Design Activity Worksheets for Developing Research Questions

Vetria Byrd; Jorge D. Camba

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Preparation for Graduate Research
Tagged Division: Graduate Studies
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34384
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/34384
Download Count: 700

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Paper Authors

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Vetria Byrd Purdue University, West Lafayette orcid.org/0000-0002-0733-2062

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Dr. Vetria Byrd is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology in the Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Dr. Byrd is the founder and organizer of the biennial Broadening Participation in Visualization (BPViz) Workshop. Dr. Byrd has given numerous invited talks on visualization and has been featured in HPC Wire online magazine (2014), and numerous workshops nationally and internationally. Dr. Byrd received her graduate and undergraduate degrees at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, in Birmingham, Alabama which include: Ph.D. in Computer and Information Sciences, Master’s degrees in Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Dr. Byrd’s research interests include: data visualization, data visualization capacity building, high performance visualization, big data, and collaborative visualization. Dr. Byrd’s research utilizes data visualization as a catalyst for communication, as a conduit for collaboration, as a pathway to STEM and as a mechanism for broadening participation and inclusion.

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Jorge D. Camba Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Jorge D. Camba is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.

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Abstract

Developing good research questions is a skill that develops over time and is often difficult for students. More often than not, it is up to the student to figure out what to research. Where do I start? What do I look for? Is this a good research question? These are just a few of the questions students ask and should ask in the early stages of their research process. This work describes a progressive plan for developing research questions using a series of four design activity worksheets to guide students through the cognitive and metacognitive process of choosing topics, asking questions, identifying an appropriate problem and locating adequate data sources.

The goal of the first worksheet in the series, “Identifying Topics,” is to identify and rank a minimum of three topics of interest. At this point topics are generally either too broad or too narrow. It is unknown which or if any of the topics will be fully developed into a robust research question. In the event students reach an impasse in their efforts to develop their topic into a research question and decide to consider other options, the list of topics generated in this stage can be utilized to minimize time identifying a new topic. Upon completion of this worksheet students will generate, compare and rank topics of interest and identify who the intended audience is for their work.

The goal of the second worksheet, “From Topics to Questions,” is to generate questions based on the main topic of interest identified in the previous worksheet so students can transition from a broad topic to a specific question. Upon completing this worksheet, students will articulate what they hope their target audience will understand after reading their work.

The goal of the third worksheet, “From Questions to a Problem,” is to transition from a specific question to developing a problem statement. Upon completing this worksheet, students will identify the situation or condition they desire to address, the consequences caused by that condition and why it is important to address the problem.

The goal of the fourth worksheet, “From a Problem to Data Sources,” is to help students identify and acquire data for the chosen topic and determine the availability of data and data sources for the developed research question.

The worksheets are introduced in a linear manner and completed in order. This progressive path is intended to provide a logical and methodical approach to developing research questions. However, each worksheet can be completed independently. The worksheets can also be used as a pedagogical approach to introducing research methods into the classroom. The design activity worksheets have been used in multiple venues: undergraduate and graduate data visualization courses, workshops and more recently, a graduate seminar designed to help students identify their thesis topics in partial fulfillment of their graduate degree. In this work, we describe the development and characteristics of the worksheets and report some preliminary results of a study designed to assess their perceived impact and usefulness.

Citation
Format

Byrd, V., & Camba, J. D. (2020, June), Design Activity Worksheets for Developing Research Questions Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34384

TY - CPAPER
AB - Developing good research questions is a skill that develops over time and is often difficult for students. More often than not, it is up to the student to figure out what to research. Where do I start? What do I look for? Is this a good research question? These are just a few of the questions students ask and should ask in the early stages of their research process. This work describes a progressive plan for developing research questions using a series of four design activity worksheets to guide students through the cognitive and metacognitive process of choosing topics, asking questions, identifying an appropriate problem and locating adequate data sources.

The goal of the first worksheet in the series, “Identifying Topics,” is to identify and rank a minimum of three topics of interest. At this point topics are generally either too broad or too narrow. It is unknown which or if any of the topics will be fully developed into a robust research question. In the event students reach an impasse in their efforts to develop their topic into a research question and decide to consider other options, the list of topics generated in this stage can be utilized to minimize time identifying a new topic. Upon completion of this worksheet students will generate, compare and rank topics of interest and identify who the intended audience is for their work.

The goal of the second worksheet, “From Topics to Questions,” is to generate questions based on the main topic of interest identified in the previous worksheet so students can transition from a broad topic to a specific question. Upon completing this worksheet, students will articulate what they hope their target audience will understand after reading their work.

The goal of the third worksheet, “From Questions to a Problem,” is to transition from a specific question to developing a problem statement. Upon completing this worksheet, students will identify the situation or condition they desire to address, the consequences caused by that condition and why it is important to address the problem.

The goal of the fourth worksheet, “From a Problem to Data Sources,” is to help students identify and acquire data for the chosen topic and determine the availability of data and data sources for the developed research question.

The worksheets are introduced in a linear manner and completed in order. This progressive path is intended to provide a logical and methodical approach to developing research questions. However, each worksheet can be completed independently. The worksheets can also be used as a pedagogical approach to introducing research methods into the classroom. The design activity worksheets have been used in multiple venues: undergraduate and graduate data visualization courses, workshops and more recently, a graduate seminar designed to help students identify their thesis topics in partial fulfillment of their graduate degree. In this work, we describe the development and characteristics of the worksheets and report some preliminary results of a study designed to assess their perceived impact and usefulness.

AU - Vetria Byrd
AU - Jorge D. Camba
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Design Activity Worksheets for Developing Research Questions
UR - https://peer.asee.org/34384
DO - 10.18260/1-2--34384
ER -