Dissertation Topic – EDCO 716

Course Description

This course orients the student to the overall dissertation development and writing process specific to the Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling program.

Rationale

For most degree programs, the dropout rate for students who have completed all their coursework and only have their dissertation remaining hovers around 50%. Proper understanding of the dissertation process will reduce this percentage.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings, presentations, and other materials

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussion

You will create a brief personal biography introducing yourself to the class which includes some information on your initial dissertation topic interests (if you have any). If you don’t have a clue about what you want to research, that is fine. Just state that. You will find you are not alone. Your brief biography/dissertation interests can be a video or written post. Here is a non-exhaustive list on what it may include: Your current job, cultural/family background, hobbies, a recent picture, and interest areas for your dissertation. Share only what you are comfortable with and feel free to add any other details that you wish.

Personal Progress

Your post should give me a sense of what your current interest area is, where you are at in your dissertation topic development currently, and your present questions.  As you look at other students' posts, don’t be surprised if you vary in how far along you are compared to other students.  Remember that some students take these courses late (although it’s recommended to start early) and some have had more interaction with faculty around their ideas.  Wherever you are in the process, that is fine.  You just be you!

Personal Progress

Give me a sense of how your topic development has progressed.  If we have had meetings about your project, you should summarize the key points of that discussion, state your current tasks related to your dissertation, and include any questions you have.

Personal Progress

You should be narrowing down your topic and the focus start shifting towards your research questions and research design possibilities. 

Personal Progress

After you review the online course materials for all the weeks up to and including this assignment, you will create an extensive post that covers all of the following;

Career Goals Related to Teaching:

Your career goal(s) for teaching directly relate to the types of study designs you should consider for your dissertation. For example, if you want to be a full-time professor in a university setting, you will want to develop a dissertation that has a very good chance of being published. If you see yourself teaching only part time as an adjunct instructor for a university or not at all, then other designs that are less publishable are also an option.

Research Topic:

You do not have to have your specific research questions and hypotheses developed at this point. A brief paragraph describing the general topic area and some ideas you have about what to investigate will be sufficient. Conversations and email communication with your course instructor can be very helpful in figuring this out. 

Research Approach and Sampling Strategy:

In the research approach and sampling section, you clarify whether you are planning to do a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed design study.

Research Pool Identification:

It is important to select a topic in an area of expertise for Liberty University faculty and adjuncts.  To help with this, the EdD program has created research pools.  A research pool is a group of Liberty University professors and/or adjuncts who have the expertise in a broad subject area.  They can supervise your dissertation as the chair or sit as a reader on your committee as long as it fits that broad area. In the research approach and sampling section, you clarify whether you are planning to do a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed design study.

Personal Progress

This post should summarize what you’ve accomplished in regards to your dissertation in this course and what your next steps are to move forward.