Thesis Handbook Master of Arts in Learning and Technologymedia.royalroads.ca/owl/media/malat/documents/malat... · 2018. 3. 16. · 1/22 School of Education and Technology Thesis

1/22

School of Education and Technology

Thesis Handbook

Master of Arts in Learning and Technology

This version of the handbook applies to MALAT learners who began the program on 1 April 2017 or later.

Please watch the document revision dates.

October 13, 2017

Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 3Theses in the School of Education and Technology ........................................................................... 4Applying to the School of Education and Technology Thesis Track ................................................. 4

Submission Processes for Thesis Route .......................................................................................... 5Evaluation Process .......................................................................................................................... 5Thesis Track Timelines ................................................................................................................... 5MALAT Program Learning Outcomes to be demonstrated ............................................................ 6Ethical Review Process ................................................................................................................... 6Human Participants ......................................................................................................................... 6Confidentiality in Research ............................................................................................................. 7Intellectual Property and Research ................................................................................................. 7Copyright ........................................................................................................................................ 8

Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................................................. 8Thesis Supervision .......................................................................................................................... 8Role of the Thesis Coordinator ....................................................................................................... 9Role of the Faculty Supervisor ....................................................................................................... 9Role of the Thesis Committee ......................................................................................................... 9Role of the Student ........................................................................................................................ 10

Thesis Proposal ................................................................................................................................. 10Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 10Components .................................................................................................................................. 10Proposal Content ........................................................................................................................... 11

The Thesis ......................................................................................................................................... 11Layout Guidelines ......................................................................................................................... 11Alternate Formats ......................................................................................................................... 12

Thesis Assessment ............................................................................................................................ 14Submission of Thesis .................................................................................................................... 14MALAT Assessment Criteria ....................................................................................................... 15External Examiner ........................................................................................................................ 16Thesis Defence .............................................................................................................................. 17

Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................................. 20

MALAT Thesis Handbook 3/21

IntroductionIn2013,theUniversityadoptedasetofacademicregulationsstandardizingthedefinitionofathesis,thecompositionofthesiscommittees,requiringanExternalExaminerandapublicdefence,andcreatinganinstitution-wideoversightprocess.RoyalRoadsUniversitydefinesathesisasfollows:Athesisisasystematicstudyofasignificantproblem,issue,orphenomenon.Thethesisdemonstratestheabilitytoanalyseexistingresearch,collateorcollectdataandapplyitinthecontextofanexistingproblem,issue,oropportunity.Theresultisasynthesisoftheoreticalandempiricalinformationand/orrecommendationsforfurtheraction.Thethesisidentifiesaproblemorissue,statestheresearchquestion,identifiesmajorassumptions,explainsthesignificancefortheundertaking,groundstheresearchinrelevantliterature,setsforththemethodsofgatheringinformation,analysesthedataandoffersaconclusionorrecommendationbasedonthedataandtheoreticalframing.Appropriatequalitystandardssuchasvalidity,reliability,orauthenticitymustbeconsistentwiththeselectedresearchtraditionandevidentintooldevelopmentanddatacollection.Thefinishedthesisevidencescriticalandindependentthinking,subjectexpertise,appropriateorganizationandformatandthoroughdocumentation.UnlessanexemptionhasbeengrantedbytheVicePresidentAcademic&Provost,allthesesmustbesubmittedforpublicationinRRU’sDigitalArchive,Pro-QuestandLibraryArchivesCanadatomeetfinalgraduationrequirements.Thesesinnon-traditionalformatsmustbeaccompaniedbyaPDFsummary(minimum2,500words),whichistheonlycomponentthatiselectronicallysubmittedandarchived.OversightbyaThesisCommittee,includingasupervisornormallyqualifiedatthedoctorallevelanddemonstratingrelevantcompetenciesofcontentandmethodology,isrequired.Apublicdefenceandreviewbyanexternalacademicexaminerarealsorequired.Thethesisshouldconstituteapproximately400hoursofeffortbythestudentresultingintheawardingof12credits.(https://student.myrru.royalroads.ca/academic-regulations/masters-program-requirements)TheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesoverseestheMaster’sthesisprocessatRoyalRoadsUniversity.Allstudents,school/programthesiscoordinators,supervisors,otherthesiscommitteemembers,andExternalExaminersmustusetheSharePointsitemaintainedbytheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiestosubmittherequiredformsforcommitteenomination,proposals,progressreportsandfinalthesis.Anoverviewoftheuniversity’sprocessgoverningthesesisavailablefromtheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies.ThishandbookprovidessupplementalinformationonthethesisprocessspecifictotheSchoolofEducationandTechnology.RoyalRoadsUniversitypoliciesandregulationstakeprecedenceovertheinformationcontainedinthisdocument.


ThesesintheSchoolofEducationandTechnologyTheMAinLearningandTechnologyisanacademicprogramforindividualsinterestedintheeffectiveintegrationoftechnologyandlearning.Itisdesignedtooffergraduatestudentsbothrigorousacademicdevelopmentandappliedskills.Giventhedynamicnaturesofthedisciplinaryarea,therearemanyopportunitiestoundertakeresearchthatisnew,innovativeandinteresting.Writingathesismeansmakingadeepcommitmenttodesignanddevelopasubstantialpieceofindependentresearch.TheworkmustconformtotheacademicstandardsandconventionsoutlinedbytheRRUMAThesisdefinitionandtheSETcriteriabelow.IntheSchoolofEducationandTechnology,athesisisexpectedtomeetthefollowingcriteria:

• Enhancespre-existingknowledgeorexperienceinaspecificfield;• Hasagreaterscopethanwouldbeappropriatefora6-creditResearchPaper;and• Ismoretheoreticalinnaturethana6-creditResearchPaper.

ApplyingtotheSchoolofEducationandTechnologyThesisTrackIfyouwishtoundertakeathesis,youmustcompletetheMALATThesisStreamApplicationform.ThedeadlineforthethesisstreamapplicationisthemiddleofNovemberinthecalendaryearoftheprogramstartdate.YouarerequiredtohaveanA-averageintheMALATcoursestodateinordertoapplytodoathesis.TheMALATThesisStreamApplicationformwillbesentoutfromtheMALATProgramOfficefollowingtheSeptemberMALATExitPathwayssynchronoussession.IfyouareinterestedinapplyingtotheMALATThesisStream,youwillneedtomakeanappointmenttodiscussyourproposedtopicwiththeMALATThesisCoordinator(MALATProgramHead)beforecompletingtheapplicationform.Generalguidelinesforcompletingtheapplicationformarebelow:

1. Ensurethatyouhaveincludedalltherequestedinformation.2. Donotexceedthespaceallocatedforeachsection.3. Keepitsimple,butbethorough.Makesurethatyouanswerthoseimportantquestions:why,

what,when,where,andhow.4. Establishapersonalcontext. Whatdoyouwanttodo?Whydoyouwanttodoit,orwhyshould

itbedone? Inotherwords,whyisitimportant?5. Establishtheresearchcontext. Whatdoestheliteraturesayaboutthistopic?Howisthistopic

situatedwithintheongoingresearchconversation?Howwillyourworkbuilduponexistingresearch? Whatdoyouexpecttocontribute?RemembertociteyoursourcesinaccordancewithAPAguidelines.

6. Describetheprocess. Whatdoyouplantodo? Whatmethodologicalapproachdoyouplantotake? Howandwheredoyouplantocollectyourdata? Howdoyouplantoanalyseit? Whomdoyouplantoinvolveintheprocess?

7. Theapplicationisnotintendedtoreplacethemorecompleteproposalthatyouwilldevelopinyourresearchmethodscourse.

8. Writeinfirstpersonandengagethereaderwithyourenthusiasm.ThereisalsoanopportunitytoapplyforfundingthroughtheSocialSciencesandHumanitiesResearchCouncil(SSHRC);ifyouchoosetodothis,pleaseallowforsufficienttimetorequestandgatheryoursupportingletters.ThedeadlineforthisapplicationisDecember1st.


PleasecontactGwenCampden,CoordinatorofFinancialAidandAwardsinStudentServices,duringAugustofyourfirstyearformoredetailabouttheSSHRCapplicationrequirements.YoucanreachheratGwen.Campden@RoyalRoads.caSubmissionProcessesforThesisRoute

1. EnsurethatyouhaveincludedalltherequestedinformationontheMALATThesisApplicationform.

2. SubmityourapplicationtotheMALATProgramOfficebythedeadlinedate.3. RepresentativesofSETwilladjudicatethesistrackproposals.

EvaluationProcessYourthesisapplicationwillbereviewedbyafacultycommitteewhowilldeterminewhethertheapplication:

• hasthepotentialtocontributeoriginalknowledgetothefield;• hasascopethatis,inasmuchasispossible,acceptableforamaster’sthesis(neithertoobroad

nortoonarrow);• is,inasmuchasispossible,practicalforthetimeallocatedfortheMALATThesiscompletion;• isdirectlyconnectedtotheMALATprogramlearningoutcomes;and,• iswrittenusingaclearandconciseacademicwritingstylethatadherestoAPAguidelines.

ThesisTrackTimelinesNOTE:thetablebelowrepresentsgeneraltimelinesandtasksassociatedwiththeMALATthesis(LRNT690).YouwillworkwithyourthesissupervisortoreviewthetasksandsubtasksbelowinLRNT690andadjustisasnecessarytomeetthedeadlinefortheoraldefenceandthesiscompletion.ThesisTrackTimelines SuggestedTimelineCompleteLRNT600

NOTE:LRNT600isapre-requisitecourseforLRNT690inwhichyouwilldevelopandreceivefeedbackonthefirstdraftofyourthesisproposalfromtheLRNT600courseinstructor.

PriortobeginningLRNT690

BeginLRNT690 FallofsecondyearofMALATSubmitthesissupervisorycommittee(supervisorandsecondcommitteemember)toSharePointforapproval

Endofweek1ofLRNT690

SubmitproposaltoSharePointforsupervisorandsecondcommitteememberreview

ByOct14,2018

ReceiveapprovalfromthesissupervisorandsecondcommitteemembertosubmittheRRUResearchEthicsBoardApplication(REB)andsubmitREBapplication

NOTE:theRRUREBreviewprocesscantake4–6weeks.YouarenotabletocollectanydatauntilyouhavereceivedRRUREBapprovaltoconductyourresearch.IfyourresearchsiterequiresitsownREBapproval,youwillneedtoapplyfor,andreceivethataswellpriortocommencingdatacollection.

ByNov18,2018

Firstcompletedraftsubmittedbyemailforsupervisortoreview March17,2019Allrequirededitscomplete;resubmitbyemailforsecondcommitteemembertoreview

April14,2019

ThesiscommitteetosubmitproposalforExternalExaminertothesis April14,2019


coordinatorAllrequirededitscompletedandfinaldraftsubmittedtosupervisorforapproval

May5,2019

Afterapprovalbysupervisor,submittoSharePointfororaldefence May19,2019OralDefence June2019FinalthesissubmittedtoSharePointwithsignedtitlepage July14,2019MALATProgramLearningOutcomestobedemonstratedTheMAinLearningandTechnologyprogramhasfoundationalprogramlearningoutcomes(Appendix1).ThefollowingprogramlearningoutcomesaredirectlyassociatedwiththeMALATThesisStream.

• PLO1Communicateandsynthesizeinformationandargumentsatthegraduatelevel.• PLO7Contributemeaningfullytodigitallearningnetworksandcommunities.• PLO8Explaintheinterrelationshipbetweeninnovation,changeanddigitallearning

environmentsandtheirimpactonorganizationsandsociety.• PLO9Applyreflectiveprocesstoimproveprofessionalpractice.• PLO10Criticallyevaluateand/orproduceresearch.

TheMALATprogramlearningoutcomesappliedtotheresearchwillbecontext-specificandwillthereforebeidentifiedduringthedesignprocessforthethesis. ConsultthedocumentintheAppendixwhenplanningtheprojectinordertoidentifythelearningoutcomestheresearchwilladdress.Thelearningoutcomesidentifiedduringthedesignprocesswillformanintegralpartoftheresearchandwillactasaguideastheworkevolves.Thelearningoutcomestobedemonstratedandthedetailsoftheirevaluationduringtheconductoftheresearchwillbediscussedwithandagreeduponbyyourthesissupervisor.AnMAqualificationisawardedtothosegraduatestudentswhohavedemonstratedanappropriatedepthofknowledgeintheaboveareas.Allprojectsmustberelevanttothefieldoflearningandtechnology.EthicalReviewProcessIn a MALAT thesis, you will be carrying out a research study that involves human participants. Such studies will be carried out under the approved guidelines of the RRU Office of Research Ethics and must conform to the RRU Research Ethics Policy. Students must submit a request for ethical review to the RRU Research Ethics Board (REB) for review and potential revision. All REB applications must first be approved by the thesis supervisor before they can be submitted to the Office of Research Ethics. For further information and the details of the REB submission process, contact GinaArmellino,OfficeofResearchEthics,viatelephone(250)391-2600,extension4425,[email protected]@royalroads.ca. TheResearchEthicsPolicyandtheRequestforEthicalReviewFormsareavailableontheRRUwebsiteathttp://www.royalroads.ca/research/ethical-reviewsHumanParticipantsExamplesofHumanParticipation:

• Interviewswithindividualsorgroups.• On-sitejobobservations,whichinvolvehumanparticipantswhomustprovidepersonaldata.• Reviewofpersonnelfilesorassessmentreports.


• Psychologicaltesting.• Evaluationortestingprogramsinvolvingtargetedparticipants.

ActivitiestoBeCompletedbytheResearcher:Graduatestudentswhowishtousehumanparticipantsduringtheirresearchmust:

• CompletetheInteragencyAdvisoryPanelonResearchEthics'IntroductoryTutorial;andsendevidenceofcompletiontotheprogramoffice.

• CompletetheRoyalRoadsUniversityEthicsReviewapplicationform.• HavetheRoyalRoadsEthicsReviewapprovedbyacommitteeofRRUfaculty.• Informtheparticipantstheyarepartofaresearchprojectandwhattypeofdataisbeing

collected.• Describetotheparticipantshowthedatamaybeusedandwhowillhaveaccesstoit.• Haveparticipantssignareleaseformthatacknowledgestheyarewillingresearchparticipants

andthattheyauthorizetheresearchertoemploythecollecteddatainsupportoftheresearchproject.

• Protecttheconfidentialityofallparticipantsinallphasesoftheresearch.ConfidentialityinResearchInsomecases,studentswillundertakeresearchwiththesupportofanorganization,suchastheiremployer. Insuchinstances,ifgraduatestudentsareconductingtheirresearchtoservetheneedsofaparticularorganization,whethercorporate,government,ornot-for-profit,theyarerequiredtoadheretotheconfidentialityguidelinesandethicalreviewprocessesoftheorganization. Theyshouldfamiliarizethemselveswiththecontentoftheseguidelinesbeforeproducingtheirproposal.Non-disclosureagreements:Incaseswhereresearchisconductedwithinanorganization,researchersmayberequiredtosignnon-disclosureforms. Thisobligatestheindividualtoconfidentiallyrestricttheuseofspecificinformationthatmayprovideoutsideorganizationsaninsightintoacompany’scompetitiveadvantageorcorporatestrategies.RestrictivePractices:Issuesofconfidentialityandnon-disclosuremustbethoroughlyexploredwiththeThesisSupervisor.Non-disclosureagreementsorrestrictivepracticesthatcurbtheabilityoftheresearchertofulfiltheirresearchrequirementsshouldbeavoided.Exampleswouldbeifanorganization:

• reservestherighttorestrictthetypesofdatareportedinthefinalreport;• limitsdistributionofthefinalreportandthereforetheabilityofotherresearcherstousethe

reportarerestricted;or• doesnotpermitthegraduatestudenttodescribeproductivitydataorfinancialinformationinthe

finalreport.IntellectualPropertyandResearchThecompletionofathesismayresultinthecreationofnewknowledge,processesortools.Ownershipofthisnewknowledge,processortoolcanoftenbecomplicated,especiallyiftheoutcomeoftheresearchhaspotentialcommercialapplications.Inmostcases,theownerofthenewknowledge,processortoolistheoriginatoroftheidea(i.e.,theRRUstudent).StudentswhomaycreateintellectualpropertyaspartoftheirthesisshouldinformthemselvesofthecurrentIntellectualPropertyguidelinesadoptedbyRRU.


Examplesofintellectualpropertymayincludea:

• completedCD-ROMorDVDordigitalmediaforms;• writtenreportanditssupportingdata;• setofevaluationinstrumentsproducedtogatherdata;• databaseusedtocollateandanalyzedata.

Note:Ideasarenotconsideredintellectualpropertyuntiltheyhavebeenrecordedinsomemediumthatotherscanread,review,touchand/orsee.CopyrightAsaconditionfortheawardofthedegree,thestudentisrequiredtopublishthethesisunderaCreativeCommonsAttributionNon-CommercialShareAlike2.5CanadalicencewithProQuest,LibraryandArchivesCanada,andDSpace@RRU.ThestudentshouldincludetheCreativeCommonssymbolonthetitlepageofthethesis(seesampletitlepageprovidedontheThesisSharepointsite).AnyrequesteddelayinpublicationissubjecttotheDean’sapproval.TheauthorofanRRUthesisretainstherightstohis/herproductandhastherighttoreproduce,publish,adapt,translate,perform(inthecaseofanaudio-visualwork),andtelecommunicatethework,andhastherighttocontrolthecircumstancesinwhichothersmaydoanyofthesethings,subjecttocertainexceptionsundertheCopyrightActwhichallowuseofworksforpurposessuchaseducationandresearch,andusesallowedundertheCreativeCommonslicense.TheauthorofanRRUthesismustobtainclearanceforanythirdpartymaterialsreproducedinthethesis(including,butnotlimitedto,maps,figures,anddiagramsnotcreatedandownedbytheauthor)priortofinalsubmission.Thesethird-partymaterialsremainthecopyrightoftheoriginalowner,andmaynotbeusedwithoutwrittenpermissionofthatcopyrightowner.InformationaboutcopyrightandadownloadablecopyoftheRoyalRoadsCopyrightPermissionletterisavailableathttp://library.royalroads.ca/copyright-office/copyright-information-thesis-publication.

RolesandResponsibilitiesThesisSupervisionOverviewEvery student completing a thesis will be supervised by a Thesis Supervisor and a ThesisCommittee. NominationandapprovalofsupervisorsandcommitteesoccursviatheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies.Studentsareresponsibleforinitiatingthisprocess.EachSupervisoryCommitteemustbeapprovedbytheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesinconsultationwiththeSchoolDirector,DeanoftheFacultyandtheVicePresidentAcademic&Provostasrequired.EachSupervisoryCommitteemustbecomprisedofaminimumoftwoandamaximumofthreecommitteemembers.TheThesisSupervisorcountsasoneofthesemembers.OneoftheSupervisoryCommitteemembersmustbeanadjunct,associateorfull-timefacultymemberatRoyalRoadsUniversity.Normally,allSupervisoryCommitteememberswouldholdadoctorate,butinexceptionalcircumstances,individualswithextensivepractitionerexperiencewhoarerecognizedasanexpertinthefieldwouldbeeligibletoserveasSupervisororCommitteeMember.At


leastoneofthemembersoftheThesisSupervisoryCommitteemustholdadoctorate.Nominationsforsupervisorsandcommitteememberswhoarenotfull-timeRRUfacultywillbereviewedandapprovedbytherespectiveFacultyDeanandtheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies.Onceapproved,supervisor/committeememberwillretainactivestatuswiththeuniversityunlessperformancefeedbackwarrantsrevieworterminationofsuchstatus.Thesissupervisorswhoarenotfull-timefacultyreceiveacontractforsupervision;thesecondmandatorycommitteememberreceivesanhonorariumifnotafull-timefacultymember.Allcommunicationaboutremunerationandhonorariaisexecutedbyuniversitystaff,notthestudent.RoleoftheThesisCoordinatorTheThesisCoordinatorisexpectedtocompletethefollowingtasks:

