Abstract

This learning module takes a step-by-step, systematic approach to the development of a doctoral dissertation. It has been created for participants in the Learning Design and Leadership program at the University of Illinois. Among its innovations is an iterative process of peer review in CGScholar, where the dissertation gradually develops through multiple cycles of peer review. The aim of this process is to develop a community of scholars modeled on the principles of peer review that govern formal knowledge validation processes in science, the social sciences and humanities. The learning module is also underpinned by learning analytics which use cutting edge "big data" and experimental "artificial intelligence" technologies. It also supports multimodal knowledge representation, where digital media and datasets can be embedded inline.