Thesis 1: Art & Design Education @ Pratt
ED 660 Syllabus - Fall 2015 | |
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PART 1: WAYS OF KNOWING
An Introduction to Qualitative Research
Week 1: August 26th (Group Meeting)
An exploration of common approaches to qualitative research in art education. This will include a review of the research process including the development of your statement, literature review, thesis proposal, and data collection. How do researchers develop interesting questions and pursue inquiries in schools and community contexts? What are some of the benefits and challenges of a qualitative approach? What role can art play in translating, negotiating and producing meaning?
Self-Presentations: Students will reflect on research topics chosen last semester, and share any new insights, questions or thoughts.
Reading:
Week 1: August 26th (Group Meeting)
An exploration of common approaches to qualitative research in art education. This will include a review of the research process including the development of your statement, literature review, thesis proposal, and data collection. How do researchers develop interesting questions and pursue inquiries in schools and community contexts? What are some of the benefits and challenges of a qualitative approach? What role can art play in translating, negotiating and producing meaning?
Self-Presentations: Students will reflect on research topics chosen last semester, and share any new insights, questions or thoughts.
Reading:
Intro to Qualitative Research | |
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Reading Prompts
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
- The article talks about the nature of a question. What kind of question do you have? For instance, is it open ended, experiential? What makes it that way? Where does your question come from; for instance, a review of the literature, your own experience? Is it an emerging question growing out of grounded theory? Connect any relevant voices on this topic from your own literature review.
- One of your goals in your thesis is to situate your research as qualitative. This article offers an entry point to many perspectives on what constitutes qualitative research. Briefly summarize what qualitative research is and does. Connect any relevant voices on this topic from your own literature review.
- Qualitative researchers, therefore, must explain their approach and selection of methods (Smith, 1978; Stokrocki, 1991). Based on the summary of the types of inquiry described in this article, what are your initial thoughts as to your own research study and process of translation? What type(s) of approach do you think you might use and why do you think this? Connect any relevant voices on this topic from your own literature review.
- Narrative: At this stage in your process, how are you going to gain access to your research site? If this is a case study involving people, how are you establishing trust? How might your research impact them? ? Connect any relevant voices on this topic from your own literature review.
ed_660__thesis_1_introductory_presentation.pptx | |
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Developing a Research Methodology
Week 2: September 2nd (Group Meeting)
A focus on the selection of an effective research methodology that helps to address the research question or inquiry posed. (ie. Case Study - exploratory, single, comparative, Grounded / Historical, Phenomenology, Narrative Analysis and Portraiture, Ethnography and Arts-Based Research). A consideration of ethical issues - how to develop your IRB Application, preparation of consent forms and discussion of time and planning issues.
Activity: In small groups we’ll practice identifying different research methodologies used in past thesis studies - creating visual mind maps and collages to map approaches and themes.
Reading:
Week 2: September 2nd (Group Meeting)
A focus on the selection of an effective research methodology that helps to address the research question or inquiry posed. (ie. Case Study - exploratory, single, comparative, Grounded / Historical, Phenomenology, Narrative Analysis and Portraiture, Ethnography and Arts-Based Research). A consideration of ethical issues - how to develop your IRB Application, preparation of consent forms and discussion of time and planning issues.
Activity: In small groups we’ll practice identifying different research methodologies used in past thesis studies - creating visual mind maps and collages to map approaches and themes.
Reading:
- Part 2: An Introduction to Qualitative Methods, in Course Reader
- Smith, M. (2008) Introduction. In M. Smith, M. Ann Holly, (Eds.), What Is research in the visual arts?: Obsession, archive, encounter (x -xxvi). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
qualitative_research_methods.pdf | |
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smith-marquard-ed-2008-visual_culture_studies.pdf | |
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Reading Prompts
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
- Based on the reading this week: What are your emerging thoughts on the method(s) that you will employ for your study? Connect any relevant voices on this topic from your own literature review.
- At this point, what do you think your data will consist of?
- At this point, what are your criteria for a research site, or location to collect data? How do you think that this space will help you to answer your question? Why do you think this? What kinds of issues do you foresee at this point in trying to establish this space for our inquiry? Being mindful of the issues (that you foresee at this stage), how might you deal with those issues and be open to the unexpected? (Note: If you are considering research using interview methods, what ways of communication will you use? And how will you ensure transparency and confidentiality?)
