Delivered at:: Department of Educational Programmes

Course type:: Compulsory course

When:: 2 year, 2, 3 module

Instructors

Gracheva, Daria

Faber, Andrei

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The research seminar "Science of Learning and Assessment" is a core course that aims to teach students fundamental steps in scientific methods with practical applications that students can use with their own thesis projects. The seminar provides systematic, structured support to students of the master's program at all stages of their coursework. Discussion topics and assignments include thesis topic selection, systematic literature review, developing research hypotheses, experimental design, ethics in research, and method selection. The course will offer students the opportunity to present their research topics orally and in writing, by covering principles of academic writing and successful oral presentations.

Learning Objectives

Students will learn to follow research logic
Students learn to search for scientific problems and trace them through research literature
Students can present their research orally
Students demonstrate effective academic writing skills
Students learn to prepare a research method sections
Students learn guidelines for systematic reviews

Expected Learning Outcomes

To conceptualize the research interests. To classify the problems to explore. To apply correct scientific terminology.
To depict the domain of interest under personal research. To ask empirical questions and search for relevant theories. To define key concepts and their operationalization. To search for relevant literature. To write introducing for personal research. To open the story and transition to literature review.
To summarize previous investigations. To identify contradictions, relations, gaps and inconsistencies in the literature. To stat hypotheses. To reconstruct and analyze structure of already published papers. To linking sentences and paragraphs.
To write personal literature review for the master theses.
To assess feasibility of the research.
To select the research design. To plan empirical research; to interpret possible results
To be aware of the most crucial ethical issues
To update personal research projects
To write down the method and the results sections.
To write down the discussion section.
To be aware of the rules of academic communication. To expand coping strategies.

Course Contents

Introduction to basic research terms and issue.
Starting student’s personal research project (master thesis)
Literature review. Goals, story plot and structure
Writing students’ personal literature review for their master theses
Connection between literature review, research strategy, research logic.
Finalizing of theoretical part of master thesis (long version of proposal)
Research Ethics
Summarizing findings from personal literature reviews and planning empirical studies
Writing about method, data analysis, results
Discussing/Interpretation: recurring to the start and looking ahead. Writing about interpretation of results
Practical issues: Reaction to critics, rejection and academic communication.

Assessment Elements

Presentation of research plan
Written task
Write an application for an Ethics Committee
Practice defense
The presentation should focus on the students' Master's thesis
Participation 2023-2024
Complete activities during class
Predefense 2024-2025
The presentation should focus on the student's Master's thesis
Participation 2024-2025
Engage in constructive discussions and complete activities during class.

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 2nd module
0.7 * Presentation of research plan + 0.7 * Presentation of research plan + 0.3 * Written task + 0.3 * Written task
2023/2024 4th module
0.3 * Participation 2023-2024 + 0.3 * Participation 2023-2024 + 0.7 * Practice defense + 0.7 * Practice defense
2024/2025 3rd module
0.3 * Participation 2024-2025 + 0.3 * Participation 2024-2025 + 0.7 * Predefense 2024-2025 + 0.7 * Predefense 2024-2025

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

. Кн.3: Психодиагностика : введение в научное психологическое исследование с элементами математической статистики : учебник, Немов Р.С., 2000
Alan Bryman, & The Programme Aims. (2001). Social research methods. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.151A861A
Bischoping, K. (2005). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches/The Practice of Social Research. Teaching Sociology, 33(1), 95–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X0503300110
Comeau, J., Grissett, J. O., & MacLennan, J. (2016). Social Research Methods. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.8F52B169
Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academ..., Lipson, Ch., 2004
Gerard Guthrie. (2010). Basic Research Methods : An Entry to Social Science Research. Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Hugo, A. (2009). How to do your research project: A guide for students in education and applied social sciences. Youth Studies Australia, 28(3), 3. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=f5h&AN=44275442
Michelle Goodman, & Goodman Michelle. (n.d.). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.DB303D5E
Rice, R. A. (2017). How to Write a Literature Review. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.7550A4E6
Ruane, J. M. (2016). Introducing Social Research Methods : Essentials for Getting the Edge. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1107215
Психологическое измерение : учеб. пособие для вузов, Тюменева, Ю. А., 2007

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Knopf, J. W. (2006). Doing a Literature Review. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.6DDBE740
Kuhn vs. Popper : the struggle for the soul of science, Fuller, S., 2006

Authors

GRACHEVA DARYA ALEKSANDROVNA
Kolachev Nikita Igorevich

Master’s Programme 'Science of Learning and Assessment'

Research Seminar "Science of Learning and Assessment"