R7000/B7001/E7111 Introduction to Advanced Academic Study …dissertation.argosy.edu/chicago/Fall08/R7000_F08Chen.pdf · 2012-08-07 · ... Dissertations And Theses from Start to

R7000/B7001/E7111

Introduction to Advanced Academic Study & Writing

Fall I 2008

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Q. Chen

PHONE:

312-777-7650

EMAIL:

[email protected]

FAX:

312-777-7649

ALT PHONE:

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Title: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

Author: American Psychological Association

Edition / Copyright: 5TH 01

Publisher: 5TH 01

ISBN: 1557987912

Title: Dissertations And Theses from Start to Finish: Psychology And Related Fields

Author: John D. Cone & Sharon L. Foster

mailto:[email protected]

Edition / Copyright: 2nd, 06

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

ISBN: 1591473624

Title: A Cross Section of Educational Research: Journal Articles for Discussion and Evaluation

Author: by Lawrence S. Lyne (Editor)

Edition / Copyright: 4th, 08Publisher: Pyrczak Pub

ISBN: 1884585809

This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: YES NO

Please read these articles before class starts Friday 9/6/08. The articles can be accessed through Course Reserve under my name Chen, Qi at the library website at www.auchicagolib.org. On the left column, click on OnlineCatalog, then choose Course reserve.

http://library.argosy.edu:8181/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=rbsearch

Argosy University

COURSE SYLLABUS

R7000/B7001/E7111 Introduction to Advanced Academic Study & Writing

Faculty Information

Faculty Name: Dr. Qi Chen – Fall I 2008

Campus: Chicago/Loop

Contact Information: [email protected]

Telephone Number: 312-777-7650

Office Hours: By Appointment

Short Faculty Bio:

Philosophy

I have been working in higher education my entire professional career after I completed my Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Language in 1980. First I taught English as a second language at a major university in Shanghai, China. During the next 8 years, I taught freshman and sophomore English reading, writing and composition while serving on curriculum research committees. I was also a teacher in elementary and high schools during the 1990s. I became a librarian in 1991 and have been providing research assistance and conducting research workshops and seminars for graduate and doctoral students as well as for faculty for past 16 years. I have also been serving on and chairing dissertation committees since 2007. I earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from Argosy University in 2006, a Master of Education from Indiana State University in 1991 and a Master in Library and Information Science from Dominican University (formally Rosary College) in 1996

Course description:

This course demystifies the doctoral level research process and provides a solid foundation for academic writing by analyzing and

evaluating current research articles, literature reviews, and dissertations. Emphasis will be placed on APA style guidelines, preparation

for the doctoral comprehensive examination, and university publication requirements. It also includes a self-inventory based on state

and national standards and develops a self-improvement plan that is the basis for activities during internship.

mailto:[email protected]

Course Pre-requisites: None

Required Textbook:

Title: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

Author: American Psychological Association

Edition / Copyright: 5TH 01

Publisher: 5TH 01

ISBN: 1557987912

Title: Dissertations And Theses from Start to Finish: Psychology And Related Fields

Author: John D. Cone & Sharon L. Foster

Edition / Copyright: 2nd, 06

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

ISBN: 1591473624

Title: A Cross Section of Educational Research: Journal Articles for Discussion and Evaluation

Author: by Lawrence S. Lyne (Editor)

Edition / Copyright: 4th, 2008

Publisher: Pyrczak Pub

ISBN: 1884585809

Recommended Textbooks:

DISSERTATION PROCESS

Babbie, E. R. (2001). The basics of social research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 0534519040

Bryant, T. (2004). The portable dissertation advisor. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. ISBN: 0761946969

Butler, F.P. (1999). Business research sources: A reference navigator. New York, NY: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 025623003X

Galvan, J. (1999). Writing literature reviews. Los Angeles, CA: Prczak Publishing. ISBN: 1884585183

Girden, E. (2000). Evaluating research articles (2nd

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0761922148

Issac, S., & Michael, W.B. (1995). Handbook in research and evaluation: A collection of principles, methods, and strategies useful in the

planning, design, and evaluation of studies in education and the behavioral sciences (3rd

ed.). San Diego, CA: EdiTS. ISBN:

0912736321

Locke, L. F., Spirduso, W. W., & Silverman, S. J. (1993). Proposals that work: A guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals

(3rd

ed.). Newberry Park, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0716917071

McNicol, A., & Pexman, P. M. (1999). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. Washington, DC: American

Psychological Association. ISBN: 1557985936

McNicol, A., & Pexman, P. M. (2003). Displaying your findings: A practical guide for creating figures, posters, and presentations.

Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. ISBN: 1557989788

SURVEY DATA COLLECTION:

Babbie, E. (1990). Survey research methods. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 0534126723

ACTION RESEARCH:

Stringer, E. T. (1999). Action research (2nd

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0761917136

Herr, K., & Anderson, G. L. (2005). The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications. ISBN: 0761929916

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS:

Cramer, D. (1998). Fundamental statistics for social research (2nd

ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN: 0415172039

Levine, M., Berenson, M., & Stephan, D. (1999). Statistics for managers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0130203122

Sweet, S. (1999). Data Analysis with SPSS. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 0205340571

QUALITATIVE METHODS AND ANALYSIS:

Bogdan, R.C., & Biklen, S. K. (2003). Qualitative research for education. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Publishers. ISBN: 0205375561

Creswell, J. W. (2002). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications ISBN:

0761924426

Creswell, J. W. (1997). Qualitative inquiry and research design. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0761901442

Delamont, S. (2001). Fieldwork in educational settings: Methods, pitfalls, and perspectives. Falmer Press. ISBN: 041524837X

Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publications.

Merriam, S. & Associates (2002). Qualitative research in practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publications. ISBN: 0787958596

Wolcott, H. F. (1990). Writing up qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0803937938

Writing Textbooks:

E-JOURNALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND RESOURCES ON THE WEB

http://aera-cr.asu.edu/links.html

http://www.springeronline.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/0,11855,5-40406-0-0-0,00.html

WEBLIOGRAPHY

Evaluating Internet Sources - http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm

Publication Guides - http://www.aresearchguide.com/

US Federal Government and links to State and Local - www.firstgov.gov

Government Printing Office Access - http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html

http://aera-cr.asu.edu/links.html

http://www.springeronline.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/0,11855,5-40406-0-0-0,00.html

http://www.aresearchguide.com/

The Grantmanship Center - http://www.tgci.com/

National Council of University Research Administrators - http://www.ncura.edu/

Polaris Grants Central - http://polarisgrantscentral.net/

Proposal Writing and Research Development - http://www.umass.edu/research/ora/dev.html

Online multiple-language dictionaries - http://www.alphadictionary.com/index.shtml

The New Teacher's Guide to the U.S. Department of Education - http://www.ed.gov/pubs/TeachersGuide

ERIC - www.eric.ed.gov

Practical Teaching Ideas - www.ncte.org/teach

Education Resources - www.educationindex.com/educator

Statistical software is helpful for data analysis when they start writing their dissertations.

SPSS 11.0 FOR Mac OS or SPSS 13.0 Graduate Version. Software for statistical analysis of data in table format. Able to compute parametric

and non-parametric tests of significance, compute effect size and create graphs or figures. Available at www.spss.com, at local college books

stores (such as University of California), online campus bookstores or through E-Bay. About $190

Endnote 8 for Students Only [Endnote 7.0 for Mac] Software to create reference databases, create and format in-text citations and reference lists.

