Jim Hensman Coventry University/Serious Games Institute, UK Edmedia 2012, Denver

1. New Connections and Wider Dimensions: Creating Collaborations and Linking Research to Emerging Trends Jim Hensman Coventry University/Serious Games Institute, UK Edmedia 2012, Denver

2. Knowledge is Connection - Individual Intelligence • Human Brain • 100 million neurons • 1000-10,000connectionsfrom each • 1 million newconnectionseach second

3. Knowledge is Connection - Collective Intelligence • How do we connect? • Prolific/Diverse • Selective • Dynamic

4. Overview • What kinds of connection and where do we find them? • All important, but increased specialisation makeswider scope and interdisciplinary connectionsparticularly relevant • “TEL is itself an inherently interdisciplinary field … Interdisciplinarity is key to the successful future of TEL research.” - Grainne Conole et al, Interdisciplinary research: Findings from the Technology Enhanced Learning Research Programme, 2010 • New areas of research and emerging trends • Tools and Techniques - the Edmedia Community and Emerging Scholars Examples • Approach and Principles

5. Example: Cancer Research • PhD Research at a ScottishUniversity on … Wallpaper • Uses very similar texture analysistechniques as used in Colonoscopyresearch (which also connects to research in Metallurgy, GIS, Graphic Design etc.) • How does your research connect to Cancer Research ? • “An estimated 60% of cancer deaths could be prevented if people age 50 and older participated in regular screenings. Professionals need to recommend screening and educate older adults to make the choice for screening” (US Government Health Agency – CDC)

6. Kinds of Connection • Part of wider issues or questions • Nearly all current disciplines had historical origins from many complex sources • e.g., Science from Natural Philosophy • Could become a discipline in its own right • e.g., Psychoneuroimmunology (Psychology, Neuroscience, Immunology etc.) • Methodology or techniques in common with other disciplines • May be simple • e.g., Evaluation • Conceptual, Metacognitive or Serendipitous • Sometimes can lead to major advances in knowledge • e.g., Relativity

7. Identifying and evaluating trends and new developments • Edmedia 2002 paper- Debunking the Buzz Words OR Can hermeneutic analysis be used to evaluate pedagogically based learning objects designed from constructivist epistemological ontologies defined in XML Metadata? (Stuckey, B., Hensman, J., et al) • Where are these Buzz Words now? • Learning Objects • 2002 • 11 papers • 2012 • 3 papers • What does this signify?

8. E-Learning Research Trends • Growth areas • - Systems and Models (from technical and educational perspectives); Case studies; Strategies (for effectiveness and motivation); Large Projects; Medical, Training and Lifelong Learning applications • Major Emphasis Changes • - For major technology introductions ( e.g., VLE/LMS), research emphasis shifts from technical implementation (e.g., architecture and standards) to learning applications • (Jui-long Hung, Trends of e-learning research from 2000 to 2008: Use of text mining and bibliometrics , BJET,Vol 43 No 1, 2012)

9. Technical Developments and their Research Impacts (Educause Horizon Reports [2010-2012]. Bibliometric Analysis – Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic Search)

10. Identifying and evaluating trends • Hype Cycles (e.g., Gartner) • Many critiques, but worth consideration • Disruptive Technology/Innovation (Christensen et al) • Innovation may not initially be appropriate to where later it has most impact • e.g., Personal Computer impact on mini and mainframe markets • Applicable beyond technology and emphasises importance of wide and interdisciplinary connections • e.g., Learning Objects -> Research Objects (Force 11), Collaborative Learning Objects etc. • Different aspects of learning (e.g., Technology – Pedagogy) can develop in different ways and at different rates • Trend metrics can be helpful – but must be drilled down into where necessary (e.g., Zhang and Hung – Mobile Learning) and used and interpreted together with qualitative analysis

11. Tools and techniques – Edmedia Connections • Tool to display weightedmatches between researchers based on multiple factors (publications, interestsetc.) • Can be used to findlinks between different communities (e.g., withSPIRES community onresearch environments) • Can integrate with otherknowledge tools , such asontologies, to providepowerful composite facilities ConnectApp Application using Edmedia 2012 Presentation Data

12. Tools and techniques – Edmedia Connections ConnectApp Application using Edmedia 2012 Presentation Data

13. Tools and techniques – Expertise Mapping & Ontology • Allows wider matches and complex connections to be found • Metrics fordistance between concepts and emerging trendscan be included • Inferences can be made and potential areas for newresearch deduced

14. Building Networks and Communities • Tools can enable and facilitate – but individual and collective motivation to make connections is key. “Seek and ye shall find” • Use Physical, Virtual and Mixed Environments and Spaces for Meeting, Discussion and Social Networking • Consider how knowledge, expertise and experience are represented, organised and shared • Academic publications and formal conferences are not necessarily the best method! • Organisational and Cultural barriers have to be expected - and overcome

15. Some Conclusions • Be reflective • Look at your own research from the outside and in as many different contexts as possible • Consider how your research could be relevant to others, as well as how you could use other research • Connections can provide mutually beneficial insights as well as collaborative opportunities • Be reflexive • Look at your research as an object of research – from a methodological, technical, social or psychological point of view • e.g., SPIRES Community( Supporting People who Investigate Research Environments and Spaces) – from VREs to PhD Student – Supervisor relationships • Methods you use in your research may provide valuable insights when applied to your own research • That we only use 10% of our brains, may be a myth – but we certainly use much less of our potential collective brain!

16. Questions and Comments • Ask me to suggest connections for you- Success is guaranteed! • Further Information • A community to look at and join if interested- www.spiresnetwork.org (can provide grants) • Serendipitous Connections- www.serena.ac.uk • More information about some of the work mentioned– project-brain.org (+ project-inspires.org) Thank You! j.hensman@coventry.ac.uk