[xmca] Fwd: AREOL (Action research and evaluation on line) course

This actrivity seems like it might be of interest to several partiipants in
the included lists.
mike

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bob Dick <bdick@scu.edu.au>
Date: Thu, Jun 12, 2008 at 10:40 PM
Subject: AREOL (Action research and evaluation on line) course
To: PAR announcement list <par-announce-l@cornell.edu>

Dear colleagues

The 28th program of AREOL: action research and evaluation on line,
begins soon. Areol is a free public course in action research,
spread out over 14 weeks.

I've included below some brief details, and a subscription form
near the end of the email that you can use if you decide to join
the course.

There is also a course outline on the web at

 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/areol/areolind.html

with links to the weekly sessions.

I plan to email some orientation material in the second week in
July. The first of the 14 weekly sessions will follow about two
weeks later.

Please let me know (off list) if you would like any further
information.

Warm regards -- Bob

_____ __ ___________ Southern Cross Institute __________________
     / \ of Action Research
    / /\ \
____/ /_/ AREOL 28 __ action research and evaluation on line ____
   \____/\_\

 A free on line course in action research offered as a public
 service by the Southern Cross Institute of Action Research at
 Southern Cross University

__________________________________________________________________

Areol 28 begins in late July 2008. Conducted over four months
or a little less, its 14 sessions (or thereabouts) will provide
you with basic information about one form of action research.

As with earlier programs, the theme of areol 28 is the integration
of effective change with rigorous research. In some respects, it
is a combination of the principles of community and organisational
change with those for change-oriented qualitative research,
sometimes with use of quantitative research too.

The program does not attempt to cover all varieties of action
research. Nor does it analyse the philosophy of action research
in any depth. The main intention is to allow participants to
understand some processes which combine action and research, and
which can be used in practice.

Later sessions briefly describe an action research approach to
evaluation.

The on-line sessions are supplemented by archived files on various
aspects of action research and evaluation.

There is no charge (apart from your usual connect charges, if any).
This is provided as a public service by the Southern Cross Institute
of Action Research, SCIAR, at Southern Cross university.

You can examine earlier versions of the areol materials on the web.
You'll find an index page at

 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/areol/areolind.html

This will give you an idea of the contents and style of the course.
You can also work through these web materials at your own pace, if
you wish. This is an alternative to the email version. It doesn't
include the discussion group and learning groups of the email
version. Also, it isn't revised as often as the email version,
which I fine tune each semester.

If you wish to subscribe to the email version of areol 28, please

  A. read the following description,

  B. then send answers to the questions (below)

You may also wish to check the responses of areol 13 and areol 14
subscribers to the final evaluation. You'll find them, uncensored,
at

 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/areol/areol13eval.html
 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/areol/areol14eval.html

__________________________________________________________________

A. The commitment you are undertaking:

By subscribing to areol 28 you are undertaking a commitment to:

 o read the orientation material before the course begins

 o read the sessions

 o take part in the accompanying general discussion list each
    session

 o help evaluate areol at about the middle of the program, and
    again at the end

 o indicate if you agree to your posts on any of the areol lists
    being analysed as part of an action research project

If you have little time, you can take part in areol with a time
commitment of about two hours a session (sessions are mailed about
weekly): 20 minutes to read the weekly session; 30 minutes to
access the relevant archived resource files; 30 minutes to take
part in the accompanying discussion list; and a little thinking
time. (You can pare this back a little by being selective about
the archived resources you read.)

(Evaluations of past areol programs suggest that this is a heavier
commitment than some participants anticipate. The sessions, each
of about 7000 to 8000 words, are mailed out weekly. The comments
of past participants suggests that, if you do not set aside time
each week you will find it hard to keep up with the material.)

In addition, an evaluation of areol after the final week takes
about 15 minutes.

If we set up learning groups and you join one of them, this may
add about another 20 or 30 minutes each week to your commitment.

Beyond this, there are many further opportunities for involvement.
Most sessions describe relevant activities, suggest further
reading, and identify archived files which expand on the material.

__________________________________________________________________

B. Subscription details

1. Name:

2. Brief bio (about two or three sentences about your interest
  in action research). This will be placed in a public
  archive:

3. Which, if any, of the following interest groups do you wish
  to join?

  (They will be set up only if numbers warrant it. In any
  event it is not a requirement that you join any of them.
  However, in joining an interest group you are committing
  yourself to taking part in the discussion in those groups):

  _ 3a. Novices' interest group. This is intended primarily
         for people who do not make much use of action research
          in their work so far, and would appreciate a mutual-aid
          group

  _ 3b. Practitioners' interest group. This in intended
          primarily for people whose interest in action research
          is to improve their practice

  _ 3c. Academics' interest group. This is intended
          primarily for people who are more interested in the
          research or philosophical aspects than in the
          practitioner applications of action research

  _ 3d. Thesis interest group. This is intended primarily
          for people who are using action research or related
          methodologies for thesis purposes, or are supervising
          such theses

4. Are you willing to helping to facilitate the interest group?
  (If so, you'll be able to share this responsibility with your
  colleagues on the group.)

5. Are you willing for any email you post to areol and the
  associated lists to be analysed as part of an action research
  project?

  (Your anonymity will be protected unless your specific
  permission to identify you is sought and given. There is no
  particular research currently planned; this is to keep that
  possibility open.)

Please mail this to bdick@scu.edu.au FROM YOUR USUAL EMAIL ADDRESS
(the associated mailing lists accept email only from addresses in
its subscription list, so choose the address you are most likely to
use to send email to the areol lists)

__________________________________________________________________
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Received on Fri Jun 13 08:39 PDT 2008