The Design and Development of Instructional Design Research

Catalog description

This fully online graduate course is designed to immerse students pursuing studies in instructional design and educational technology into a post-positivist perspective concerning the planning and execution of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research endeavors. Within this context, students specializing in instructional design and educational technology will navigate and critically evaluate a myriad of methodological, paradigmatic, and ontological viewpoints pertinent to research, design, and development. The course begins by guiding students in crafting a researchable question, with ongoing guidance and input from the instructor. Subsequently, students embark on a comprehensive exploration of the pertinent literature, encompassing methodological aspects and literature relevant to their unique research inquiries. Fundamental to this course is the recognition that there is no universally superior research methodology; rather, certain techniques are better suited to specific situations. The overall objective is to introduce instructional design and educational technology students to the diverse spectrum of mixed-methodological approaches available and the distinctive requirements particular to instructional design researchers, setting this field apart from more generalized research disciplines. By the conclusion of this course, students will have not only produced a draft research manuscript but will also have acquired an introductory understanding of multiple research processes necessary for future iterative studies in the instructional design and educational technology field.