Researching the world out there How do we know about the users that do not tell us anything?

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Researching the world out thereHow do we know
about the users that do not tell us anything?
Patrick McAndrew Steve Godwin Andreia
Santos Research Evaluation Team OpenLearn, The
Open University
images from http//openlearn.open.ac.uk
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Users Learners and Educators
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OpenLearn content
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Mobility
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Big Questions
Why would anyone produce anything new if it is
out there already?
How can we help the developing world?
What are the new tools that actually help us work
and learn?
How do people learn from open content?
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Methods

• Action Research
• Tracking
• User trials
• Interaction studies
• Remote interviews
• Ethnography
• Collaborations
• Interviews
• Surveys

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Annes story
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What we think

1. Study interesting things that happen
2. Look for patterns that can apply more widely
3. Encourage all to be part of the experiment
4. Build valuable activities that give data
5. Openness has a lot of benefits
6. Draw conclusions though you wish you had more
   data
7. Be prepared for the user that arrives anywhere
8. Realise cannot control all routes to access

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Web 2.0

1. The Long Tail
2. Data is the Next Intel Inside
3. Users Add Value
4. Network Effects by Default
5. Some Rights Reserved
6. The Perpetual Beta
7. Cooperate, Don't Control
8. Software Above the Level of a Single Device

Tim OReilly (2005) What is Web
2.0? http//www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/n
ews/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html
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Research 2.0

1. Study interesting things that happen
2. Look for patterns that can apply more widely
3. Encourage all to be part of the experiment
4. Build valuable activities that give data
5. Openness has a lot of benefits
6. Draw conclusions though you wish you had more
   data
7. Be prepared for the user that arrives anywhere
8. Realise cannot control all routes to access

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Patrick, Steve and Andreia OpenLearn Research
and Evaluation The Open University - IET Walton
HallMilton KeynesMK7 6AA

• www.open.ac.uk/openlearn
• p.mcandrew_at_open.ac.uk
• a.i.santos_at_open.ac.uk s.j.godwin_at_open.ac.uk