Course Summary
IDE 850 focused on developing deep knowledge of a research area through the systematic process of conducting a literature review. The course emphasized building a clear research argument, organizing and synthesizing literature, connecting theoretical perspectives with existing research, identifying gaps in knowledge, and considering future research directions and methodological approaches. Through readings, peer critique, research journaling, individual meetings with the instructor, and the development and presentation of a complete literature review, I strengthened both my literature review process and my ability to communicate and defend a scholarly argument.
Selected Artifacts
Final Literature Review
This final literature review represents the primary research product developed throughout IDE 850. The project brought together the research problem, theoretical and conceptual foundations, existing empirical literature, and methodological considerations into a coherent scholarly argument. It reflects the iterative process of searching, organizing, synthesizing, receiving feedback, revising, and refining the literature review across the semester.
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Literature Review Presentation
This presentation translated the final literature review into a concise scholarly presentation designed to communicate and defend the central research argument. It required me to identify the most important ideas from the larger review, organize them into a clear narrative, and prepare to explain the research problem, conceptual foundations, literature synthesis, and implications through presentation and discussion.
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Reflection
One of the most valuable parts of IDE 850 was the opportunity to meet individually with Professor Koszalka twice during the semester. These meetings helped me identify specific issues in my research and think through how to strengthen the study. I also had many questions about how different sections of a literature review should connect and how to build a clear scholarly argument across those sections. The supplemental readings and our individual conversations gave me practical guidance on these questions. They helped me think more carefully about the structure of a literature review and how each section contributes to the larger research argument.
Another important practice I developed in this course was keeping a research journal throughout the semester. I recorded what I was working on, decisions I made, feedback I received, changes in my thinking, and questions that I still needed to address. This became especially useful when I returned to the project after some time away. I could see why I had made particular decisions without reconstructing the entire process from earlier materials. Keeping this journal was especially helpful to me during IDE 850, and I plan to continue this practice throughout my dissertation to keep track of my thinking, decisions, and changes over time.