Students

APPL7020 – Designing and Conducting Language-related Research

2020 – Session 2, Special circumstance

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Mehdi Riazi
mehdi.riazi@mq.edu.au
Cassi Liardet
cassi.liardet@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
APPL8020
Unit description Unit description

Acquiring advanced research knowledge and developing research skills is integral to and a core element in master of research program. In this unit, students will be exposed to main research methodologies including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods; they will also be involved with research activities through learning and assessment tasks. By completing this unit, it is anticipated that students master critical concepts in research and be able to apply different research methods by preparing research proposals on topics of their interest.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify and communicate a research topic to a professional audience
  • ULO2: Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of different approaches to research
  • ULO3: Conceive and formulate research questions/hypotheses relating to language study and language learning
  • ULO4: Develop your research and writing skills to write a research proposal
  • ULO5: Conduct and report a small-scale or a replication study to answer your research questions

General Assessment Information

Late Assignment Submission

  • If assignments are submitted after the due date without an approved extension, they are deemed late. Late submissions will receive a 5% per day penalty and will not be marked if more than 2 weeks late.
  • All assignments submitted after the deadline, regardless of the reason, will be marked and returned at a date determined by the unit convenor.
  • Extensions cannot continue beyond the start of the following semester, and students should be aware that long extensions may impact graduation dates.
  • Extensions will only be given in special circumstances and can be requested by completing the Special Consideration request at ask.mq.edu.au and providing the required supporting documentation.

For more information on Special Consideration, see the university website https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Active Participation 25% No All through the semester
Group Oral Presentation 10% No Weeks 3, 5, 6, 8, 9
Assessment Task 1: Annotated Bibliography 20% No Sunday, August 30
Research Proposal 20% No Sunday, September 27
Research Report 25% No Sunday, November 8

Active Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: All through the semester
Weighting: 25%

 

Students will show their active participation through online Zoom meetings, discussion in iLearn, and completion of the exercises and learning activities in the interactive text.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of different approaches to research
  • Conceive and formulate research questions/hypotheses relating to language study and language learning
  • Conduct and report a small-scale or a replication study to answer your research questions

Group Oral Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Weeks 3, 5, 6, 8, 9
Weighting: 10%

 

Students will prepare and present two group oral presentations on the sample studies.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and communicate a research topic to a professional audience
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of different approaches to research
  • Conceive and formulate research questions/hypotheses relating to language study and language learning

Assessment Task 1: Annotated Bibliography

Assessment Type 1: Annotated bibliography
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Sunday, August 30
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will choose a research topic and will search the published literature to prepare an annotated bibliography on a chosen topic.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and communicate a research topic to a professional audience
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of different approaches to research
  • Conceive and formulate research questions/hypotheses relating to language study and language learning
  • Develop your research and writing skills to write a research proposal

Research Proposal

Assessment Type 1: Professional writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Sunday, September 27
Weighting: 20%

 

Based on the first assessment task, students will prepare a research proposal to be communicated with a professional audience for a small-scale replication study.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and communicate a research topic to a professional audience
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of different approaches to research
  • Conceive and formulate research questions/hypotheses relating to language study and language learning
  • Develop your research and writing skills to write a research proposal

Research Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Sunday, November 8
Weighting: 25%

 

Students will conduct and report a small-scale or a replication study.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of different approaches to research
  • Conceive and formulate research questions/hypotheses relating to language study and language learning
  • Develop your research and writing skills to write a research proposal
  • Conduct and report a small-scale or a replication study to answer your research questions

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

The learning and teaching strategies used in this Unit include individual study, online lectures, and Discussion Forums. Weekly lectures include a two-hour lecture and discussion and a one-hour group tutorial.

The unit convenor will be monitoring the online discussion. If you have any general questions, concerns, and comments these may be posted on the Forum in iLearn. However, should you have any personal issues (e.g. requests for extensions etc.) then these should be addressed directly to the unit convenor through communication with your teacher in iLearn or at mehdi.riazi@mq.edu.au

The online discussion provides students the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas with other classmates to consolidate their understanding of theoretical concepts. Therefore, students are urged to take part in online discussions as relating to weekly topics.

Required Textbook:

The following text is the “required” text for this unit.

Riazi, M. (2018). Research methods in language studies: An interactive text. Top Hat.

The following books are “optional” and good to consult.

Riazi. A.M. (2016). The Routledge Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. London: Routledge.

Paltridge, B., & Phakiti, A. (Eds.)(2015). Research methods in applied linguistics. NY: Bloomsbury Publications.

Riazi, A.M. (2017). Mixed methods research in language teaching and learning. London: Equinox.

Unit Schedule

 

Week

Topic

Presenter

Required reading(s)

Recommended readings

Tasks & Assignments

1

 

Introduction to Research Methods:

Overview of the unit and assignments

 

Primary vs. Secondary research

Mehdi Riazi

Riazi (2018) Chapter 1

--

 

 

 

Read about the first assignment (Annotated Bibliography) in Chapter 1

 

Identify your area of interest (topic)

2

 

 

 

Conducting Secondary Research:

 

Knowing about and searching databases

Mehdi Riazi

 

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 2

--

 

Read Chapter 2 carefully and complete the learning activities

 

Prepare a list of articles for your AB (First Assignment)

3

 

Writing Academically:

 

Writing up research

Mehdi Riazi

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 3

--

Presentation of research topics

 

Internal students (ISs) present in class

External students (ESs) present in online “Forum”

 

Read Chapter 3 carefully and prepare Assignment 1

 

4

 

Conducting Primary Research:

Overview of three research paradigms: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research

Mehdi Riazi

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 4

Cumming (1994)

 

 

Assignment 1 is due on Sunday, August 30 at 23:55 Sydney time

Read Chapter 4 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 4

5

 

Conducting Quantitative Research:

Surveys and correlational studies

Group Oral Presentation

(GOP)

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 5

Surveys (Wagner, 2013)-Accessible from MQ Online Library

Read Chapter 5 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 5

 

6

 

Conducting Quantitative Research:

Experimental designs

Group Oral Presentation

(GOP)

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 6

--

Read Chapter 6 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 6

7

 

Collecting and Analysing Quantitative Data

Mehdi Riazi

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 7

Brown, J.D. (1991)

Read Chapter 7 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 7

Recess (Sept. 14-27)

Assignment 2 is due on Sunday, September 27 at 23:55 Sydney Time

8

 

Conducting Qualitative Research:

Case study and ethnography

Group Oral Presentation

(GOP)

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 8

Case study (Duff, 2013)- Accessible from MQ Online Library

 

Richards (2009)

Read Chapter 8 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 8

9

 

Conducting Qualitative Research:

Discourse analysis and narrative inquiry

Group Oral Presentation

(GOP)

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 9

Narrative Approaches to Second

Language Acquisition

(Pomerantz, 2013)- Accessible from MQ Online Library

Read Chapter 9 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 9

10

Preparing for Assignment 3: Elaboration & data collection

Mehdi Riazi

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 4

--

Decide on the method and start data collection

11

 

Analysing Qualitative Data

Mehdi Riazi

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 10

Maguire & Delahunt (2017)

Read Chapter 10 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 10

12

 

Mixed-methods research

Mehdi Riazi

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 11

Riazi (2017)

 

Riazi & Candlin (2014)

 

Teddlie & Tashakkori (2006)

Read Chapter 11 carefully and complete “Learning Activity” of Chapter 11

13

 

 

Ethical issues in research*

Peter Roger

Riazi (2018)

Chapter 13

Thomas (2009)

 

Rieschild (2003)

 

Assignment 3 due on Sunday, November 8 at 23:55 Sydney Time

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.