Available at Amazon.com for $94.99. http://www.endnote.com/

PERIODICALS

Kappan - www.pdkintl.org

Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE) - www.iste.org

Journal of Information Systems Education - www.jise.appstate.edu

http://www.pdkintl.org/

Learning and Leading with Technology - www.iste.org/LL

Journal of Computing in Higher Education - www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~carolm/jche/

Educational Leadership - www.ascd.org

Reading online - www.readingonline.org

Teachers College Record - www.tcrecord.org

Current Issues in Education -http://cie.asu.edu

DeLiberations - www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations

Harvard Educational Journal - http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~hepg/her.html

Education Next- www.educationnext.org

Academic Leadership- www.academicleadership.org

Journal for Research in Mathematics Education – http://my.nctm.org/eresources/journal_home.asp?journal_id=1

IEJ International Education Journal - http://eij.cjb.net

National Forum Journal- www.nationalforum.com

Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management – www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/1360080x.asp

Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office: Acrobat (full version); Microsoft Internet

Explorer 5.5 (PC), 5.0 (MAC), or Netscape Navigator 4.08; Norton Antivirus.

Course length: 2 Weekends and 7.5 Sessions

Friday Sept. 6th

– Sunday, Sept.8th

Friday Oct. 3rd

– Sunday, Oct.5th

Friday 6:00pm – 9:59pm

Sat: 9:00am – 4:59pm

Sun: 9:00am – 12:59pm

Credit Value: 3.0

Program Outcomes:

EdD EL Program Outcomes

EdD IL Program Outcomes

EdD CCExL Program Outcomes

Course Objectives:

1. Become adept at using APA style formatting. (Program Outcomes in EL: 2.1; Program Outcomes in IL: 2.1; Program Outcomes in

CCExL: 2)

2. Critically evaluate prior research that supports or confirms the proposed study. (Program Outcomes in EL: 1.2, 3.1; Program

Outcomes in IL: 1.2, 3.1; Program Outcomes in CCExL: 3, 6, 9)

3. Evaluate current literature and compile reference list. (Program Outcomes in EL: 2.1, 3.2; Program Outcomes in IL: 2.1, 3.2;

Program Outcomes in CCExL: 2, 6)

4. Critically discuss expected results in the context of knowledge of relevant theory, policy and practice. (Program Outcomes in EL:

1.4, 2.1, 3.1, 9.1; Program Outcomes in IL: 1.4, 2.1, 3.1, 9.1; Program Outcomes in CCExL: 1, 3, 7)

5. Consider possible conclusions that take into account limitations of their research. (Program Outcomes in EL: 1.4, 3.1; Program

Outcomes in IL: 1.4, 3.1; Program Outcomes in CCExL: 3, 7, 9)

6. Develop a perspective for a dissertation. (Program Outcomes in EL: 3.1; Program Outcomes in IL: 3.1; Program Outcomes in

CCExL: 3)

7. Complete a self-inventory based on state and national standards. (Program Outcomes in EL: 3.1, 4.2, 5.6; Program Outcomes in

IL: 3.1, 4.2, 5.6; Program Outcomes in CCExL: 6, 10)

8. Develop a self-improvement plan that is the basis for activities during field experience. (Program Outcomes in EL: 1.4, 3.1;

Program Outcomes in IL: 1.4, 3.1; Program Outcomes in CCExL: 3, 7)

9. Understand the major prospects of the dissertation process. (Program Outcomes in EL: 3.1; Program Outcomes in IL: 3.1; Program

Outcomes in CCExL: 3, 9)

Assignment Table:

Session Topics Readings Assignments

1 Field and Internship Experience

The Comprehensive Examination

Field Experience

The Dissertation Guide

Article and Electronic

Dissertations Online Search

Cone & Foster

Chapter 1: What

are Theses and

Dissertations and

Why Write a

Book about

Them?

Lyne

Article 1:

Involving

Students in

School Violence

Prevention: Are

They Willing to

Help?

Article 8: The

Significance of

Language and

Cultural

Education on

Secondary

Achievement: A

Survey of

Chinese-American

and Korean-

American

Students.

Article 29:

Program to

Discussion Questions:

1.1. A classmate asks you to critique the first draft of a literature review

she has written for a class assignment. While reading the draft, you

realize that she has, for the most part, simply summarized one study after

another—each summarized in its own paragraph. Based on the

information in this chapter, what advice would you give her? Justify your

answer.

