Research Fundamentals Course: Syllabus

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The course did not have a global syllabus, and since this was my doctoral teaching internship, I took the task of designing the syllabus very seriously. I confronted a couple of challenges. The first was a challenge typically faced by someone teaching a survey course - determining the breadth and depth of content to include in the course. It was important to provide doctoral students with the foundation they would need for doctoral work, without overwhelming Master's students who typically see less value and relevance of research methods. The second challenge was determining the sequence for presenting course content. I considered completing quantitative research methods followed by qualitative research methods. I also considered reversing that order. Both seemed unacceptable to me because the presentation sequence of the research methodology would, for all practical purposes, dictate that student projects focus on the first research paradigm presented. I knew that presenting the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms in parallel would pose challenges for students' comprehension. In the end, I decided to present the paradigms in parallel, but recognized I would need to pay special attention to making the transitions and contrasts between the two paradigms.

All in all, I believe most students were pleased with the format of the syllabus. Several students commented on the clear organization and how helpful it was to them. As you review the syllabus, please notice the comments I've included to explain some of the instructional decisions involved in the syllabus. You can read the comments by hovering your mouse over the yellow speech bubbles.

Comments from students included:

"I find I love the statistical aspects of everything you are teaching. I have used it for years with the instruments I give, but somehow muddled though most of the terms without truly understanding their connection." - Anonymous mid-course survey

"I am happy with the course presentation/division (qualitative, quantitative). I also like that we are using some statistics, but not on a daily basis. Because I have taken several statistics classes and a research class already, this might be why I don't mind it. However, I understand those who don't like having statistics incorporated with this class." - Anonymous mid-course survey

"I don't like the structure of the course. Jumping back and forth between ideas confuses me." - Anonymous mid-course survey

"Finding a 'fantastic campus resource' was my final impression after my hour long visit to the University Writing Center!...Who knew such a great resource lay waiting in a portable on the backside of campus! Thanks for 'requiring' this assignment, Becky." - student feedback