Course Description
Locating and interpreting information from published reports, planning and conducting research and evaluation studies, and using research and evaluation procedures to explore questions related to instructional technology.
Athena Title
Research in IT
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EDIT 6900
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will be able to... 1. define researchable questions within the field of instructional technology, 2. use both print (e.g., Resources in Education, Dissertation Abstracts, Education Index) and electronic (e.g., Ask ERIC, GALIN, GALILEO) data bases to locate published research and evaluation reports and other significant literature related to selected topics within the field of instructional technology, 3. apply evaluative standards to published research and evaluation reports, 4. synthesize and report on published research and evaluation studies, 5. plan research and evaluation studies to answer specific research questions, 6. describe and analyze data using appropriate quantitative and qualitative procedures, and 7. conduct and report the results of an action research study.
Topical Outline
What is Research? Definitions of research and evaluation Research and the practitioner From basic to action research Benefits from research Defining the Research Question Trends in media and technology research Researchable and non-researchable questions Deriving Research Hypotheses Cultural diversity and media research Planning and Conducting a Research Review Steps in the Literature Review Primary and Secondary Sources Major sources of information Use of electronic data bases Evaluation of published research reports Elements of the Research Process Major components of a research report Major types of research designs Factors to consider in selecting research designs Survey Research Design Strengths and weaknesses of survey designs Validity and reliability within survey research Populations and sample selection Construction of questionnaire items Designs Dealing with Relationships Correlational and causal-comparative designs Control within the research process Internal and external validity Experimental and quasi-experimental designs Does a Difference Make a Difference? Descriptive statistics Inferential statistics Interpretation of probability results Using micro-computer statistics packages Reporting Results Form and style Publication outlets
Syllabus
Public CV