EDUC 7054 - Research Design

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2015

This course provides an introduction to post-graduate research processes including managing candidature, project planning and ethical research practices.

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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
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	Educational Inquiry
Assessment	Research proposal presentation (20%), reflective blog postings and essay (40%), critical review or research proposal (40%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Mr Richard Warner

Lecturer and Co-ordinator Sem 2, 2015:
Mr Richard Warner

Phone: 08 8313 36038
Email: richard.warner@adelaide.edu.au

Campus: North Terrace

Rooms: Floor 8, Room 07, Nexus 10 Building, 10 Pultney Street, North Terrace

Office hours: 2 – 4:00 Wednesdays

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

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/Social Sciences 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/Social Sciences 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/Social Sciences 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 = 156

Learning Activities Summary

Week 1: 7 August
Understanding the nature of research (All)
Designing an individual or group project question introduction. Understanding the role of reflective practice in research (All)

Week 2: 14 August
The context of research and potential areas of research presentations (All). Refining your research questions (All)
Research paradigms: (MEd, Humanties and Social Sciences and Professions)

Week 3: 21 August
Endnote workshop (All)
Reviewing literature workshop (if Research Communication has not been taken before)

Week 4: 28th August
Effective searches and caching of sources: databases, evaluating quality of sources (All)
Research paradigms & causation (MEd, Hums & Social Sciences).

Week 5: 4 September
Introducing a research focus through the literature (presentations of group projects introduction 3-4 slides (All)

Week 6: 11 September
in this week, you learn about sections in a methodology and writing about methodologies.
In the Education/Humanities/Social Science seminar, you learn about the main methodologies in Social Sciences.

Week 7: 18 September
Systematic reviews as a methodology using secondary data analysis

Week 8: 9 October
Ethics and Codes I
In the Education/Humanities/Social Sciences seminar you will give presentations on main methodologies in Social Sciences, lesson on an extreme inductive methodology: Grounded Theory

Week 9: 16 October
Ethics and Codes II (Ethics and Good Design)
In the Education/Humanities/Social Science seminar, you will learn about an Extreme deductive methodology: A questionnaire example

Week 10: 24 October
Putting the whole document together. You will explore your individual questions looking at 20 questions about your proposal. You will also look at how all the design elements of research fit together and grade example presentations relevant to your discipline.

Week 11: 31 October
You will present your proposals and receive feedback from your lecturer and peers that will assist in writing the final document.

Week 12: 7 November
Research presentations and feedback (All)
Grade example proposals.

Specific Course Requirements

Note that attendance at seminars is compulsory.

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 1: Reflective blogs
Word count: 3000 words, approximately, of blog entries based on application of selected session themes to student’s own field of research
Type of assessment: Formative and Summative
Dates: Week 2- 11 (individual weekly blog reflections)
Mark allocation: 20% (5 blog entries for 4 marks each)
Graduate Attributes: 1,3,4,6,7 and 9

Task: Seminar presentation & participation

Length: Short presentation (3 minutes) of introduction to project (formative) 5%
Full length proposal presentation (15 minutes) (summative) 15%
(Formative & Summative)
Dates: Weeks 5 and 13
Graduate Attributes: 1,2,4,5,7 and 8

Research Proposal

Length: 3000 - 5000 word research proposal proposing a project using either primary or secondary data following appropriate Faculty template (Summative)
Dates: Week 13
Mark allocation: 60%
Graduate Attributes: 4,5 and 6,7,9
Due date: Friday 4 November (Week 13)

or

Systematic Review

Length 2000 (at least) word systematic review of student selected research issue using primary sources and following appropriate Discipline guidelines
Mark allocation: 40%
Graduate Attributes: 4,5,6,7 and 9
Due Date Friday 4 November (Week 13)

and

Reflective Essay

Length: 1000 word reflective essay on learning experiences that have impacted on student learning during the course
Mark allocation: 20%
Graduate Attributes: 1,3,4,6,7 and 9.
Due Date: Friday 4 November (Week 13)

Assessment 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.

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.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator