Goals

"New approaches to the design of [research] are being formulated that make the 'true experiment' seem like a lumbering dinosaur, yet some folk persist in thinking that dinosaurs are wonderful creatures." - D. C. Phillips

"Non-laboratory social science is precariously scientific at best. But even for the strongest sciences, the theories believed to be true are radically underjustified and have, at most, the status of 'better than' rather than the status of 'proven'." - Donald Campbell

"The purpose of scientific research is theory..... Scientific research never has the purpose of solving human or social problems, making decisions, and taking actions..... should never be required to think about or spell out the educational implications." - Fred Kerlinger

"I believe the value of basic research in education is severely limited..... it (education) is not in need of research to find out how it works. It is in need of creative invention to make it work better." - Robert Ebel

"Too many studies [in instructional technology] present simplistic conceptualization and design coupled with suspiciously elaborate statistical analysis of data." - Richard E. Clark

After completing this seminar, you should be able to:
1. Identify a range of theoretical and paradigmatic positions held by leaders in educational research in instructional technology and closely related fields.
2. Describe the major philosophical tenets of several philosophers of science such as Popper, Kuhn, Feyerabend, and Lakatos.
3. Defend a philosophical position with respect to the conduct of research in instructional technology, including a position about the "social responsibility" and research.
4. Discuss the historical foundations of research in instructional technology from a variety of perspectives, e.g., cognitive, social, and constructivist.

This seminar includes both brand new doctoral students and those that have been in the doctoral program for one year. The second year students have a sincere desire and real responsibility to mentor and guide the new generation of doctoral students to whatever degree they can. In a community of scholars such as our Ph.D. program, everyone is a teacher and a learner; everyone is a leader and a follower. After all, the community is only as strong as its least fulfilled member.

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