R795: Dissertation Proposal Preparation (Spring 2021)

IST Department, IU School of Education

Section 7196 (Online Version); Section 13776 (Face-to-Face)

Syllabus: http://curtbonk.com/r795_2021.htm

My homepage: http://curtbonk.com/

Zoom (Optional Synchronous Sessions): https://IU.zoom.us/j/8123222878

Course Link to Canvas: http://canvas.iu.edu/

Instructor: Professor Curt Bonk, Indiana University, IST Dept, Email: cjbonk@indiana.edu

Instructional Assistant: Merve Basdogan, IST Doctoral Candidate, basdogan@iu.edu

Course Overview

This course is designed for advanced doctoral students who are close to completing the requirements for the Ph.D. or Ed.D. in Instructional Systems Technology (IST). Students should view this course as an opportunity to develop plans for empirical research in IST. An operating assumption is that you will develop a research plan that can be applied to future dissertation work. Note that Ed.D. students will also be preparing for your qualifying exams.

Course Description and Purpose

In this course, you will develop the central components of a viable dissertation study proposal. Ph.D. students might address some big weighty topic or thorny issue in a particular field or area that has come into the limelight or attempt to design a new instrument or model. That is called the “make a difference in the world” dissertation. These dissertations are rare. More likely, a dissertation might narrow on a specific gap or opening for their research focus. That is called a “smart dissertation.” Sometimes dissertations take advantage of convenient data or sample population or both even though one not fully passionately committed to the study. That is often called a “get it done” dissertation.

Typically, the dissertations of Ed.D. students apply theory to practice. They often will not build knowledge to be generalized across populations or contexts, but it can be used within the context where they carry out their empirical study. At the same time, the dissertation of an Ed.D. student will not simply be a large project; it will be a scholarly effort in which you bring theory to bear on a problem or question situated within a specific context. Consequently, identification of that problem or context will occur first, followed by your identification and exploration of the appropriate constructs, frameworks, and theories applicable to that problem or context. Then you will consider the design of your proposed study—the research methods to be used, population, instruments, timing, specific research questions, etc. This sequence will form the structure of the course.

If you have come into the course with an idea for your study already in mind, then you will use the course structure to examine and build out that idea into your full proposal. Each situation is different. There is no one size that fits all. But this course can help you in general. You will get a chance to see samples of prospectuses and proposals. And you will hear from a few recent students how they succeeded; I will invite a few of them in Zoom.

Advice and Observations

Write down the nubs or kernels of research ideas as they come up. Each article you read will have open issues and some will suggest future directions. If you find one interesting, write it down and note the author(s), article title, journal, and page number. Personally, I did this and had 68 dissertation ideas when I was ready to dissertate. I went with idea #46 with combined two previous ideas; my dissertation was on computer prompts (generative and evaluative) and the development of middle school children’s writing; my colleague and I developed a keystroke mapping program to record student writing sessions. Having some ideas on paper will build your confidence. Share those ideas with friends, family members, professors, your advisor(s), and anyone willing to listen, even Uber and Lyft drivers (you’ll be amazed at what they know).

When you are planning research, you may find that your interests change or are modified. Researchers change questions all the time; that is to be expected. You read some new technical reports and journal articles and it excites your passions. You will also refine your ideas and focus them a bit. In addition, when you are planning research situated in the context of an organization and institution, you may find that their projects, processes, or interests have also changed. Due to these changes you might not get approval for your original idea but can slightly modify it and it will be approved. You have to consider the people and their territory or turf and be sensitive to controversial topics or age groups.

Still other considerations are what your advisor prefers or has experience with. When working with your advisor, you will often find that new and relevant ideas and directions come up; these will sometimes necessitate re-thinking, re-work, and re-writing. However, you do not need to pursue every area of interest or expertise of your advisor. In fact, he or she will greatly appreciate it if you can find your own personal quest; handholding students through a dissertation process is a dreadful feeling. Still, advisors will have many sage suggestions for changes at timely moments in the process. Listen to them and decide what ones you want to do. Of course, this rethinking and re-envisioning is a natural part of the research process, not a problem or mistake that you or the advisor has made.

