Program Overview

EDRS550 - Literature Reviews for Educational Research

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

Literature reviews are typically written before a research project to provide context, avoid duplication, and identify gaps in existing knowledge. This unit aims to provide foundational knowledge and skills for students to critically examine relevant research findings and construct an extended, well-structured literature review.

Learning Outcomes

• Utilise skills required to search and identify high-quality research literature related to a specific topic, issue, or problem.
• Analyse and synthesise quality educational research literature on a specific topic, issue, or problem.
• Identify possible gaps in the scholarly literature that can inform further research on a specific topic, issue, or problem.
• Conduct a small-scale literature review related to a specific topic, issue, or problem.

Unit Content

The unit is structured into sequential modules that follow the stages of writing a literature review:

1. Sourcing Quality Literature: Refining the topic, criteria for quality literature, and database searching.
2. Evaluating, Critically Engaging with Single and Multiple Texts: Locating, appraising, reviewing, synthesising, and engaging with texts.
3. Understanding the Building-Blocks of a Literature Review: Identifying key authors, arguments, and publications, and locating issues and gaps in research literature.
4. Writing Your Literature Review: Defining the scope, organizing the review, and amalgamating synthesis and evaluation.

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. There are two tasks:

1. Written Task: Annotated Bibliography and Critical Review (50%): Summarising and evaluating key texts and a critical review of a single text.
2. Written Task: Literature Review (50%): Conducting a small-scale literature review related to a specific topic or problem.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The unit consists of online asynchronous learning accompanied by online drop-in sessions. The strategy emphasizes active and engaged adult learning, with an emphasis on real-world, tangible assessment tasks that require application of specific skills needed to plan, organise, and develop a literature review.

Representative Texts and References

• Booth, A., Papaioannou, D., & Sutton, A. (2016). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review (2nd ed.). Sage.
• Creswell, J., & Guetterman, T. (2019). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (6th ed.). Pearson.
• Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). Handbook of qualitative research (4th ed.). Sage.
• Fink, A. (2013). Conducting research literature reviews: From the internet to paper (4th ed.). Sage.
• Galvan, J. L., & Galvan, M. (2017). Writing literature reviews: a guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (7th ed.). Routledge.

Locations and Credit Points

• Location: Online
• Credit Points: 10

This unit is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to undertake a comprehensive literature review, a crucial component of educational research. By engaging with the unit's content and assessments, students will develop a deep understanding of how to critically evaluate and synthesise existing research, ultimately contributing to the advancement of knowledge in their field.