It's very difficult to plan this session when I'm unsure of your backgrounds, and what you will bring to it. So, if you've been involved in action research, or are particularly interested in it, would you let me know? rkuchaps@ed.brocku.ca

Action Research Quote:

In my days as a skilled technician, I stood on the sidelines, directing the game and scoring. I was an observer and a manipulator of other people's experience. Now I join in the game. I win and I lose; I live and I learn. Jean McNiff, Action Research, Principles and Practice, McNiff,1988, 52

Action Research Resources:

Perhaps because of the participatory nature of this style of research, there's lots of really good information available on the web. If you have a chance, you may wish to visit some of these sites.  At the moment, I'm thinking it may be useful to introduce action research sooner rather than later, as it provides a focal point for postmodern and critical inquiry, and thus provides a practical application for those theories (anti-theories?). A vast array of articles are available in different subject areas, so you should be able to find a few that relate closely to your interests.

1. All of these sites are linked, so you may only need the first site, which is the home page for Action Research Resources, an Australian site:

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

As you'll note when you visit it, this is an amazing site. It provides access to an international journal of action research (you can subscribe free of charge), connects with others who are using action research, allows you to participate in a virtual conference, connects you to Web sites, lists books and other resources, etc. Some other links:

2. The Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN)

http://www.uea.ac.uk/care/carn/

At this site you'll find more a link that lists web sites:

http://www.uea.ac.uk/care/carn/websites.html

3. Collaborative Action Research:

http://www.cs.uop.edu/edulink/CAR.html

4. University of Colorado at Denver:

http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/itc/act_res.html

5. I'll refer you to this site for the other topic areas I'm facilitating related to the influence of critical theory and postmodernism. Action research assumes you are in the best position to organize, reflect on, and contribute to your own learning. The web linkages allow you a breadth of articles to read. So, you'll be given the opportunity to select your own readings, based on your own area of interest.

6. A few things for your interest:

Yahoo Web site of the most popular education journals:

http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/journals/

Electronic Journals:

http://www.ualberta.ca/%7Ejrnorris/journals.htm

7. I will direct you to specific sites for your class work.