Applied Research Do you ever wish your students could collaborate with industry and not-for-profit partners on projects? Do you wish your students could connect classroom theory to technical, social, or environmental problems? Do you wish your students could develop, test, or improve commercial products or services? Do you wish your students could give back to the community by exploring solutions to local issues? Have you ever considered applied research projects?
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Applied research differs from “curiosity-driven” research (Influenza Research Network, 2011a; 2011b) - it is curriculum, consumer, or client driven and seeks to solve a real classroom, industry, or community problem. True Experimental research involves a variable and a control. Correlational and Causal-Comparative research look for relationships between variables. They are often a precursor to future experimental research studies. Ethnographic research explores cultural group dynamics through observation, questionnaires, or interviews. Narrative research entails analyzing archival records, oral histories, and focused interviews (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2011). Quantitive data collection is objective and numerical or statistical. Qualitative data collection is subjective and textual. The best research will combine both qualitative and quantitative methods sometimes called qualquan, mixed method, or triangulation.
Variations Action Research. Specifically, in education, action research is a fantastic way to contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Whether to test old practices or try new innovations, it is a great self-reflective tool in one’s classroom. We can use the data informally in our own practice or share with others in the program or school. Similarly, with appropriate research ethics board (REB) approval, one can publish or present the statistical data to share with the educational community at large. There are endless educational journals in literally every field of study that publish action research articles that contribute to teaching and learning. There are some basic steps in action research. Identify something you would like to improve with classroom curriculum, instruction, or technology, and write it as a problem statement. What works in your classroom demographic may be vastly different from another school or region. Think about how research into your problem would contribute to the art and science of teaching, and write a purpose statement. Brainstorm some possible solutions to your problem, and write a research question or hypothesis. Conduct a literature review, and create an annotated bibliography. Once your reading has confirmed you have a good topic, you are ready to start your research. Next, propose a research plan and method. Then, collect qualitative data through observation, survey, questionnaire, interview, or focus group, and/or collect quantitative data through attendance, grades, and retention. After, analyze the data; usually this involves categorizing and coding the trends seen in the results. Finally, implement and possibly share those findings informally with your local academic community or formally in a journal article or conference presentation (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2011; Mills, 2010).
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Dr Ian Graham
Knowledge Translation 101
Design-Based Research. Also, typically seen in education, design-based research (DBR) contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning. It focuses on building or creating new real-world designs, innovative solutions, and disruptive interventions by and for the end-user as co-creators (Anderson & Shattuck 2012). DBR uses multiple methods and mixed methods as well as design principles (CEA, 2014). There are three phases in an iterative process for continuous improvement: 1) analysis and exploration; 2) design and construction; and 3) evaluation and reflection (CEA, 2014; Jacobsen, 2014). When users of a product take part in the development of the product, they are much more likely to use that product in practice (CEA, 2014).
Participatory Action Research. In participatory action research, often done in social service work, people within their own community participate as co-researchers to solve a problem. Along with the researchers, the community defines the problem, determines the solution, and implements the action. The purpose is to empower change in a community through collaboration and reflection. It involves participation, research, and action where the research is done with the participants rather than on the participants.
Examples Use your imagination. What could your students conduct applied research about? What would be an appropriate applied research topic for your students? Only you know what would be authentic to your field of study, your curriculum, and your students. To get started, consider these ideas: Visual Arts •Art appreciation •Dance therapy •Furniture design •Web app Health and Community Studies •Neighbourhood outreach •Health awareness •Public safety 235
•Donor campaign Science and Technology •Web development •Environmental issue •Product innovation •Retrofit Business Administration •Product marketing •Corporate social responsibility •International business development •Supply chain workflow Humanities and Social Sciences •Lab report •Annotated bibliography •Project Proposal •Grant inquiry letter
Merits Applied research connects researchers to the community or industry. It is a very real world authentic and applied approach to learning through inquiry and discovery. The collaborations and partnerships that a student might form in applied research could lead to awards, internships, and careers. Students can disseminate their research traditionally or creatively. Finally, research is an important skill and learning outcome in higher education diplomas and degrees. Inquiry-Based Learning. There are many educational benefits of applied research. Students learn inquiry and discovery skills (Cartrette & Melroe-Lehrman, 2012). Applied research involves authentic, experiential, and constructivist principles (Splan, Porr, & Broyles, 2011). Because it is authentic, students find it motivating - they see the relevance to their future careers (Englert, Coon, Hinckley, & Pruis, 2009). They learn that research is about inquiry, detail, and teamwork that goes beyond just a typical laboratory experiment (Cartrette & Melroe-Lehrman). Collaborative. Students learn that research is a collaborative process not a solitary endeavour (Cartrette & Melroe-Lehrman, 2012). According to Dr. Ian Graham, the user of 236
