The TAM-bMOOC Research Project is a longitudinal cohort study which aims to investigate the effectiveness of the instructional design features of the bMOOC and its Community Platform to stimulate change in mindsets and primary English classroom practices and foster a sense of community amongst primary English teachers.
Not only will the intervention contribute directly to addressing the identified problem it will also generate theories around blended learning for effective professional development in assessment literacy and e-communities of practice (eCoP) to overcome professional isolation.
Design-based research
Following a design-based research (DBR) methodology that is highly relevant in an educational context where authentic, real-world interventions aim at changing practice, the TAM-bMOOC Research Project will attempt to understand the inter-relationships of theory, designed artefacts, and practice.
The iterative DBR cycle includes i) enactment in context, ii) analysis and iii) redesign and will occur in three iterative cycles over approximately two years. Each cycle is an 8 week-long enactment in context (bMOOC & Community Platform) together with 16 weeks of analysis and redesign (total 6 months) and continued facilitation of the Community Platform to support the eCoP. The 3 iterations will be scheduled at different times in the academic year (November, April and January) to identify which might be more impactful for the participating primary English teachers
Data Collection
To collect evidence of the functions, limitations, and causal attributions of the learning design features, datafication will be exploited via the learning environment’s built-in mediating processes: observable interactions (i.e., occurring between peers and teacher educators/researchers and through content and task completion) and participant artefacts (i.e., e-portfolios, planned learning/teaching and assessment activities, reflections, and peer assessment). A pre-, post- and delayed post-survey (i.e., two months after bMOOC completion) will also be given to participants and and focus group interviews will be undertaken at the end of each iterative cycle.
Design-based research, as a data driven approach, is dependent upon the collaboration of stakeholders for its design and development, involving each in the provision of feedback over its iterations. The research team is made up of theoreticians and researchers in two distinct yet complimentary areas of teacher education – early English language education (CETAPS and collaborating institutions from the PEEP Network – Primary English Education in Portugal) and e-learning (UAb). They will be working with MOOC designers and engineers (NAU and ActiveMedia) and consultants i.e., representatives at Portuguese Ministry of Education and APPI (the Portuguese English teachers’ association).
The first 2 years of the project will be devoted to the three DBR iteration cycles. Year 3 will include establishing a sustainability plan for the bMOOC following the 5 Rs of Open Access Resources and continued facilitation of the eCoP through the PEEP Network. As well as formal dissemination amongst the different stakeholders (i.e., practitioners and the school community, policy makers and continuous PD centers, textbook publishers and authors and the scientific community).