Goals and Objectives

A fundamental course goal is for students to refine their ability to plan and articulate a research project that should yield a dissertation idea and ultimately a publishable product. It will therefore be ideal for students to develop a realistic dissertation question and associated methodological plan. I will arrange for optional synchronous sessions in Zoom with guest experts and former students so you can learn something about the process. Students are also responsible for communication with their research advisors between meetings. Please talk to them and share your progress.

Students should leave the course with a draft of a research prospectus that is similar to Chapters 1 and 3 of a dissertation, assuming a standard five-chapter dissertation model is followed.

· Chapter 1 – Is an overview and justification of the research questions

· Chapter 2 – A review of the related literature

· Chapter 3 – Methodological plan

· Chapter 4 – Analyses

· Chapter 5 – Conclusions

As noted earlier, as with all research, dissertation plans are subject to change pending refinement of thinking and alteration of the context in which a study will be conducted. Indeed, almost all aspects of any given research project will evolve over time. For this reason, students should not expect that the course will yield a final draft of a research proposal. Indeed, active scholars should also be: (1) pondering what is known and unknown in their field; (2) considering what knowledge or findings should be advanced; (3) working out how to answer new questions that came up; and (4) pondering about and preparing for their dissertation outlets. Therefore, although it will be ideal for students to leave the course with a solid dissertation idea and some writing accomplished, the more fundamental goal is to gain experience with research planning.

The second big goal here is for you to practice working on qualifying exams. Ed.D. students will spend some time on these exercises. I have several sample questions and preparation ideas but do not list them in the syllabus.

Individual Consultations in Zoom
I will hold nearly weekly sessions in Zoom during the semester to learn from prior students and other experts about doing dissertation research. The date of those Zoom sessions will change every week; but most likely they will be early in the week (dates listed in the syllabus are placeholders, not the real dates). These promise to be fun and information. They will help you in forming research questions, doing a literature review, collecting data, and doing a dissertation defense. Anyone can show up the Zoom sessions. After each presentation, I will be available for individual consultations with any students needing help. You are welcome to sit in on other students’ consultations.

In addition, 1-2 consultations during the semester with your academic advisor are mandatory. Please keep your advisor updated on your progress. While this class helps you prepare for the dissertation, your advisor is a primary stakeholder in your success; he or she may disagree with my suggestions. I have served on over 100 completed dissertations and no dissertation suggestions are ever unanimous; you have a “committee” for a reason. Each member will help you refine, expand, and enhance your ideas.

The best outcome is that you will complete a draft proposal in this class that is ready to be reviewed when you form your research committee. Your advisor will not expect frequent requests for consultation, but he or she should expect that you will contact him/her by phone or Zoom/Skype at least once during this course and more often after it. Your consultations will be most productive if you send material to be reviewed in advance, together with some questions you have about the current or future state of your work toward the proposal.

Discussion Forum (not applicable; instead, send me an email by January 18)

There will be no regular discussions in this class. I would rather you create a personal blog about your reflections. However, there may be some impromptu discussions depending on student interests and expectations. I want you all to send me an email by January 18 listing your advisor and dissertation committee members, professional/research interests, proposed dissertation topic and timeline, place where you were born as well as the place you want to live in the future, and 3-5 of your personal hobbies.

Readings and Task Examples: You select your own weekly readings. Seminal weekly optional readings for this course are in Dropbox. You will at least want to download them. I will send you the link. I hope to put some task examples and the slides from the weekly Zoom guests in Dropbox as well.

Course Structure:

This course reflects two sections combined into one: R795 on campus and R795 online (Note: Presently, there are 3 on campus Ph.D. students and 6 online Ed.D. students enrolled in this course). The bulk what we do will take place online. In general, our week will run from Sunday through the following Saturday. All assignments are due Monday by 11:59 pm unless otherwise indicated. There is a two day grace period on all assignments.

1. Develop a realistic, sole-authored dissertation question and associated methodological plan with guidance from the faculty member expected to direct your dissertation. The R795 instructor will help with general issues in conceptualizing research problems and in writing your proposal.

2. Complete the 7 required deliverables.

3. PhD students only: participate in your Third Dossier Review within six weeks of the end of the semester or within six weeks of the beginning of the next semester (with your program advisory committee).

4. Articulate next steps (to include IRB approval).

Submission and Grading:

For Tasks #1-7, please submit to Canvas assignments in Word. Make sure it is editable by me so do NOT post a PDF). These must be in APA format (APA #6 or #7) and have your name on them and a title matching the assignment.

I tend to use rubrics for grading. Given this is the only second time that I am teaching this course, I do not have many examples just yet. I will put some examples in Dropbox. Typically, I look for clarity, flow and logic, completeness, originality, relevance, etc.

Tasks/Assignments	Points	Due Dates + 48 hour grace
Take plagiarism test and email Dr. Bonk with interests	A couple of bonus points	January 18
1. Statement of Research Goals	20 points	January 25
2. Research Questions	20 points	February 1
3. Research Design and Sampling Plan	30 points	March 1
4. Analysis Plan	30 points	March 22
5. Draft of Prospectus	60 points	April 12 or 19
6. Blog/Journal Reflection or Reading Reflections	50 points	April 5
7. Quals Practice or Former Student Interview	30 points	April 5
Total Points	240 points

GRADING SCALE:

A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D…
95-100 224 Points	90-94 216 Points	87-89 208 Points	83-86 199 Points	80-83 192 Points	77-79 185 Points	74-77 178 Points	70-73 168 Points	<70

Course Schedule

All topics, readings, due dates, and assignments subject to change. I will try to host evening meetings online as well that are optional. Reminder Zoom:  https://IU.zoom.us/j/8123222878

Week	Primary Topics	Readings & Assignments*
Week 1: January 18	- Course introductions and orientation - Plagiarism and copyright Readings theme: Making Research Matter	DUE by January 18 – 1. Plagiarism Tutorial or Paper (optional) and 2. Email to me and 3. Flipgrid introductions. Zoom: Orientation meeting (Sunday January 17 at 11 am EST).
Week 2: January 25	- On your own reading / research - How do I know if I’m making a scholarly contribution? - Constructs, research gaps, research problem statement, etc. Readings theme: Developing a Research Agenda	DUE January 25 - Task #1: Statement of Research Goals Zoom Mtg on tips on quals exam and proposal writing with Ed.D. student Junghun Lee (Sunday Jan 24 at 11 am EST)
Week 3: February 1	- On your own reading / research - Research questions Readings theme: Designing and Evaluating Research	DUE February 1 - Task #2: Research Questions Zoom mtg tips on quals, dissertation proposal, and dissertation defense with former Ed.D. IST graduate Dr. Angie Leuchtmann (Sunday Jan 31 at 11 am EST)
Week 4: February 8	- On your own reading / research Readings theme: Educational Design Research	Zoom Mtg with Tom Reeves from the University of Georgia. “Ask Tom Anything” about Design Based Research (DBR) and making research relevant. Sunday February 7 at 11 am EST.
Week 5: February 15	- On your own reading / research Readings theme: Writing and Crafting	Zoom Mtg with Ed.D. graduate Dr. Erin Crisp on turning your quals into a publication and defending proposal and your dissertation on Sunday February 14 at 11 am EST.
Week 6: February 22	- On your own reading / research - Sampling + more Readings theme: Case Study Methods	Zoom Mtg: Adam Mills from IU to discuss on IRB on Monday February 22 at 8 pm.
Week 7: March 1	- On your own reading / research Readings theme: Qualitative Methods	DUE March 1 - Task #3: Research Design & Sampling Plan 1:1 Consultation meetings in Zoom as arranged with Curt Bonk (date and time to be determined).
Week 8: March 8	- On your own reading / research Readings theme: Systematic Reviews of the Research	Zoom Mtg Monday March 8 at 7 pm with Dr. Florence Martin, UNCC, Topic: Conducting systematic reviews.
Week 9: March 15	- On your own reading / research - Analysis Readings theme: Data Analysis	Zoom Mtg Sunday March 14 at 11 am EST with IST doctoral student, Merve Basdogan (10 tips on literature reviews and 10 tips on forming research questions).
Week 10: March 22	- On your own reading / research Readings theme: Mixed Methods	DUE March 22 - Task #4: Analysis Plan Zoom Mtg with Dr. Ron Owston, York University. “Ask Ron Anything” about research. Sunday March 21 at 11 am EST.
Week 11: March 29	- On your own reading / research - Analysis, Alignment (& More) Readings theme: Hypothesis Testing	Zoom session: Sunday March 28 at 11 am EST with IST recent graduate, Dr. Chaoran Wang (10 tips on presenting & defending dissertation and 10 tips on collecting date and communicating with your committee).
Week 12: April 5	- On your own reading / research Readings theme: Writing Advice Part 1	Due 12/2: Task #6: Blog Reflection or Readings Reflection Task #7: Practice Quals or Interview Zoom Mtg on Monday April 5th at 7 pm EST for IST alums, Tiffany Roman, Susie Gronseth, DaBae Lee, and Yeol Huh to present on writing tips. Curt Bonk and Meina Zhu present on academic writing Part I
Week 13: April 12	- On your own reading / research Readings theme: Writing Advice Part 2	DUE April 12 - Task #5: Draft Prospectus Zoom Mtg on Sunday April 11 at 11 am EST for Curt Bonk and Meina Zhu to present writing advice
Week 14: April 19	- On your own reading / research - Reflect on your own reading research Readings theme: Writing Advice Part 3	DUE April 19 - Task #5: Draft Prospectus 1:1 Consultation meetings in Zoom as arranged with Curt Bonk (date and time to be determined).
Week 15: April 26	Theme: Putting things together…	Zoom mtg Sunday April 25 at 11 am EST to meet and discuss drafts of prospectus

