EDUC 814 Survey of Applied Research Methods

This course provides a comprehensive overview of applied research methods used in the social sciences. The course enables students to develop a critical understanding of the applied research process and its application in diverse settings. Students will be exposed to a range of applicable quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research methods, and will have opportunities to explore the strengths and limitations of using applied research to solve practical problems. Students will explore different research designs and sampling techniques appropriate to applied research.

This course is designed to equip the candidate with a deeper understanding of the design, execution, and application of applied research through analysis of educational problems of practice and action research. Special attention is given to the principles of action research and their impact on educational communities. This course prepares the candidate to identify a problem of practice, evaluate relevant literature, create research questions, identify appropriate participant groups, and formulate meaningful methodologies.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for 3 Discussions. Each thread must be 400–600 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. Additionally, the candidate must reply to 2 other classmates’ threads with 150–250 words each. (CLO: A, C, D, G)

Video Discussion: Reflection on Applied Research

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a video in response to the provided Discussion prompt. The original video must be two to three minutes in length and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the original thread video, the candidate is required to make written replies to two other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 150–200 words. (CLO: A, C, D, G)

Journal Article Summary Assignment

The candidate will select one (1) scholarly, peer-reviewed journal article featuring action research and one (1) scholarly, peer-reviewed journal article featuring evaluation research. The candidate will complete a templated Journal Article Summary Assignment, summarizing and comparing both works. The submission should contain a minimum of 1,500 words. (CLO: A, C, G)

Research Design Assignments (4)

Research Design: Part 1 – Problem of Practice Assignment

The candidate will submit an educational problem of practice and formulate a research question for applied research. The submission should include three scholarly works published within the last five years to provide evidence of the problem of practice, and meet the minimum length requirement of two pages. (CLO: A, B, D)

Research Design: Part 2 – Literature Review Narrative Assignment

The candidate will compile a literature review narrative on the problem of practice topic selected for the Research Design Part 1. The candidate will include an Introduction, Findings, and  Discussion sections. The submission should be four pages and include at least eight scholarly sources published within the last five years. (CLO: A, B, E)

Research Design: Part 3 – Survey and Interview Questions Assignment

The candidate will create five semi-structured interview questions and five survey questions using a Likert scale for responses. The candidate will propose appropriate participant groups for the semi-structured interviews and Likert survey procedures. All 10 questions and both proposed participant groups must be justified and supported by one or more of the eight works used in the Research Design Part 2 assignment (each question must contain a rationale with at least one citation). (CLO: A, B)

Research Design: Part 4 – Final Assignment

The candidate will combine all three previous elements of the Research Design assignments in order to complete an applied research design proposal. Instructor feedback on the previous Research Design submissions must be incorporated. The submission must be eight to ten pages and include at least 10 sources. (CLO: A, B, E, F)

Quizzes (4)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned Module(s): Week(s). Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice or true/false questions, and have a two hour time limit. (CLO: A, B, C, G)