As a Digital Learning Research Consulting Project (DLRCP), deciding how to represent the consulting part of my research presented an interesting challenge. A wanted my research to be more than just theoretical and include a tangible component that I created as part of the project. Given the goal to eventually design an OER repository, this tangible component would ideally be a prototype for the final repository. Action research involving software development commonly begins with a full specification prototype or working software model (Baskerville & Wood-Harper, 1998). However, within the limited scope and timeframe for my project, it wasn’t feasible to build a working software model for the repository itself. Instead, I chose to create a set of wireframe mockups for the user interface of the proposed repository.
Figure 1. Wireframe of the repository front page.
Wireframe mockups represented a way to provide visual recommendations based on my research. Without creating a working software prototype, I was still able to suggest the layout and functionality of the proposed repository based on the findings from my interviews and content analysis. For example, in my research I found that supporting a Community of Practice (Wenger, 1998) should be an initial primary focus for the repository. By designing mockups, I was able to suggest interface elements in the wireframes that supported these findings, such as community discussion forums and recent activity feeds (see Figure 1). I chose to include the wireframes inline with my recommendations, rather than in an appendix, because they were much more relevant when paired with the text that explained them. In designing the wireframes, I found it challenging to decide just how many wireframes to create or how detailed they should be. In the end, I decided that four wireframes using simple grayscale graphics would be enough to support my recommendations without detracting from the written work. I wonder, when the actual software development phase begins, if these wireframes will be sufficient, and how much they will reflect the final interface in the eventual OER repository.
References
Baskerville, R., & Wood-Harper, A. T. (1998). Diversity in information systems action research methods. European Journal of Information Systems, 7(2), 90–107. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ejis.3000298
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning as a social system. Systems Thinker, 9(5), 2-3. Retrieved from https://thesystemsthinker.com/communities-of-practice-learning-as-a-social-system/