Methods of Data Collection
Week 3: September 9 (Group Meeting)
A consideration of common research methods including interview, survey, observation, focus groups, art making, artifact collection and documentation. We’ll also consider digital strategies - using blogs, video, and forms of digital storytelling.
Activity: Working individually, each student will practice observational fieldwork by selecting a site on campus, observing for 15 minutes and writing a brief field report. We’ll also get a chance to practice interviewing by developing a set of questions and then engaging in a structured conversation with a peer.
In-Class Reading:
Week 3: September 9 (Group Meeting)
A consideration of common research methods including interview, survey, observation, focus groups, art making, artifact collection and documentation. We’ll also consider digital strategies - using blogs, video, and forms of digital storytelling.
Activity: Working individually, each student will practice observational fieldwork by selecting a site on campus, observing for 15 minutes and writing a brief field report. We’ll also get a chance to practice interviewing by developing a set of questions and then engaging in a structured conversation with a peer.
In-Class Reading:
- Stanford D School. (2013). Excerpts from bootcamp bootleg. Stanford, CA: Stanford D School.
- Merriam, S. (1998). Being a Careful Observer. In Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
merriam_beingacarefulobserver.pdf | |
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dschool_research_methods.pdf | |
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Reading Prompts
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
- How is your research connected to your own lived experience?
- At this point, in conceptualizing your study, what are specific aspects of your data that you imagine examining deeply and how do you imagine doing this- i.e. what methods are you using to enhance your investigation?
- After reading this article, what other methods might be used in conjunction to shape your lens and allow for other ways of understanding the data (triangulation)?
- If applicable, how do you propose gaining entry into your site? Use the points described by Bogden & Biklen to think about this.
- If applicable, what might be your relationship between you as the observer and the observed? Outline your emerging notions about this at this point? How will you deal with issues of power?
Data Analysis
Week 4: September 16 (Group Meeting)
A focus on data analysis, from transcribing interviews to organizing data and finding relationships and themes within your findings. We’ll explore questions such as: How do you make sense of data? How much data is enough? And how can your argument be supported by literature and empirical evidence? What methods are most useful given my choice of research methodologies?
Activity: Exploring A/r/tography - In small groups, we’ll experiment with a range of art making materials to translate sources of data - from interview transcripts and artifacts, to field notes and reflections.
Readings
Week 4: September 16 (Group Meeting)
A focus on data analysis, from transcribing interviews to organizing data and finding relationships and themes within your findings. We’ll explore questions such as: How do you make sense of data? How much data is enough? And how can your argument be supported by literature and empirical evidence? What methods are most useful given my choice of research methodologies?
Activity: Exploring A/r/tography - In small groups, we’ll experiment with a range of art making materials to translate sources of data - from interview transcripts and artifacts, to field notes and reflections.
Readings
- Merriam, S. B. (1998). Chapter 8: Analytic techniques and data management. In Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- Detlefsen, J. (2012). A conversation about a/r/tography: What are the qualities of living inquiry that foster a qualitative whole in art education? Visual Arts Research, 38(2), 71-82.
analytic_techniques_and_data_management.pdf | |
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artography_-_qualities_of_living_inquiry.pdf | |
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Reading Prompts
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
Respond to the following prompts and questions posed by the author:
- What are your initial ideas about managing your research process? Think about this based on the reading as well as in terms of how you currently organize your information.
- Once you have your well developed question… How might you allow space for emergent learning during the research process? What about the surprises and the unexpected?
- Based on the reading, what are your initial ideas about how you will analyze your data?
- At this point, in thinking about your own question, if someone else was going to do your study and you had to advise them, what would you tell them to do in order to go about developing findings and learning the answers?
Part 2: Research Design
Conceptualizing Your Research Design
Week 5: September 23 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Begin to outline the major components of your research study. Use the IRB Application as a starting point to describe the purpose of your study, the goals and objectives, and what the expected outcomes may be.
Assignment 1 Due: Revised Research Statement
Readings
Week 5: September 23 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Begin to outline the major components of your research study. Use the IRB Application as a starting point to describe the purpose of your study, the goals and objectives, and what the expected outcomes may be.
