IST Ph.D. Program: For Students Starting 2004 or Earlier
Purpose and Basic Requirements
The Instructional Systems Technology Doctor of Philosophy in Education degree program is designed for individuals seeking to be researchers in the field of instructional technology. The IST program prepares Ph.D. students to discover new knowledge through basic research and answer specific questions about practical problems through applied research. Ph.D. program graduates typically conduct research and teach in university settings or work as researchers within private or public research and development centers involved in instructional technology.
The IST Ph.D. program is a 90-credit-hour (minimum) graduate program. In order to begin the Ph.D. program, an individual must have completed a bachelor's degree program from an accredited institution. Work completed towards a master's degree may apply toward meeting the 90-credit-hour requirement. Post-master's degree work may also apply. Decisions regarding the applicability of courses taken as part of master's and post- master's work depends upon the applicability and age of each course. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Program Overview (Table of Contents)
Macintosh and DOS/Windows word processing, graphics, operating systems, general understanding of how computers work, electronic mail, file transfer, information retrieval, scanning and Web publishing.
Course work (90 hours):
IST (42 hours)
Non-IST (27 hours)
IST or Non-IST (6 hours)
IST (15 hours)
Total: 90 hours
Steps in the Doctoral Process:
- Doctoral Program Outline (with consultation and approval from the Program Advisory Committee; should be submitted by end of the second semester)
- Residency (two consecutive 9-hour semesters, excluding summers)
- Mid-Program Review (instructional project, research project, portfolio)
- Publication/Knowledge Dissemination (present at conference; publish research paper; both done prior to the dissertation research proposal)
- Written and Oral Qualifying Examination (after completion of course work - excluding dissertation)
- Nomination to Candidacy (after completion of all course work - excluding dissertation - and after passing written and oral qualifying exams)
- Dissertation Research Committee Approval
- Dissertation Prospectus (after Nomination to Candidacy and with consultation and approval from Dissertation Research Committee)
- Dissertation Proposal Defense
- Dissertation Final Defense Announcement (with approval from dissertation chairperson, and at least 30 days prior to final defense)
- Dissertation Final Defense
Note: The planning and approval of a student's doctoral program of study is accomplished with the help of a Program Advisory Committee. The chairperson must be an IST faculty member. There also must be at least one other IST faculty member and a faculty member from the student's minor. Regular meetings with the chairperson are recommended. The Program Advisory Committee and the IST Chairperson must approve the program of studies.
The student's dissertation research is accomplished with the help of a Dissertation Research Committee, which consists of a minimum of four faculty members. At least two of these faculty, including the chair, must be members of the Graduate School. The chairperson and at least one other faculty member must be from IST. At least one faculty member should be from outside IST, usually the minor.
The Research Committee need not have the same members as the Program Advisory Committee. The student should ask faculty members to serve on these committees whose areas of expertise are consistent with the research proposal.
Prerequisite
Students entering the IST program are expected to have basic computer competence on either Macintosh or DOS/Windows computer systems, in the following areas: operating systems, word processing, graphics, a general theoretical understanding of how computers work, electronic mail, file transfer, information retrieval, scanning and Web publishing (see the appendix). Students who do not meet the competence requirements must arrange to study independently to make up their deficiencies before entering the program. These skills are necessary for successful participation in IST courses. More advanced knowledge and skills taught in IST courses assume these skills.
Indiana University has licensed a series of computer-mediated learning tutorials from NETg. Students can access these tutorials online in order to acquire and practice these basic skills.
IST Core Courses and Colloquia (12 hours)
Core I: (fall only)
- R511 Instructional Technology Foundations I and Colloquium (3 hours)
- R521 Instructional Design and Development I (3 hours)
Core II: (spring only)
- R541 Instructional Development and Production Process I** (3 hours)
- R561 Evaluation and Change in the ID Process and Colloquium (3 hours)
Note: Students can test out of R541 if these competencies have been already attained.
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IST Inquiry Linkage and Early Research Experience (6 hours)
- Fall R690 Application of Research Methods to IST Issues (3 hours)
- Spring R695 Topical Inquiry Seminar in IST (3 hours)
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IST Major Courses (24 - 27 hours)
Students are required to take 24 - 27 credit hours of course work, beyond the core courses, distributed among at least two of the three IST program emphasis areas:
Instructional Analysis, Design, and Development
(20's courses e.g., R620, R621, R625, or R626)
Instructional Development and Production
(40's courses e.g., R542, R547, R641, or R741)
Implementation and Management
(60's courses e.g., R563, R660, R665, or R667)
Note: If a student tests out of R541, then 27 hours are required. Students may but are not required to take courses which help them to meet the portfolio, instructional project, research project, and computer competency requirements.
