Research Project Example
The following steps illustrate how to construct a research project with the subject of Using Technology in the Classroom.
Step 1
Observation:
There is an ever increasing use of technology in the classroom. The use of technology has an impact on the teaching and learning practices.
Assumption:
We embrace technology, but there is no proof that it improves the instructors' teaching efficiency and the students' learning ability. Many students feel that they learn more in face-to-face lectures, and some instructors feel that they can explain things better when they use the blackboard as opposed to a PowerPoint presentation.
Importance:
We need to find out whether the new teaching and learning practices are better than the traditional ones in order to guide future changes in education.
Results:
This research will illustrate the pros and cons of the traditional and the new practices and suggest ways for improving the shortcomings of the use of technology in the classroom.
Step 2
Find information in support of your research:
Search for supporting evidence for your observation.
(What is your observation based on?
Has anybody else made the same observation?)
Search for supporting evidence for your assumption(s).
(Where do your assumptions come from?
Who else has raised the same issues?)
Search for information that will help you derive/construct the results of your research.
(Have other people investigate the same topic? What do they say?
If you did a survey, what did you find out?)
Evaluate the information.
(What is the information that you found telling us?)
Your research project will cover the above steps if it answers the following questions:
What am I doing:
What I am researching?
Teaching and learning practices both for face-to-face and e-learning situations.
How am I doing it:
How am I doing the research?
I am investigating classes that use either or both methods of teaching and learning.
How am I looking for information?
I am interviewing students and instructors to get their opinions.
How am I evaluating the information?
I am comparing different opinions and doing statistics to see what the majority believes.
Why am I doing it:
What are we going to learn from my research?
We are going to find out which the best teaching and learning method is. This is a contribution to improving education.