Assignment 1 Due: Revised Research Statement
Readings
- Marshall, C. & Rossman, G. (1999). Chapter 2: The what of the study. In Designing Qualitative Research Design. Troy, NY: Sage Publications.
ch._2_-_the_what_of_the_study.pdf | |
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Week 6: September 30 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Read sample literature reviews from prior theses based on your topics. Organize the sources in your annotated bibliography into categories and create an outline for your literature review. Add to your annotated bibliography.
Reading:
Falk, B. & Blumeriech, M. (2005). Chapter 4: Standing on the shoulders of those who came before. In The power of questions: A guide to teacher and student research, 41-59. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Read sample literature reviews from prior theses based on your topics. Organize the sources in your annotated bibliography into categories and create an outline for your literature review. Add to your annotated bibliography.
Reading:
Falk, B. & Blumeriech, M. (2005). Chapter 4: Standing on the shoulders of those who came before. In The power of questions: A guide to teacher and student research, 41-59. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
falk.blumenreichchapter4.pdf | |
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Making Sense of the Sources
Week 7: October 7
Continue to rework, edit and add to your literature review. Ensure there are at least 2-3 contemporary sources that relate to your field or research interest. Recognize contributions scholars have made. Compare and contrast sources and discuss commonalities and differences. Begin to prepare a final revision for review next week.
Literature Review
Week 8: October 14 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Prepare and finalize literature review.
Assignment 2 Due: Final Literature Review (8-10 pgs.)
Research Approach & Methodology
Week 9: October 21 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Formulate an action plan and decide on the research methodology that is most appropriate to your topic. Your action plan should consider the where, what, how and when of your research and the dates the data collection will take place. Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications MUST BE IN (we will discuss this in class). Your action plan and research methodology should produce the kind of evidence you need to explore your problem and support your approach to solving it.
Week 10: October 28 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Reading:
Week 7: October 7
Continue to rework, edit and add to your literature review. Ensure there are at least 2-3 contemporary sources that relate to your field or research interest. Recognize contributions scholars have made. Compare and contrast sources and discuss commonalities and differences. Begin to prepare a final revision for review next week.
Literature Review
Week 8: October 14 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Prepare and finalize literature review.
Assignment 2 Due: Final Literature Review (8-10 pgs.)
Research Approach & Methodology
Week 9: October 21 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Formulate an action plan and decide on the research methodology that is most appropriate to your topic. Your action plan should consider the where, what, how and when of your research and the dates the data collection will take place. Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications MUST BE IN (we will discuss this in class). Your action plan and research methodology should produce the kind of evidence you need to explore your problem and support your approach to solving it.
Week 10: October 28 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Reading:
- Falk, B. & Blumeriech, M. (2005). The research design: Developing an action plan for your inquiry. In The power of questions: A guide to teacher and student research, 60-90. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
falk.blumenreichchapter5.pdf | |
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Part 3: Planning & Fieldwork
Planning & Project Development
Week 11: November 4 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Develop a research proposal, which incorporates your INTRODUCTION, RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND SUBQUESTIONS (3-4 pages), RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ACTION PLAN (3-4 pages), LITERATURE REVIEW (8-10 pages), AND BIBLIOGRAPHY. The proposal should be approximately 20 pages double-spaced, APA style.
Assignment 4 Due: Thesis Proposal
Data Collection
Week 12: November 11 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Continue to plan the data collection process. Prepare for data collection (as applicable)
Week 13: November 18 (Individual Check-ins)
Refine your work plan for DATA Collection next semester.
Presentations
Week 14: December 2 (Group Meeting)
Presentation of the thesis proposal and participation in a critique by your advisor.
Reflection & Review
Week 15: December 16 (Individual Check-ins)
Week 11: November 4 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Develop a research proposal, which incorporates your INTRODUCTION, RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND SUBQUESTIONS (3-4 pages), RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ACTION PLAN (3-4 pages), LITERATURE REVIEW (8-10 pages), AND BIBLIOGRAPHY. The proposal should be approximately 20 pages double-spaced, APA style.
Assignment 4 Due: Thesis Proposal
Data Collection
Week 12: November 11 (Individual Check-ins by appt.)
Continue to plan the data collection process. Prepare for data collection (as applicable)
Week 13: November 18 (Individual Check-ins)
Refine your work plan for DATA Collection next semester.
Presentations
Week 14: December 2 (Group Meeting)
Presentation of the thesis proposal and participation in a critique by your advisor.
Reflection & Review
Week 15: December 16 (Individual Check-ins)