• advisestudentsonallacademicaspectsofwritingorcreatingathesisinlearningandtechnology;• facilitateselectionofapplicationsforadmissiontothesistrack;• liaisewiththeOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiestoendorsefaculty

forsupervisionandcommitteeserviceinvolvingSETtheses;• approveeachstudent’sThesisCommitteenomination;• familiarizethemselveswithSharePointandensurethatThesisSupervisorsandCommittee

MembersfamiliarizethemselveswiththeSharePointprocess;• liaisewiththeOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiestoendorse

ExternalExaminersfortheses.RoleoftheFacultySupervisorTheFacultySupervisorisexpectedtocompletethefollowingtasks:

• facilitateandapprovetheformalthesisproposalfollowingtheprocessoverseenbytheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies;

• ensurethatthestudentfollowsallprocessesrequiredbytheUniversity’sResearchEthicsPolicy;• completetheInteragencyAdvisoryPanelonResearchEthics'IntroductoryTutorial;• maintaincontactwiththestudentduringtheperiodofsupervisiontoreviewanddiscussissues

arisingfromthethesis;• familiarizethemselveswithSharePoint,theprogramhandbook,andtheuniversity’s

academicregulations;• fileprogressreportsevery6months;• negotiateamutuallyagreeduponscheduleofduedates(tobedraftedbythestudent)forthe

submissionofdraftchaptersorsectionsofthethesis;• provideadviceonthematerialsubmittedanddiscussrequiredchanges;• advisethestudentonpreparationforthepublicdefenceofthethesis;• ensurethatthestudent’sfinalthesisdoesnotviolateprivacy,intellectualproperty,orcopyright

regulationsandthatallrequiredpermissionsforallthird-partyworks,includingbutnotlimitedtoimages,lyrics,illustrations,andsubstantialportionsoftext,havebeenobtainedbeforethethesisissubmittedtotheSupervisoryCommittee.

RoleoftheThesisCommitteeTheroleofthecommitteeistoprovideadviceonthematerialsubmitted,discussrequiredchanges,approvethethesisproposalandparticipateintheformalassessmentofthethesis,includingthepublicdefence.


RoleoftheStudentThestudentisresponsibleforplanning,implementingandcompletingthethesis.Thisentailsthatthestudent:

• reviewsandunderstandsthisHandbook;• filesprogressreportseverysixmonths;• reviewsandunderstandstheuniversity’smaster’sthesisprocessoverseenbytheOfficeofthe

ViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies;• usestheuniversity’sSharePointsiteforeachstepofthethesisprocess;• developsaproposaladoptingtherequiredformat;• ensuresrigorandhighqualityofwork,withappropriateattributionsthroughouthis/her

research;• adherestoamutuallyagreed-uponscheduleincludingdeadlinesforcompletionforallstages;• completesthethesisinaccordancewiththeproposalandinaccordancewiththeRRUResearch

EthicsPolicyandtheRRUIntegrityandMisconductinResearchandScholarshipPolicy;• producesbothadraftandfinalthesisthatconformtoRRUpoliciesandguidelines.

ThesisProposalPurposeRoyalRoadsUniversityiscommittedtotheproductionofusefulknowledge.Courseworkandtheresearchprocessarestructuredaroundthetimelypublicationofyourresearch. WhileRRUiscommittedtointerdisciplinary,appliedresearch,itisevenmoreimportanttoproducehigh-qualityworkthatdemonstratesthecompetencyandliteracyofourstudentsandtheirthesissupervisors. Graduatestudentsareencouragedtoform“learningnetworks”aroundtheirparticularareaofresearch,andtoinvitedialoguewithotherstudents.Theaimofathesisproposalistoprovidearoadmapforyourproposedresearch,describingtheproblemsand/orissuestobeexaminedduringtheresearch.Thefollowinglistdescribesa“typical”proposal,butthecontentsmayvarydependingontheplannedresearchquestionandmethodology.Theproposalidentifiestheresearchquestionsorhypothesis,detailstheresearchmethodology,includesacomprehensiveintroductoryliteraturereview,andliststhepotentialparticipants.Itshouldclearlyindicatetheresources,expensesandothersupportthatwillberequiredbytheresearchprojectandwhohastheresponsibilitygrantingaccesstotheseresources.Itshouldalsolisttheprocessdeadlinesthatthegraduatestudentexpectstomeetduringpreparationandcompletionofthethesis.YourfirstversionofyourresearchproposaliscreatedaspartofLRNT600courseworkrequirements,andiscritiquedbytheinstructorandbypeers,asdescribedinthecourseoutline.InLRNT690,youwillbeexpectedtomakechangestothisproposalandfinalizeitbasedonreviewandfeedbackfromyourthesissupervisorandsecondcommitteemember.ComponentsThethesisproposalshouldaddressthefollowingcomponents:

• Introduction.Thisshouldincludeadescriptionoftheproblemoropportunitybeinginvestigatedandpotentialcauses,alongwiththepotentialimpactorsignificanceifthepotentialsolutionisnotaddressed.Theintroductionshouldalsoincludeabriefanalysisofwhatisknownaboutthe


areafromtheinformationandsupportingdocumentsfromtheorganizationunderstudy(ifapplicable),aswellassimilarproblemsorissuesdescribedintheacademicandprofessionalliterature.Thisinformationshouldamplifyorsupportthedescriptionoftheproblem.Thissectionshouldalsocontainanexplicitresearchquestion,problem,orhypothesis,andresearchobjectives.

• ResearchDesignandMethod.Theresearchdesignandmethodstobeusedtoconductthestudyshouldbedescribed.Data-gatheringinstruments,methodsofdatacollectionandanalysisstrategiesandtechniquesshouldbeaddressed.Studentsmayapplyanyqualitativeandquantitativemethodsappropriateforstudyoftheidentifiedproblem(s).TheselectedresearchdesignshouldbeexpressedclearlyintheproposalandissubjecttoapprovalbytheThesisCommittee.

• ReferenceList.APAformatforallarticles,books,policiescitedintheproposal.• Schedule.Ascheduleshouldbeincluded(timelines,projectgoalsandduedates).• CitationStyle.AmericanPsychologicalAssociation(6thEdition)citationstylemustbeemployed.

ProposalContentAtypicalresearchproposalwillhavethefollowingsections:

1. Introduction2. Researchquestionandobjectives3. Literaturereview4. Researchmethods5. Timelineforprojectactivities6. Resourcerequirementsandhowtheywillbeprovided.

Uponapprovalbyyourthesiscommittee,thisrevisedproposalwillbesubmittedaspartofyourapplicationforethicsreview.

