Instructor: Dr. Ingrid Johnston Class Dates:

Office: 445 Education South. Times: Mon to Fri: 9-12.30

Phone: Office: 492-5639 Location:

Home: 458-4806

E-mail: ingrid.johnston@ualberta.ca

EDSE 512 is designed as a practical course to enable you to conceptualize and design your research project for your Master’s degree. The course will build on insights gained from EDSE 510. You will have the opportunity to read and reflect upon research trends, orientations, methodologies, research ethics, data collection and data presentation and to consider their relevance for your particular area of research interest.

Together, we will consider such questions as:

• What might a project look like?
• What are my particular research interests?
• What might be a possible research site?
• Which research methodology might be best suited for my particular research interest?
• How will I collect data?
• What ethical questions do I need to consider?
• What might a literature review look like?
• How might I analyze my data?
• What possible forms of representation might be suitable for my project?

The course will help you to plan the conceptual, practical and reflective components of your future project, to write a proposal that outlines your objectives, questions, review of literature in your chosen area, methodology, data collection and proposed data representation and to receive feedback on your ideas. The project will be further developed in consultation with your advisor at a later date.

There is no assigned text for this course. We will be using many of the same materials used in EDSE 510 with some additional handouts that I will have available at cost-recovery.

Select a project to review from the samples that I will make available to you (or that you borrow from Secondary Education). Briefly summarize the project’s objectives, methodology and findings. Analyze and comment on the kinds of questions/issues addressed in the project. Consider whether the methodology is suited to the topic and discuss the form(s) of data representation. Explain whether and how the project has offered you new insight into the educational area under discussion. (Maintain the anonymity of the author in your discussion)

Prepare a 10 minute class presentation on your considered idea for a research project. Explain why you are interested in this particular educational topic. In your discussion, explore the practical and reflective/analytical components of your potential project, considering how you plan to collect data and to represent your data in the project. Design two or three questions about your proposed project that you would like feedback on from your peers and from me.

3. Project Proposal 50%

Design and prepare a short research proposal of your proposed project. The proposal should include: objectives, questions, a review of the literature, proposed research site and participants, methodology, data collection and possible forms of representation. These components may be integrated into your proposal in a standard format or more innovative ways. Further details of the proposal will be discussed during class.

Each assignment will be graded on a nine point scale and the final grade determined by the quality of thought, thoroughness of discussion and writing ability and correctness. Final grades will be decided on an absolute scale.

9= exceptional work of publishable quality, well beyond normal expectations.

8= very good work which maintains a high quality throughout the course.

7= good work which demonstrates an understanding of the material.

6= generally acceptable work with some inconsistencies of quality

5= below standard for a graduate course

Inclusive Language: This course supports Faculty policy of using non-discriminatory language that works to create a welcoming classroom atmosphere in which students’ experiences and views are treated with equal respect and value in relation to their gender, racial background, sexual orientation and ethnic background.

RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE