Examination arrangement

Course content

The course introduces participants to the method literature review in educational sciences with an emphasis on traditional/narrative literature review, scoping review, rapid review, and systematized review. The aim of the course is for the participants to independently plan and complete a literature review to discover the forefront of knowledge in their own research field such as knowledge gaps, contradictions, and trends. Through the course, participants are familiarized with various literature review methods, multi-disciplinary and subject disciplinary scientific databases, other sources, and reference management software to locate and retrieve references. Participants will design search strategies for systematic database searches and limit search results through developing inclusion/exclusion criteria. In addition, the participants will utilize various methods, frameworks, and digital tools to interpret and analyze collected data as well as assess the quality of gathered references. Through working with the course curricula, learning activities and the academic paper in the course, the participants will develop their competence in how to organize, report, and synthesize findings from their own literature review. The course also addresses writing a literature review as an independent article, as a part of the background and theoretical framework in a scientific study, as a separate chapter in a monograph, or as a part of the synopsis in an article-based doctoral dissertation.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

The candidate has in-depth knowledge about

• Various review methods with an emphasis on traditional/narrative review, scoping review, rapid review, and systematized review
• Relevant databases and sources for locating and collecting literature
• Planning and designing search strategies and performing systematic literature searches in scientific databases

Skills

The candidate can

• Develop and define research questions that are appropriate for the chosen review method
• Use different methods, frameworks, and digital tools to interpret and analyze collected data

General competence

The candidate has advanced competence in

• Planning and completing a literature review in an independent manner to find the forefront of knowledge in one's own research field
• Assess the quality of references that are retrieved through database searches and other sources
• Organize, report, and synthesize results from one’s own literature review

Learning methods and activities

Flipped classroom teaching in the form of instructional videos and tasks that must be reviewed and completed ahead of the seminars. Seminar-based teaching in the form of lectures, workshops, discussions, and student presentations. Individual and study group work with the course reading material and own empirical data between the seminars. The participants must use their own empirical research.

Attendance requirement at the seminar: 80%

The student presents his/her article sketch for co-students and a course teacher during the last seminar and is an opponent for a co-student. 100% attendance is required the whole day of the seminar.

The primary language of instruction in the course is English. However, if the course only has candidates with Norwegian as their mother tongue, the teaching will be in Norwegian. Assignments can be handed in either in Norwegian or English.

Compulsory assignments

• Opponent to fellow student presentation / assignment
• Draft: assignment and presentation
• Attendance 80%

Further on evaluation

Individual paper

The assignment cannot be used as a part of the doctoral thesis. The assignment can lean upon knowledge derived from work on the doctoral thesis, but the text cannot be transferred directly to the monograph, thesis cape or thesis articles.

Compulsory assignments

• Opponent to fellow student presentation / assignment
• Draft: assignment and presentation
• Attendance 80%

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Background in social and educational sciences.

Required previous knowledge

Master's degree or equivalent. PhD students are prioritized upon admission.

Students are expected to use their own empirical material.

Admission restrictions*: The course is limited to a of maximum 25 students, where 6 spots are reserved for applicants from other institutions affiliated with NorTED (www.nor-ted.com). If there are less than 5 applicants, the Department of Teacher Education reserves the right to cancel the course.

* Applicants will be ranked based on the following criteria and the deadline for applications can be found here: https://www.ntnu.edu/ilu/phd-courses

Course materials

Curriculum of approximately 500 pages.