TheThesisLayoutGuidelinesThelengthofathesiswillvarydependingonthetypeofprojectandtheamountofevidencecollected.Themaximumlengthofathesiswillbe100pages(25,000words)exclusiveofabstract,references,appendices,etc.Excessivelengthisfrequentlyanindicatorofpoorsynthesisandweakanalysis.Tothisendyoushouldensurethatyoua)clearlydefinethescopeoftheproject;b)synthesizeratherthansurveytheliterature;c)succinctlydetailtheprocess;andd)placemoreemphasisontheanalysisofthecollecteddatathanonitsdescription.Theabilitytoconveycomplexideasinaconcisemannerisaskillthatshouldbedemonstratedinthethesis.Alternateformatsforpartofthethesisworkwillbeconsidered.Ifthereisanunusual,significant,methodologicallybasedreasonforagreaterlength,contacttheThesisCoordinatortodiscussit.Individualtheseswillvaryincontentandstylebasedonthetypeofresearchbeingconducted.Careshouldbetakentocitereferencedmaterialthoroughlyandappropriately.TheworkmustbereferencedandformattedinaccordancewiththePublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation(6thEdition),commonlyreferredtoasthe“APAstyleguide”.


AlternateFormatsThesesinnon-traditionalformatsmustbeaccompaniedbyaPDFsummary(minimum5,000words),whichistheonlycomponentthatiselectronicallysubmittedandarchived.

OrganizationAlthoughtheformatandorganizationofathesisisfairlystandardized,thereisscopeforalternativestructure.Nonetheless,allresearchsubmissionshavecertainelementsincommon.Graduatestudentswhoelecttoproduceanalternativemediaprojectordevelopotherresearchartefactsmuststillproduceathesis-likedocument.Thetitlesbelowareindicativeofthecontentofeachsection;althoughtheymaynotbeappropriateforalltheses.BeginningSectionThefirst3itemsinthislistmustappearoneverythesis:

• TitlePage• Abstract(maximumof150words)• TableofContents• ListofFigures(ifappropriate)• ListofTables(ifappropriate)

Otherprefatoryelementssuchasacknowledgementsmayalsobeincluded.RefertotheAPAstyleguidefordetailsaboutpositioning.Placeallpagenumbersinthetopright-handcornerinthedocumentheader. Includeyourtitlepagewithinthetotalpagecount;however,donotprovideanumberonthetitlepage.UseArabicnumerals(1,2,3)throughoutthedocument,andcontinuethepagenumberssequentiallytotheendofthereport,includingallappendices.IntroductionThissectionshouldcontain:

• Researchtopic,questionorhypothesistobeexamined;• Acompellingargumentaboutwhytheissueisimportant;• Introductiontotheresearchquestion;• Detaileddescriptionoftheproblembeinginvestigatedandhowitrelatestotheresearch

question;• Discussionoftheimpactofnotfixingoreliminatingtheproblem;• Theorganizationalcontext–organizationalcharts,missionstatements,keycontributorsor

participantstotheprogram(asappropriatetothestudy);• Introductiontothetheoreticalframeworkandexplanationofitsrelevancetotheresearch;• Definitionofterms;• Outlineofthestructureoftheentiredocument(oralternativeproduct);and• Limitationsanddelimitationsoftheresearch.

Theintroductionisoftenthemostdifficultpart,andmanyaccomplishedwritersoftengobacktothissectionandre-writeitaftertheyhavefinishedtheentiredocument. Theintroductionisimportantforprovidingthecontextandtheframeworkfortheremainderofthedocumentstructure,anditisthereader’sinitialexposuretothewriter’sstyle.


LiteratureReviewEverythesiswillincludeareviewoftheliterature.Inatypicalliteraturereview,thewritermustdemonstratethatheorshehasagraspoftherelevantliteratureapplicabletothefieldofstudy.Theliteraturereviewandrelevantreferencesshouldbewovenintegrallyintothetext,whereverappropriate.Referencetotheliteraturemay:

• supporttheneedtostudythisproblem/issueandcomparethesituationwithsimilarsituations;• provideamorein-depthdiscussionofthetheoreticalframeworkforthestudy;• demonstratethewriter’sknowledge/understandingabouttheproblem/issueunderstudy;

(includingdifferingpointsofviewwhereapplicable);and• situatethisstudyintheexistingbodyofresearch.

Inadditiontopeer-reviewedjournalsandbooks,supportingdocumentsmayinclude,amongothers,website,newsletters,policypapers,strategicplans,andpersonalcommunication.Thelengthoftheliteraturereviewmayvarydependingonmethodologyandtopic.MethodologyThissectionshouldcontainadescriptionofthe:

• researchparticipants(whereappropriate);• methodologicalframework,e.g.,qualitative/quantitative,inductive/deductive,andtherelevant

supportingtheory;• specificmethodsusedtogatherandanalysedata(includingrationaleforwhyaspecificmethod

wasselectede.g.,forselectingarticles,datagatheringtools,analysistools…);• datagatheringtoolsandprocess.Thedatagatheringinstrumentsshouldbeattachedtothe

document;• reliability/validity/trustworthinessofaldatagatheringinstrumentsandactivities;• properandeffectiveuseofstatisticalanalysisorqualitativeanalysistoolsandapproaches;• discussethicalconsiderations;and• usepasttense.

Inshort,thischapter,sectionorsubsection,shouldaddressallofthestepscompletedduringtheconductoftheresearch—whatyoudid,whyyoudidit,andhowyoudidit. Thissectionshoulddescribealloptionsconsideredandattemptedduringthecompletionoftheprojectinsufficientdetailthatsomeoneelsecouldreplicateyourprocesswithouthavingtoguess.SuccessiveSectionsWhileeachofthefollowingitemswouldbeincludedinathesis,theycouldbepresentedasindividualsectionsorcombinedinasingleconcludingsection.Insomecasestheanalysismaybeintegratedthroughoutthebodyofthework.

• Findings/resultso adetaileddescriptionofthefindingsorobservationsmadeduringstudycompletiono eachgroupoffindingsmustbesupportedbytheevidencecollected.

• Analysis/Discussion/Conclusionso shouldbesupportedbythestudyfindingsandotherrelatedliterature;mayincludeideas

forfutureresearch;ando shouldcontainadiscussionoftheimplicationsoftheresearchonthebodyofknowledge

beingstudied.


• Recommendationsasappropriatebasedonandsupportedbytheconclusionsandtheliterature.• Thefinalthesisdocumentwillstanduptorigorousacademicscrutiny.

ReferencingReferencingisfundamentaltoyourscholarshipandresearchintegrity. Thepurposeofreferencingistogivecreditwherecreditisdue—itacknowledgesthesourceofideasthatarenotourown.ReferencingshouldbecompletetothelevelofdetailthatallowsthereadertolocatetheoriginalsourceinordertoverifytheinformationpresentedandmeetAPArequirements.Guidelines:

• Donotusereferencesselectivelytogiveafalsesenseofauthority.• Lookforliteraturethatseemstocontradictyourideas.• Drawprimarilyonscholarlymaterial,suchaspeer-reviewedjournals,unlesstherearereasonsto

focusonothertypesofresources.• Avoidusingreferencesasasubstituteforexplanationorargument.Theintegrationofideas

happensspontaneouslyinthehumanmind,butinanacademicsetting,italsoneedstotakeplaceonthepage.

