Welcome to Track 2 of the Dissertation Research Seminar.
Track 2 continues the process of developing your Dissertation Research Plan that you began in Track 1.
You've completed the preparations you need in the Track 2 courseroom, and you'll apply all that you've learned to actually writing elements of the Dissertation Research Plan. Here in the Track 2 courseroom, you've already been given the background you will need for the Residency.
During check-in at the Capella registration booths, you'll receive a Track 2 schedule showing the times and location of the Residency sessions. You will access the Track 2 Residency Learner Guidebook via the courseroom. Thursday afternoon, the Capella store is open, and you can attend the "Study Hall," where wireless Internet and faculty members are available. Often, there is an opportunity to attend a conversation with Capella University leaders.
The first session begins at 5:00 PM, during which you will discuss the presentation you designed in the courseroom with your cohort. Together, you will work to improve your ideas regarding your dissertation research plan.
Friday morning, each learner will do a brief presentation on the first few sections of the research plan, specifically discussing the research question and purpose statement. Your cohort partners will offer their feedback electronically, while the faculty instructor will offer verbal feedback—the electronic rubric feedback will be sent to your email address for later use.
Friday afternoon will consist of working sessions for you and your instructor to evaluate your research question and purpose statement, and you will work on selecting the best methodology and research design to answer your research question. This will lead to a first, or an improved draft of those elements of the dissertation research plan.
Saturday morning continues Friday's work by writing up the correct research design for the research question. When you're finished and your instructor feels the choices are appropriate, you'll improve the sampling plan you initially drafted by writing up the description of the target population and the characteristics of the sample itself. These will be done in consultation with the instructor.
Saturday afternoon will be devoted to creating the narrative sampling plan, including reviewing additional literature via laptop searches into the appropriate sample sizes for the design. The sampling flow chart you created will be transformed into a narrative description of your sampling plan to be added to the dissertation research plan, and you'll integrate this narrative with the description of the target population and sample written during the morning sessions. You will also consider the ethical challenges in sampling and recruitment. The instructor will circulate and answer questions and offer guidance.
Saturday afternoon, if time permits, you may begin working on the power point for the presentations you will do on Sunday. If not, then you will prepare the power point Saturday evening. Directions for the power point presentation are located in the Track 3 Residency Learner Guidebook. Essentially you will present on the first four sections of the dissertation research plan.
Finally, on Sunday morning, each of you will do a succinct presentation of your power point to the larger cohort and the instructor, taking no more than four minutes for the verbal presentation. Everyone will complete a brief feedback form presentation, and the instructor will provide formative feedback.
You will use this feedback to further refine your thinking on your poster items in the Final Assignment back in the courseroom when you return home.
The Residency ends promptly at noon on Sunday. You may not leave before that time. In order to "check out," you will need to have with you your name badge and a valid photo ID (passport, state driver's license, etc.).
We hope that you have a successful and also a rewarding Residency, and are able to make use of the support it provides in moving your dissertation ideas forward toward the foundations of a workable dissertation research plan.
Doc. reference: phd_t2_u09s1_overviewres2.html