iMETHOD AND LEARNING ANALYTICS RESEARCH DESIGN FOR PEDAGOGICAL ENHANCEMENT OF RESEARCH METHODS COURSES
Abstract: Research Methodology is an essential subject in postgraduate education Universities offer research methods courses to postgraduate students to enable them effectively undertake research leading to the award of higher degrees Despite the significance of research methodology in postgraduate education, students face considerable challenges in learning the subject We have developed iMethod, an online learning environment, where students and academic staff can access digital learning objects on research methods courses iMethod tracks, harvest and analyse data in real-time, providing insights on the nature, breadth, and depth of challenges students face in learning research methods In addition to being a teaching and learning enhancement tool, iMethod serves as educational research space for generating authentic educational data to substantiate self-reported measures (such as student evaluation of teaching and survey data) Work presented in this paper adds to the growing need to initiate and sustain pedagogical research culture in the teaching of research methods and to motivate students’ interests in studying research methodology as a distinct discipline in higher education