1. Research Methods Essentials
Using Screencasts for Social Research Projects

2. Outline
Introduction – hons projects: methods and disciplinary concepts/theories
Hons dissertations in sociology
Developing screencasts
Conclusion – making space for disciplinary development

3. Introduction
Ashwin et al. (2017) stress the importance of disciplinary engagement in the hons project:
study of sociology students in 4 different institutions in England
students exhibited personal interest in their research topics
a change in their understanding of sociology only appears to have taken place when they saw the discipline as providing an analytic framework that permitted them to address their investigations.

4. Introduction
Anecdotal accounts from academic staff - lack of time spent with students in addressing disciplinary knowledge and understanding in supervisory meetings with students.
Much of our time is taken up with helping students tackle practical project management issues:
how to narrow down the research topic or question
how to conduct a literature search using Google Scholar
how to design an online questionnaire

5. Introduction Todd et al. (2004) - 4 key aspects in dissertation work:
(the student defines the nature and focus of the investigation
the project is carried out by the student with tutor support
research involving an analysis of primary/secondary data
an extended engagement with the chosen topic of investigation
Research has tended to focus on heavily on third aspect related to the challenges encountered by students in engaging with the research methodology.

6. Introduction
It has been argued that dissertations represent the most common form of inquiry-based learning within honours degree programmes.
Scholars have sought identify core elements that comprise inquiry-based learnings (e.g. Spronken-Smith and Walker, 2010, identify 6 aspects e.g. active learning; tutor-facilitated learning.

7. Introduction A complex issue:
students’ disciplinary knowledge and ways of thinking need to be brought into the process
practical aspects associated with particular research methods need to be worked out
guidance of the supervisor

8. Introduction
Most sociology degree programmes will have covered research methods
a methods module covering general principles and practices
When it comes to specific honours dissertation topics we find that students often need reminding of the different methods and what they entail.

9. Introduction
The honours dissertation requires students to engage with and develop a relationship with disciplinary knowledge.
Our task in addressing these issues was to consider how we could make space within the existing honours dissertation supervisory framework whereby this conceptual and theoretical engagement process could be enhanced.

10. Honours Dissertations in Sociology
In sociology, students can conduct:
an empirical-based project base don a topic of interest
a study that involves secondary data analysis (e.g. government statistics)
a literature-based project that analyses or synthesises sociological concepts and theories

11. Honours Dissertations in Sociology
Sociology is commonly considered to be a discipline that is at the confluence between:
philosophical concerns
social scientific concerns with the systematic gathering and analysis of evidence or data.
Both conceptual issues in terms of social theory, and empirical matters in terms of methodological principles and practices.

12. Honours Dissertations in Sociology
Our aim within the project – to free up academic space within dissertation supervision meetings to allow this critical engagement to take place in the conversations between students and supervisors.
the use of short screencasts as supplementary guides for students
defined methods classes that focus on processes of analysis
group supervision meetings.

13. Honours Dissertations in Sociology
Our aim is to develop the dissertation as in inquiry-based approach that involves both generic matters as well as specific disciplinary engagement.
This is set in terms of giving insight into our approach and pedagogical rationale rather than offer an evaluation at this stage.

14. Developing Screencasts
Undergraduate sociology education
online videos have been used to enhance lecture programmes through the use of selected pre-existing YouTube material (Miller, 2009, Tan and Pearce, 2012)
or screencasts as a means of introducing concepts and theories (Auster, 2016)
A gap on the use of screencasts in enhancing methodological knowledge/understanding in honours sociology project work.

15. Developing Screencasts
We developed a social research methods ‘mini-MOOC’ as a resource for students and honours project supervisors.
This involved the creation of screencasts that deal with common practical issues that confront sociology honours projects students, e.g.
specifying research questions and objectives
developing an on-line questionnaire

16. Developing Screencasts
Screencasts are audio-narrated animated slides made available to project students through a virtual learning environment package.
videos lasts approximately ten minutes
a quick ‘how-to guide’ with respect to a specific project management issue
supplementary resources to consolidate knowledge are provided to students online, including a discussion forum, relevant readings and highlighted real-world examples of research design in action.

17. In this screencast student are give a guide on how to narrow down their topic.

18. In this case much of the content consists of a voice-over with key tips on how to generate and narrow down the topic (e.g. literature, political events, ‘nagging doubts’ etc.

19. In this screencast students are taken through the various stages and functional aspects of using Google Scholar.

20. This involves a ‘fly through’ the process involved.

21. Many of our students have problems with designing questionnaires
Many of our students have problems with designing questionnaires. This screencast takes them though the process using Google Forms.

22. As in the previous example, the are taken through the process in terms of a ‘fly through’.

23. We also have students who analyse media content as part of their
Investigation.

24. Again they can be led through the process of searching for material to analyse.

25. This kind of step-by-step approach is useful in showing students the practical aspects of what to do.

26. Conclusion
Undertaking the hons project should encourage students to consider the nature of the discipline and its knowledge production through addressing a topic or issue of interest.
It is students’ understanding of sociology gained through process of undertaking a dissertation that where the transformational aspect of the dissertation arguably applies.

27. Conclusion
Space is required in the academic framework of supervisory meeting to discuss with students and offer advice on how they can develop a deeper and reflexive understanding of the explanatory power and limitations of sociology as a discipline.
Getting bogged down with practical methodological matters within supervisory meeting diverts time and attention away from intellectual development derived from considering conceptual and theoretical issues.

28. Conclusion
We have opted to take an approach that seeks to aid students in dealing with generic project management issues in a blended learning manner through a mix of screencasts and additional methods seminars.
Screencasts can relieve some of the pressure on having to address these issues in meetings thereby potentially affording tutors more time to guide students in thinking about their work in terms of how sociological concepts and theories.

29. Key References
Ashwin, P., Abbas, A. and McLean, M How does completing a dissertation transform undergraduate students’ understandings of disciplinary knowledge?, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 42:4,
Auster, C.J Blended learning as a potentially winning combination of face-to-face and online learning: an exploratory study. Teaching Sociology. 44(1): pp
Miller, M.V Integrating online multimedia into college course and classroom: with application to the social sciences. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 5(2):
Spronken-Smith, R., and R. Walker “Can Inquiry-based Learning Strengthen the Links between Teaching and Disciplinary Research?” Studies in Higher Education 35: 723–740.
Tan, E., and Pearce, N Open education videos in the classroom: exploring the opportunities and barriers to the use of YouTube in teaching introductory sociology. Research in Learning Technology. 19(1):
Todd, M., P. Bannister, and S. Clegg “Independent Inquiry and the Undergraduate Dissertation: Perceptions and Experiences of Final-year Social Science Students.” Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 29: 335–355.