• Quoteandcitestrategically.Usewhatiscited–donotjustcite.Indiscriminateuseofacademicreferencesisthescholarlyequivalentofname-dropping,andshouldbeavoided.

Becarefulwiththeuseofwebreferences.Manyappeartobeauthoritativebutreallyfallinthesamecategoryasotherself-publishedwork.Avoidthosethatarepoorlyresearchedandtransitory.Lookforevidencethattheauthorhashadhisorherideapublishedinapeer-reviewedjournal,andusethatsourceinstead.

ThesisAssessmentSubmissionofThesisYouwillworkwithyourThesisSupervisoruntilyouarriveatthefinalthesisdraft.YoushouldfollowtheThesisTrackTimelineslaidoutearlierinthisdocumentandensureyoumaketheappropriatesubmissionstotheUniversity’sSharePointsite.Within10workingdaysofthefinaldraftsubmission,theThesisSupervisorwillapproveorrejectthefinalthesisandallowthestudenttosubmitthethesistotheThesisCommittee.ShouldtheThesisSupervisordeemthefinalthesisnotofsufficientqualitytogoforthtotheThesisCommittee,thestudentwillhavetorevisethethesisuntilitmeetsthesupervisor’sstandards.Thisprocessmayincurfeesanddelaygraduation.ThestudentandtheThesisSupervisorareresponsibleforensuringthatthethesisdoesnotviolateprivacy,intellectualproperty,orcopyrightregulations,andthatallrequiredpermissionsforallthird-partyworks,includingbutnotlimitedtoimages,lyrics,illustrations,andsubstantialportionsoftext,havebeenobtainedbeforethethesiscanbesubmittedtotheThesisCommittee.TheUniversityLibraryprovideslinkstotherequiredformsforrequestingpermissionstousecopyrightedmaterialwithintheses.TheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesoverseestheassessmentprocess,whichincludesreviewandapprovaloftheprojectbytheThesisCommittee,apublicdefence,reviewby


anExternalExaminer,andreviewandapprovalbytheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies.

MALATAssessmentCriteriaAMALATthesiswillbeassessedonthefollowingcriteria:ChapterOne:StudyBackground

• TheProblemorOpportunity.• Introductiontotheresearchquestion.• Theresearcherproperlyscopedtheproblemoropportunityidentifiedintheproposalusingvalid

problemidentificationtoolsormethods.• Detaileddescriptionoftheproblembeinginvestigatedandhowitrelatestotheresearch

question.• Discussionoftheimpactofnotfixingoreliminatingtheproblem.• Theorganizationalcontextisdescribedandorganizationcharts,missionstatements,job

descriptions,keycontributorsorparticipantstotheproblemareincluded(asappropriatetothestudy).

• Introductiontothetheoreticalframeworkandexplanationofitsrelevancetothestudy.• Definitionofterms.• Limitations&delimitationsoftheresearch.

ChapterTwo:LiteratureReview

• Theliteraturereviewconsideredallappropriatesourcesofinformation.• Describesimilarproblemsorissuescontainedinpeerreviewjournals,booksorotheracceptable

sourcesofinformation.• In-depthdiscussionofthetheoreticalframeworkintroducedinChapterOne.• Providesupportfortheneedtostudythisproblem/issueandcomparethesituationwithsimilar

situations.• Demonstratethewriter’sknowledge/understandingabouttheproblem/issueunderstudy

(includingdifferingpointsofviewwhereapplicable),and• Situatethisstudyintheexistingbodyofresearch.

ChapterThree:ConductofResearchStudy/Method

• Thethesisadequatelydescribeshowthecandidateappliedtheresearchmethodologyandstepsdescribedintheoriginalproposal,includingthetheoreticalbasisforthemethodchosen.

• Step-by-stepdescriptionoftheresearchmethodsusedduringthestudy&justificationfortheiruse.

• Describedatagatheringtoolsorprocesses.Thedatagatheringinstrumentsaredescribedorattachedtothethesis.

• Thereliability/validity/trustworthinessofalldatagatheringinstrumentsoractivitiesaredescribedinthethesis.

• Thethesisdemonstratestheproperandeffectiveuseofstatisticalanalysisorqualitativeanalysistoolsorapproaches.

• Detaileddescriptionofthestepscompletedduringtheconductoftheappliedresearchstudyshouldbeprovidedinthissection.Thissectionshoulddescribealloptionsconsideredandattemptedduringthecompletionofthestudy.


• Discussethicalconsiderations.• Thethesisconformstotheguidelinesforresearchusinghumanparticipants.• Writteninpasttense.

ChaptersFourandFive:Analysis

• Thefindings,conclusionsandrecommendationsaresupportedbycollectedevidence,theresearcher’sanalysisandsynthesisofthefindings,andotherinformationdescribedintheliteraturereview.

• Findings:Detaileddescriptionofthefindingsorobservationsmadeduringstudycompletion.Eachgroupoffindingsmustbesupportedbytheevidencecollected.

• Conclusions:shouldbesupportedbythestudyfindingsandotherrelatedliterature.• StudyRecommendations:shouldbebasedonandsupportedbytheconclusionsandthe

literature.• Thefinalthesiswillstanduptorigorousacademicscrutiny.

ChapterSix:ResearchImplications

• Descriptionoftheimplementationprocessanditsimplicationsifthechangesarenotundertaken.• FutureResearch-implicationsoftheirresearchresultsonthebodyofknowledgebeingstudied.• Abriefconclusiontothedocument,notingtherelevanceoftheresearchundertaken.

ProductionQualityConsiderations

• DocumentlayoutandformatconformtotheguidelinesprovidedinthishandbookandthoserequiredbytheRRUforstudentresearch.

• DocumentformattedinaccordancewiththePublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologyAssociation(6thEdition)especiallyin-textcitationsandthereferencelist.

• Tables,figures,diagramsandgraphsofsufficientqualitythattheycanbereproducedclearly.• Documentisfreeofspellingandgrammaticalerrors.

ExternalExaminerAnExternalExaminerparticipatesintheexaminationofthethesistoprovideanindependentassessmentof thequalityofthecandidate’sresearch.TheExternalExaminershouldhavean“arms-length”relationshipwiththestudent,thesupervisorandmembersoftheThesisSupervisoryCommittee.

