Winter 2016 (Jan 04 – Apr 04)

Advanced Research Design

EDCI 681 (CRN 21008)


Instructor: Wolff-Michael Roth (mroth at uvic dot ca)
Location: MAC D283
Web link: Course Description and Course Outline


 

Calendar Description

Explores research methodologies appropriate to specific research problems, questions, and contexts. An examination of the purposes of research, the role of literature review, educational theories, and design of a research question considering the relationship between question and research method.

 

Course Description

In this course, students will above all focus on developing skills for rigorous data analysis.

 

Course Text

Roth, Wolff-Michael. 2015. Rigorous Data Analysis: Beyond Anything Goes. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. (The text is available at the bookstore and can also be purchased as electronic version.)

 

Course Outline

The detailed course outline, to which additional information is added in the course of the term, can be found here: Course Outline.

 

Assignments and Activities

Assignment 1 is designed to provide you with opportunities to learn about rigorous data analysis, transcription, the role of theory in (mis) interpreting data, etc.; Assignment 2 allows you to reflect on your process of doing (thinking) and learning research; Assignment 3 directly maps the calendar description to each student's individual research interests; and Assignment 4 allows students to demonstrate what they have learned.

  1. Class attendance and active participation in the analyses and discussions; students are expected to talk about their understandings of the readings, raise issues, etc. (ungraded)
  2. Assignment 1: Transcribe and analyze a "mystery" fragment (see textbook) of an online video or website in the area of your interest. The transcription first will be the topic of analyses within small groups of students. You then present your analysis to the whole class. (Due: staggered. Starting Feb 1 to Mar 7, prior to the meeting 2 students will submit their data and analysis to the instructor. Data will be projected for analysis by other students. The two students will present their own work afterwards. Submit pdf with file name using this pattern: "your first name"+"_"+"data", e.g., "Michael_data") (Typical research articles that illustrate the kinds of analysis are (a) Roth, W.-M. (2013). Toward a post-constructivist ethics in/of teaching and learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 8, 103–125 and (b) Roth, W.-M. (2010). An anthropology of reading science texts in online media. Semiotica, 182, 409–442 (Grade: 30 points)
  3. Assignment 2: You keep a Journal or Laboratory Notebook in which you record your thoughts about readings, about analytic issues that arise from class activities, research methods-related issues that arise from your dissertation work. (See this example from my own work.) You submit a PDF file each week prior to class, which contains your running log, which allows us to see your progress. Date each entry. You are expected to have multiple entries each week. You may note difficulties, insights, test analyses, sample data, and so on. (Your file name should have the following format: "Your first name"+"_"+"yymmdd", e.g., for the class on January 7, I would submit my lab notebook as "Michael_160107.pdf") (Grade: 30 points)
  4. Assignment 3: In the Designing PhD research activity, students have the opportunity to have their research interests discussed in class for the purpose of working out a research question, the design of data analysis that follows, the role of the literature review. Students bring to class possible research questions, talk about topic, possible theoretical frameworks; together we will discuss design, data, interpretation, etc. (ungraded, to make each student feel safe to explore research interests and study designs; schedule will be arranged in class to accomodate students)
  5. Assignment 4: For the Final Assignment, you analyze the data following the criteria for rigor that are emphasized in this course and that are exemplified in the textbook; you should use the texts published January 25 as examples for the preparation. Whichever method is used, the analysis has to exhibit rigor, always grounding itself in the data. It is not anything goes. Rather, you are held accountable to the degree to which your analysis is grounded in the data. (Use the five examples in the textbook as your guide, just that you do a clean, thought-out written version rather than an analysis in real time.) Your paper should have (a) an introduction to the topic or your interest / analytic focus, (b) a methods section where you describe HOW you conduct your analysis, (c) an analysis (ordered by themes), and (d) a conclusion. (Due: April 4, 2016; submit pdf file using file name following this pattern: "first name"+"_"+"final", e.g., Michael_final) (Grade: 40 points). Chose one of the following two options:
    1. You receive (by March 14) some data (choice of transcription, text).
    2. Transcribe and analyze a fragment of an online video or website in the area of your interest (If you do an analysis of discourse, minimum = 2 pages; if you do an analysis of interactions, 3/4 page is likely sufficient).

 

Appointments

I hold electronic office. You reach me at my regular email (mroth at uvic dot ca). You may also arrange for a Skype video-mediated meeting, which means you do not even have to leave where you are working at the moment.

 

Course Experience Survey

Towards the end of term, as in all other courses at UVic, you will have the opportunity to complete an anonymous survey regarding your learning experience (CES). The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the course and my teaching, as well as to help the department improve the overall program for students in the future. The survey is accessed via MyPage and can be done on your laptop, tablet, or mobile device.