D180: Educational Research

Educational Research builds the practical action-research skills that power the program's capstone — turning scholarly literature and systematic investigation into real classroom improvement.

What D180 covers

The course focuses on practical problem solving, teaching candidates to use scholarly literature and current research to inform their own practice. It empowers candidates to recognize opportunities for improvement and engage in action research to systematically implement and evaluate changes.

This course prepares candidates to conduct research for the capstone. Data-Informed Practices is a prerequisite for this course.

The D180 performance assessment

Expect a performance assessment requiring you to design an action research proposal for a classroom-based problem, grounded in current scholarly literature.

Key topics in D180

• Using scholarly literature and current research
• Action research processes
• Preparing for the capstone research project

Writing tips for D180

Follow the task instructions and rubric line by line

WGU performance assessments for D180 are graded against a fixed rubric — every rubric line has to be visibly addressed, usually with a labeled heading that mirrors the rubric language. Skipping a rubric point because it seems minor is the single most common reason a competent submission comes back "Not Yet Competent" for revision.

Ground curriculum recommendations in a specific grade level and subject

Curriculum and Instruction courses like D180 typically ask you to apply design principles to a specific grade level, subject, and student population rather than write about curriculum design in the abstract. Evaluators are checking whether your reasoning fits that concrete classroom situation.

Because WGU is self-paced, don't let "no deadline pressure" become no submission

There's no weekly due date forcing progress, which means procrastination costs more at WGU than at a traditional term-based school — a stalled task can quietly eat weeks of a term. Treat your own target date for each D180 assessment as a real deadline.

Why students seek help with D180

Candidates sometimes propose a research plan without genuinely grounding it in relevant current literature — the rubric typically wants that literature connection explicit, not a self-contained plan.

How GradeEssays helps with D180

Share your research problem and rubric, and your writer will build an action research proposal genuinely grounded in relevant, current scholarly literature.

Prerequisites and program context

D180 requires Data-Informed Practices (D179) as a prerequisite and prepares candidates for the capstone.

• Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction

Related courses