Transcript WebQuests

EDIT 6900: Research Methods in
Instructional Technology
Lloyd Rieber
Instructor
Eunjung Oh
Graduate Assistant
UGA, Instructional Technology
Spring, 2008
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Four Topics for Today
• Lessons from the “LSAT Logic in
Everyday Life” Podcast
• Debrief on Conducting a Review of
Literature?
• Planning Your Research (or
Development) Project and Writing a
Proposal
– Doing so according the requirements of
this course
Course Project:
Will you do this individually or
with a partner?
Date to
decide
by: update
February
To declare
your
intention,
your5class
profile and write the name of your partner or
the word “individual” in the field titled
“Project Team.”
Informal Activity
SDC
Systematic Data Collection
• An informal, (hopefully) enjoyable activity
designed to give you first-hand
experience collecting research data
• Your Task: Go and research something of
interest to you!
• Report on it informally in writing
• Give 5 minute oral report
• 10%, Due: April 9
“Pet Peeved”
Let’s choose the person to briefly
summarize this week’s podcast…
“Pet Peeved”
Take away points
• Extreme unwarranted conclusions based on
recall of pet food after 14 pet deaths
• Inappropriate application of results
– Stop using dry pet food; Feed pets home cooked
meals
– Create new problems as a result
• Assumptions
– The pet food caused the deaths
– A widespread recall indicates a widespread problem
– Healthier to feed pets home cooked food
• Absence of evidence ≠ evidence of absence
Debrief of Literature Review
RDA
Preliminary
Can You Prove that the
Earth is Round?
EDIT 6900 Research in Instructional Technology
Part II. Focusing Your Research Effort
Chap 6. Writing The Research Proposal
Dr. Lloyd Rieber
The University of Georgia
Department of Educational Psychology
& Instructional Technology
Athens, Georgia USA
Objectives
Develop a plan for own research
project
Write a research proposal
Research and Architect:
Planners in Common
 A proposal is an essential to successful
research as an architect’s plans are to the
construction of a building.
 Permission is essential to the plan.
 Other names: prospectus, plan,
outline, statement, and draft.
Characteristics of a Proposal
 A straightforward document: Include only things to
contribute to the delineation of the problem and its
solution.
 Not a literary production: Its purpose is simply to
communicate clearly (clear, sharp and precise
language).
 Clearly organized: Organization and outlines are
essential (the proper use of headings and
subheadings).
Organizing A Research Proposal (quantitative proposal)
I.
The problem and its setting
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
II.
III.
The statement of the problem and subproblems
The hypotheses
The delimitations
The definitions of terms
The assumptions
The importance of the study
The review of the related literature
The data and the treatment of the data
A.
B.
C.
The data needed and the means for obtaining the data.
The research methodology
The specific treatment of the data for each subproblem
1.
Subproblem 1
a.
b.
2.
3.
IV.
V.
The needed to address the subproblem
The treatment of the data
Subproblem 2
Additional subproblems are discussed in the same manner.
The qualifications of the researcher and any assistants
An outline of the proposed study
Organizing A Research Proposal (qualitative proposal)
I.
Introduction
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
II.
Methodology
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
III.
Theoretical framework
Type of design and the assumptions that underlie it
Role of the researcher
Selection and description of the site and participants
Data collection strategies
Data analysis strategies
Methods of achieving validity
Findings
A.
B.
C.
IV.
General background for the study
Purpose of the study
Guiding questions
Delimitations and limitations
Significance of the study
Relationship to literature
Relationship to theory
Relationship to practice
Management plan, timeline, feasibility
The Most Typical Organization
1. Introduction
[General overview to the problem or issue]
[Significance of the project]
[Clear statement of the purpose, problem
and/or research questions]
2. Review of Literature
[Based on outline generated by introduction]
3. Methods
[What, precisely, are you going to do?]
Writing the Introduction: The
Funnel Approach
Begin with the most general expression of the context and
the problem.
Then, address each of the
subproblems or issues, with
supporting literature.
End with the specific problem you are addressing in the proposal.
Writing the Introduction: The
Funnel Approach
Start with the most general…
… and end with the most specific.
Writing the Introduction: The
Funnel Approach
Games have long been used as learning
resources in education. However, teachers,
administrators, and parents have been divided on
their role in the classroom. [Elaborate, using the
literature]
There are two ways to consider games in
education: Learning from playing games, and
learning from designing games. [Elaborate, using
the literature]
The purpose of this research is to study the
degree to which students are able to effectively
integrate school content into games that they
design. [List research questions, etc.]
Formatting Headings and Subheadings
FIRST LEVEL HEAD
Second Level Head
Third Level Head
Fourth Level Head
Fifth Level head. The first paragraph of this section begins here….
 Level 1: ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, and centered on the page (I, II, III,
and so on).
 Level 2: Capital and Lowercase Letters and centered on the page
(A, B, C, and so on).
 Level 3: Italicized Capital and Lowercase Letters and centered on
the page (1, 2, 3, and so on).
 Level 4: Italicized Capital and Lowercase Letters and flush with the
left margin (a, b, c, and so on).
 Level 5: Single capital letter followed by lower case letters. Italicized
and indented. Followed on the same line by the beginning of the first
paragraph.
Practical Application: Writing Your Proposal
Guidelines: Writing The First Draft (1)
 Use a computer or other word processor.
 Adhere to any guidelines required by the institution,
organization, or funding agency to which you are submitting
the proposal.
 When writing the first draft, focus more on organization an d
logical thought sequences than on exact wording, grammatical
correctness, and spelling.
 Present the research problem at the beginning of the first
chapter.
 Convince the reader of the importance of your project.
Practical Application: Writing Your Proposal
Guidelines: Writing The First Draft (2)
 Assume that your readers know nothing whatsoever about
your proposed project.
 Describe your methods with as much detail and precision as
possible.
 If you intend to use data that already exist, describe where the
data are located and how you plan to secure them.
 Describe how you will use the data to answer your research
problem.
 Use appendices to present informed consent letters, specific
measurement instruments, and other detailed materials.
Guidelines: Revising Your Proposal (1)
 Set the proposal aside for a few days.
 Read a paper (rather than electronic) copy of your
first draft.
 Carefully scrutinize what you have written, looking
for disorganized thoughts and illogical thinking.
 Look for places where you are not as clear as you
might be.
 Keep your sentences simple and straightforward.
Guidelines: Revising Your Proposal (2)
 Choose your words carefully.
 Check carefully for errors in grammar, punctuation,
and spelling.
 Consider the feasibility of your project once again.
 Print out your second draft, and read your proposal
carefully once again.
 Seek the feedback of others.
Common Weaknesses In Research Proposals
 Weaknesses related to the research problems
•
Unclear research purpose description, unimportant problem, illdefined hypotheses, too complex a problem.
 Weaknesses related to the research design and
methodology
•
Vague description of design/method, inappropriate data,
inappropriate methods/instruments/procedures,
lacking/inadequate controls.
 Weaknesses related to the investigator
•
Insufficient training or experience, insufficient knowledge about
the literature, insufficient time to devote to the project
 Weaknesses related to resources
•
Unfavorable institutional setting, unrealistic use of
equipment/staff/resources
Practical Application: Strengthening your
proposal
Features detracting from proposal effectiveness (1)
 The statement of problem is vague.
 The methodology is incompletely described.
 The proposed treatment of each subproblem is general and
cursory.
 Criteria for the admissibility of the data are weak or nonexistent.
 The proposal lacks sharpness.
 The proposal is phrased in terms that are too general,
ambiguous, or imprecise to be use for evaluation.
 The formal of the proposal deviates from the guidelines set
forth in the informational literature of the approval group or
funding agency.
Practical Application: Strengthening your
proposal
Features detracting from proposal effectiveness (2)
 The problem does not address the research area outlined by
the funding agency.
 The proposal is too ambitious for the grant money available.
 Items included in the budget are disallowed by the terms of the
grant.
 A clear and explicit budget statement outlining program
expenditures is lacking, or the summary of estimated costs is
ambiguous and indefinite.
 The section of the proposal explaining the study’s importance is
not set forth clearly for the funding agency to see a relationship
a study to the purpose for which the grant is awarded.
Ockam’s Razor
"All other things being
equal, the simplest solution
is the best.“
aka “Law of Parsimony”
Final Thoughts About Proposal Writing
 A proposal is, under certain circumstances, a form of
contract or a quasi contract.
 Basic elements of the research study must be clearly set
forth and mutually agreed on before the actual research
activity can begin.
 A proposal helps the student organize the research
activity.
 A proposal communicates to the student’s advisor what
the student intends to do, thereby enabling the advisor to
provide counsel and guidance in areas that may pose
exceptional difficulty.
Closing
A proposal is essential to successful
research.
A proposal should be written
straightforwardly, be written in simple
language and be clearly organized.
Researchers should be careful about
common weaknesses when writing research
proposals: weaknesses related to the
research problem, the research design and
methodology, the investigator, and resources.
All that’s great,
but what do I have
to do for this
course?
Research Design Project
• Worth 50% of course grade
• RDAs can be used as starting point
• Design a research project individually or in
pairs
• Can take one of two paths:
– 1. Proposal to do research
– 2. Proposal to do development
Build or do something to solve a problem or
improve a situation
• Either way, the proposal must be based on,
and supported by, existing research.
Proposal to Do Research
Follow Leedy & Ormrod
Proposal to Do Development
Specify Design Specifications
Outline to Follow
• Introduction
– General background for the study or the
development
– Purpose of the study or the development
– Clearly written research questions or
statement of the need for development
– Significance of the study or the
development
• Review of Related Literature
• Methods (Research) or Design Specs
(Development)
One more note about the methods
or design specifications…
Either way you go, you will only
be judged on the merit of the idea,
not the technical details of the
study’s methodology or the design
specifications.
One more note about the methods
or design specifications…
I want you to focus on a creative
idea, get experience putting into
words a proposed set of methods or
design specs that speak directly to
the statement of the problem.
Research Design Project
• Two Parts:
– A 2-page executive summary (not including
bibliography);
– Presentation lasting absolutely no longer
than 12 minutes.
• Presented in-class or via podcast
• Must provide a persuasive case backed
up by existing research evidence
Scope of Literature Review
• At least 8 scholarly articles reporting primary
data
• At least 2 other scholarly articles that you feel
are relevant:
– Summarizing another scholar’s review of literature
– Theoretical article
• All must be from credible, peer-reviewed
scholarly journals
Imagine this
situation…
Questions?
• Go ahead and enter question in message field, or…
• Click
and wait for my prompt to speak.
To do list
• Follow the Course Learning Plan!