Three new modules and several updates, including a new section on teaching resources and widening of the glossary, have been added to the Learning Hub, CLOSER’s online teaching resource aimed at introducing longitudinal studies to new researchers and non-experts to the field.
The three new modules are:
- Data harmonisation – an overview of the basics of data harmonisation, why it’s important, the different types, how it’s undertaken and its limitations.
- Understanding metadata – provides a look at what metadata is and why it’s important, how it helps us to understand features of a dataset and how to search CLOSER Discovery to find the questions, variables and datasets you need.
- Research communication – outlines the key methods and channels to effectively communicate research and its impact to different target audiences.
The Learning Hub also includes modules covering an introduction to longitudinal studies, study design, and analysing longitudinal data.
A new teaching resources section has been added to the platform. This section is divided into two parts:
- Teaching materials – all learning modules are now downloadable in PDF to be worked through offline or incorporated into educators’ own teaching resources.
- Teaching datasets – alongside CLOSER’s existing dataset on the 1958 National Child Development Study, an Understanding Society: Ethnicity and Health dataset has been added. This includes downloadable worksheets and suggested teaching exercises to help users get to grips with analysing longitudinal data.
The glossary on the Learning Hub has also been updated and widened, ensuring accessibility.
The Learning Hub is an educational resource aimed at students and early-career researchers, as well the lecturers/academics who teach them. It introduces users to longitudinal studies and demonstrates how they can be used to answer research questions and create impact, and aims to get more users to feel confident and able to analyse the data. It is also an invaluable resource for those working in government and the third sector, who could benefit from improving their understanding of longitudinal studies and the data they provide.