Week 4: Research Question

Last week’s readings did a great job of explaining how to avoid asking a simple (Yes or No) question, such as, “Is online teaching effective?”   In the reading, it was demonstrated how writers may want to move from a more simplistic form of questioning to a more complex question that requires greater depth of thought.  The reading also gave good examples as to why some questions are better than others.  After much consideration and reading over the instructor’s comments, I realized that I am still struggling to pose the right question., however, I feel that I am a little closer than I was last week.  Here is what I have conjured up so far:

Cause and Effect (Podis):  What are some effective teaching strategies that online writing instructors use to produce good essays in their students?

This question will allow me to explore some online teaching strategies (I am thinking of doing a TOP 10 list and then discussing why they are effective for online students.

Analysis/Critique (Lindemann):  How can the techniques used by writing teachers best serve online students, so that they produce quality essays?

This question will allow me to look at some of the strategies used by writing teachers and discuss them with my online students in the hopes that the students can help identify whether they were effective or not. I could also look at different research articles and hopefully discover what works for students and what does not. Overall, this question will allow me to look at existing writing techniques and critique their effectiveness.