TheThesisCoordinatornominatesanExternalExaminertotheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesviaSharePointbysubmittingthenominee’sname,emailaddress,institutionalaffiliation,andlinktoanonlineprofileorwebsite.TheThesisCoordinatorwillconsultwiththeThesisSupervisorandthestudentontheexaminernomination.TheExternalExaminershouldhavean“arm’slength”relationship,meaningtheExaminershouldnothavehadapersonalorcollaborativeprofessionalrelationshipwiththestudentorthesupervisorwithinthelastfiveyears.TheExaminermusthaveadoctorateinarelatedareaofstudy.CurrentRRUassociatefacultyarenoteligibletoserveasExternalExaminerssincetheydonotmeetthearm’slengthrequirement.Toensuretheintegrityoftheexaminerprocess,students,committeemembers,supervisors,thesiscoordinatorsandtheFacultyDeanshouldnotdirectlycontactExternalExaminers.OnlytheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesshouldhavedirectcontactwiththeExaminer.Thoughitistheresponsibilityofthestudentandall membersoftheSupervisoryCommitteetoavoid


conflictofinterest,theOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesischargedwithensuringthatallmembersoftheSupervisoryCommitteeareawareofthis responsibility.TheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesretainstheauthoritytorejectarecommendedExternal Examinerbaseduponarealorperceivedconflictofinterestwhichhasnotbeenanticipatedintheexisting criteria.Priortothedefence,theExternalExaminerwillsubmittotheThesisSupervisortheExternal ExaminerReport.AllmembersoftheSupervisoryCommitteeandthestudentwillreceivecopiesofthe ExternalExaminer’sreport.TheearliestanExternalExaminercouldbenominatedwouldbeafterastudent’sThesisSupervisoryCommitteehasbeenapproved,butanominationcanoccuratanytimepriortothesubmissionofthefinalthesistotheSupervisor.TheExternalExaminerisinvitedtoserveinthiscapacityviacorrespondencefromtheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies.OncetheExaminerhasacceptedtheinvitation,theOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudieswillengageincorrespondencewiththeExaminerandsubmitthethesisfortheExaminer’sreview(outsideofSharePoint).TheExaminerwillreviewthefinaldraftofthethesisasapprovedtogotothedefenceandsubmitafinalreportincludingafinalrecommendationtoaccept,acceptwithrevisions,ornotacceptthethesis.TheExaminerdoesnotattendthedefence.TheExaminerwillsubmittheirfinalreportpriortothedefencetotheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies,whowillreviewthereportandcirculateittotheThesisCommitteeandthestudent.ThesisDefenceAttheoraldefencethestudentmustsuccessfullydefendthecontentsofthethesis,demonstrateacomprehensiveunderstandingofresearchmethodsappropriatetothetopicandfieldsofstudy,anddemonstrateacomprehensiveknowledgeoftheliteratureinthefield(s)andtheworkofotherscholars.Oncethestudent’sthesishasbeenapprovedtomovetothedefencestage,thestudentschedulesthedefencebycontactingtherespectiveDean’sOffice.InthecaseoftheFacultyofSocialandAppliedSciences,thestudentshouldemailthedefenceschedulingrequestto@RRU-FSAS-dean-office.Itisthestudent’sresponsibilitytodeterminetheparticipants’(SupervisorandCommitteeMembers)availability(dateandtime)andtocommunicatepotentialdatestotherespectiveDean’sOffice.Defencesareonlyscheduledduringregularworkinghours.ItistherespectiveDean’sOffice’sresponsibilitytoscheduletheroomandteleconferencingequipment,inconsultationwiththestudent.TherespectiveDean’sOfficewillnotifytheparticipantsandtheOfficeoftheAVPResearchandFacultyAffairsofthefinaldate,time,andlocation.TheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudieswillassignafacultychairorotherrepresentativeoftheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiestothedefence.ThedefencedateandtimeareannouncedontheOfficeofResearchwebsite.Studentsshouldplantoscheduletheirdefenceatleastonemonthinadvanceofitsoccurrence.


TheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudiesdesignatesachairforthedefence.ThechaircannotbeamemberoftheThesisSupervisoryCommittee.Theroleofthechairwillbelimitedtochairingthedefence,introducingtheprocessandtheparticipants,ensuringthatallaspectsoftheacademicregulationgoverningthethesisdefencewillbeobserved,andconfirmingthepost-defenceprocessstepsforthosepresentatthedefence.Thechairwillnotasksubject-specificquestions.ThechairwillreporttheresultsofthedefencetotheOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies,whichwillrecordthedefenceoutcomeinSharePoint.Defenceswilltakeplacefacetofaceorviavideo-conferencingunlessexceptionalcircumstancesapply.Thedefencemaynotbevideo-oraudio-recorded.Thedefencewillbescheduledfora90-minutetimeperiod.EachdefencewillbeginwiththeChair’sintroduction,followedbya15to20minutepresentationbythestudent,summarizingthemajorfindingsofthethesis.Thedefencetakesplaceintworoundsofquestioning.TheCommitteememberstaketurnsaskingquestions,asmoderatedbytheChair.WhenallquestionsbytheCommitteemembersareexhausted,thestudentleavestheroomorlogsoutofconferencingwhilethecommitteedetermineswhetherthethesisandthedefenceareacceptable.Atthattime,theCommitteedecidesbymajorityvoteononeofthefiverecommendations.IntheeventthattheCommittee’sdecisionisnotunanimous,themajority(50%+1)shallprevail,includingtheExternalExaminer’srecommendation.Atthecompletionofthequestioningperiod,thecommitteewilldeliberateinprivate.Thesupervisor,withonlytheThesisSupervisoryCommitteememberspresent,willinformthestudentoftheadjudicationresultsimmediatelyafterthedeliberations.

Normally,theoralthesisexaminationwillbeconsideredan“open”session,atwhichfacultymembersandstudentsfromthestudent'sacademicunitmayattend.Suchguests,(a)mayparticipateinthequestioningonlybypermissionofthechair;(b)arenotpermittedtoparticipateinthediscussionofthestudent’sperformance,(c)mustenterthesession5minutesinadvanceofitsscheduledstarttimeandcannotexitandre-enterduringtheoralexamination,and(d)mustwithdrawbeforethecommitteedeliberatesontheoutcomeofthestudent’sthesisandoralexamination.Givenspacelimitations,guestsarerestrictedtovirtualattendance.ExceptionsrequirepriorconsultationwiththerespectiveDean’sofficeschedulingtheevent.

