True, the paper for this class is only 10 pages so you might not think that it is very important. BUT, if you take time and select a topic that truly interests you, you might save yourself a great deal of time next semester because you can continue with this topic into your final masters paper (if you decide to do a literature review.)
Selecting your topic is not necessarily easy. You need to find something that is broad enough to have meaning but not so narrow that there is no research on the topic.
Too Broad: Using Technology in Education
Too Narrow: The Effects of Using QR Codes with 3rd Grade Girls with Red Hair.
Just Right: Effective Methods for Making Learning More Student-Centric Using QR Codes in Elementary Grades.
Read Chapter 3 in Galvan's book. The first 10 steps are useful in helping you define your topic. The last four steps are useful in finding resources once you have
Developing Research Questions
Once you have an overall topic (and these change frequently), it is time for you to define what you want to know about the topic. What are your questions. What do you want to know about this topic? Remember that you are examining this topic because you want to know more about how you can use it in teaching.
Visit this page on Developing a Research Question to give you some hints on the process.
Here is a a 5-minute video about How to Create a Research Question. Please note that they are identifying questions that they will pursue by performing research experiments, but the process is similar. It deals with environmental design, but it will easily relate to your quest.
Write 3 research questions. You will only be required to research and write about one question in this course, but it will be a good beginning for your writing next semester.
I look forward to meeting with you on Zoom in the near future so that we can discuss your decisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment