This is an individual project.

This project worth 800 points.

It worth 30% of your final grade.

At the end of the project, you will be able to:

conduct research on a topic of interest.
define a research question.
collect qualitative and quantitative data.
evaluate the validity of research resources.
compose research report.
summarize research articles.
present research findings.

Project assignments:

project proposal (100 points)
2 article summary (200 points)
2 project report (200 points)
4 peer feedback comments (200 points)
final presentation (100 points)

What is Genius Hour project?

Genius Hour Origins

The search-engine giant, Google, allows it’s engineers to spend 20% of their time to work on any pet project that they want. The idea is very simple. Allow people to work on something that interests them, and productivity will go up. Google’s policy has worked so well that it has been said that 50% of Google’s projects have been created during this creative time period. Ever heard of Gmail or Google News? These projects are creations by passionate developers that blossomed from their 20% time projects.

Genius Hour in Education

The same genius hour principles apply in the classroom as they do in the corporate environment. The teacher provides a set amount of time for the students to work on their passion projects. Students are then challenged to explore something to do a project over that they want to learn about. They spend several weeks researching the topic before they start creating a product that will be shared with the class/school/world. Deadlines are limited and creativity is encouraged. Throughout the process the teacher facilitates the student projects to ensure that they are on task. To learn more about 20% Time and Genius Hour, follow: @joykirr, @gallit_z, and @ajjuliani on Twitter. We’re using a similar model to explore ideas in learning, design, and technology.

Find your research question

We are going to look closely at trends in education (K12 and higher ed) and some of the myths, misconceptions, and propaganda associated with them. Not surprisingly, technology can be found at the heart of many of these issues.

Brainstorm some possible research questions that you hope to explore

It can be any question as long as it relates to education or technology. Think of something current in education/technology that you’ve wondered about or something that has impacted you personally. Define some keywords that interested you and do a Google search to see what are the topics around those keywords. Narrow down your search and identify one research question for your Genius Hour project.

If you do not know where to start, following are some references that identify the trends and challenges in the educational fields:

Some of the topics explored in previous semesters:

Bridging the Technology Gap
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning
How is technology used in special education classrooms?
What motivates young children to read?
How can technology improve school safety?
Standardized test cheating scandals

Talk to me if you are struggling of finding a topic.

The formats of peer feedback will be announced in the class.

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