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 Universityimages from http://openlearn.open.ac.uk

Users: Learners and Educators

OpenLearn content

Mobility

Big QuestionsWhy would anyone produce anything new if it is out there already?

How do people learn from open

content?

What are the new tools that actually help us work and learn?

How can we help the developing

world?

Methods

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

Anne’s story

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

… 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 DeviceTim O’Reilly (2005) What is Web 2.0?http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

…Research 2.01. 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

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

www.open.ac.uk/openlearnp.mcandrew@open.ac.uka.i.santos@open.ac.uk s.j.godwin@open.ac.uk