The main purpose of this course is to focus on good questions and how to answer them. This is essential to making considered decisions as a leader in any organization or in your life overall. Topics will include the basis of human curiosity, development of questions, connections between questions and approaches to information gathering design , variable measurement, sampling, the differences between experimental and non-experimental designs, data analysis, reporting and the ethics of inquiry projects. Emphasis will be placed on approaches used in the social sciences (i.e., sociology, psychology, anthropology), but we will also discuss how others (i.e., natural scientists, business analysts) might approach the inquiry process. No prior knowledge of statistics is required for this course.
This module will focus on the process of inquiry and how that will be used as a systematic model in seeking answers and solving problems. Next, we turn to components essential to each of the inquiry approaches.
Elements of Critical Thinking: An Overview - A Resource We Will Refer to in This Class•10 minutes
Study Tips for this Course •10 minutes
Connecting UNT, Applied Arts and Sciences, and This Course •5 minutes
My Day in the Life at UNT•10 minutes
Week 1 Overview•10 minutes
What is the Process of Inquiry?•10 minutes
Inquiry Approaches: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods•10 minutes
Glossary: The Process of Inquiry•10 minutes
Inquiry Components•10 minutes
Systematically Asking Questions•10 minutes
What is a Theory?•10 minutes
Glossary: Inquiry Terminology•10 minutes
Using Inquiry: An Interview with Dr. Krisstal Clayton•10 minutes
Join UNT's BAAS Program Today!•10 minutes
Join UNT's BSGB Program Today!•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
Process of Inquiry•10 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Introduce Yourself•10 minutes
Conceptualize and Operationalize Research
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will consider how to develop questions or hypotheses. This process begins with conceptualization or the mental process where fuzzy and imprecise concepts are made more specific and precise.
What's included
3 videos8 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 16 minutes
Intro to Readings for Week 2•5 minutes
Conceptualize and Operationalize Inquiry Process•2 minutes
Interview with Dr. Keleher•9 minutes
8 readings•Total 75 minutes
Week 2 Overview•5 minutes
Relationships Between Variables•10 minutes
Questions and Hypotheses•10 minutes
Conceptualization and Operationalization (Part 1 of 2)•10 minutes
Conceptualization and Operationalization (Part 2 of 2)•10 minutes
Glossary: Conceptualizing and Operationalizing Inquiry•10 minutes
Glossary: Inquiry Design•10 minutes
Using Inquiry: An Interview with Dr. Shannon Keleher•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
Conceptualize and Operationalize Research•10 minutes
Background Research
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will look at the essential components of a literature review. The purpose is both to gain a good understanding of the main sources of information concerning a particular topic or question and to clarify our inquiry objective, hypothesis and/or research question.
What's included
3 videos4 readings1 assignment1 peer review
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 13 minutes
What is Literature Review?•3 minutes
Intro to Readings for Week 3•2 minutes
Interview with Dr. Simon•8 minutes
4 readings•Total 35 minutes
Week 3 Overview•5 minutes
Review of the Background Literature and Writing•10 minutes
Glossary: Background Research•10 minutes
Using Inquiry: An Interview with Dr. Jason Simon•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
Literature Review•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
Literature Review Assignment (Optional)•60 minutes
Importance of Sampling and Ethical Issues in Research
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module will explore the importance of reliability and validity. We will also focus on ethical issues encountered with research.
What's included
3 videos16 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 17 minutes
What is Sampling and Why is it Important?•4 minutes
Intro to Readings for Week 4•3 minutes
Interview with Dr. Cooley•9 minutes
16 readings•Total 145 minutes
Week 4 Overview•5 minutes
Sampling•10 minutes
Basic Statistics Concepts•10 minutes
Reliability and Validity•10 minutes
Creating a Representative Sample•10 minutes
Glossary: Importance of Sampling•5 minutes
Ethical Issues Overview•10 minutes
Voluntary Participation•10 minutes
No Harm to Participants•10 minutes
More Ethical Issues•10 minutes
Proposals•10 minutes
Glossary: Ethical Issues•5 minutes
Using Inquiry: An Interview with Dr. Jason Cooley•10 minutes
My Day in the Life at UNT•10 minutes
Join UNT's BAAS Program Today!•10 minutes
Join UNT's BSGB Program Today!•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
Sampling and Ethical Issues in Research•10 minutes
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Taking this course by University of North Texas may provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors in a related degree program which can help you decide if the topic or university is right for you.
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Prepare for a degree
Taking this course by University of North Texas may provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors in a related degree program which can help you decide if the topic or university is right for you.
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