Ideas for Research Plan and Papers

Hi All,

I’m still fiddling around with this paper and project plan, I keep ‘following shiny objects’ and changing my mind about the approach. What do you think about Action Research for the overall research approach? I’ve been looking today at the ‘Children’s Ladder of Participation’ (Hart, 1992 http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/childrens_participation.pdf) and am thinking it might be good to do an Action Research project with the objective of moving the cohort up the ladder over the research period. I really like Dale’s idea of the Machinima film festival and I think we should use that as the end result of the project. So, to open the discussion on planning for activities for the rest of the year, I’m (loosely) thinking:

Cycle 1: Orientation and acclimatisation (building trust and inworld skills)
Cycle 2: Community building (form a committee of students)
Cycle 3: Host the event

The activities then become part of a building process that has a defined outcome which includes all the factors of social inclusion along the way.

Paper 1: (The one I’m doing the draft for now – and keep changing :) ) could be about the method and methodology of the project and perhaps a baseline description of the collaborative ‘temperature’ at Debney at the moment.
Paper 2: Something to do with identity (TBA)
Paper 3: Something to do with collaboration/teamwork (TBA)

For those of you unfamiliar with Action Research, here is a link with some good info. Grace, I know you know a bit about AR so I very much look forward to your comments/suggestions.