1 Writing the KAM Matt Smith, MFA Writing Consultant
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Writing the KAM
Matt Smith, MFA
Writing Consultant
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Agenda
• Overview of the KAM process• Discussion of KAM structure• Strategies for organizing your information and
avoiding common problems• Writing Center resources for writing your KAM• Questions and answers
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LA and KAM: Definitions
Learning Agreement (LA):
Agreement in which you indicate the subject area, objectives (goals), resources (sources), and demonstration of mastery for your KAM.
Knowledge Area Module (KAM):
Comprehensive, independent unit of study in a social science area.
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Your Job as a Scholar
Show that:
1. You understand your subject
2. Your information is true
3. Your research matters
Write for an informed but critical reader.
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What is a KAM?
• Technically, you write a KAM demonstration.• It is a paper about 90 pages long in which you
write about the theory and recent scholarly research on your topic and apply these ideas to a real-life situation.
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What is the Purpose?
• To develop independent research skills• To contribute to social change• To demonstrate your ability to connect theory,
research, and practice
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KAM Model Classical or Contemporary Theorists
Select theorists around a particular theme, which you develop in your Breadth essay.
Classical or Contemporary Theorists
Select theorists around a particular theme, which you develop in your Breadth essay.
Choose a topic that comes out of the theories of the Breadth.Explore current research around that topic using peer-reviewed research from the past 3-5 years (at least 15 articles).Write annotations and a literature review.
Choose a topic that comes out of the theories of the Breadth.Explore current research around that topic using peer-reviewed research from the past 3-5 years (at least 15 articles).Write annotations and a literature review.
Develop an Application project that reflects the conclusions of your research.Explain how the project connects with the ideas you analyzed in the earlier parts of the KAM.
Develop an Application project that reflects the conclusions of your research.Explain how the project connects with the ideas you analyzed in the earlier parts of the KAM.
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Organizing your KAM Breadth
Once you’ve selected the texts you’re going to read, browse for themes that interest you. You do not need to read entire books, just the sections that interest you.
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Breadth Organization, continued
• Purpose and overview of this KAM’s Breadth • Critical discussion of several theories
– Theorist A– Theorist B– Theorist C– Theorist D, etc.
• Critiques of theorists (Synthesize/Interpret) • What it all adds up to (Evaluate) • Preview to Depth: How theory might inform current
research
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Organizing your KAM Depth
• First, find at least 15 articles on a more narrow topic that emerged from the Breadth and that interests you.
• You will summarize and critically analyze each source.
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Questions to Ask
• Was the research question well framed and significant?
• How well was the research related to the existing body of knowledge?
• Did the article make an original contribution to field?
• Was the theoretical framework for the study appropriate?
• Was the research method appropriate?
• How else might a researcher answer the research question?
• Was the sample size sufficient?
• Were there adequate controls for researcher bias?
• Is the research replicable?
• What were the limitations in this study?
• How generalizable are the findings?
• Are the conclusions justified by the results?
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Writing the Depth Annotations
Annotated BibliographyAlexander, G., & Bonaparte, N. (2008). My way or the highway that I built.
Ancient Dictators, 25(7), 14-31. doi:10.8220/CTCE.52.1.23-91
First paragraph: A summary of the research method and its findings.
Second paragraph: A critical assessment of the article.
Third paragraph: A statement about the value of this article for your research agenda or your profession generally.
Each annotation should be 1-1 ½ pages long.
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Writing the Depth Essay
• Have a clear organizing principle (chronological, thematic, methodological)—don’t organize by author
• Compare and contrast strengths and weaknesses in the literature
• Identify trends and relationships between studies
• State the relationship of the articles to your area of inquiry.
• All of this can lead to gaps in the research, which could be a dissertation topic.
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Organizing your Application
• In the Application, you design a project that stems from the theories and research in your Breadth and Depth.
• Your project will determine what kind of literature and other resources you might need as references.
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Application Organization, cont’d
Two main parts• Description of the project
– Describe what you did, its context, why it matters– Also discuss results of the project (if applicable)– If feasible, include the project (e.g., brochure,
presentation)• Your reflection on the project (~10 pages)
– Discuss how the theories and research in the Breadth and Depth influenced this project
– Future developments (if applicable)
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Example: Bilingual Ed in the USA
Breadth
Theorists of bilingual education, perhaps pro and con, or history (brief, and avoid a textbook rehash), or learning theories, and controversies. Why should U.S. schools teach bilingual ed? Why shouldn’t they?
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Bilingual Ed in the USA (continued)
Depth
Fifteen articles on some specific aspect of bilingual ed. Adult/immigrant ed? Public policy? Social policy? Workforce training and preparedness? Title I? Scores on standardized tests? Voters’ rights?
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Bilingual Ed in the USA (continued)
Application
Project in your school district, agency, workplace, or city or one that someone else has done and you can critique based on the research you’ve read.
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Avoiding Common Problems
• Format throughout the writing process• Use Walden resources as you go along• Use your LA to guide the writing of your KAM• Focus on one task at a time to avoid becoming
overwhelmed
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A Note on Scholarly Writing
“While scholarly writing has style conventions, it does not have to be wordy, stuffy, or dispassionate. You should avoid colloquialisms and slang, but do not strive to sound academic. Sentences should not be long and complex. Your convictions about what you are writing, dynamic evidence, and honest voice should not be lost in tedium. Crispness, curiosity, honesty, and enthusiasm are ingredients of impassioned scholarship” (Yob, 2010, p. 36).
Yob, I. (2010). A guide to the Knowledge Area Modules: Making the KAMs work for you. Retrieved from the Walden University website: http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/Documents/Guide_to_the_Knowledge_Area_Modules.pdf
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Resources
Go here (and bookmark this page!) http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/367.htm
Questions?
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Did you know?
Webinar ArchiveWebinar Archive
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Don’t forget!
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