Tutorials

Students are often expected to build strong arguments in their research. But what does an instructor mean when they ask that of their students? What does a strong argument actually look like? This video draws on strategies from philosophy, critical thinking, and learning theory to help students use research to build stronger arguments in their writing.

Instructors often ask students to engage more deeply with sources when doing research and writing. But what does that mean, exactly? This video draws on educational psychology and instructional design theory to give students concrete strategies for engaging deeply and meaningfully with sources by asking “Essential questions” about the readings.

Students often say that getting started is the hardest part of the research process. This may be, in part, because whereas most of our education teaches convergent thinking strategies (developing answers to linear questions with fixed answers and solutions), the research process requires a kind of creative, or “divergent” kind of thinking, where we consider multiple potential solutions for an open-ended problem. This video explains how students can use divergent thinking to interpret an assignment creatively and select a meaningful, authentic topic of interest.

In order to do quality research, one must have a good grasp of time management. Research presents unique time management challenges, since it is a recursive process that often requires one to go back to earlier steps in the process even after that part of the research process seems “done.” This video outlines linear vs. recursive processes, how the research process falls under the latter heading, and maps research as a recursive process so students have a better grasp of what to expect when engaging in research and planning their time.