Quantitative Research Methods in Educational Studies

EDU 8891EEF

Course Guide

EDU 8891EEF

Course Guide

Quantitative Research Methods in Educational Studies

Course Start Date

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Course Level

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Length in Terms

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Credits

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Fees ($) (including lab fees)

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Future Terms

Quota and Schedule

Course Start Date	Course Level	Length in Terms	Credits	Language	Fees ($) (including lab fees)	Future Terms
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Quota and Schedule

Course Coordinator:

Dr. Winfred Xuan, BA (HZU); MA (SYSU); PhD (PolyU of HK)

Course Developer:

Dr Au Yeung Siu Kei Jeff

COMP 2010SED Computing Fundamentals with Java is a two-term, six-credit-unit, 2000-level course within the Bachelor of Computing with Honours in Internet Technology (BCITH) programme suite and the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Computing and Networking (BSCICNH) programme suite. It is a compulsory course for BCITH and BSCICNH. This course is designed to provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of computing and is suitable for students who do not have prior experience in programming. The problem solving aspect of computing will be emphasised. The main focus is to learn an object-oriented programming language (Java) and use it to solve problems. The software development cycle will also be introduced.

Advisory Prerequisite(s)

You are strongly advised to have already studied PSYC 2028AED

Excluded Combinations and Courses Not Allowed to be Taken Again

COMP S492F, COMP 3920SEF, COMP S491, COMP 4910SED

Aims

This course aims to develop students' understanding of the role of research and the scientific method of conducting quantitative educational research. It provides students with theories and practical suggestions on quantitative educational research, including formulating research questions, choosing appropriate quantitative data collection methods, performing quantitative data analysis, presenting quantitative findings and drawing a meaningful conclusion.

Contents

Introduction to quantitative research
- Nature of quantitative research
- Approaches to educational research (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods)
- Strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research
The design of quantitative research
- Identification of research questions
- Research literature reviews in library and the Internet
- Formulation of assumptions and hypotheses
- Sampling of subjects
- Ethical considerations in quantitative research
Data collection methods
- Types of data
- Practical considerations in questionnaire design
- Practical considerations in test design
- Setting up online surveys
- Dealing with missing data
- Validity and reliability
Quantitative data analysis
- Approaches to quantitative data analysis
- Descriptive statistics
- Inferential statistics: Differences between groups
- Regression analysis
- Factor analysis
- Choosing a statistical test
Use of SPSS for quantitative educational research
- Data preparation – Creating a data file and entering the data
- Manipulating the data
- Checking the reliability of a scale
- Techniques to explore the relationship among variables
- Techniques to compare groups
Writing quantitative research papers
- Presentation style and format (e.g. APA format and style)
- Issues with writing quantitative research papers
- Critiquing research papers and proposals

Learning support

Students will learn through interactive tutorials. There will be 13 three-hour tutorials, allowing students to understand the main concepts of quantitative research. These tutorials will be followed by some interactive class activities and/or hands-on experiences with Internet tools and statistical software.

Assessment

The course assessment comprises continuous assessment (100%). There are two assignments, the weighting of which are:

Assignment 1 (research outline) (40%): Students are required to formulate a research framework using the knowledge and skills discussed in class.
Assignment 2 (mini research project) (60%): Students are required to conduct mini-scale research, which involves data collection, data analysis and report writing.

Electronic submission of assignments

Except for some designated assignments, students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Online requirement

Students are required to submit their assignments and a project report via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Equipment and Software

A computer or electronic device capable of connecting to the Internet.

Equipment

A PC-compatible computer ready for connecting to the Internet is essential. The minimum configuration of the computer is:

PC with an x86 CPU or equivalent
1GB RAM
Hard disk
Sound card with speakers

You need to be familiar with the basic use of a computer including keyboard, mouse and word processing software. Experience in using email, the Internet and the World Wide Web is also essential.

Software

You should have Windows with Microsoft Word. Other software will be downloaded from the Internet. You may need to use OpenOffice to prepare assignment answers.

Set book(s)

Ng, A. (2018). Machine learning yearning (draft version). https://www.deeplearning.ai/resources/#ebooks

Students with disabilities or special educational needs

The audio and visual components of this course may cause difficulties for students with an audio or visual handicap. You are encouraged to seek advice from the Course Coordinator before enrolling on this course.