1.2. Do you have any specific future goals and/or activities that might

influence your selection of a topic? If so, describe them.

1.3. Suppose the topic you are considering is ―career counseling.‖ At the

time of this writing, 2,038 journal articles were retrieved via a basic ERIC

keyword search. Name a demographic variable that could be used to

delimit the topic and, hence, retrieve a more manageable number of

references.

Assignments:

1.1. Application

Write very brief descriptions of at least two preliminary topic ideas in

which you have a personal interest. Explain why you think these topics

are suitable for your study. Search all relevant sources for a survey article

or study on the topic that you have chosen for your project. Identify

sources (Websites, journals etc.) that are useful, summarize the article,

and discuss your thoughts in approximately two pages. Be sure to submit

your preliminary topic ideas in a Word document, with 12 pt font and

double spacing.

1.2. Field Experience

Task# 1

Reduce

Behavioral

Infractions and

Referrals to

Special Education.

Guide to Dissertation

Before the end of this course, attend a proposal or dissertation defense

and observe the process. Note the elements of the defense such as the

students’ presentation strategies, the approach of the faculty, and the

standard procedural guidelines. Write a reflective paper on your

experience and reaction after attending a defense, and submit it as a two–

page, double-spaced document.

Task#2:

By Week 5, visit five different sites (school districts or appropriate

organizations) where you could possibly do your internship in E7233 and

analyze these sites. Submit this assignment as a Word document using 12

pt font and double-spacing. Make sure it does not exceed two pages. Also

read the guidelines in and complete the Internship Form before beginning

the assignment.

1.3. See Course Project toward the end of the syllabus.

2 APA formatting, Review

Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and

Analyzing

Citations, Footnotes, and

Bibliographies

APA - Title page

Prospectus v. Dissertation

Dissertation Sections

Cone & Foster

Chapter 2: Starting

Out: Assessing

Your Preparation

for the Task

Ahead

Chapter 5:

Formulating and

Communicating

Your Plans: An

Overview of the

Proposal

APA

Quality of

Content,


2.1. You are writing a paper and are faced with an ethical dilemma about

citing a source for an idea (such as not being able to recall the source but

wanting to use the idea anyway)? How will you resolve this situation?

Justify your response.

2.2. Identify at least five facts, concepts, or ideas you believe are

―common knowledge‖ whose sources do not need to be cited. Provide

reasons for your selections. Discuss them with your classmates to see if

they agree with you.

2.3. The authors of a certain literature review wrote the statement:

―Providing for defense and security is a singular and defining purpose of

national government.‖ The context in which this sentence appears makes

it clear hat the authors are referring to the national government of the

United States. However, the authors do not cite a reference for the

Characteristics of

Articles, and Parts

of a Manuscript in

Chapter 1:

Content and

Organization of a

Manuscript

Chapter 5:

Manuscript

Preparation and

Sample Papers to

be Submitted for

Publication

sentence. Do you believe they should have cited a reference, or do you

think the sentence makes a statement that is common knowledge? Justify

your response.

2.4. Interview someone who has successfully completed their doctoral

degree and write a synopsis of your learning. After providing a brief

overview of the person and their dissertation, share with us what advice

they have for you as a new doctoral student.

2.5. This week, you learned that a literature review synthesizes the

literature on a topic. In your own words, how would you define a

―synthesis‖? What features, in your opinion, constitute a good synthesis?

2.6. Consider a topic on which you might write a literature review. At this

point, can you think of any criteria that you might use for the inclusion

(and/or exclusion) of literature? Explain.

2.7. Speculate the three major reasons why you believe methodologically

weak articles are sometimes published (even in highly respected

journals.)

Assignments:

2.1. Application

Locate a dissertation in a library or the Argosy Online library and

evaluate the literature review chapter.


3 Evaluating Prior Studies

Problem

Purpose

Cone & Foster

Chapter 4:

Finding Topics

and Faculty

Collaborators


3.1. One of your colleagues states that the study on psychoanalysis

―proves‖ hypnosis works in cases of Multiple Personality Disorder.

After this week’s lecture on evaluating studies, are you still inclined to

take this statement at face value or would you be cautious about

Background and Need for the

Study

Lyne

Article 33: Urban

School Principals

and Their Role as

Multicultural

Leaders Urban

Education

(Observation,

collection of

documents and

interviews)

Article 6: A

Comparison of

How Textbooks

Teach

Mathematical

Problem Solving

in Japan and the

United States

Article 10: The

Effects of

Computer-

Assisted

Instruction on

First-Grade

Students'

Vocabulary

Development

believing such a statement? Support your response with examples.

3.2. Debate: If a difference is statistically significant, is it necessarily

large? If not, what does the fact that a difference is statistically

significant tell you?

3.3. In your opinion, should writers of literature reviews state their own

conclusions drawn from literature, or should they describe the literature

in a cohesive essay but ―let the facts speak for themselves‖ instead of

stating their own conclusions? Discuss the pros and cons of both views.

Support your response with appropriate scenarios.

3.4. Visit your library and investigate a topic of your choice using the

databases available there.

Assignments:

3.1. Application

In the samples given below, the authors’ have clearly stated the

background and need for their own studies.

a. Can you isolate and identify each of them?

b. If you were to conduct research on the same topics, how would

your phrasing and approach be different?

c. The paper should not exceed 3 pages and must be submitted as

a Word document. It should be double-spaced and in 12pt font.

Include an additional page that lists your citations. The paper

should be written in APA style.

i.) Progressive Classroom Practices

―Previous research studies describing progressive classroom

practices have focused on only one or two conditions, such as:

prosocial education, which emphasizes cooperative learning

and building a caring community (Development Studies Center,

1994); whole language theory and classroom practices

(Freeman & Freeman, 1997; Goodman, Goodman, & Flores,

1979); learning conditions (Cambourne, 1988); and

bilingualism and language acquisition (Collier & Ovando,

1985; Krashen & Iber, 1988). Although these and other scholars

have contributed to our understanding of the potential for

dynamic holistic learning environments, there is a need for

more research on critical pedagogy and elementary school

practices. Few studies are available (Hudelson, 1994; Moll,

1990; Pérez & Torres-Guzmán, 1996; Whitmore & Crowell,

1994) that demonstrate the application of critical pedagogy as it

relates to elementary school bilingual students. These studies

address questions of student learning, whole language

instruction, and relationships between schooling and the

sociocultural processes.‖

Arce, J. (2000). Developing Voices: Transformative Education

in a First-Grade Two-Way Spanish Immersion Classroom, A

Participatory Study [Electronic Version]. Bilingual Research

Journal. Retrieved September 29, 2005, from

http://brj.asu.edu/v243/articles/art3.html

ii.) Cross-Cultural Counseling

The need to evaluate cross-cultural counseling theories and

practices as well as traditional theoretical approaches has been

documented in the literature (Copeland, 1979, 1982; Gunnings

& Simpkins, 1972; Smith, 1985; Sue, S., 1981). As indicated in

the literature, to date, there does not exist a consensus on what

theories, approaches and practices should be used within ethnic

minority groups. Hilliard (1986) pointed out that research in the

field of cross-cultural counseling has been relatively subjective.

He asserted that there was a need to conduct research to provide

evidence to support the various existing theories on cross-

cultural counseling as well as to add to traditional counseling

approaches.

---

Additionally, the overall aim of this present study is to (a) bring

attention to areas of need counselors have with respect to cross-cultural

counseling, (b) sensitize counselor education program administrators to

these needs for incorporation into current training programs, and (c)

most importantly, since there is evidence to support the contention that

most counselor education programs are not sure how to go about

strengthening their multi-cultural components, it is hoped that the

information generated from this study will add to this area.

