Postgraduate Course: Digital Education: Methods (REDU11094)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will give students the framework and contextual knowledge they need in order to plan, design and execute a programme of independent research for the dissertation element of the MSc in Digital Education. The course will enable students to formulate a research question and an outline project plan. It will give them key skills in research design and enable them to position their own programme of research within the broader context of social science enquiry. It will introduce them to data collection and analysis and to key methods for analysing both quantitative data and qualitative research texts. |
| Course description |
How can you determine what constitutes good research? How can you assess the accuracy of what you are reading about research results in expert and lay settings? Understanding how research is conceptualised and developed coherently is key. Good digital education is not only about practice but also about understanding digital education research and conducting it yourself.
This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to understand and conduct research. You'll learn about the fundamentals of research and how to think as a researcher. You'll get familiar with a variety of research methods and tools and understand what kind of data they allow you to collect; as well as common misconceptions about methods. You'll also learn about data analysis and how to make conclusions from findings. Common mistakes will be discussed, such as making overgeneralisations or not considering the limitations of a study. You'll be able to create a firm research design that aligns the research aim with theory, research methods, data collection and an appropriate approach to analysis.
Since one of the main aims of the course is to help you design and develop a research proposal, the Methods course is typically taken as the final or penultimate taught course before MSc students progress to their dissertations. You must pass this course to move on to the dissertation stage.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%.
There are two assessments in this course:
Data Analysis (30%)
Your tutor will provide data, which you will analyse. You will then write a report on your analysis. You will choose one of the analysis paths - qualitative or quantitative. This is an opportunity to explore a chosen approach, and to reflect on what does and doesn't work, and why. Your analysis assignment will be judged on its skill in using an analytic method, but also on the extent to which it identifies challenges and interesting problems. (1000 words)
Research Proposal (70%):
This assignment will be the proposal for your dissertation project. It will describe the research topic or question you plan to address, the background to this topic including an indication of what your literature review will contain, your research methodology, timescale, and ethical considerations. In this assessment, you need to demonstrate that you understand the steps to produce a coherent research design and consider the feasibility and practicality of your research plan. (3000 words) |
| Feedback |
As described in the above, the two elements of the assessment allow for formative feedback from tutors. This is also staged throughout the course in non-assessed activities to allow feedback to develop student understanding, and enhance subsequent submissions. |
| No Exam Information |
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%.
There are two assessments in this course:
Data Analysis (30%)
Your tutor will provide data, which you will analyse. You will then write a report on your analysis. You will choose one of the analysis paths - qualitative or quantitative. This is an opportunity to explore a chosen approach, and to reflect on what does and doesn't work, and why. Your analysis assignment will be judged on its skill in using an analytic method, but also on the extent to which it identifies challenges and interesting problems. (1000 words)
Research Proposal (70%):
This assignment will be the proposal for your dissertation project. It will describe the research topic or question you plan to address, the background to this topic including an indication of what your literature review will contain, your research methodology, timescale, and ethical considerations. In this assessment, you need to demonstrate that you understand the steps to produce a coherent research design and consider the feasibility and practicality of your research plan. (3000 words) |
| Feedback |
As described in the above, the two elements of the assessment allow for formative feedback from tutors. This is also staged throughout the course in non-assessed activities to allow feedback to develop student understanding, and enhance subsequent submissions. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical awareness of key concepts such as epistemology, validity and ethics as they relate to digital education research
- Locate and critically analyse published research
- Engage critically with a range of data collection and analysis methods and approaches
- Effectively plan a programme of research, identifying appropriate research questions and how they might be addressed by particular methodological approaches
- Demonstrate an awareness of academic conventions in the presentation of research
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Reading List
Core textbook:
Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. and Hedges, L. (eds) (2012). Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. London, Sage.
Additional readings:
Bayne, S (2008) Higher education as a visual practice: seeing through the virtual learning environment. Teaching in Higher Education, Vol. 13(4), pp. 395-410.
Gatson, S and Zweerink, A (2004) Ethnography online: 'natives' practising and inscribing community. Qualitative Research, 4(2), 179-200.
Gillen, J (2009) Literacy practices in Schome Park: a virtual literacy ethnography. Journal of Research in Reading, 32/1, 57-74.
Pickering, J., Kintrea, K. and Bannister, J. (2011). Invisible Walls and Visible Youth: Territoriality among Young People in British Cities. Urban Studies, 49/5. 945-960.
Rose, Gillian (2007) Researching visual materials: towards a critical visual methodology, chapter 1 of Visual methodologies: an introduction to the interpretation of visual materials. London: Sage. pp.1-27.
Rose, G., 2014. On the relation between visual research methods and contemporary visual culture. The Sociological Review, 62(1), pp.24-46.
Rovai, A., Wighting, M., & Lucking, R. (2004). The Classroom and School Community Inventory: Development, refinement, and validation of a self-report measure for educational research. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(4), 263-280. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Graduate Attributes and Skills A. Research and Enquiry
To be able to identify, define and analyse conceptual and/ or practical problems in Digital Education through the critical appraisal of existing evidence.
To be able to generate creative and innovative approaches to research appropriate to the broader context of Digital Education.
B. Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
To be able to exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in the identification and execution of their intended learning activities.
To be independent learners able to develop and maintain a critical approach to issues in Digital Education.
C. Communication
To be make effective use of the multimodal capabilities of digital technologies to communicate appropriate knowledge and understanding of emerging concepts and practices in Digital Education.
D. Personal Effectiveness
To be able to recognise and respond to new opportunities for learning and development.
To be able to work effectively with others in diverse digital environments for learning. |
| Keywords | Methods,Research Design,Epistemology,Data,Data Collection,Data Analysis |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alice Dias Lopes
Tel: (01316) 51 6539
Email: adiaslo@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Annemarijn Huizinga
Tel:
Email: ahuizing@ed.ac.uk |
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