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Final Assignment Expectations

1. Choose either the qualitative template OR the quantitative template (Only choose one, NOT both—and no mixed methods, please) –Do not create your own slide deck—please use the one we’ve provided.

2. Provide enough detail for clarity in a sentence outline format.

3. You will need in-text citations in every slide and formal APA style references. For this assignment, some citations may be parenthetical (like we’ve used in u03a1 and u06a1) or narrative. Be sure to review style rules for narrative citations. They should look like this: In a study by Hernandez Gonzalez and Blackford (2020), online learning graduate students described…

4. Choose a sub-topic within the broader topic of online learning.

-Okay to use recent articles from the Week 3 and 6 Assignments (however many you may need for your proposed study) and at least two more articles based on the focal topic.

-Please do not use graphics or figures or charts.

-The purpose of this assignment is to make sure that you understand the concept of a research proposal and the different components of a research proposal.

-Do not add references you do not formally cite in your PowerPoint outline (that would not be in compliance with the APA style rules). 

-Use future tense because you are proposing a study.

-Do NOT erase the sub-headings we have provided.

Please read the instructions for each element of the study embedded in the templates.

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Final Assignment Expectations Continued

-This assignment is a hypothetical research proposal you are designing about online learning.

-This assignment is not a review of a current study or article. Please do not turn one of the articles we’ve read for class—or any other article—into a proposal.

-This assignment should be written in future tense (as it has not happened yet)…worth repeating this point. 

-This assignment requires cited support using in-text and parenthetical citations throughout the entire assignment…worth repeating this point also. 

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BONUS POINTS FOR FINAL ASSIGNMENT

If you submit your final assignment by Sunday June 4th (11:59 CST), then +5 points will be added to your assignment grade 

(The actual due date is Sunday June 11th)

*It is better to spend more time on the assignment and do good work than to rush for those five points…just sayin’.

Introduction: Title Page

Quantitative

Title must be about online learning

Multi7860 – Survey of Research Methods

Learner name

Qualitative

Title must be about online learning

Multi7860 – Survey of Research Methods

Learner name

Introduction: Statement of the Problem

Quantitative

A problem statement is a short, clear description of the topic/research problem to be researched. It sets up the context, relevance and aims of the project.

It should tell the audience a) what is already known about a topic/target population[with cited support], and b) what is unknown about a topic/target population [known as the gap in literature].

Qualitative

A problem statement is a short, clear explanation of the issue to be researched. It sets up the context, relevance and aims of the project.

You must have 2-3 references that are cited in this section.

This section must include at least 3-5 full sentences.

Introduction: Purpose of the Study

Quantitative

The purpose statement is meant to inform the audience of the purpose of the study. In every research study, the primary purpose is to answer the research question.

The language of the purpose statement should align with the research question.

The purpose statement for quantitative studies is on p.124 in the Creswell and Creswell (2018) text (This may help formulate your purpose, but you do not have to use it).

Qualitative

This section must describe what the study will do and should include the areas defined in the statement of the problem.

This section is to introduce your Research Question(s)

The qualitative purpose of the study can be found in the Creswell and Creswell (2018) textbook on page 119 (This can help you formulate the purpose, but you do not have to use).

Introduction: Research Question

Quantitative

Research question(s) and hypotheses

The research question should be based on the research problem. Quantitative research questions are specific questions that can be answered by conducting statistical analysis.

Quantitative research question key words: effect, affect, relationship, cause, difference, predict, correlate, etc.

The format for quantitative research questions is in the Creswell and Creswell (2018) text, p.137 (This may help formulate your RQ, but you do not have to use it).

Null: The null hypothesis states that there is NOT statistical significance between two variables.

Alternative: The alternative hypothesis states that there is a statistical significance among variables.

Both hypotheses should use identical language. The only word that should be different is the word “not”

Both hypotheses should be worded to align with research question(s).

Qualitative

The goal of the RQ is to ask it in a way that indicates the specific phenomenon, event, occurrence, or experience that you want to examine. This indicates a specific domain, population, and phenomenon.

The qualitative research question can be found in the Creswell and Creswell (2018) textbook on page 133 (This can help you formulate the RQ, but you do not have to use it).

Introduction: Theoretical Perspective (Quantitative) vs. Philosophical Worldview (Qualitative)

Quantitative

Theoretical Perspective (Theory)

Quantitative studies are developed based on a specific theory or theories [aka theoretical framework, theoretical lens, theoretical perspective].

This section should briefly identify the theory you have selected, describe the theory used for your proposal using cited support, and explain how it is relevant to the research problem/question/purpose.

Qualitative

Philosophical Worldview

Need to discuss one of the worldviews that we discussed in Week 1 (Postpositivist worldview—which is used almost solely in quantitative research, constructivist worldview, transformative worldview, or pragmatic worldview)

Must identify why that worldview best aligns with your proposed study

Must have cited support.

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Methods/Procedures: Types of Research Design (including on the Qualitative PPT, Role of the Researcher)

Quantitative

Use cited support for your choice of design

The three types of quantitative research designs are:

Experimental (random assignment and manipulated variable—very few studies in behavioral sciences use true experimental designs)

Quasi-experimental (no random assignment and manipulated variable)

Nonexperimental (no random assignment and no manipulated variable—this is the most common design used in studying FGCS quantitatively)

Qualitative

Need to choose one of the qualitative designs we have learned about this quarter (generic qualitative inquiry, grounded theory, phenomenology, narrative, ethnography, or case study)

Must discuss why the qualitative design best aligns with your proposed study, along with cited support.

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Role of the researcher

Need to discuss the role of the researcher, specifically in qualitative research (see page 183 of Creswell and Creswell (2018)).

Must have cited support

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Methods/Procedures: Population, Sample, and Participants

Quantitative

Population consists of the entire population (e.g., every graduate student in an online program)

Sample consists of a smaller number of participants from the population (e.g., graduate students at Capella enrolled in an online program) [sample = N]

Participants should describe the inclusion/exclusion criteria for the sample (e.g., must be 18 years of age, currently enrolled in an online program)

Qualitative

Must describe the population (Entire group that you want to draw conclusions about)

Must describe the sample (Specific group that you will collect data)

Must describe the participants (Who, how many, where from)

Methods/Procedures: Quantitative PPT (Data Collection Instruments, Variables, and Measurements) vs. Qualitative PPT (Strategies of Validating Findings)

Quantitative

Data Collection Instruments, Variables, and Measurements

Data collection instruments are the actual instruments used to measure a construct (e.g., the Grit Scale to measure grit)

Variables consist of the independent and dependent variables. These should be labeled as IV= and DV=. See page 51 in Creswell and Creswell (2018) for guidance. Being a graduate learner is not an IV—it is being a human being. People are not variables. Language usage counts for this section of the proposal.  Educational status (e.g. Online learning or in-person learning) is an IV, however.

Materials can consist of any materials you may have created or used in the data collection process (e.g., a survey, demographics questionnaire, etc.)

Qualitative

Strategies of Validating Findings

Please look in your Creswell and Creswell textbook for these strategies

Must have cited support

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Methods/Procedures: Data Collection Procedures

Quantitative

This section should describe how you collected the data (e.g., mailed out surveys, online surveys, etc.)

Must have cited support

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Qualitative

Must describe how data will be collected (interviews, focus groups, or observations)

This includes how long procedures would take, how the procedures would be conducted (in-person/video call), etc.

Must have cited support

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Methods/Procedures: Data Analysis Procedures

Quantitative

This section should describe how you statistically analyzed the data to answer the research question (e.g., ANOVA, multiple regression, t-test, etc.) Use cited support for your choice. See table on p. 159 in the Creswell and Creswell (2018) text for help in choosing your data analysis procedure.

Qualitative

Need to describe the type and steps of data analysis to be used (such as inductive thematic analysis)

Must have cited support

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Methods/Procedures: Anticipated Ethical Issues

Quantitative

Use cited support from the Belmont Report and APA Code of Ethics or the Creswell and Creswell (2018) textbook.

Incentives?

Confidentiality?

Anonymity?

IRB approval?

Informed consent?

Every study with human participants has ethical considerations. Please do not write “There are no ethical considerations.”

Qualitative

Must include informed consent, IRB approval, protection of the participants, etc.

Must have cited support from the textbook, the APA, and/or The Belmont Report

Must be at least 3-5 sentences

Expected Findings

Quantitative

The expected findings slide should consist of what you, as the researcher, expect to find from this study based on prior research from a similar topic that you cite formally.

This slide should include a thorough paragraph (4-5 sentences) or related bullet points with cited support from at least 3-5 peer-reviewed articles.

This section should include: a) what other researchers have found regarding your topic or a similar topic, and b) what you expect to find based on those previous findings.

Remember this proposal outline is hypothetical, so this section (and all others) should be written in future tense.

Qualitative

This section entails findings from past research that are similar to your proposed study and what you may expect to find from your data if the study was conducted.

Must have cited support from 3-5 of those studies.

Must be at least 3-5 sentences.

References (for Quantitative AND Qualitative PPT)

Need to have a minimum of 4 references (not including the Creswell textbook)

Must be in correct APA 7th Edition formatting

If you have a reference listed, then you must have cited it in your assignment to be compliant with APA format rules 

APA style and formatting is heavily weighted in this assignment

We will not deduct points for the hanging indent because PowerPoint sometimes will not let you indent-grrrrr, but remember this is an important part of APA style for other academic work you do at CU.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS!

In the past we have had learners ‘short change’ this assignment to hurry and turn the assignment in early to receive the extra credit points. We would rather you do the assignment correctly than hurry and turn your assignment in just to get those extra credit points.

For each assignment in our class, the grading has grown a bit more rigorous—especially for APA style and format. This is the third and final assignment and grading on this assignment is the most rigorous. There is only one chance to do each assignment in our class. Please note that assignments will be graded at the non-performance level (or with a high deduction in points) if they:

Are about a study that has already been conducted (e.g. the proposal is a rehash of an existing study)

Are not about the overall topic (or population of those in) online learning

Do not have any or substantial cited support throughout the entire assignment

References don’t work great in PPT for hanging indentation so we only grade all other elements of accurate formatting for APA style references.

***This assignment is worth 25% of your total grade***