Unit I

Welcome to Qualitative Research I!

Cultivating understandings through improved research and writing skills among English language learners

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Understandings

English language learner will understand that academic writing requires linking main ideas for the purpose of developing a sound argument through formal writing conventions. Strategies to develop paragraph and argument development will be covered.

Essential Questions

How do writers determine an appropriate audience? How do authors attract readers and maintain their interests? How would you define a complete idea, thought, or opinion? What do you know and how do you know it?

Enabling Knowledge

Sections to a formal paper An argument and types APA Style

Subskills

How to write a thesis statement How to develop a paragraph Grammar and punctuation

Assessment

Webquest Informal discussions Academic prompts

Week 1 (August 9-15, 2010)

• This week you will become familiar with Wikieducator which is where you will submit a lot of your work for this class.
• Get familiar with the online resources available at your school (UAA). Make sure you have the proper passwords so that you have full access to the databases you need.
• This is the academic writing rubric that we will use for this class. Please refer to this rubric each time you complete a writing assignment.

Readings

• Wikieducator workshop
• UAA Virtual Library
• Review the MEAL plan and follow it every time you write a paragraph.

Activities

• Once you have created an account in WE add a user page boilerplate to your user page. Include a section that includes the following:
  • I would like to conduct research on...
  • My idea job would be...
  • As an English language learner, my greatest challenges when conducting qualitative research are...
• Add your name to the main page.
• Click the discussion tab above and answer the discussion question.

Outcomes

• Create a user page in Wikieducator (WE)

Student Works

Include a hyper link to your work related to this outcome.

Week 2 (August 16-22, 2010)

Readings

What do you know and how do you know it?

Outcomes

Develop possible research questions.

Week 3 (August 23-29, 2010)

Readings and Videos

Grounded theory (part 1) | Grounded theory (part 2) | Grounded Theory - Open Coding Part 1 | Grounded Theory - Open Coding Part 2 | Grounded Theory - Open Coding Part 3 | Grounded Theory - Open Coding Part 4 | Introducing ethnography | Ethnographic Research | Analysing Case Studies Part 1 | Narrative Analysis | The Phenomenological perspective (Part 1) | The Phenomenological perspective (Part 2)

Activities

• Include references (according to APA) of each of the following types of qualitative research:
  • grounded theory
  • ethnography
  • case study
  • narrative
  • phenomenology

Outcomes

Frame a research design based on a topic of interest.

References

Include your references here...

Week 4 (August 30-September 5, 2010)

Readings

• Watch this video on what is a thesis statement.

Activities

• Complete this Webquest (five-paragraph essay).
• Activity due September 8, 2010.

Outcomes

Webquest (Five-paragraph essay)