Administrative and Course Polices

Students with Disabilities: The Adaptive Technology and Accessibility Centers at IUB provide a wide range of services for students with disabilities, including adaptive hardware and adaptive software, creation of electronic text from print media, conversion of print to MP3 format, and more. http://www.indiana.edu/~iuadapts/

Lateness: I have a 48 hour lateness policy with no penalties for any assignment. So if it says it is due Monday at midnight, you actually have until Wednesday at midnight to turn it in without penalty. Assignments are to be submitted through Canvas by 11:55 pm Eastern Time on the designated date, unless otherwise stated. If assignments are submitted after the 48 hour grace period, 10% of the grade value will be deducted per day.

Incompleteness, Copyright, Plagiarism, and Original Work: I expect personally created highly unique and original work on all assignments. Please acquaint yourself with the “IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct” for the concept of plagiarism. If you are unsure of the rules and regulations regarding plagiarism, you can take a self-paced course on Understanding Plagiarism from Dr. Ted Frick from the IST department. This website is devoted to teaching people about plagiarism and it has tutorials and tests (info). Any assignment containing plagiarized material will be awarded a grade of F. No incompletes will be awarded unless there is an emergency or mutually agreed upon reason.

Professional Responsibilities: The course is structured so that students develop inter-related products that will culminate in a draft proposal. You are expected to continue to refine your ideas, as well as incorporate feedback from me and your advisor(s) in your subsequent drafts. In some cases, I may ask for resubmissions prior to moving forward; this is not punitive but, rather, a natural part of the research process.

R795 Course Tasks

Extra Tasks (on or before January 18^th):

Part 1. Plagiarism tutorial (https://www.indiana.edu/~academy/firstPrinciples/index.html). In the first week on the course (January 18), send to me a certificate of completion to Canvas. I will give you two bonus points. If you have already taken the IU Plagiarism tutorial, you are to write 2-4 paragraphs (maximum of one page single spaced paper) of what you remember about plagiarism and why it is important. You too will get two bonus points for that paper.

Part 2: Email to me. Also on or before January 18, I want you all to send me an email by January 18 listing your advisor and dissertation committee members, professional/research interests, proposed dissertation topic and timeline, place where you were born as well as the place you want to live in the future, and 3-5 of your personal hobbies. There are no bonus points for this task.

Part 3: Flipgrid Introductions: Third, on or before January 18, I want you to introduce yourself in Flipgrid. Tell us about your professional interests, your hobbies and other interests, where you live, and what you do for a living.

Task #1. Statement of Research Goals (Due: January 25th, 20 points)

This should address the kind of knowledge you hope to build over the first several years of your post-doctoral career, and the impact you want that knowledge to have in the world. Your plans to increase knowledge should be contextualized – for whom will the results of your research be useful, or who will be impacted by those results? If you anticipate that the results of your research will impact theory itself, what area of theory? What theory in particular? What kind of theory is it? How might you approach several years of study anticipating the accomplishment of your goals? To Submit: Write one or two paragraphs addressing the questions above. This is the long-view and broad-brush structure that communicates how you think about your problem or issue and your potential contributions.

