Understanding Edu. Research

Course Description

This course is designed to provide the student with the basic knowledge and skills required to read, interpret and evaluate both quantitative and qualitative educational research in order to determine if research results have implications for program, curriculum or instructional decisions.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically evaluate published qualitative and quantatative research studies.
• Describe the common problems made when conducting educational research and how they can be avoided.
• Evaluate if there is evidence-based support for a particular teaching or intervention strategy.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify appropriate research design for a particular research problem.
• Identify various test designs and the statistical analysis that the statistical analysis associated with that design.
• Explain the difference between qualitative, quantitative and action research and when each type is appropriate.
• Describe the ethical considerations and appropriate precautions involved with research on human subjects including the NU policy on research involving human subjects, the need for informed consent, student assent, and Institutional review Board approval.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the difference between population and sample and identify the characteristics of a sample that make it representative of the population.
• Demonstrate knowledge of validity and reliability, how each are established and what elements cause a threat to either.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and describe various types of variables.
• Demonstrate knowledge of various methods to collect data.