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Inquiry (9 hours)
Education Y520, Strategies for Educational Inquiry, or a suitable substitute is required. Additionally, a minimum of one 3-hour course is required in each of the following areas: 1) quantitative methods (e.g., Y502, Y603, Y604), and 2) qualitative methods (e.g., Y611). At least one of these courses must be advanced (i.e., at the 600 level or higher).
If a student has not taken a beginning or intermediate course that is required for the advanced course, then any additional inquiry course work must be taken (but counted as electives or counted in the inquiry minor). P501 (Statistical Methods Applied to Education) cannot be counted for the above quantitative methods requirement, but can count as an elective.
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Education Foundations (6 hours)
A minimum of two 3-hour courses is required in the area of education foundations. A minimum of one 3-hour course is required in two of the following areas: (1) theories of learning , (2) educational assessment, evaluation or measurement, and (3) history, philosophy, or sociology of education. The courses must be outside of IST.
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Minor (12 hours)
A minimum of 12 hours will be taken in the minor. The minor may be inside or outside of education, must complement the major, and should support the student's professional goals.
The courses selected must be theory- and research-oriented. Typical minors may be in educational inquiry methodology, organizational psychology, cognitive science, computer science, information science, business, educational psychology, telecommunications, etc.
If educational inquiry methodology is chosen as the minor, then these courses cannot be counted in the inquiry requirement above. Thus, the inquiry minor would consist of 21 hours.
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Electives (6 hours)
This component consists of six student-determined credit hours which enrich her or his general preparation for the Ph.D. degree. They may be IST courses, or inside or outside the School of Education. These courses may be used for basic or intermediate inquiry courses such as Y502, Y527, etc., which are required prior to taking more advanced courses in these areas.
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Dissertation (15 hours)
R795 Dissertation Proposal Preparation in IST (3 hours) - with a qualified advisor of the student's choice
R799 Dissertation in IST (12 hours) - with a qualified advisor and advisory committee of the student's choice. For the Ph.D., students are required to complete, write, and orally defend a dissertation which reflects the ability to conduct an original piece of research in the field of instructional systems technology.
The dissertation research committee requires at least four members. Two members, including the chair, must be from IST. One member must be from the minor area. All members must be Graduate School faculty members and two of the four must be full members. Faculty from other universities may sometimes serve, on an exceptional basis.
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Residency
This component consists of two 9-credit-hour semesters (excluding summers), which must be consecutive. Dissertation credit hours (i.e., R799) may not be used in meeting residency requirements.
While in residency, IST Ph.D. students are expected to be involved in the following types of activities: (1) mentoring with IST faculty on research/development projects, (2) participating in colloquia and topical seminars, (3) publishing articles and/or presenting papers, and (4) participating in professional association activities.
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Mid-Program Review
This review should be conducted when about half the student's courses have been taken (between 45 and 54 credit hours). The purposes of this review are to provide an early assessment as to whether the student is likely to succeed in the remainder of the Ph.D. program and to provide quality career counselling for the student. The student should be prepared to present the instructional project certificate, research project certificate, and his or her portfolio certificate.
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Instructional Project Certificate
An instructional project must be developed. If this is not done in a course for credit (e.g., R641, R625, R586), then it must be submitted to the advisor for review and approval. The project must address a real- world instructional problem and contain evidence of the student's successful application of at least three of the five components of the instructional systems development (ISD) process: analysis, design, production, evaluation, and implementation/management. Each student will choose a project mentor from among the IST faculty. One other Indiana University faculty member (in or outside of the IST Department) may serve as a co-mentor. The mentor(s) will lead the student through the process. The instructional project may or may not be included as part of the portfolio, explained below. This project can be done prior to the student's final semester if desired.
Research Project Certificate
A research project must be conducted. The study must address a real- world problem in the field of instructional technology. Each student will choose a research project mentor from among the IST faculty. A paper describing this research which results in unique, generalizable or practical knowledge should include a(n):
- Abstract of the study (250 - 300 words max.);
- Description of the purpose of the study;
- Brief review of relevant past research to which the study contributes something new;
- Specific research question(s) addressed;
- Justification of the significance, relevance and fruitfulness of the expected research findings for others in our field;
- Description of the methodology used to answer the research question(s);
- Presentation of the results in a form appropriate to the methodology used;
- Discussion of the meaning of the results obtained;
- Discussion of limitations of the study and suggestions for further research; and a
- Bibliography with references plus any Tables and/or Figures used.
This research project might also be used to meet the Publication/Knowledge Dissemination Requirement, described below, if presented at a conference and published.
Portfolio Certificate
A portfolio must be developed and submitted for examination to the IST Department for review and approval. The portfolio will present two sets of information in an organized fashion.
The first will be a set of products developed by the student. Included in the portfolio may - but not necessarily - be the product developed in the Instructional Project and Research Project. Additional products developed by the student in other research or development courses, via practicums and internships, in conjunction with a graduate assistantship, etc. may also be included in the portfolio.
