Overview
MDDE 702: Qualitative Research Methods is the second of four required courses in the thesis program route. The course focuses on the knowledge and skills that an education practitioner - researcher must possess in order to interpret the results of qualitative investigations as reported in the open, digital and distance education and social science literature, as well as to conduct such investigations in their thesis research. Such knowledge and skills are essential preparation for graduate students who will be making decisions about methodology while developing their thesis proposals and conducting data analyses during their thesis research. The computer-based data analysis tool, nVivo, will be used to carry out course-related exercises and to prepare students for the analysis of qualitative data in their future thesis research. GenAI research tools will be considered as necessary.
All students taking the thesis route in the M.Ed. (Open, Digital, and Distance Education) program must successfully complete MDDE 700 before they can register in MDDE 702.
Students who successfully complete MDDE 702, but who opt to pursue the course-based route, will be granted three elective credits.
Outline
The course is divided into the following units:
- Unit 1 - Foundations
- Unit 2 - Sampling, Data Collection, and Data Analysis
- Unit 3 - Writing a Qualitative Study
Learning outcomes
After completing MDDE 702, you should be able to:
- Analyze approaches to research and interpretation of study results.
- Choose approaches appropriate to research goals and participants.
- Interpret and evaluate the results of research in the social sciences and distance education literature.
- Demonstrate advanced computer-based, data analysis skills for their future thesis endeavors.
Evaluation
Students will be assessed on a Pass/Fail for each assignment and for the final grade. The assignments are briefly described below.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 is an N-Vivo coding and qualitative analysis project | Pass/Fail |
| Assignment 2 is a paper discussing appropriate methodologies for your future research. | Pass/Fail |
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2024). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. 5/E Sage Publications.
Other Resources
Online Study Guide
N-Vivo software (access key emailed to registered students).