Educational Research Series

The Educational Research Series (ERS) of the Educator Development Program (EDP) is an 11-month Drake Institute endorsed program that combines virtual workshops, independent work, and personalized one-on-one consultation services to help faculty learn the research process as it relates to health professions education. The goal of ERS is for faculty to design and prepare to conduct educational research; in doing so, faculty will develop greater autonomy in navigating various stages of educational research.

Program Overview

The Educator Develop Program-Educational Research Series (EDP-ERS) program is intended to develop College of Medicine and School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences faculty into leaders in the medical education field. Requirements for the program include:  

  1. Completing the core curriculum of the five sessions,   
  2. Attending or viewing five EDP-ERS Spotlight sessions,   
  3. Attending five one-on-one meetings with an OCS specialist, and   
  4. Completing the capstone project of preparing an IRB submission.   

Timeline: This course is self-paced and should be completed within one calendar year. 

Participant Outcomes

Participants will design, and prepare to conduct, their own educational research over the course of the program. By the end of the program, each participant will complete an educational research project. Participants will work with ERS instructors to develop the learning objectives and deliverables (e.g., Institutional Review Board [IRB] protocol; grant proposal; manuscript) for their educational research project based on their interests and career goals.

Learning Objectives

Session 1 

Where Teaching and Scholarship Meet: An Introduction to Educational Research 

What is educational research? How can faculty get started on an educational research project? An introduction to the educational research process as it applies to health sciences education.  

Learning Objectives 

  1. Define educational research. 
  2. Compare and contrast educational and clinical research. 
  3. Define educational innovation. 
  4. Articulate the expectations for authors 

Session 2

Beginning Medical Education Research  

What are the early steps in beginning to pursue a medical education research project? Here is how to prepare an IRB application, develop a research question, and how to utilize the literature to guide your study. 

Learning Objectives 

  1. Identify steps in the IRB application process 
  2. Develop a measurable research question 
  3. Synthesize literature for conceptual framework 

Session 3

Quantitative Methods for Educational Research 

What test is appropriate when comparing the outcomes of multiple groups? This module will discuss the type of variables used in quantitative research, the importance of descriptive statistics, and how to use inferential statistics. Survey research is also frequently used by researchers and will be covered in this module. 

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Identify the different type of variables used in quantitative research 
  2. Implement appropriate inference statistical tests for research studies 
  3. Design an effective survey 

Session 4

Qualitative Methods for Educational Research 

What about studies with rich data points and small sample sizes? Qualitative studies have small sample sizes but collect richer data that can provide meaning that has more breadth and depth than quantitative studies.  

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Identify different types of qualitative methodologies in research. 
  2. Implement appropriate approaches to gather qualitative data for research studies. 
  3. Describe an effective research model using qualitative methods. 

Session 5

Disseminating Educational Research

During this Cohort Workshop, you will learn strategies and considerations for disseminating your educational research to the academic community. 

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Identify appropriate outlets for educational research 
  2. Write effective conference proposals 
  3. Navigate the peer-reviewed journal process 

Target Audience

Novice and Advanced Beginners in educational research

  • Novices may be aware of educational research skills but are unable to discuss or apply the skills in any detail.
  • Advanced Beginners understand and can discuss much but not all of the terminology, concepts, and issues related to educational research skills, but they need to be coached through the application of the skills.

Eligibility

All faculty in the College of Medicine, including the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS)

Certification

  • Up to 10 total hours of category A CME credit
  • Certification from the College of Medicine’s Center for FAME and Office of Curriculum and Scholarship

Program Syllabus

Download the syllabus here.

Application

Apply here.