Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

COURSE DETAILS:

This is an in-person seminar/workshop course designed to support students in the preparation of their comprehensive exams.  In-person attendance is expected, with the exception of when you are sitting to write your comprehensive exams (Summer or Fall).

• If you are writing your comprehensive exams this Summer 2024 semester - please communicate dates to the instructor as soon as you have finalized them with your senior supervisor and committee member. You will not be expected to be in-class while writing your exams.
• If you are not writing your comprehensive exams this summer, and with your senior supervisor’s support, are going to write them in the Fall 2024 semester – it is expected you attend all weekends.

While zoom attendance can be accommodated with advance notice, please note due to the nature of this seminar series, some workshops and learning shared may not be as accessible.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Building on the work done thus far in the EdD program, we will use our time together to prepare each of you for the next steps of your doctoral journey: comprehensive exams.  The comprehensive exams are developmental in nature and are used to help assess the readiness of the doctoral student for their dissertation research. Students should be working closely with their senior supervisor at this stage of the program for: 1. establishing your committee, 2. discussing your dissertation and comprehensive exams focus/questions, and 3. any questions you have about the doctoral journey!

Based on this work with your senior supervisor, the seminar provides important space and support to guide you through various aspects of your dissertation project. Specifically, we will use our time together to help you gather the intellectual and practice focus on the literature(s), theory(ies), and research processes that will shape your dissertation research. In practical terms, this course is the opportunity for everyone to complete the foundational work that helps write your comprehensive exams. Additionally, we will use our time together to create a realistic and workable plans (e.g., road map, timeline) towards your successful doctoral defense. Students are encouraged to think about what they need along this journey and use this seminar series to have some of those needs meet or at least gain support/insight on where/how/who can help you along the way.  Ultimately, we will be considering how moving from comprehensive exams prepares you to go forward with research ethics, data collection, data analysis, and dissertation writing and all the steps in-between.

Knowledge:

1. To be able to compare and contrast the relevant literature that is informing your doctoral researcher.
2. To be able to understand the connections of the research literature in the fields informing your doctoral research along with the theoretical frameworks you will use in your dissertation.
3. To gain an appreciation for, and refine, your research design, ethics, and data analysis pertain to your doctoral research.

Self-reflection:

1. To share and contrast your perspectives related to research in education with colleagues through in-class and online discussion and sharing your own research experiences.
2. To reflect on areas of strengths and weaknesses of research in relation to your doctoral research.
3. To connect your personal reflections to assigned readings and class discussions to deepen your own process of understanding research related to your doctoral work.

Application to practice:  

1. To create a literature review process that supports you in the writing of your comprehensive exams and dissertation. This process is both practical (e.g., organizing your literature) and intellectually doing the conceptual work within your dissertation.
2. To construct a useful set of understandings of research processes designed to assist you in your doctoral research, particularly your proposal and ethics.
3. To demonstrate an understanding of your doctoral dissertation journey through the completion of a doctoral journey roadmap/timeline.

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Students are expected to come to class with their laptops and any other materials that need to work (e.g., bibliographic software, qualitative software – Nvivo). SFU Library has access to these software that are free for graduate students to download and use on their computers. Links to these and other resources will be provided on our class CANVAS site.

Students are encouraged to re-visit their course assignments and readings that are relevant to their doctoral research in preparation of this seminar.  Also, considering in advance, the online workshops available to you as graduate students through the SFU Research Commons (e.g., https://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/branches-depts/rc/services/workshops) that we may be able to incorporate as part of our learning together

REQUIRED READING: