Welcome to ED 690: Methods of Inquiry

Requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Education include a course that orients students to methods/strategies for conducting educational research--whether the inquiry focus is basic, applied, or evaluation.

In ED 690, you'll develop the aptitudes and values that characterize the competent educational researcher--regardless of the environment in which he or she works. In this course, you'll think systematically about inquiry--and how it "fits in" with the instructional design and performance improvement principles around which our EdTech master's program is organized. It is inquiry that informs how we design, develop, implement, and evaluate instructional interventions (programs, systems, aids) -- so that we truly meet learner/user needs.

Semester Outcomes

Following are the competencies emphasized in the course:

  • Locate, examine, and critically interpret the literature associated with particular educational/instructional issues. [This implies familiarity/comfort with viable search engines, the PAC at Love Library, professional associations, and other resources.]
  • Describe common problems (validity, reliability, ethical concerns) associated with conducting, interpreting, and reporting educational research.
  • Distinguish between/among research/evaluation designs--both traditional and eclectic--noting their strengths, weaknesses, and situational appropriateness.
  • Distinguish between/among common analytical tests--and the assumptions that underlie them.
  • Demonstrate competence with software appropriate for quantitative analyses (Excel, SPSS, etc.)--including set-up, graphical and table displays, and interpretation of results.
  • Demonstrate competence with software appropriate for qualitative analyses--including set-up, narrative and other displays, and interpretation of results.
  • Conduct a brief research/evaluation study, where you
    • identify valid research research to explore (to include, if appropriate, an investigational hypothesis).
    • conduct a review of the literature that contextualizes/operationalizes the issues.
    • determine an appropriate research design--one that's theoretically robust yet practical to implement.
    • determine appropriate sampling techniques (whether data are acquired from people or existing resources).
    • develop data collection methods (surveys, interviews/focus groups, observations, tests, action plans, etc.).
    • determine how best to collect data (and over what timeframe or period) in ways that are ethically sound.
    • determine appropriate method/procedures by which to analyze and triangulate the data (whether quantitative, qualitative, or both), and infer meaning from the results.
    • report the findings (to different audiences), as well as their implications.
  • Conduct yourself in a manner that demonstrates understanding of the Program Evaluation Standards associated with utility, feasibility, propriety, and accuracy.

Not all the course expectations are overt; as the semester unfolds, we'll discuss some of the "unexpected" or "unplanned" outcomes that factor into my assessment of your progress.

Waiver

Although you'll not be working directly with a client this semester, you should be familiar with policies that govern off-campus activities/field work.

The university has asked faculty whose students participate in off-campus activities to include in our syllabi a statement about risk, liability and prior approval:

"This course requires students to participate in off-campus activities that might involve some risk to the student, such as exposure to accidents or personal injury. By reading this syllabus, you are agreeing that you are aware of these risks and agree to hold harmless San Diego State University, the State of California, and the trustees of the California State University and Colleges and its officers, employees and agents against all claims, demands, judgments, suits, expenses and costs on account of participation in these off-campus activities. Students using their own vehicles to transport themselves or other students should have current automobile insurance. Finally, on rare occasions, organizations with whom we work might ask students to maintain professional liability insurance at their own expense. SDSU does not require this of our students as a condition for enrollment, but it is something you may wish to consider. One source of such student liability insurance is at 800.621.3008."