EDTEC 594 Research Topics
Overview
EDTEC 594 is the course where you implement the research studies you planned in EDTEC 566 and 567, analyze your results, and write research reports describing your studies and results. You will work independently with your instructor and with the support of the EDTEC community as you implement your research study and write your research reports.
You are in a merged section shared by three professors, Dr. Barbara Grabowski, Dr. David Popp, and Dr. Priya Sharma. You will be working directly with the professor who added you to the course. We have created this merged section in order to facilitate your access to a set of common resources we are developing to support your research.
There are no group assignments for the course. Each student will work individually with their research mentor and professor as they implement their research studies, do their data analysis, and write their research reports. We will, however, have discussion forums where you can ask questions about your study and share what you are doing with classmates. In this course site you will find:
- Public forums which are associated with your instructors - You will submit your work in public forums which are associated with your instructors. This will keep your work grouped by instructor, but these forums will be public in order to share what you are doing with other EDTEC students.
- Implementation Forum - This forum should be used to post questions or comments about the implementation phase of your study. For example, you might use this forum to ask questions about strategies for randomly assigning students to groups in your quantitative study or tips for conducting "think-alouds" for your qualitative study.
- Data Analysis - Post your qestions about data analysis in this forum.
- Writing - You can ask questions and share tips about the writing process in this forum.
The research reports you write in 594 and a two to three page paper synthesizing what you have learned from your studies are your final projects for the EDTEC Option to the M.Ed. in Instructional Systems. You will write the synthesis paper in the semester when you submit your second article and before you graduate.
The following can be used as a checklist for the semester.
- You cannot begin EDTEC 594 until you have an IRB application approved for your study. EDTEC 594 with an approved IRB application from EDTEC 566 and EDTEC 596 with an approved IRB application from EDTEC 567.
- Consult with your 594 instructor to incorporate final refinements to your study before you begin your implementation. This includes checking your experimental methods and instruments. Any changes to what you proposed in your research proposal/IRB form needs approval.
- After you have collected your data, work with your instructor to be sure that your data analysis is accurate.
- After data analysis is complete, you will write the first draft of your research report. You will share this document with an advanced doctoral student who will serve as a research mentor. The primary assignment of the mentor will be review the first draft of your research report which should be addressed in the second draft which you will send to your instructor. Your instructor will be your reviewer for subsequent drafts.
- You should expect to write several drafts of your paper. Based on past experience, former students have needed 3-5 drafts before their papers were finally approved. Any delays in making revisions will also delay the next round of feedback, so please be mindful of the process. If you are planning to graduate this semester, then your final draft should be submitted at least a week before the last day of the semester to allow adequate time for final review. Given the nature of the papers, and the extent of the feedback, you should expect a longer review time by your professor or mentor.
- When your professor approves the final draft of your research report, she or he will forward a copy of the report to the EDTEC master's program coordinator (David Popp). He will load a pdf of your paper to the Action Research on Learning with Technology site (Note, the name of the action research site may change.) Loading the research report to this site will complete one of the requirements for your master's paper.
- If the research report is your second, then you will need to write and submit your synthesis paper to complete the requirements for your degree. This paper should be two to three pages and synthesize the lessons learned from your studies. When your synthesis paper is completed, use your course site to submit the paper directly to Dr. Popp and cc: your instructor. The submission to Dr. Popp will initiate the final approval of your master's paper, and must be submitted by By the end of the final exam period for the semester in order to ensure your graduation this semester.
Works of sufficient quality will be published in the public Action Research on Learning with Technology repository site unless the EDTEC program receives a request to archive your work in the password protected section of the site. Authors of password protected materials will have the option of posting their synthesis papers or abstracts on the public site if they wish to make that part of their work public.
If you plan to graduate this semester you need to be aware of the following:
- At the beginning of the semester, you should go to e-lion and activate your intent to graduate.
- The Instructional Systems program will receive a graduation list during the last weeks of the semester and must remove students from the list if they are not on schedule to complete program requirement by the end of the semester. If you instructor concludes that you will not be able to complete the course requirements by the semester deadline, then your name will be removed from the graduation list. If your name is removed from the graduation list and you are able to complete the requirements before the due date, you will graduate in the following semester.
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Design a research study to investigate the impact of technology in the classroom
- Develop an effective research plan
- Conduct classroom-based research with the appropriate controls
- Use basic statistical methods (t-test, Chi2, ANOVA, etc.) to assess the impact of technology-related innovations in the classroom and/or school
- Interpret and describe the results of a research study.
Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Grading
Final grades will be obtained by calculating a percentage from points earned during the course divided by total possible points. Percentages will be converted to grades as follows:
Points |
Grade |
94 - 100% |
A |
90 - 93% |
A- |
87 - 89% |
B+ |
84 - 86% |
B |
80 - 83% |
B- |
77 - 79% |
C+ |
70 - 76% |
C |
60 - 69% |
D |
below 60% |
F |
Deferred Grades
If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time, it is
possible to have the grade for that course deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. To seek
a deferred grade, you must submit a request in writing (by e-mail or surface mail) to the
instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. It is up to your instructor to determine whether
or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If for any reason the course work for the
deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered
on your transcript.
Please refer to the University Registrar's information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity (for undergraduate students in undergraduate courses) and policy GCAC-805 Academic Integrity (for graduate students and undergraduate students in graduate courses), an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity or GCAC-805 Academic Integrity as appropriate). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal
integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help
create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the
fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is
requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedures allow a student to accept or contest/appeal the allegation. If a student chooses to contest/appeal the allegation, the case will then be managed by the respective school, college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. Review procedures may vary by college, campus, or school, but all follow the aforementioned policies.
All academic integrity violations are referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, which may assign an educational intervention and/or apply a Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion.
Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page.
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Students with disabilities participating in internship, practicum, student teaching, or other experiential learning opportunities as part of their degree requirements may also be eligible for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity. These accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, their University supervisor, and the site supervisor. Student Disability Resources can assist students with identifying potential barriers, facilitating accommodation requests, and coordinating with University supervisors to promote inclusive learning experiences.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.