Recommendation1:Thesisacceptable,oraldefenceacceptable.Outrightpass;minorcopy-editingrevisionstobereviewedbySupervisorpriortosubmissiontoLibrary.Recommendation2:Thesisrequiresminorrevisions,oraldefenceacceptable.Thethesisrequireschangesandadditionsincludingadditionalillustrativematerial,recastingofcertainsections,additionaldatainclusion,andediting.ThesupervisorandthestudentworktogethertoensurethattherecommendedchangesareexecutedsatisfactorilyRecommendation3:Thesisrequiresmajorrevisions,oraldefenceacceptable.Majorrevisionsentailasubstantialrewritingofpartsofthethesisandareexpectedtotakemorethanthreemonthstoimplement.Ingeneral,thecommitteefindsthatthethesisdoesnotmeettheminimumstandardsbutagreesthatthecandidatehasthepotential,withadditionalpreparation,tosuccessfullydefendarevisedthesis.Thethesis,undernormalcircumstances,shouldberesubmittedtothe


committeeforapprovalwithinasix-monthperiod.Thisrecommendationcanonlybeissuedatastudent’sfirstdefence.Recommendation4:Thesisacceptable,oraldefenceunacceptable.Thesecondoraldefenceshouldberescheduledwithinthreemonthsofthefirstdefence.Recommendation5:Thesisunacceptable,outrightfail.Thethesisdoesnotmeettheminimumstandards;noreasonableamountofresearchandrewritingwillraiseittoalevelofacceptability.Thecommitteejudgesthatthecandidatedoesnothavethepotentialtobeabletosuccessfullydefendthework.Studentsreceivingthisrecommendationwillbeautomaticallyrequiredtowithdrawfromthemaster’sprogram.WithDistinctionAthesisthatisjudgedtobeoutstanding(inthetop1-3percent)mayberecommendedtobeawardeddistinction. ArecommendationcanbeappealedtotherespectiveDean,theOfficeoftheViceProvost,ResearchandInterdisciplinaryStudies,and,ultimately,theVicePresidentAcademicandProvost.Asuccessfuldefenceleadstoacoursegradeof“CR”fortheLRNT690course.UnlessanexemptionhasbeengrantedbytheVicePresidentAcademic&Provost,submissionofthethesisforpublicationtoRRU’sDigitalArchive,Pro-QuestionandLibraryandArchivesCanadaisarequirementforgraduationapproval.


FrequentlyAskedQuestionsQ1.Whattopicsareopentome?Doesithavetobeaboutformaleducationore-learning?A.Anythingtodowithlearningandtechnology.Wehavehadthesesaboutformaleducation,training,informallearninganduseofsocialmedia.Thestudieshavetakenplaceinmanydifferentsettings.Thelearningcontenthasvariedgreatlyashavethetechnologies.Q2.ArethererestrictionsonwhatmethodologiesIcanuse,aslongastheyaredefended,approvedbymysupervisorandthestudyseemsfeasible?A.Therearenorestrictions,althoughthereareworkloadimplications.Q3.WhatdoyoumeanbymethodologyanddoIhavetostateitexplicitly?A.Wemeantheumbrellaapproachyouuse,suchasactionresearch,phenomenology,ethnography,hermeneutics,andsoon.Thesechoicesguidethemethodsyouusetocollectdata,analyzeitandpresentit.Yes,youneedtostatethisexplicitly.Q4.CouldIcombinemethods?A.Yes.Youmightusemixedmethodsifyouneedto(usuallymeaningablendofqualitativeandquantitativework)oryoumighthaveonemethodologyinfluencinganother,suchasethnographyinfluencedbyactionresearch.Q5.Howmuchisenough?A.Scholarsdisagreeaboutjustwhatisneededtoproperlycompleteanactionorientedorappliedresearchstudyoracasestudy,andsoon.Youandyoursupervisoragreeonsuchpointsandyoudefendthem.Q6.WhatifmysupervisorandIagreeonanapproachwherethereisdebateintheliteratureoramongscholarsattheuniversity?A.Makethoughtfulchoicestosupportyourresearchquestion,explaintheminthethesisanddefendthemifneeded.Understandthatsomenon-mainstreamchoiceswillrequireamoreeloquentdefencethanothers.Growintobeingaconfidentscholar-practitioner.Youandyoursupervisorshouldagreeonthemeritofyourapproach,however,andyoursupervisorshouldbeconfidentthatsheorhehasthemethodologicalexpertisetoguideyourstudy.Shouldthisnotbefeasible,youmaywishtorecruitadifferentsupervisor.


Appendix1LearningOutcomes

TheSchoolofEducationandTechnologyworkswithaprogramlearningoutcomesframeworkthatinformsthecourselearningoutcomes.Programlearningoutcomesidentifywhatthelearnerwillknowandbeabletodobytheendoftheprogram.Theyaretheessentialandenduringknowledge,capabilities(attributes)andattitudes(values,dispositions)thatconstitutetheintegratedlearningbyagraduateoftheMALATprogram.GraduatesoftheMALATprogramwillbeabletoapplytheprinciplesofnetworkedlearning;openpedagogyanddigitalmindsetastheyworkinthecreationandevaluationofdigitallearningenvironments.Theywillapplytheoreticalandpracticalknowledgetocriticallyanalyzelearninginnovationsandassesstheirimpactonorganizationsandsociety.GraduatesoftheMAinLearningandTechnologywillhavetheknowledge,skillsandabilityto:

• PLO1Communicateandsynthesizeinformationandargumentsatthegraduatelevel.• PLO2Criticallyevaluatehowlearningoccursinavarietyofcontexts.• PLO3Designandcreateresearch-informeddigitallearningenvironments.• PLO4Demonstrateeffectivecollaborationskills.• PLO5Developandanalyzesupportstrategiestomeettheneedsofstakeholdersindigital

learningenvironments.• PLO6Selectappropriateassessmentandevaluationstrategiesfordigitallearning

environments.• PLO7Contributemeaningfullytodigitallearningnetwork(s)andcommunities.• PLO8Explaintheinterrelationshipbetweeninnovation,changeanddigitallearning

environmentsandtheirimpactonorganizationsandsociety.• PLO9Applyreflectiveprocessestoimproveprofessionalpractice.• PLO10Criticallyevaluateand/orproduceresearch.

Usinglearningoutcomeshelpstoclarifyaprogram’sfocus,helpsstudentsconnecttheirprogramtotheirworkplace,providesafocusforassessmentandevaluation,allowsforalignmentacrossprofessionalaccreditationbodiesofknowledgeandhelpsemployersunderstandthebenefitsoftheprogram.Specifically,theMAThesis(LRNT690)isalignedthefollowingMALATprogramlearningoutcomes:

• PLO1Communicateandsynthesizeinformationandargumentsatthegraduatelevel.• PLO7Contributemeaningfullytodigitallearningnetworksandcommunities.• PLO8Explaintheinterrelationshipbetweeninnovation,changeanddigitallearning

environmentsandtheirimpactonorganizationsandsociety• PLO9Applyreflectiveprocesstoimproveprofessionalpractice• PLO10Criticallyevaluateand/orproduceresearch

Documents

Thesis Handbook Master of Arts in Learning and Technologymedia.royalroads.ca/owl/media/malat/documents/malat... · 2018. 3. 16. · 1/22 School of Education and Technology Thesis