our research is the key. We need to involve the users of our research in the research question and interpretation of findings - a kind of participatory research. For users, the message, rather than the research itself, is key for decision-makers who need to make a decision and apply it today even if the recommendation is without 100% surety (Influenza Research Network, 2011a; 2011b). When we omit the user from the study, we can miss the mark completely. Research Methodology. For undergraduate certificates, diplomas, and degrees, we must teach students research methodology. The Ontario Certificate and Diploma level Essential Employability Skills Outcomes (EESOs) include a creative and innovative thinking outcome that requires students to “apply a systemic approach … [and] … a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems” (Queen’s Printer, 2009a). Likewise, the Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations (UDLEs) include a research and scholarship outcome as well as an application of knowledge outcome that both include using enquiry methods and techniques to solve problems or create new works (Queen’s Printer, 2009b). Note the difference in the depth and breadth of research from a certificate to a diploma to a degree. At the diploma level, students analyze data and evaluate “a variety of sources” whereas at the degree level students explore “methods of enquiry or creative activity”, to evaluate established techniques, and sustain arguments (Queen’s Printer, 2009b); we move from secondary research or secondary sources, such as journal articles, towards primary research, which is new research as we move from diploma levels to degree levels. IMRad. For research writing, in particular for science writing, we generally use IMRaD Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion. In the Introduction section, we include our research question or hypothesis, problem and purpose statements, and our review of the current literature on our topic. In the Method section, we describe our research design. In the Results section, we simply convey the raw data we collected; we can include graphs, charts, and tables, and even more sophisticated graphs with error bars or trendlines. In the Discussion section, we interpret the meaning of our results and identify any potential design flaws or suggestions for future research. Creative Dissemination. Beyond a traditional research paper, students can showcase their research in a variety of creative ways. Each discipline has its own contextual style. For example, in health sciences, students can use a research poster presentation. In the fine arts, students can exhibit a wall mural, tapestry, sculpture, custom furniture, animation, dramatization, or spoken word. Research sharing could be an infomercial, media poster or infographic, brochure, or flyer. A report back to a user could be as simple as a blog or wiki.
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University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
History of Informed Consent
Challenges Just getting started with applied research can be overwhelming. One has to find a truly significant problem and purpose to research. Then, one has to choose the right study design and data collection method. If working with human participants, then a research ethics board approval will be necessary to guide all interactions with participants. Finally, one has to choose how to share their findings. Statistics can be very tough for some students. The overall process can be slow and time-consuming, but the results can be very rewarding and exciting.
Research Ethics. If you are working with human participants and you plan to publish your findings in a journal article or present at a conference, a research ethics board (REB) approval is necessary if you discuss any identifiable information about your students or participants. Unfortunately, in the past, researchers have conducted unethical experiments on humans like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and even the Stanford Prison Experiment. This had led to the Tri-Council Policy Statement; the Tri-Council comprises of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (formerly the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Medicine also observes the Declaration of Helsinki, the Nuremberg Code, and the Belmont Report regarding research with human subjects. We need to be aware of coercive or unfair practices and confidentiality in our experimental design to avoid any disadvantage to the participants. Anyone, faculty or student, conducting applied research with human participants will need to complete the TCPS 2 - Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans - Tutorial. To learn more about the statement, you can read the 216-page document Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. Sampling. Ideally, in experimental research we want to use minimal pairs. In other words, we want to compare identical items by changing only one variable; this can sometimes include before and after a treatment or variable. Therefore, we compare sets of students with the exact same demographics and make just one simple change, for example, compare students who use a paper-based book versus an ebook. A poorly chosen sample, can lead to biased results called a sample bias. Samples should also be random from the general population. For our results to be significant we need about ten percent of the population to be generalizable.
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Usually, we look at one variable at a time against a control. For example, blood pressure in non-smoking students (control) versus students who smoke 4 or more cigarettes per day (variable). However, we can look at more than one variable at time. Data Collection. There are several traditional ways to collect data: Observation Interview Focus Group Questionnaire Survey Any data collection involving humans will require a research ethics board approval. Statistics. We use statistics to test if our research has validity and reliability. For many students, statistics may be overwhelming. These equations are challenging even for graduate students and postdoctoral fellowes. There are two basic types of statistics: descriptive and inferential. In descriptive statistics, SPSS, quite simply we want to describe the data in some kind of meaningful way - a summary if you will. This can be as simple as finding the mean (average), median (exact middle), or the mode (most Tableau, frequent). In inferential statistics, we want to make predictions or judgements based on our data results using algorithms like the t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), Excel and post-test analysis. These tests of statistical significance cross check our data to have confidence that is replicable and not just chance. We can show statistics with percentages, charts, or graphs. There are lots of software tools to make statistics easier. For example, we can use SPSS, Tableau, or even Excel to make graphs and charts and interpret results. LinkedLearning has good video tutorials to learn statistical software.
