Designing Connected Research for Equity and Justice

Designing Connected Research for Equity and Justice: Building Partnerships through Collaborative Inquiry and Participatory Practice

9:30 – 5:00 | University of California, Irvine. Emerald Bay A | Wednesday, October 4, 2017
6 hours | 20 Participant Maximum
Cost: $100

*Space is limited, passes remain available until the workshop is full.

Today’s divisive and inequitable social and political context highlights the urgent need for educational research that elevates the voices, concerns, and humanity of youth, teachers, and communities. With the rise of Trump, Brexit, and threats of “fake news,” the necessity for research that allows a multitude of voices to dialogue productively and empathetically about issues of public concern is more pressing than ever . As researchers, how can our work occur with rather than for young people and educators by utilizing tools of networking, production, and connection? Building upon the principles of connected learning, this workshop offers strategies for designing research that treats youth and teachers as knowledge producers oriented toward social action and justice as they navigate digital and analog environments.

This presenters, who engage in community-based inquiry in formal and informal educational settings across the country, will offer strategies for developing more inclusive research approaches with youth, teachers, district administrators and other local stakeholders in today’s learning ecology. Using a framework of partnering as a foundation, this workshop will look at how to build toward youth participatory action research (YPAR) and design based implementation research (DBIR) as approaches to scholarship that challenge traditional paradigms of learning in schools, classrooms, communities, and digital spaces.

Participants in this workshop are encouraged to bring their own work in progress and initial research questions for further development. Registering as teams with various stakeholders (including, for example, youth, teachers, and other local partners) is particularly encouraged. Attendees will learn not only from the presenters, but also from educators and students in Los Angeles who utilize YPAR in formal and informal learning contexts. In addition to conceptual content, this workshop will offer ways to sustain your own partnering efforts. We will engage in discussions about topics including: developing partnerships, articulating YPAR and DBIR for institutional review boards, and sustaining research throughout cycles of inquiry.

By the end of the workshop, all participants will develop personalized action plans for engaging in work that centers the voices and questions of educational partners and join an online network of educators that will reach beyond the conference and continuously share resources, research, strategies, and outcomes.

Download workshop flyer here.