Education, Ed.D., Concentration in Learning, Design, and Technology

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The Ed.D. in Learning, Design and Technology will provide students with advanced research methods to study, identify, and evaluate educational opportunities in various settings.

Requirements

The Ed.D. program requires a minimum of 81 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Candidates may, with the approval of the committee, transfer up to 30 credit hours from previous graduate-level coursework in a closely related field. The program is delivered online with the exception of some of the spring residencies.

The theory, research, and resulting instructional principles are addressed in courses in the following areas: (a) instructional design, visual literacy, and change (b) media development and production; and (c) instructional management, implementation, and technology integration. Graduate students in the program can take all of their coursework online.

Foundational Knowledge Base

Students may transfer up to 30 credits toward the total program from a related master’s degree. Transfer credits need to be accepted by the program faculty. If a student lacks credits in this area, they may take courses available through the Learning, Design, and Technology MS Program.

Program Knowledge Base

Students must successfully complete all 27 credit hours listed below.

HIED 5630 - Advanced Organizational Leadership Credits: 3
LDTE 5720 (ITEC 5870) - Critical Perspectives and Applications of Technology Intergration (3 credits)
LDTE 5730 - Game Design & Development Credits: 3
LDTE 5740 (ITEC 5870) - Global and Cultural Perspectives in LDT (3 credit hours)
LDTE 5750 - Technology Innovations: Present & Future Credits: 3
LDTE 5760 - Instructional Design Applications Credits: 3
LDTE 5070 (ITEC 5070) - Trends (3 credit hours) [can be substituted for a relevant course]

* new LDTE prefix is in the process of phasing into the program beginning Fall 2022; ITEC is still active and counts in the program of study until transition is complete.

Research Methods

Students must successfully complete 12 credit hours in educational research.

Required Research Courses:

EDRE 5600 - Introduction to Quantitative Research Credits: 3
EDRE 5640 - Introduction to Qualitative Research Credits: 3
EDRE 5660 - Dissertation/Thesis Prospectus Writing Credits: 3 (a minimum of 6 credit hours is required)

Additional Research Course

Select at least one additional research course:

Quantitative:
EDRE 5610 - Group Comparison Research Credits: 3
EDRE 5620 - Correlational Research Credits: 3
Qualitative:
EDRE 5645 - Phenomenology, Case Study, and Grounded Theory in Qualitative Research Credits: 3
EDRE 5655 - Ethnography and Narrative Inquiry in Qualitative Research Credits: 3
Mixed Methods
EDRE 5670 - Mixed Methods Research Credits: 3

Dissertation or Approved Project

Students must successfully complete the exam and dissertation process.

All Doctor of Education students will use research methods to explore practical leadership problems. Applied projects are problem-based and may be collaborative. Projects may involve evaluating curriculum, designing and implementing professional development or training, developing applications to be used in local settings (e.g., early childhood-12 education, corporate and government centers), as well as other projects designed to advance knowledge in a specific field or setting.

The following requirements apply to all projects:

Research-based (literature review)
Scholarly, academic writing using APA style
Primary or secondary data
Authored by individual or small groups of students
Uploaded to ProQuest for dissertations of practice or other projects in a dissertation format, and uploaded to the Mountain Scholar Digital Collections for projects in a non-dissertation format

Final Project Processes

As in the traditional dissertation process, all students are expected to meet with their committees to gain project approval (at the pre-prospectus and/or prospectus stage). The Report of Final Examination will indicate whether or not the final project is acceptable to the committee. The deadline for submitting projects to Mountain Scholar Digital Collections or dissertations of practice or other projects in a dissertation format to ProQuest is the same as the Report of Final Examination. All projects will be evaluated by committee members and also by the student.

Additional Information:

The Ed.D. program emphasizes applied research, culminating in the completion of a problem-based dissertation or project. The Ed.D. is designed for educators who want to contribute to the educational technology field at the highest levels of practice.

In order to be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

Hold a Master’s degree from an accredited institute of higher education.
Minimum 3.000 GPA on a 4.000 scale on the applicant’s most recent degree from an accredited institution, plus transcripts from all other schools attended.
GRE minimum score of Verbal:153, Quantitative:144.
TOEFL score of 540 (paperbased), 76 (internet exam) or IELTS score of 6.5 or above are required for international, non-native English speaking applicants. Until further notice, due to COVID-19 related postponements/cancellations of TOEFL/IELTS exams, we will be accepting Duolingo scores or 110 or higher as proof of English proficiency.

The Ed.D. is the terminal professional degree in education designed for students who desire to improve their professional practice as educators. The program moves beyond the foundations of distance education, instructional design, and technology integration to focus on advanced application and research. Students apply design, development, and evaluation principles to explore authentic challenges and develop real solutions in diverse settings (e.g., K-12 education, corporate and government centers, and higher education institutions). Through these experiences, students learn how to use advanced research methods to explore workplace problems, design and deliver solutions, and implement and evaluate change. Emphasis is placed on in-depth mentoring and collaboration, advanced research, development of real-world applications, and training solutions offered through distance delivery platforms.