Online course: Assessment

This page provides an archive of the assessment details for the online courses. On this page they are presented in the same way as experienced by course participants. There were two parts to the assessment, both worth 50% of the marks.

• Research Design Proposal
• Reflective Blog

All work was considered by two markers and a provisional mark and feedback returned within 3 working weeks.

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Word limit 2000 words (excluding bibliography and appendices). You should write a proposal in which you describe and present the research project that you intend to pilot (using online research methods) as part of this course. 

The proposal should:

• Identify your research question(s) and briefly explain why it is important
• Justify why you consider the use of online research methodology is appropriate to address this research question
• Explain which specific online methods you will employ and justify the selection of these techniques
• Discuss the ethical and methodological issues that the use of online methods raises for your work and how you intend to address these
• Briefly summarise the ways in which you intend to analyse the data you collect and report on the findings

Throughout, the proposal should explain how your research project, and particularly those aspects related to the use of online research methods, relate to, and are informed by relevant publications.  The suggested reading, e-tivities and online seminars/meetings over the first few weeks of the course are all designed to help you explore these issues in relation to the use of online research methods generally.  The research design proposal is an opportunity for you to demonstrate how these issues specifically relate to the research project that you intend to undertake. 

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The reflective blog is a way in which you will assess and evidence your personal progress and development as an online researcher.  Your posts should demonstrate how you have engaged in critical and analytical reflection on use of online research methods over the course of the module.  We will be expecting you to post at least weekly reflecting on the weekly e-tivites and the discussions you have had within the synchronous meetings.  We also expect you to read and post to other course members blogs.

Your blog should provide a personal statement in which you critically examine how your knowledge, understanding and skills as an online researcher have developed as a result of undertaking this module.

Roth (1989) summarises the reflective processes in the following way, which you may find helpful as you compose your posts:

• Questioning what, why, and how one does things and asking what, why, and how others do things;
• Seeking alternatives;
• Keeping an open mind;
• Comparing and contrasting;
• Seeking the framework, theoretical basis, and/or underlying rationale;
• Viewing from various perspectives;
• Asking 'what if...?';
• Asking for others' ideas and viewpoints;
• Using prescriptive models only when adapted to the situation;
• Considering consequences;
• Hypothesizing;
• Synthesizing and testing;
• Seeking, identifying, and resolving problems.

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The combination of these two assessments should enable you to demonstrate how you have met the module’s learning outcomes as shown in the table below:

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