Action-oriented research for master’s level dissertations: an opportunity to improve practice

<p>As academic staff become familiar with the qualifications framework of the UAE and work towards demonstrating alignment between learning outcomes, teaching/learning strategies and assessment, this is an opportune time to revisit traditional masters’ dissertation guidelines and methodologies to ensure students demonstrate mastery of a topic via achievement of a capstone project. Such a project is an opportunity to demonstrate both a contribution to knowledge and an improvement in practice.</p> <p>This discussion document takes the view that formal master’s level programs can miss this opportunity to use rich experiences of working professionals to produce knowledge and learning. An action-oriented approach to research is proposed as contributing to level 9 learning by its capability of generating practical learning and producing actionable knowledge. One example is outlined of a successful action-oriented project in the UAE, which formed part of a master’s program.</p>