CAS 892

CAS 892 ONLINE RESEARCH DESIGN

Professor Hairong Li (created this syllabus)
368 Communication Arts
E-mail: hairong@msu.edu
Skype: hairong.li

Course Objectives

This one-credit method course is developed for students to explore how to apply scientific research principles to the design of research that is conducted on the Internet. By taking this course, students should become familiar with the literature of online research design, knowledgeable of online research tools, and capable of designing and executing online research projects.

Course Requirements

To accomplish the course objectives, students will (1) read and discuss articles to advance the understanding of methodological issues of online research, (2) do hands-on assignments using WebSurveyor, and (3) use learned skills to complete a final project.

The final project is a major assignment of the course. It should consist of a consent form, a survey with embedded images or videos, and a thank you page, all linked together. It should be fully functional.

WebSurveyor Account

http://research.adv.msu.edu/ss/

More information about using WebSurveyor is at http://research.adv.msu.edu/help/.

Course Modules

Students will complete the assigned readings, hands-on exercises, and the final project in five modules, one module per day. The five modules, tasks, and points are outlined as follows:

Module 1: Online Research Creation, June 14

• Post your plan for the final project (20 points)
• Finish assigned readings and post your reflection (10 points)
• Create a short survey using WebSurveyor (10 points)

Module 2: Design for the Look and Feel, June 15

• Comment on two others’ reflections in M1 (10 points)
• Finish assigned readings and post your reflection (10 points)
• Modify the interface of your survey (10 points)

Module 3: Embedded Dynamic Content, June 16

• Comment on two others’ reflections in M2 (10 points)
• Finish assigned readings and post your reflection (10 points)
• Customize the survey by adding dynamic content (10 points)

Module 4: Sampling for Online Research, June 17

• Comment on two others’ reflections in M3 (10 points)
• Finish assigned readings and post your reflection (10 points)
• Write a sampling plan for your final project (20 points)

Module 5: Final Project, June 18

• Comment on two others’ reflections in M4 (10 points)
• Complete your final project (instructions) (40 points) (start @ consent form)
• Publish final survey results (10 points)

Because of the tight course schedule, students are advised to start a module early each day to have enough time to work on the tasks. Late work is not acceptable unless for legitimate reason.

Course Grade

The points students earn by completing assigned tasks in all modules will be tallied for computing the course grade using the following grading scheme.

Help

If you have any questions about assignments or the course, post them to Questions and Answers Forum. I will reply in 24 hours, if not sooner. And students are encouraged to share answers if they happen to have one.

If you have questions about Angel, please call Angel Help at 1-800-500-1554 (toll free in North America and Hawaii) or 517-355-2345.