Teaching Qualitative Research Online: Using Technology to Leverage Student Engagement

Teaching research skills in an online course, specifically qualitative research, can be challenging. On the one hand, students typically tend to have preconceived misconceptions or negative attitudes towards research; and on the other, online instruction poses a set of challenges to instructors in order to engage students in the learning experience. Additionally, teaching research skills requires getting students to think critically, synthesize literature, evaluate ideas, identify and analyze issues, solve problems, and be organized.

The presenters will a) highlight how they effectively integrated technology in a graduate online qualitative research course to meet specific learning outcomes, engage students, enable students to improve research skills, increase level of satisfaction of learners, and instill a positive attitude of learners towards research; b) explain the team approach followed by the subject matter expert, the instructional technologist/designer, and the technology innovator; c) showcase how they used the ASSURE Model to plan the lessons with technology; and d) highlight students’ feedback of their learning experience. Technologies that will be showcased include cutting-edge mobile apps, social media, and Blackboard collaboration tools.

Educators that wants to effectively integrate technology to teach introductory qualitative research skills, and online educators in general, would find immediate practical application of the session. At the end of the session, it is expected that the audience will be able to identify strategies to engage students using technology, and discuss how useful it is to follow a team approach and use a model for planning lessons that integrate technology. It is also expected that the audience will actively discuss the relationships among elements of effective integration of technology for learning: students, outcomes, content, instructional design, and technology.