February 24, 2017
The official launch of The Research Competition took place on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at John Abbott College.
The Research Competition, a set of pedagogically innovative role-play scenarios that is available online free of charge, aims at supporting teachers and students with the production of research work for the Social Science Research Methods course.
Simulating the process of the allocation of funds for social science research in a manner similar to the yearly competitions held by funding councils, such as Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC) or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the resource provides players’ scripts, detailed step-by-step guides as well as video demonstrations of structured ways to write a literature review and plan a study. The Research Competition will help students launch research projects in any number of disciplines or design modalities.
The resource was developed by Lynda Gelston, a political science teacher in the Social Science Program, in collaboration with the CCDMD. “This resource deepens the learning and creates shared experiences that can be built upon during the semester and beyond,” says Lynda Gelston. “The role-play allows students to develop professional skills in a relatively safe environment.” The spotlight is on supporting the production of empirical research proposals and reports, which are key assignments in research methods courses. The Research Competition supplements existing research methods course work material (textbook, manual, etc.) and is not intended as a standalone, comprehensive course package.
Photo:
1. Lynda Gelston, author, presenting The Research Competition
2. From left to right: Erich Schmedt, Academic Dean; James Vanstone, Chair of Department of History, Classics, Economics and Political Science; Lynda Gelston, Author; Michel Hardy-Vallée, CCDMD Project Manager; Teresa Berghello, Program’s Dean, Science and Social Science; Sarah Bean, Anthropology Teacher; and Jessica Burpee, Geography Teacher