Designing and Teaching Online Qualitative Research Coursework

Document Type

Presentation

Presentation Date

4-4-2014

Abstract or Description

Paper Presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.

Objectives or purposes
Enrollment in online courses continues to grow, and online education is critical to the long-term strategic planning of many higher education institutions (Simonson, 2006). This growth has necessitated developing web-based versions of courses that might not be viewed as ones transferred easily to the online learning environment. This paper focuses on strategies, issues and resources associated with teaching a graduate-level Qualitative Research course online.
Pedagogical and research articles are abundant regarding the development, instruction, and outcomes of online courses in higher education. Yet although qualitative researchers (e.g., Flick, 2006; Mann & Stewart, 2004) have addressed the advantages and disadvantages of online methods for conducting qualitative research, little literature examines online teaching of qualitative research. Poulin (2007), one of the only authors to share lessons learned from teaching qualitative research online, stressed the importance of student engagement in and reflection on the application of qualitative concepts in real-life settings. Mehra (2002) noted that teaching qualitative research becomes more of a challenge in an online course, especially when discussing a complex issue. However, Mehra argued that the use of asynchronous discussion in his qualitative research course allowed students more time to reflect on critical issues, resulting in more perceptive responses posted to the discussion board. While the nature of qualitative research lends itself to narrative assignments, Poulin (2007) stated that class size often dictates the type of the assignments included and the amount of structure needed in an online qualitative research course.
Perspectives, methods and data sources
This paper discusses the author’s experiences in designing and delivering online coursework in qualitative research, focusing on selection of readings, assignments and grading, and use of synchronous and asynchronous discussions. Emphasis was placed on hands-on application of qualitative data collection methods including interview, observation and transcript analysis assignments. Yet, grading narrative assignments and responding to students’ comments on discussion boards consume a great deal of the instructor’s time. Potential instructors of an online qualitative research course need to keep this in mind when determining the maximum enrollment as well as the number and type of assignments.
Conclusions and scholarly significance
Based on her experience, the author argues that students can have an equivalent, if not better, experience identifying, discussing, and applying qualitative research methods in the online environment. Use of suggested strategies, awareness of potential issues, and incorporation of widely available online resources will enhance the teaching and learning environment for faculty and students alike.

Sponsorship/Conference/Institution

American Educational Research Association Conference (AERA)

Location

Philadelphia, PA

Source

http://tinyurl.com/kj438oe

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