simultaneously before the server goes down.
Someone is looking at what solutions already exist for a particular problem.
Someone observes how people currently perform a certain task, without ICT tools.
Someone interviews a client to find out what requirements they have for a solution to their problem.
Someone consciously weighs up different operating systems by comparing them on important aspects.
Yes, this is all research! But what is research exactly?
Daan Andriessen (2014), lecturer Methodology of Practical Research at the Hogeschool Utrecht, has defined research for professional higher education professionals as follows: Methodically answering questions that leads to relevant knowledge.
Methodical?
As a(n upcoming) professional you cannot just provide answers off the cuff. You want to offer a good solution. Your customers and colleagues trust your judgment and depend on you. You, therefore, want to tackle questions properly, so that you are certain enough of the resulting answer. Would you dare to bet your smart phone on your answer? Or your reputation as a professional?
Relevant?
Relevant means that it helps you in your work, for example to solve that problem for your customer or to improve your own way of working. This is the main difference with university research, where it is enough that research yields any new knowledge. We want knowledge that benefits us immediately.
Research ability
But it is actually about more than just doing research. In order to solve problems properly, you not only need to be able to find new answers, but you also need an inquisitive attitude and you must be able to build on the existing work of others. We call these three aspects together (inquisitive attitude, application of existing work and conducting research) research ability.
Inquisitive attitude
To be curious and open to innovation. To want to understand and be critical. These are important qualities to make your own. Only then, you can apply existing work and conduct research with the right attitude. Only if you are curious, you look broad enough for possible solutions to make the right choice. And if you cannot critically reflect on your own work and that of others, you cannot improve yourself and your work. This is why it is said that attitude is the most important part of your research ability.
Applying existing work
A lot has already been done by others that you can build on for your solution. If you don't use this existing work, you are constantly reinventing the wheel. You could have spent that time in a more useful way! Therefore, make use of experts, existing publications, analyses, databases, best practices, etc. to make well-informed decisions.
Conducting research
Sometimes just looking at what others have already done is not enough. The problem you are trying to solve is often slightly different from what others have already looked into. In that case, you cannot apply existing work directly. You will have to create new knowledge and new solutions yourself, fitting your context, by doing your own research.
The cycle
When you do research, you go through a simple cycle from question to answer, which in turn can lead to new questions.
Ask your question
What do you want to know? Example: A physiotherapist comes to you. She would like to know whether it is possible to do her sessions remotely, so that patients do not necessarily have to come to the practice to receive the necessary care, for example when they are in quarantine. The following question comes to mind: How can you most conveniently measure body movements in such a situation?
Collected data
What information do you need to answer your question? How do you obtain it? You dive into that frequently-used search engine in search of existing solutions. You encounter a number of possibilities and their properties, such as cameras and motion sensors (such as the gyroscope in your smartphone). In order to determine which solution is most useful, you will look at how easy it is to use by the patient, but also whether the information that the solution would provide is good enough for physiotherapy.
Analyze the data
How do you have to process this data in order to answer your question? You put the possibilities and their most important properties in a table. You have also included a column for "easy to use" and "suitable for physio" in the table, the key criteria.
Draw conclusions
What is the answer to your question based on your analysis? Because you have put the data in a clear table based on the criteria, you can see the conclusion at a glance. Although cameras provide less precise information about the movement than motion sensors, it is much easier for the patient to use. You have a new question: What kind of cameras could provide the best motion information?
Checklist
To determine your approach to answering a question, you go through each of the 4 steps of the research cycle. Briefly consider the following two questions:
Are you doing the right thing?
What are the different options for this step? Does this really answer the question you started with? In research terms we also call this validity. For example, if you want to know if people like your game, you could show them a video of people playing the game and ask them if they would like to play it themselves. If they say "yes", you assume that they really like your game. But can they determine if a game is fun by just watching a movie? And maybe it's just a courtesy yes? Especially if you ask family and friends, they might just want to be nice. Can you think of another way to answer this question?
Are you doing it right?
Even if you have chosen a certain approach that in itself fits well with your question, many things can still go right or wrong in the implementation. You can take this into account as much as possible when determining your approach. If you were to do the same research again, would you get similar results, or could it yield a completely different answer? In research terms we call this reliability. To answer your question of whether people like to play your game, you have decided that you are going to let people play the game themselves. You also emphasize that you want to hear honest feedback so that you can improve the game. Additionally, you look at the reactions of the testers while playing. Your 8-year-old nephew and 10-year-old niece love your game. Good news! One of your teammates also runs a test, letting his grandpa and grandma play the game, but they didn't like the game at all. What now?
Are you doing the right thing? and Are you doing it right? give you a quick check to critically look at your approach. You can also try the following questions: Does this really answer your question? And would you dare to bet your smartphone on whether of your answer is correct?
Practical tips
The steps of the research cycle not only provide a nice structure for reflecting on your approach (or that of others), but also for communicating it with others.
In the research report, you describe your approach in the chapter entitled Approach or Methods.
If you choose a particular approach, for example interviews, look up the pitfalls and best practices for this method. This way you can prevent problems in advance.
If you have done some research, look back on it using the checklist questions. The more you consciously reflect, the more aware you are of what can go wrong. This way you can avoid these problems in your next project.
Assignments
Self assessment (1.1 Curiosity)
Individual assignment (1.1 Curiosity)
For one of the information questions for your practical question, come up with an approach. Complete each step of the research cycle for this, so that you can paint a concrete picture from question to answer.
Now look at each step. Can you think of a reason why this might not provide the information you need to answer your question?
Research cycle
How?
Possible problems
1. Asking questions
<type your information question here>
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2. Data collection
3. Data analysis
4. Drawing conclusions
Project assignment
Choose one of the information questions in your project. Determine a detailed approach based on the steps in the research cycle.
Option A) Exchange
Now look at the approach of another team and consider what could possibly go wrong in each step. Are they doing the right thing? Are they doing it right? Write down the potential issues you see and send it back to the other team.
Now consider the potential issues that the other team has come up with for your approach. Think of a different approach that solves the biggest problems.
Option B) Self-reflection
Now look at your approach and consider what could possibly go wrong in each step. Are you doing the right thing? Are you doing it right?
Now think of 3 possible solutions for the most important problems. Then choose the approach that is expected to lead to the most accurate answer to the question, which still remains feasible within the context of the project.
Sources
Andriessen, D. (2014). Praktisch relevant én methodisch grondig? Dimensies van onderzoek in het HBO: Openbare les 2014.
Losse, M. A. Onderzoekend vermogen ontwikkelen bij studenten: een methodiek voor hbo-docenten. Boom, 2018.
For the teacher
In deze sectie kun je zowel een moduleverantwoordelijke als uitvoerend docent extra informatie en tips geven, zodat zij snel kunnen inschatten of en hoe zij deze bouwsteen in hun module of les in zouden kunnen passen.
Het doel van deze bouwsteen
De onderzoekscyclus biedt een handig stappenplan voor het methodisch beantwoorden van vragen. Een handig uitgangspunt voor het zelf doen van onderzoek.
Plaats in het curriculum en module
Vroeg in leerjaar 1. Geen voorkennis vereist.
Voorbeeld lesplan
Studenten kunnen vooraf de bouwsteen doornemen, de self-assessment en de individuele opdracht doen. In de les kunnen ze vervolgens in groepjes aanpakken bedenken en op reflecteren.
Ook is het een interessante workshop oefening om verschillende aanpakken te vergelijken voor dezelfde vraag.
Binnen een project kunnen studenten een concrete aanpak bedenken voor een van de informatievragen die ze zullen moeten beantwoorden. Ook hier kun je aanpakken laten uitwisselen en zo de studenten naar elkaars werk laten kijken.
Tips bij de opdrachten
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Tips voor projectbegeleiding
Het is vooral van belang reflectie te stimuleren, zodat studenten leren van elk project dat ze doorlopen.
Beoordelen
De reflectievragen rond validiteit en betrouwbaarheid kunnen handvatten geven voor de beoordeling. Voor eerstejaars zeker niet te streng beoordelen. Als de conclusies daadwerkelijk antwoord zouden geven op de vraag is al een goed eindresultaat.
Het arrangement 1.1.2 Doing research with the research cycle is gemaakt met
Wikiwijs van
Kennisnet. Wikiwijs is hét onderwijsplatform waar je leermiddelen zoekt,
maakt en deelt.
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Van dit lesmateriaal is de volgende aanvullende informatie beschikbaar:
Toelichting
When finding an answer requires more than "just Googling" and clicking on the top answer, you will have to conduct an investigation to arrive at a correct answer.
In this building block you will learn what conducting research actually is (not just for scientists!), You will be introduced to the research cycle, use it to determine an approach for your research (at question level) and to reflect critically. This is a HBO-ICT building block for Research in Education.
When finding an answer requires more than "just Googling" and clicking on the top answer, you will have to conduct an investigation to arrive at a correct answer.
In this building block you will learn what conducting research actually is (not just for scientists!), You will be introduced to the research cycle, use it to determine an approach for your research (at question level) and to reflect critically. This is a HBO-ICT building block for Research in Education.
When you do research, you go through a simple cycle from question to answer, which in turn can lead to new questions.