The second set of information will consist of the following four items: (1) a completed program of studies form, (2) a statement of the student's career goals, (3) a professional resume, and (4) a listing of professional references.
Portfolios are evaluated only once in the fall and once in the spring semester. Check the portfolio website for more information.
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Publication/Knowledge Dissemination Requirement
Prior to acceptance of the doctoral dissertation proposal, an IST student must complete a publication or knowledge dissemination requirement. This requirement may be met by publishing an article in an approved journal or by presenting a paper at an approved conference. The student must assume the primary responsibility for developing and publishing the article or paper and be the first author. Students are expected to receive approval of their doctoral program chair and IST doctoral program committee members prior to undertaking this effort.
Note: In cases where the time lag between submission of an article to a journal or paper to a conference and notification of the outcome would unreasonably delay a student's progress, a student may petition to have an ad hoc committee of three IST faculty members, chosen by the IST Chair, review the article or paper. A majority vote by the committee to accept the article or paper will permit the student to proceed with the doctoral dissertation proposal.
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Qualifying Examinations
During or after the final semester of doctoral course work, IST Ph.D. students must take written and oral qualifying examinations. The major-area exam is taken over a three-week period. A minor-area written examination is administered according to the policies of the minor department. (See further information on the qualifying exam procedures for IST majors.)
The minor examination questions will be prepared and assessed by the student's minor-area faculty representative. Their content will be determined by the minor-area faculty representative. Minor representatives outside the School of Education may waive this exam at their discretion.
The administration of the written qualifying examinations for the major is handled by the IST Office. The exam is given twice a year (early in the fall and spring semesters).
Within six weeks of completion of the major and minor written examinations, an oral examination must be held with the student's doctoral program advisory committee. This examination serves three purposes: First, to review, elaborate, or clarify answers to the written examinations. Second, to assess the student's development as a scholar. And third, to discuss topics for dissertation research.
Should a student fail some or all portions of the qualifying examinations (i.e., written or oral), one retake of the portion(s) failed is allowed. Should any portion of the retake examination(s) be failed, the student will not be allowed to continue the IST Ph.D. program.
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Appendix: Prerequisite Computer Competencies
Operating systems basics
Launch or run an application, create a folder/directory, name a folder/directory/file, move a folder/directory/file from one location to another, rename a folder/directory/file, copy a folder/directory/file from one device to another, delete a folder/directory/file, initialize a disk, open a file, save a file, find a file, print a file.
Word processing basics
Create running header and footer with pagination, apply a font to text, change size of font, center text, make text bold, italicize text, underline text, indent paragraphs, change line spacing, doubly indent paragraphs, set right and left margins, set tab stops, force a page break, insert and position a graphic into the document as a figure and label it in other words make a document such as the one you are reading.
Graphics basics
Create and position an unfilled rectangle with a black border; create and position a rounded box, filled with light shading; create lines of different thickness; create ovals and circles both filled and unfilled with black borders; create and position text of different fonts, sizes, boldness, transparency and italics; create polygons filled with shading such as solid arrowheads; be able to place graphics "objects" such that they are layered on top of each other to give the desired appearance; select an area, copy it, and move the copy to a new location; erase or otherwise modify a graphic object.
Theoretical understanding
Persons should understand how computers all work the same way. In other words, they have a theoretical understanding of computers at a level that helps them solve day-to-day problems. They should understand the basic classifications for functional components for computer systems: Peripherals: input devices for humans, output devices for humans, secondary storage, communications devices; Internal components: RAM, ROM, CPU; information flows between and among these components; know basic functions of the operating system; know how computers execute programs (compiled vs. interpreted); be able to solve many day-to-day problems when things don't work like they're supposed to; realize when a problem cannot be personally solved and an expert should be consulted.
E-Mail
Use one of the standard electronic mail systems at IU, such as Pine, Eudora, Unix mail, etc. Be able to read new messages, reply to messages, forward messages, create and send to a distribution list, create folders and file messages in those folders.
File Transfer
Upload and download ASCII text files and binary files from an FTP server.
Information Retrieval
Find information on various information resources, including: World-Wide Web, IU Libraries (IUCAT, ERIC, etc.)
Scanning
Use a flatbed scanner to scan line art, grayscale and color graphics or pictures. Be able to resize such images, and do minor corrections to improve the appearance (e.g., brightness, contrast, blurriness, sharpness). Be able to convert such files to different color coding schemes (1-bit, 4-bit color, 8-bit grayscale, indexed 256 color (8-bit), etc.) to minimize file size while retaining picture quality. Be able to save the image in a format suitable for the application into which the image will be subsequently imported (e.g., for WordPerfect, Photoshop, Word, World-Wide Web).
World-Wide Web Spinning
Create a home page, which includes text, graphics and links to other documents in the World-Wide Web. Requires knowledge of HTML (hypertext markup language), graphics creation and conversion to .gif or .jpg format, file transfer with FTP, and some Unix.
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