EDP 651, EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
SUMMER II, 2003
Available on the WEB at: http://www.users.muohio.edu/shermalw/EDP651SM2003/edp651sm03_syl.htm
154 MCGUFFEY HALL
MIAMI UNIVERSITY, OXFORD, OHIO 45056
-FOR GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY-
PHONES: OFFICE = 513-529-6642; HOME = 513-523-2458
E-MAIL: shermalw@muohio.edu
FAX: 513-529-3646
EDP 651: EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH:
M/T/W/Th: 7:30 - 9:25 AM, 024 Irvin Hall
Summer II, 2003 OFFICE HOURS: Monday and Wednesday: 2:00 - 3:00 PM,
otherwise by appointment.
A. OBJECTIVE OF THE COURSE.
Graduate Bulletin Description: (3 credit hours), Introduction to and
critical study of research practices and reporting processes.
My own goals for this class are to help you understand the research process
from two points of view: research that is "consumed" by educators; and,
research that is "generated" and "communicated" to educators. I would hope
that the content of the class would influence students' ability to critically
evaluate and generate educational research, as well as appreciate
the methodical and structured processes of educational research.
This class attempts to accomplish the Mission and Vision of the School
of Education and Allied Professions:
"The EAP community, while committed to fulfilling traditional
academic roles, endeavors to develop expanded roles consistent with our
vision. We are committed to integrating our teaching, scholarship and service."
B. DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE COURSE WILL BE STRUCTURED.
The pedagogical strategies used throughout this class are based primarily
on the assumption that students "construct" knowledge by taking "action."
This will not be a passive learning class. Students' actions will be communicated
to each other and the instructor in an open forum (via our
on-line-discussion
group), and we have sufficient opportunity to react to each others'
creative ideas, misunderstandings, etc. This also requires the assumption
that we can all read and write the English language. The on-line discussion
group gives us the important asset of using current technology to accomplish
computer mediated communication (CMC) and remote distance learning (DL)in
a fashion not unlike how educational researchers would do in the "real
world". Our reactions to each other thus require human interaction, both
in the more impulsive face-to-face direct classroom situation as well as
the more reflective mode of CMC. I belive both mediums are very important
forms of human interaction! Needless-to-say, for classroom dialogue to
be effective everyone must be present, therefore attendane is a must. We
only have 20 classroom meetings in this Summer II, 2003 school session.
C. ESSENTIAL READINGS, TEXTS AND COURSE MATERIALS.
Required:
Crowl, T. K. (1996, 2nd Edition). Fundamentals of Educational Research.
Dubuque, Iowa: Brown and Benchmark.
Microsoft Office software available from the university book store and
should include
MS-Word, PowerPoint, Excel. This is a "cross-platform" package
and can be accessed
on either a PC or a MAC platform.
Suggested:
APA Staff.(2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
(Fifth Edition), Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
APA-Style Helper, Software from APA ($24.95). Available at:
http://www.apa.org/apa-style/
Secondary resources will come from WWW texts including the following:
D. REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION DEVICES.
Projects and Grades:
Reflections/Reactions: 8 OF EACH. (3 pts apiece). When posting a REFLECTION
always answer the following questions with regard to anything you read
or do in this class:
-
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT THE CURRENT CONTENT?
-
WHAT CAN I DO (WHAT HAVE I LEARNED)?
-
WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?
-
HOW CAN I USE THIS INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE?
[The ON-LINE DISCUSSION threads have been seeded already. They should
match the calendar/syllabus numbering. All you have to do is go to the
EDP651 REFLECTION # item and respond with a REPLY to the first item. REACTIONS
to someone will also be merely a REPLY, within the thread that is currently
appropriate. In the subject line of your Reflections and Reactions, merely
note them as "Reflection #" or Reaction #". These postings should be saved
for later inclusion in your PORTFOLIO at the end of the class
(see # 5 below)
2.(12%) Retrieval and analyses of Net documents
THESE SHOULD INCLUDED IN YOUR PORTFOLIO!
a. (4%) APA WWW URL = http://www.apa.org/ethics
(2) Code of Fair Testing, URL = http://www.ericae.net/code.txt
(2) APA Research Resources http://www.apa.org/science/lib.html
b. (4%) 2 ERIC DIGESTS:
Find and retrieve two Digests on current researchable topics.
ERIC DIGEST
SITE
c. (4%) ERIC ASSESSMENT and EVALUATION
Finding and retrieving information on a testing instrument
3. (4%) Using Miami's Library resources,
PsychInfo and ERIC, to locate research on a topic. This is where you will
be developing a "literature search/review"
4.(20%). Trial Research Proposal.
Use ch 16, Table 16.1 and Figure 16.1 as a guidline/format. APA style mandatory!
Be sure to make a copy for yourself! I want to keep your papers.
5.(20%). Evaluation of a research article.
Use Ch 16, Figure 16.2 This might be combined with B.3 above. Be sure to
make a copy for yourself! I want to keep your papers. A template
for this paper is available on the web at the following address: Click
here!
6.(20%). Portfolio:
PORTFOLIO OF ABOVE PERFORMANCES AND PRODUCTS WITH A TABLE OF CONTENTS,
INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY/CONCLUSION OF YOUR CONTINUOUS PROGRESS. THIS WILL
REQUIRE AN EVENTUAL PRINTING OUT AND ORGANIZATION OF YOUR "ON-LINE DISCUSSION
CONTRIBUTIONS". IT SHOULD BE TURNED IN ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS.
The following Mastery, or criterion-referenced, grading scale will be
applied to "percentage" scores based on the 6 above items:
A+ GE 97 A = 94 - 96.99 A- = 90 - 93.99 B+ = 87 - 89.99
B = 84 - 86.99 B- = 80 - 83.99 C+ = 77 - 79.99 C = 74 -
76.99 C- = 70 - 73.99 D+ = 67 - 69.99 D = 64 - 66.99
D- = 60 - 63.99 F le 60
!!INCOMPLETES AND ATTENDANCE!!:
Any incompletes not made up by the end of the semester will automatically
result in an incomplete for the course. Also!!! when the incomplete is
made up after the semester is over, regardless of what grade you might
have achieved in the class, it will be lowered "one whole letter grade"!!!
Classroom attendance will be closely monitored and a maximum of two unexcused
absences will be allowed. You will be "docked" two whole percentage points
from your total percentage score at the end of the class for each unexcused
absence after the second absence!