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Unread 29-12-2007, 18:40
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Teaching Teachers to Teach Tech
AKA: Jason Brett
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Re: Robotics Research for Graduate School

From the sound of it you are working on an M.Ed type degree, rather than a technical one. It also sounds like you are doing the degree part-time, while continuing to work. If I have missed something, please correct me, details like that have a significant bearing on the scope of the research project. Knowing the length of the expected thesis and what fraction of your degree will be made up of research vs. courses is also helpful. I just finished my M.Ed this fall after three years of part-time study at UBC, and base my advice solely upon that experience.

1) Balance your desire to research something about which you are passionate with the time and resources allocated to your research.

2) Doing reseach involving students often involves a significant time lag while gaining clearance from "behavioral research ethics boards", school districts, schools, parents, teachers and students. Hopefully your advisor has thoroughly briefed you on the requirements for your institution, and you have spoken to your school administrator about district policy regarding research projects in the school.

3) Focus on something specific. Take your original idea and edit, edit, edit it down so that you can lay out a reasonable time line for each step of the process. KNOW where all your data is going to come from and what steps you will have to go through to access it. By the time I reached a research topic that could reasonably be accomplished, 75% to 85% of the original concept had been deleted or simplified... and much of the original meaning of the project for me had evaporated as well. Note, however, that while this may have affected the personal value I attached to the project, it also allowed me to finish it. I have at least one colleague who is still out there in thesis land, struggling to finish a broad and meaningful research project about which he cares deeply.

That might not help with regard to specific ideas, but on the other hand it might help you filter out ideas that aren't so great.

Jason