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Instructional Design Use a backwards design approach. First, start with your learning outcomes. Second, create your assessments. Third, plan your instructional activities. Finally, choose a technology to enhance the lesson. Design. Consider your curriculum; look carefully at your accreditation standards, graduate attributes, program learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, and lesson learning outcomes. Will an applied research project fulfill the learning outcomes? How will you evaluate what the students research? What technologies will you and your students need to learn in order to conduct applied research? Will applied research enhance the learning experience? Develop. Review the kinds of research practices common in your field of practice. Reflect on your own research practices in your academic and professional career. Consider what applied research platforms are common. Examine the kinds of academic journals that exist in your discipline and the type of applied research commonly done. Consider the potential of an interdisciplinary project. Annotated Bibliography & Research Proposal. Teach and/or review how to create a research proposal. Students start with a topic and generate some ideas. Then, they narrow down their ideas and restate one idea as a research question or hypothesis. After that, they list some possible answers or predictions to their question. Now, they gather a list sources and create an annotated bibliography with an end reference in documentation format with a brief description (150 words) of how each resource may be useful to their research project. After conducting their literature review, students draft a research proposal including a problem statement and purpose statement; the literature review; and method, including sampling, data collection, and research ethics. The literature review often becomes part of the introduction in the IMRaD paper. Working with Partners. Enhance applied research by engaging with an industry or community partner. Look for partnership opportunities and research grants. Research an organization of interest by taking a field trip, attending a talk, watching a video, or reading a white paper (Englert, Coon, Hinckley, & Pruis, 2009). There are Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities grants through the Ontario Human Capital Research and Innovation Fund (OHCRIF).
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Getting Money for Your Project. You might need funds to cover supplies, travel, software, compensation for participants, or wages for students. To find funding partners, teach students how to write a grant inquiry letter. The grant proposal should have key components:
•Summary Statement •Project Detail •Community Need •Funding Request •Organizational Information •Contact Information Types of projects. •Thesis •Capstone •Co-op •Internships •Co-Curricular Record Deliver. Decide what students will do before, during, and after their applied research project. For instance, before engaging in research, you may require that students submit a literature review or an annotated bibliography, and proposal; you many have them write a grant inquiry letter or seek an industry or community partner. During the research process, you may have students collect data and meet with mentors for peer review or advisors for guidance. After the applied research project, you may have the students present their findings in an efair or poster session or even enter a contest. The applied research project should be authentic, active, and applied. Sharing Results. There are many types of documentation styles. Most disciplines use the publication style of the leading academic journal in their field. Otherwise, we can use one of the four leading documentation styles:
•American Psychological Association (APA) •Modern Language Association (MLA) •Chicago •Council of Science Editors (CSE)
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The social sciences, including education, use the name-citation style of APA; however, for sociology there is also the American Sociological Association (ASA) and the Canadian Sociological Association (CSA). Languages and literature use the name citation style of MLA. History and other humanities use the footnote style of Chicago. The sciences use a number referencing Infogr.am, citation style like the ones found in the Council of Science Editors (CSE), which has multiple styles including a number citation style Vancouver and a name citation style - Harvard (not the same as the Canva, Harvard Law style). Many technical professions often use the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Venngage
Technology For collecting survey information, we can use online tools like SurveyMonkey, SurveyLegend, SurveyKing, and so many more. Piktochart There is a feature in GoogleDocs called Forms that will create an online survey. However, bear in mind that Google mines their own software for marketing information. Therefore, privacy and confidentiality is questionable for the purposes of a research ethics board (REB) approval. We can create visually stimulating infographics with Infogr.am, Canva, Piktochart, and Venngage. To collaborate with group members or external partners, we can use email, open source discussion forums, wikis, social media or web and video chat.
References Anderson, T. & Shattuck, J. (2012). Design-based research: A decade of progress in education research. Educational Researcher, 41(1). Canadian Education Association (CEA). (2014 November). Design-based research: Sponsoring innovation in education. Education Canada. Retrieved from http://www.ceaace.ca/education-canada/article/design-based-research Cartrette, D. P. & Melroe-Lehrman, B. M. (2012). Describing changes in undergraduate students' preconceptions of research activities. Research In Science Education, 42(6), p.1073-1100. Englert, K., Coon, B., Hinckley, M., & Pruis, M. (2009). Arctic research and writing: A lasting legacy of the international polar year. Science Teacher, 76(1), p.20-26.
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Gay, L., Mills, G., & Airasian, P. (2011). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications. USA: Addison Wesley. Influenza Research Network. (2011, May 26). KT 101 [Vimeo] [32:38]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/24273384 Mills, G.E. (2007). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Queen’s Printer of Ontario. (2009a). Essential employability skills. Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). Retrieved from http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/ audiences/colleges/progstan/essential.html Queen’s Printer for Ontario. (2009b). Degree level standards. Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB). Retrieved from http://www.peqab.ca/ DegreeLevelStandards.html Splan, R. K., Porr, C., & Broyles, T. W. (2011). Undergraduate research in agriculture: Constructivism and the scholarship of discovery. Journal Of Agricultural Education, 52(4), p.56-64. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. (2019, February 20). History of Informed Consent [YouTube] [02:45]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/xMUIqLliND0
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