I have enjoyed the participation in the online course. I am learning so much from the others and they have also provided the affirmation I needed in some areas. I was feeling a little swamped when I started my new position but now I am starting to pace the work that I have to do. I also sometimes need a 'nudge' from others to get back into what I am supposed to be doing.

The online course has been awesome. We have total freedom to respond as we choose. It's great because you can rewind your conversation and add thoughts. You don't have to wait until it's your turn. You're able to mull things over and come back at it—there's time to think.

3. Changing Practices Research Projects

The research in practice project component of VALTA was experienced as both challenging and exhilarating. Each person's experience with the Changing Practices research projects was different and each encountered different challenges in doing the work. For some, deciding on a project was a significant challenge and many participants recounted feeling somewhat intimidated about taking on a piece of research. The research process was unfamiliar to most participants and as a result, it is not surprising that designing and implementing the research projects entailed some struggles. Adding to the challenges for some were the constraints imposed by their work or community contexts. In some cases, there was little support for carrying out research projects or very limited time and resources available. Other issues related to ethical concerns associated with doing research on neighbours or infringing on the goals of research participants. A number of participants drew attention to the struggles involved in shifting from a linear, 'hard science' mindset to one that took a more open and flexible approach to inquiry. Writing their research reports was difficult for most participants, the major problems being the large amount of data they had collected and the challenges of organizing the material in a written format.

Despite these struggles, participants described the experience of doing a research project as a positive one overall. Not only was it an opportunity for learning, it also demonstrated their ability to do research in practice. In particular, participants generally derived great pleasure and satisfaction from their projects and from making a difference in the lives of others.

It was really hard to write the report. I couldn't write out the results in a straight line— it was very circular. It was hard to get a starting point.

It was sort of difficult. I'm a linear, literal person and this felt kind of loose to me. It seemed like I wasn't really doing research and I felt that I had to justify it to others. Also, I had concerns about my research goals infringing on the goals of the people in the course. I felt selfish having my own goals.

It was very difficult because I'd never done anything like this before. It was totally new territory and I doubted my own ability to do it. It was a huge issue—taking something that was personal to me into the public realm. But I learned that violence affects everyone.

I really enjoyed the experience entirely. It felt like a treat to have the opportunity to do this.