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Research Methods Centre
A collection of books from the School of Government and International Affairs

Seminar - AM-Smart Methods

5 October 2022
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Centre of Innovation and Technology Management

DRMC have organised the seminar 'AM-Smart Methods: Setting the Vision and Exploring a new Agenda, Opportunities, and Challenges' with Dr. Corey Schimpf and Dr Brian Castellani.

Friday 14th October, 2-4pm

Location - Durham Research Methods Centre, Nine DTP Hub, First Floor, Arthur Holmes Building (left of the Calman Learning Centre).

All Welcome in person or via Zoom (see zoom link below)!

Refreshments will be provided!


Presentation Overview

In the first half of this talk, Dr. Schimpf will present the emerging vision of AM-Smart, a new methods field, which leverages and integrates innovations in smart technologies, the learning sciences and human-computer interaction to enable greater access and use of advanced methods (computational and others). AM-Smart is coalescing as a new methods genre in response to three trends. First, the enormous growth in computational methods; second, datafication of everything and rise of big data; and third, the increasing complexity of the social world and interdisciplinary nature of modern problems. In this space, we will review forerunners of the AM-Smart genre and synthesize their core features (often not shared by all existing platforms) to set a vision of what AM-Smart could be and how it might address these challenges. The features are (1) bespoke tools that (2) involve a small network of interrelated methods, (3) which embed distributed expertise, (4) scaffold method use, (5) provide rapid and formative feedback, (6) leverage visual reasoning, (7) enable product failure, (8) promote user-driven inquiry and (9) embodying methodological rigor and reliability.

In the second half of this talk, Dr. Schimpf and co-author Dr. Castellani will facilitate breakout discussions around AM-Smart. In particular, given the newness of the field, we will explore three major themes: (1) possible research agenda directions, (2) opportunities these methods could provide researchers and practitioners and (3) challenges, threats, or risks that AM-Smart may create to learning, deploying, and innovating in methods use. This will be an opportunity to help co-create what is possible or infeasible for this new genre and contribute to the vision and agenda going forward. This discussion will build on Methods CON discussions that were facilitated by Dr. Castellani recent presentation and workshop there.

Bio

Corey Schimpf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, USA. He has five years of experience working in the educational technology industry. He is the Chair-Elect of the Design in Engineering Education Division of the American Society of Engineering Education and a member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Social Research Methodology. His lab focuses on engineering design, advancing research methods, and technology innovations to support learning in complex domains. Major research strands include: (1) analysing how expertise develops in engineering design across the continuum from novice pre-college students to practicing engineers, (2) advancing engineering design and applied education or social science research by integrating new theoretical or analytical frameworks (e.g., from data science or complexity science) and (3) conducting design-based research to develop scaffolding tools for supporting the learning of complex skills like design and social inquiry.
Zoom Link

Join Zoom Meeting
https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/j/97808530400?pwd=NW9VdDNzSGF6KzFJeHZ3QWRCbXo1QT09

Meeting ID: 978 0853 0400
Passcode: 436058