Task #2. Research Questions (Due: February 1st, 20 points)

You should nominate a research question or questions that are well rooted in prior research literature. The questions you develop should make sense given what is known in your specific area of inquiry. That is, the questions must be well articulated and justified. The questions and your reasons for asking them should be clear to an expert in your field and a general audience. You must vet questions with your primary advisor. To Submit: Provide me with a document that briefly introduces and justifies your questions. What is the gap in our understanding? What is the problem statement? What is the purpose? Add to that 1-2 paragraphs in which you define critical terms, give examples where necessary, and identify the main theories your work is connected to. Add to that 3-5 knowledge claims that you are working on developing right now. This is just a listing to give me a sense of the logic of your ideas. I'm just looking for your logic and idea progression. One of your knowledge claims should lead directly to your research problem in the form of either a tension, contradictory research findings, unsettled idea, or under-researched area. This should be no more than two pages single spaced.

Task #3. Research Design and Sampling Plan (Due: March 1st, 30 points)

This purpose of this assignment is to show the refinement and development of your ideas. One page single spaced for the refined research questions, research design, context, etc. and one page on your sampling plan. Below are the basic elements that will be refined given your questions and context.

Refined Research Questions: Based on my feedback and your advisor’s, you should refine your research questions and critically reflect of what's feasible. No more than a paragraph.

Research Design. This is no more than a paragraph or two that describes the study design you are imagining right now - this will likely change as your ideas are refined. In your paragraph include the following.

Qualitative study: the overall study design (i.e., Case Study), the assumptions you are making about your study, and the specific ways in which your study is this type of design. 

Quantitative study: the dependent and independent variables under study, the assumptions you need to meet, the ways you will maximize power, and the hypothesis you are working from. 

Mixed Methods: any of the following might apply: variables, ways to address/understand your research questions, assumptions, or similar. What are you trying to understand and how does it warrant mixed methods?

Context. Describe the context under which your study will take place. What type of organization, group, or institution (and one or many)? How big is it? Link this back to your research questions - why is it important to conduct the study in this setting? What are some nuances to know about with regard to this setting?

Sampling Plan: This should typically be no more than one page single spaced. Describe your sampling plan, logistics, and sample characteristics.

Describe your population of interest and how you will get a sample.

· What characteristics should the sample have?

· For those of you planning a qualitative study, there are a number of related considerations you will need to articulate.

· Why are you selecting/pursuing a sample with these features? That is, what broader population do you intend to generalize back to (or reflect)?

· Consider issues of external validity, generalization (probabilistic and logical), and transferability.

How will you measure/understand sample characteristics?

· Why have you chosen to measure these specific characteristics?

· What materials do you need?

· What will you need to develop?

· What is an adequate sample size given your research question?

· How do you know this is adequate? (From a statistical point of view, this is largely a matter of power. From a more qualitative point of view, this is largely a matter of logic and data saturation, such as consistently getting the same names when obtaining a snowball sample [or chaining].)

Logistics: Generate a realistic sampling plan.

· How will you recruit the sample?

· What features of your data collection plan can you put in to limit non-response and/or absentees (e.g., plans to revisit an organization or someone’s home if part of your sample wasn’t around the first day)?

· What records will you keep to adequately report and otherwise handle problems of non-response?

Note: that you will not collect any actual data in the confines of this course. The reason for this is because data collection requires Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and we will not have the time for this endeavor. Depending on your circumstances you may however wish to begin the process of seeking IRB approval.

Task #4. An Analysis Plan (Due: March 22nd, 30 points)

Once you get the data, how will you analyze it in a way that should answer your questions? Be sure to articulate best practices from related methodological literature (e.g., statistical, qualitative, mixed methods, etc.) so as to justify your plan. Cite the relevant literature. To Submit: Two pages single spaced with an analysis plan and a reflection on the analysis plan.

Data Sources: 

Discuss each data source separately along with the purpose of each data source. What does each source inform?

· If qualitative: describe the interviews, observations, documents, etc.

· If quantitative: describe the dependent/independent variables, criterion measures, instruments, etc.

