Teaching Qualitative Methods Online: Tips for Embracing an Exciting Opportunity

Increasing numbers of graduate programs are offering courses online for various reasons. Teaching research methods online can be challenging for instructors, and learning how to conduct qualitative research may seem confusing or intimidating if a student feels isolated in an online setting. This workshop will address how to make teaching qualitative research online accessible and not intimidating (even enjoyable!) for learners. In this workshop, I will discuss how I taught qualitative research methods in a traditional classroom setting for seven semesters, and transitioned to teaching it in an online format (and have done so for the past ten semesters). I will discuss how the class is designed and the learning activities students participate in, and give tips for facilitating an online course where students feel supported and learn the skills they need to be successful qualitative researchers. The workshop will cover how I teach the following in an online format, using both synchronous and asynchronous modalities: What is qualitative research (foundational and philosophical underpinnings of qualitative research and paradigms of inquiry) How to conduct qualitative research (students collect and analyze different forms of qualitative data) How qualitative methods can be beneficial and apply to their own researc