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The promise and challenge of online action research: Notes from a study of self-motivated online music learners

As a developer of online open education resources that provide basic information about Western music theory, notation, and acoustics, I undertook an action research project with the long-term goal of creating resources that were more accessible, particularly to independent learners pursuing their own music-making goals. In order to better understand the situations and perspectives of real-world learner stakeholders, I sought participants among the self-motivated users of my open education resources, offering active help in designing and carrying out inquiries based on their goals. Eleven long-term participants provided insights that have subsequently affected my efforts to design more accessible open education resources, but the course of the study also revealed tensions and challenges related to the online action research methodology. I have reported elsewhere the study results as they relate to online music education. This paper focuses on action research issues raised in the course of the study, including open versus closed online actions, reaching disadvantaged communities and learners, and consciousness-raising at a distance.