The Maryland Modular Method: An Approach to Doctoral Education in Information Studies

摘要

As the field of information studies has matured into a broad interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary field of study, the expectations for and range of students seeking doctoral education have evolved significantly. The majority of information studies pedagogical literature, however, continues to focus on the master's level. Building on efforts of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland to develop a new doctoral program, this paper presents a modular approach to doctoral education. We argue for the value of designing doctoral education models that embrace the unique interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary nature of information studies, highlighting a combination of conceptual lenses and content modules as a way to conceive new approaches to doctoral education that foster students' ability to conduct research in their areas of interest while simultaneously learning about the array of topics that can be explored in information studies. While the Maryland experience is presented as a case study, the potential relevance of this approach to doctoral education in other information studies programs is discussed in detail.