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Puzzling over RiP

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Prince Edward Island

Puzzling over RiP by Ian Carr

I have an extensive background in industrial and fine arts, and in my current work teach adult learners in workplace settings. I wanted to produce a wild card that would be visual, thought-provoking, and highly usable. I first discussed RiP with my colleagues in Workplace Education Prince Edward Island (PEI) and reviewed some of the current literature. As I read, I became aware that I was trying to piece together my understanding of the field. This idea of “pieces” translated into a concept that seemed to fit together within the overall scheme of RiP. The idea of the jigsaw puzzle was born.

The puzzle distilled some of my thinking about the field. I had identified 16 topics from my research and translated them into images. These appear as bas relief shapes on the surface of each puzzle pieces. My wildcard also includes a short one-line text interpretation of each image.

Working with the traditional jigsaw shape proved to be a problem as the interlocking jigsaw bumps and holes were taking up too much space on the design. It also meant that the puzzle pieces were only capable of fitting together in one particular pattern. The final shape was adopted from the size and shape of a standard sheet of paper. I used wood as the base and modeling/carving material, to help ensure some longevity.

The concept of longevity led to discussions on greater adaptability, which resulted in me producing four blank puzzle pieces. Blank tiles allow us to imagine other possibilities and extend the way in which the tool could be used. Using art materials, practitioners could create a temporary image to lie on the surface of a blank piece. Further interpretations of the most “puzzling” aspects of research in practice might be revealed in the pieces people select to use or create, and how they choose to align them (for example, hierarchical or linear).

The wooden puzzle was conceived to promote discussion, and was created for a long and productive life. In workshop settings, practitioners could develop and create their own temporary puzzles with standard or custom size papers in a variety of colours. They could create their images using pastels, paints, markers, coloured pencils, modeling compounds such as play dough or other art supplies. Perhaps digital photographs could be taken of all the research in practice puzzles.

RiP Piece by Piece

Concept	Image	What it signifies
Finance/Money	Dollar sign	The financial cost of research
Sense of value	Face—theatre half & half	The sense of value an individual has about the value of their experiences
Time	Clock face	The time involved with research
Computers research	Computer	The use of the computer as a tool and an aid in research
Literature research	Open book	The idea of using literature for research
Work	Pencil / hammer	The pencil signifies the academic aspect of research, the hammer the idea that it is important to keep “hammering” away at an idea, and they both signify the idea of the “tools” of the trade.
Family support groups	Family group	That researchers work within a support group
Education	Diploma	The relationship of educational backgrounds and how they can affect the research process
Learning	Side-by-side teacher and learner	That researchers are sometimes teachers and sometimes learners
Interaction and collaboration	Rotating arrow	That interaction and collaboration are ongoing processes. The arrows are sculptured to imply that as ideas are passed they are sometimes well-received and at other times not. As ideas develop, they are constantly changing.
Telephone communication	Telephone	Using the telephone for long distance research
Contemplation and reflection	“Thinking” figure with thought bubbles	The importance of thinking about the findingsof the research process
Evolution of research	Evolution—amoeba to upright homo sapiens	The evolution and changes that occur in the research process
Rules to follow	Rule board	The idea that in research there are accepted rules to follow in order to ensure a qualitative result.
Questions	Question mark	The questions used to secure information.
Global influence	World map	That there is a global influence, particularly with the emerging eastern nations.