EDUC 7054 - Research Design
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2014
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code EDUC 7054 Course Research Design Coordinating Unit School of Education Term Semester 2 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact 1.5hr Lecture & 1.5hr Seminar per week Incompatible Educational Inquiry Assessment Research proposal presentation (20%), reflective blog postings and essay (40%), critical review or research proposal (40%) Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Michelle Picard
Dr Michelle Picard
Phone: 08 8313 0855
Email: michelle.picard@adelaide.edu.au
Campus: North Terrace
Rooms: Floor 11, Room 7, Nexus 10 Building, 10 Pultney Street, North Terrace
Office hours: 2 – 4:00 WednesdaysCourse Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Develop a research focus and convey research goals clearly in oral and written form
2. Demonstrate self-evaluation skills through engaging in reflective practice and clearly articulating insights gained in oral and written form
3. Access resources necessary for individual and group research projects
4. Use print and electronic resources effectively to convey research goals
5. Evaluate and synthesize written materials
6. Critically review key research content in spoken and written form
7. Interact and network effectively with peers
8. Demonstrate ethical research considerations in both research practices and communication.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of how ontology, epistemology, methodology and data collection and analysis methods work together in a well-designed research project (Education students only)University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1,3,4,6,8, 9 The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 2,3,4,5,6,8 An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 2,3,7,8, 9 Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 1,2,7,8 A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 3,4,8 A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 3,6,7, 9 A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 2,3,8,9 An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 2, 8, 9 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
There is no compulsory textbook for this course. Rather students will be required to read selected literature on key research design processes covered in the course and disciplinary texts as appropriate. Key texts will be available on MyUni.Recommended Resources
Education students are encouraged to purchase the following textbook for the course and their future development:
Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2011), Research Methods in Education 7th Edition, Routledge.
Additional resources for Education students are also available at the website for this book:
http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/cohen7e/Online Learning
An online version of the materials is provided in modular form on MyUni along with additional resources. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course is built around a series of lectures covering the fundamental research design processes. These are complemented by seminars addressing the practical application of these processes. Related assignments are designed to consolidate the learning of key principles and development of skills in the appropriate research design processes.
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
1 x 1.5 hour lecture/ workshop per week average (x12) = 18 hours
1 x 1.5 hour seminar per week (average) or additional reading = 18 hours
1x 4 hour reading per week (x12) = 48 hours
1 x 1 hour online discussion board/wiki participation per fortnight (x6) = 6 hours
6 hours preparation for single slide and seminar presentations = 6 hours
1 x 30 hours research and writing of reflective essay (x1) = 30 hours
1 x 30 hours critical review or research proposal (x1) = 30 hours
Total = 156Learning Activities Summary
Week 1: 8 August
Understanding the nature of research (All)
Designing a group project question. Understanding the role of reflective practice in research (All)
Week 2: 15 August
The context of research and research project presentations (All)
Downloading and/or entering information in Endnote (All)
Week 3: 22 August
Effective searches and caching of sources: databases, evaluating quality of sources (All)
Research paradigms & causation (MEd, Hums & Social Sciences).
Week 4: 29 August
Reading for specific information and taking down clear notes (All).
Introduction to validity & Reliability in Quantitative & Qualitative Research (MEd, Hums & Social Sciences).
Week 5: 5 September
Introducing a research focus through the literature (presentations of group projects introduction 3 slides: All)
Critically examining discipline-specific texts, exploring document macro-structure, and conducting genre analysis (micro-level) on introduction stage of an article (All)
Week 6: 12 September
Overall research design (All)
Planning of research paradigm, research design, data collection and analysis appropriate to research questions (MEd, Hums and Social Sciences)
Week 7: 19 September
Developing a theoretical framework and methodology: introduction to structure and language features (All)
Selecting an appropriate methodology and methods in harmony with research paradigm: evaluating examples (MEd, Hums and Social Sciences)
Week 8: 10 October
Visit subject librarians and set up a search strategy/ reviewing literature update (All)
Reliability and Validity (MEd, Hums and Social Sciences)
Week 9: 17 October
Ethics: integrity and good practice (All)
Week 10: 24 October
Completing ethics documentation, analysing case studies (All)
Validity and reliability in quantitative and qualitative research (MEd, Hums and Social Sciences)
Week 11: 31 October
Presenting a seminar and developing a research proposal genre and analysis of assessment items (All)
Participating in data collection and data analysis activities – reflection on fitness of purpose (MEd, Hums and Social Sciences)
Week 12: 7 November
Research presentations and feedback (All)Specific Course Requirements
Note that attendance at seminars is compulsory. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Task: Reflective blogs & essay
Word count: 3000 word+ blog entries and 1000 word essay based on application of selected session themes to student’s own field of research
Type of assessment: Formative and Summative
Dates: Week 2- 9 (individual weekly blog reflections)
Full journal Week 13 IF this option is selected
Mark allocation: 40% or 20% for students doing alternative assessment
Graduate Attributes: 1,3,4,6,7 and 9
Task: Seminar presentation & participation
Length: Short presentation (3 minutes minutes) of introduction to project (formative) 5%
Full length proposal presentation (10 - 20 minutes) (summative) 15%
(Formative & Summative)
Dates: Weeks 4/5 and 13
Graduate Attributes: 1,2,4,5,7 and 8
Critical review
3000 word+ essay critically comparing/ contrasting 8-15 research articles on the same topic and leading to a research focus and question (Summative)
Dates: Week 4/5 (notes), 5 (group introduction) & 13 (individual document)
Mark allocation: 40%
Graduate Attributes: 4,5 and 6,7,9
Alternative to critical review: Research Proposal
Lenth: 3000 - 5000 word research proposal following appropriate Faculty template (Summative) *
Dates: Week 13
Mark allocation: 60%
Graduate Attributes: 4,5 and 6,7,9Assessment Related Requirements
Students who are unable to provide justification for non-attendance will fail the course.Assessment Detail
Assessment details will be provided on introduction of each assignment.Submission
All assignments must be submitted electronically either as discussion posts or as email attachments to the lecturer by 12:00 midnight of the due date.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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