Refining Research Design: Drawing Insights from Experts at GCIT’s Capstone Project Presentation Showcase
Date :
2024-05-21
Department :
Master’s Program in Global Communication and Innovation Technology
【Article by Master’s Program in Global Communication and Innovation Technology】
The Master's Program in Global Communication and Innovation Technology (GCIT) at National Chengchi University (NCCU) hosted its third Capstone Project Presentation Showcase event on May 17, 2024, at the NCCU Research and Innovation Center. Two professors from Syracuse University (SU), Associate Professor Jaime Banks from the School of Information Studies and Associate Professor Nick Bowman from the Newhouse School of Public Communications, served as commentators for this year's event. They provided valuable research design guidance and advice to the nine students awarded the GCIT capstone scholarship.
The students' presentation covered a wide range of current hot topics, including the use of social media, emerging technologies, and generative artificial intelligence in higher education, immigration, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation. GCIT Director Trisha Lin said, "Inviting internationally renowned scholars to serve as commentators and engage in dialogue with the students not only helps to improve the quality and depth of students' capstone projects but also significantly expands their research horizons and international reach”.
Dr. Banks praised GCIT students in her commentary for addressing important and timely topics in their capstone projects. While some projects focused on practical aspects, she encouraged students also to explore related theories and past research to make better decisions and gain a deeper understanding of the interaction between people and technology. Given the diverse and rapid-evolving nature of AI technology, Dr. Banks reminded students to specify the type and impact of the AI technology being studied in their projects. She also acknowledged the complexities of qualitative research. She suggested that students reassess the scope and variables of their projects to enable a deeper exploration of the data and subject matter.
Dr. Bowman, who was participating in the event for the second time, mentioned it was great to witness the growth of the GCIT program over the past two years. Drawing on his expertise in media psychology and interactive media-related research, Dr. Bowman shared numerous pointers and blind spots that academics and researchers commonly encountered when designing and implementing their research projects. These included potential overconfidence in the power of technology, which could lead to a less-than-holistic research design (i.e., techno-showmanship) or relying too simplistically on the findings relating to stimulus-response methodologies that may fail to reflect the complexities of real-world phenomena. Dr. Bowman also cautioned against anchoring the projects too narrowly regarding time and jurisdiction and provided suggestions to make the research design more evergreen and valuable across a broader context.
Graduate students from Taiwan and Paraguay all expressed that the feedback from the commentators has not only helped them to better design their research methods and select appropriate variables but also addressed research blind spots that they may encounter.
The GCIT encourages students to write their thesis as a practical capstone and provides various resources, including a merit-based capstone scholarship, to support their efforts. Going forward, the GCIT seeks to encourage students to showcase their capstone projects in local and international academic events to build their portfolios and gain valuable feedback from the exchanges with other participating scholars.
The Master's Program in Global Communication and Innovation Technology (GCIT) at National Chengchi University (NCCU) hosted its third Capstone Project Presentation Showcase event on May 17, 2024, at the NCCU Research and Innovation Center. Two professors from Syracuse University (SU), Associate Professor Jaime Banks from the School of Information Studies and Associate Professor Nick Bowman from the Newhouse School of Public Communications, served as commentators for this year's event. They provided valuable research design guidance and advice to the nine students awarded the GCIT capstone scholarship.
The students' presentation covered a wide range of current hot topics, including the use of social media, emerging technologies, and generative artificial intelligence in higher education, immigration, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation. GCIT Director Trisha Lin said, "Inviting internationally renowned scholars to serve as commentators and engage in dialogue with the students not only helps to improve the quality and depth of students' capstone projects but also significantly expands their research horizons and international reach”.
Dr. Banks praised GCIT students in her commentary for addressing important and timely topics in their capstone projects. While some projects focused on practical aspects, she encouraged students also to explore related theories and past research to make better decisions and gain a deeper understanding of the interaction between people and technology. Given the diverse and rapid-evolving nature of AI technology, Dr. Banks reminded students to specify the type and impact of the AI technology being studied in their projects. She also acknowledged the complexities of qualitative research. She suggested that students reassess the scope and variables of their projects to enable a deeper exploration of the data and subject matter.
Dr. Bowman, who was participating in the event for the second time, mentioned it was great to witness the growth of the GCIT program over the past two years. Drawing on his expertise in media psychology and interactive media-related research, Dr. Bowman shared numerous pointers and blind spots that academics and researchers commonly encountered when designing and implementing their research projects. These included potential overconfidence in the power of technology, which could lead to a less-than-holistic research design (i.e., techno-showmanship) or relying too simplistically on the findings relating to stimulus-response methodologies that may fail to reflect the complexities of real-world phenomena. Dr. Bowman also cautioned against anchoring the projects too narrowly regarding time and jurisdiction and provided suggestions to make the research design more evergreen and valuable across a broader context.
Graduate students from Taiwan and Paraguay all expressed that the feedback from the commentators has not only helped them to better design their research methods and select appropriate variables but also addressed research blind spots that they may encounter.
The GCIT encourages students to write their thesis as a practical capstone and provides various resources, including a merit-based capstone scholarship, to support their efforts. Going forward, the GCIT seeks to encourage students to showcase their capstone projects in local and international academic events to build their portfolios and gain valuable feedback from the exchanges with other participating scholars.