Developmental forum for establishing, clarifying, and evolving
students' perspectives on instructional technology research.
Heighten awareness of critical issues in the field and areas of
disciplined inquiry.
Athena Title
Doctoral Seminar
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EDIT 8990E
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will have an improved understanding of the processes of research.
Students will understand how to appreciate the varied forms of disciplined inquiry used in the instructional systems field.
Students will understand how to discuss how research interests evolve via disciplined inquiry.
Students will understand how to articulate how existing research and theory influences the perspectives of scholars.
Students will understand how to recognize how disciplined inquiry can advance a field collectively, as well as the perspectives of individual researchers.
Students will understand how to explore, in-depth, the research and theory relevant to an area of personal interest.
Students will understand how to identify alternative research problem statements within a given problem area.
Students will understand how to discuss the implications of problem statements for research methods.
Topical Outline
I. Learning about IT research
What is it?
How is it conceptualized?
Basic vs. applied research problems
Ways of studying
Ethics in research
Effects of culture on research
II. Learning about researchers
Primary researchers/theorists who influence the IT field
Who are they?
Where do they come from?
How did their interests evolve?
III. Understanding the role of theory
Philosophy of science
Disciplined inquiry
What is theory?
How does theory interplay with research?
How are theory-rooted perspectives developed?
How does theory influence research and research influence theory?
How are hypotheses formed?
IV. Understanding the contexts of research
Where are research problems seen in everyday practice of IT?
How much of our practice is driven by lore vs. theory?
How much tacit theory is evident in our field?
V. Understanding research methods
How do research frameworks evolve?
How are problems defined?
What methods do research problems suggest?
What data can/should be generated to address the problem(s) posed?
VI. Observing and participating in research studies
What does research look like?
How do the pieces come together in practice?
VII. Connecting research with individual interests
How do research interests crystallize?
How do they evolve?
What area(s) are of particular interest to the student?
VIII. Collaborating in research
What are the individual's strengths and weaknesses as a researcher?
How can collaboration complement or augment the strengths of an individual researcher?
How are research processes and activities coordinated?
How are roles and responsibilities (and rewards) determined?
How are research processes and activities coordinated?
How are roles and responsibilities (and rewards)?
IX. Conceptualizing and conducting independent research
Problem definition
Problem framing
Research methods
Materials development
Field testing/pilot testing
Validating materials/procedures/instruments
Implementing
Analyzing
Reporting
X. Generating products of research
Journal articles
Dissertations
Conference papers
Monographs
XI. Becoming a lifelong researcher
Contributing to/shaping the future of the IT field
Mentoring
Establishing networks
Academic research contexts
Action research contexts
