Creating an Interdisciplinary Online Graduate Certificate Program in Mixed-Methods Research Using a Socio-Ecological Perspective

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Eleven
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching About Mixed-Methods Research to Address Diverse Learners' Needs Using a Socio-Ecological Perspective (Table 13)

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this presentation is to share pedagogical experiences of developing and teaching in an online graduate certificate program in Applications of Mixed Methods Research (MMR) at a major research one university that values and promotes MMR. This interdisciplinary program guided by the socio-ecological perspective offers professional advancement to researchers, faculty and post masters’ students and aims to build their research capacity in MMR with a strong focus on application of developed knowledge and skills.

Theoretical Frameworks: The certificate program curriculum is guided by a constructivist learning theory (Bada & Olusegun, 2015) that supports co-creation of learning and promotes immediate application of the learned research skills to a topic of a student’s interest; a spiral curriculum approach (Harden & Stamper, 1999) that allows building knowledge over time by unfolding the course content from basic to more advanced concepts; and the socio-ecological framework for the field of MMR (Plano Clark & Ivankova, 2016) that acknowledges the influence of different contexts on understanding and use of MMR.

Methods: The development of the curriculum was based on 20 years of teaching about MMR, serving as an investigator on MMR projects, conducting MMR training and workshops, advising doctoral students, and mentoring early-career researchers in MMR. Personal reflections were augmented with students’ feedback on formal course evaluations and exit survey, and informal discussions with colleagues and program graduates.

Data sources or materials: The program includes 4 required courses focused on different aspects of applying MMR: from navigating the field of MMR, to designing and conducting a MMR study, to applying MMR in action and community-based participatory research, to writing a MMR grant proposal. The courses can be taken out of sequence; however, they are interconnected within the program each contributing to the development of knowledge and skills in MMR in a unique way. The courses are semester-based and are offered online via Canvas learning platform with 50% of class sessions occurring in real-time via Zoom.

Results: The program was launched in fall 2019 and since then graduated 20 students. Teaching strategies are organized by six pedagogical goals associated with teaching MMR and are aimed at promoting knowledge, evaluation, application, communication, professional and methodological advancement of MMR. The focus is on learning about the MMR process, methodological considerations and contexts as applied to each course purpose and goals. The priority is given to the goals and strategies that promote the acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve the course learning objectives. Teaching strategies are also adapted to the level of the course (e.g., the beginning and more advanced), diverse learners’ needs (e.g., new to MMR and those who have active MMR projects), and course delivery format (e.g., virtual classroom sessions and asynchronous discussions in Canvas).

Significance: Using the principles of socio-ecological framework, constructivist learning theory and a spiral curriculum provides an effective approach to teaching about MMR in an applied format and sets an example of how multiple teaching strategies can be used to achieve different goals to address learners’ diverse needs.

Author

• Nataliya V. Ivankova, University of Alabama - Birmingham
  Presenting Author