Graduate Counselling and Applied Psychology (GCAP) 691
Methods of Inquiry (Revision 1)
Revision 1 is closed for registrations, replaced by current version
Delivery Mode: Paced study; online
Credits: 3
Area of Study: Graduate Studies
Prerequisite: None
Faculty: Faculty of Health Disciplines
Overview
The focus in GCAP 691: Methods of Inquiry is on the theoretical, conceptual, and applied nature of research. One of the main goals of this course is to facilitate students in becoming informed researchers and knowledgeable consumers of research. The purpose of this course is for students to understand the nature and purpose of research. Writing a research literature review, developing skills to find and use web resources, and understanding different purposes and assumptions of the qualitative (interpretive/constructivist), quantitative (positivism/postpositivism), and emancipatory paradigms of research will assist in this purpose. The course examines, explores, and interprets trends and diverse issues related to research design, such as ethics and culture. Students will also be involved in completing a multi-method (qualitative and quantitative) research project from start to finish. Overall, GCAP 691 encourages the generation of compatible and appropriate research design, flowing from a selected problem and possibly a newly discovered paradigm. In summary, this course aims to examine concepts from theory (sampling, data gathering, validity, reliability, and probability) in order to enhance understanding of research design as a complex and holistic undertaking.
Outline
The course is divided into 13 weekly lessons, structured as follows.
- UNIT 1: Introduction and Thinking about Research
- Lesson 1: Getting Started in Research
- UNIT 2: Conducting Reviews
- Lesson 2: Building Blocks to Literature Reviews and Research Problems
- Lesson 3: The Art of Searching and Appraising Website Resources
- UNIT 3: Identifying Research Contexts
- Lesson 4: Designing Ethical and Culturally Sensitive Research
- Lesson 5: Program Development and Evaluation
- UNIT 4: Research Using Qualitative Methodologies
- Lesson 6: Research Using Qualitative Methodologies
- Lesson 7: Research Using Qualitative Methodologies
- Lesson 8: Research Using Qualitative Methodologies
- UNIT 5: Research Using Quantitative Methodologies
- Lesson 9: Research Using Quantitative Methodologies
- Lesson 10: Research Using Quantitative Methodologies
- Lesson 11: Research Using Quantitative Methodologies
- UNIT 6: Utilization and Dissemination of Research
- Lesson 12: Knowledge Creep
- UNIT 7: Wrap-Up
- Lesson 13: Research Questions and Issues
Course Evaluation
To receive credit for GCAP 691, students must submit all of the course assignments. The passing grade for the course is 70%. The assessment structure for GCAP 691: Methods of Inquiry is based on the following course activities, with the percentage weighting of each activity as indicated. Your final grade for the course will be a composite mark based on your performance on these course activities. Note: Please note there are no assignments in this course that are eligible for the Mastery Learning Process. You must pass Assignment 1C: Research and Literature Review in order to pass the course.
| Course Activity | Weight |
|---|---|
| Participation in Online Discussions | 15% |
| Assignment 1A: Research Problem Identification and Outline | 5% |
| Assignment 1B: Introduction and Critical Analysis (Optional Reference List) | 15% |
| Assignment 1C: Research and Literature Review You must pass this paper in order to pass the course | 30% |
| Assignment 1D: Research and Literature Review Self-Evaluation | 10% |
| Assignment 2: Lab Group Participation, Integrated Report, and Presentation | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
Other Information
Students with a disability, who require academic accommodation, need to register with the Access to Students with Disabilities Centre at Athabasca University. Notification of the need for academic accommodation must normally be provided to the program office no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the first day of class. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Disability Centre to request academic accommodation if required and to notify the instructor that such accommodation has been requested. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate individual student needs. However, because GCAP courses are paced, all student are required to participate weekly in the online discussion forums. There are also several courses where online exams are required.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice.
Opened in Revision 1, January 2008.