· If mixed methods, you should have one or more of each. Describe the sequence; which comes first?

Data Analysis:

· What is your unit of analysis? (individual, team, classroom, course, organization, etc.)

· How the data informs your research questions.

· How the data will be analyzed: coding plan, codes from previous studies, examples of codes you plan on studying, etc.

Task #5. Draft of Prospectus (Due: April 12^th or 19th, 60 points)

This is what you have been waiting for—the grant finale. Here, you are to pull together the elements in a coherent plan that follows current APA formatting expectations and is fully referenced. This should be chapters 1 (introduction) and 3 (methods).

Combine Task #2: Intro, Research Context, and Questions, Task #3: Research Design & Sampling Plan, and Task #4: Data Sources & Analysis. Then add a projected timeline and any appendices.

To Submit (in addition to Prospectus): Then add a 1-2 page personal reflection on the process and progress of your dissertation. In it, you will speculate on what will you practically need to pull off this dissertation. How feasible is it in reality? What will this look like in the world? What assumptions are you making? How will you recruit? What do you imagine is the knowledge you will contribute (in other words, what new insights and deeper understandings will we gain)? What is your plan B if you can’t put the pieces into place for this study?

Task #6 (Pick one of the three options below)

Task #6a. Blog or Wiki Journal Entries (April 5th, 50 points)

In this option, you will keep a weekly (or however often you want to post) log of research thoughts and ideas. Your research log should include any of the following that are applicable on a given day:

· Aha moments and moments of insights.

· Important contact and connections and building up of your professional network.

· Record of interviews, discussions, document reviews, and other activities aimed at identifying appropriate problem/context.

· Internet or library searches you conduct as you pursue constructs, frameworks and theories – include the terms you are using for such searches.

· References (APA style) for articles and books you have identified and expect to use in your proposal (not everything you have read, which should be a good deal more than what you use).

· New thoughts and ideas about your dissertation project.

· Reflections on how the work is going and fine tunings that need to be made.

· Thoughts on strengths and weaknesses of the material you have found addressing the constructs of your interest.

To Submit: A link to your blog or journal and a two-page single spaced reflection on what you learned from your blog. This is a meta-reflection of key themes.

Task #6b: Reading and Exploration Reflections (April 5th, 50 points)

You are reading extensively in a self-directed manner this semester about a topic or a research method. What did you learn about your topic or research method? Why is research on it important? What do you still have left to know? Are you excited? To Submit: This will be a 2-3 page single spaced paper plus a bibliography related to your research topic with at least 30 references and other appendices.

Task #6c: Student Self-created Similar (SSS) Option (April 5th, 50 points)

You are to design your own task similar to 6a or 6b.

Task #7 (Pick one of the three options below)

Task #7. Ed.D. Students Quals Practice (April 5th, 30 points)

If you have not yet taken the EdD qualifying exam, you will have the chance to practice in this course. You will have most of the semester to do this. There are two questions, one patterned after each of the regular Department Questions. I will start these at a scheduled time. You have only 3.5 hours to finish and submit your answer to each question. This is the authentic format for the quals, which is an important element of the practice. You will be writing a paper for each question. I recommend you open Word or your favorite word processor before you start, with a blank document open. Open a browser window for searching, and tabs for any other resources you normally use. Get your copy of the APA Manual, 6^th or 7^th edition and make sure it is close at hand. Find a timer – from the kitchen or on your phone maybe. You can set a warning timer if you want, or just keep track of the amount of time you have left after you begin. If you are going to want drinks or snacks, get them now to have nearby. Silence your phone – and your family/roommate/pets, if appropriate. This is going to be a sprint. However, if your house catches fire during the practice, or your appendix bursts, you can try again. To Submit: Turn these two papers in to Canvas. You can turn this one in anytime.

Task #7b. Ph.D. Students Interview of a Former Student (April 5th, 30 points)

I want you to interview a former (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) about their prospectus, proposal, and final dissertation. Just ask me for a list of IST alum names and emails. What lessons did they learn? What advice does he or she have? What were the problems did they encounter? To Submit: Write this up as a 2-page single-spaced paper and post it to Canvas. You can turn this in anytime.

Task #7c: Student Self-created Similar (SSS) Option (April 5th, 30 points)

You are to design your own task similar to 7a or 7b.