Gillian, S.P. (1990). An Assessment of the Cross-Cultural Training

Needs of South Carolina Counselors. (ERIC Document Reproduction

Service No. ED364635)


4 Sections of Chapter One

Theoretical Foundation of the

Study

Research questions and

hypotheses

Limitations and Delimitations

Definitions

Significance of the Study to the

Field of Education

In-text Citations

Cone & Foster

Chapter 6:

Reviewing the

Literature

APA

Parts of a

Manuscript (read

half only) in

Chapter 1:

Content and

Organization of a

Manuscript

Reference

Citations in Text

from Chapter 3:

APA Editorial

Style


4.1. Is it necessary to choose between a dichotomy of ―highly

qualitative approach‖ versus ―highly quantitative approach‖ when

writing a literature review? Debate.

4.2. What, in your opinion, is one of the most common flaws in writing

literature reviews?

Assignments:

4.1. Application

Here is a sample of five paragraphs from Chapter One of a proposal

that shows the outline of the topics that were discussed in the Literature

Review of Chapter Three. Evaluate all using the criteria from Chapter

1. Then, retrieve the entire text of one of the sources to further evaluate

the chapter in no more than two pages.

a. Distance Education

John Dewey's theory of learning and growth urges educators to

think of learning as at once both social and cognitive (Dewey

1960, 1980, 1997). Schlosser and Anderson's (1994) Iowa

model follows Keegan's theory of distance education in which

the distance learning system must artificially recreate the

teaching-learning interaction and reintegrate it back into the

instructional process. Perraton (1988) defines the role of

distance educator as a facilitator of the learning process, which

proceeds as knowledge building among teacher and students.

Russell's Compendium (1999) asserts that distance education

has no adverse effect on student performance when compared

to face-to-face classroom experience.

b. Asynchronous Learning Networks

Most of the research on asynchronous learning networks

(ALNs) has attempted to identify how much students learn from

ALN courses compared to traditional classroom contexts.

Perhaps one of the broadest efforts at investigating

asynchronous learning was reported by Arvan, Ory, Bullock,

Burnaska and Hanson (1998).

c. Information Processing

Bredo (1994) states that the instructional model affects how

information is communicated to the student as well as the way

the student constructs new knowledge. Currently there are two

opposing views which have an impact on instructional design:

symbol-processing and situated cognition.

d. Learning Styles

Many studies on learning styles have been carried out on

subjects ranging from infants to adults. The combinations or

scores on D. A. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI)

corresponds to four types of learners: accommodators,

assimilators, convergers, and divergers. Svinicki and Dixon

(1987) suggested that the Kolb model be used to identify

learning styles and to implement learning sequences through

the full cycle of concrete experience, reflective observation,

abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation.

Rochetto, Buckles and Barath (1992) contend that different

media delivery systems can be used to enhance different

learning styles. Becker and Dwyer (1998) found that students

who preferred learning more visually felt learning was

enhanced by groupware used in the classroom while students

who preferred learning more verbally did not feel that the

groupware helped the learning process as much.

e. Social Dimension

Farmington (1999) compares the social experience of

undergraduate education to the social dimension of distance

education. Hiltz (1986) narrows this comparison to focus

specifically on distance education using asynchronous learning

using computer networks. Harasim (1989) considers that the

nature of the medium influences the social interactions it

carries. According to Lave and Wenger, when understood as

socially situated, learning can be described as a process of

becoming a part of a community of practice.

(Source: Successful Internet-based Instruction: The Correlation of

Learning Styles with Asynchronous Learning Performance, A

Dissertation Outline Presented to The Faculty of the School of

Education Organization and Leadership Department by Elaine M.

Artman, University of San Francisco)

4.2. Field Experience

At the beginning of this course, you were directed to visit five different

sites (school districts or appropriate organizations) where you could

possibly do your internship toward the end of your coursework, and

analyze these sites.

Submit your analysis this week in the form of a paper not exceeding

five pages. Identify one site you think is suitable for your internship

and justify your response.


5 Methodology

Literature Review

Cone & Foster

Chapter 7:

Research

Methodology and

Ethics

Chapter 8:

Measurement

Chapter 9:

Selecting the

Appropriate

Statistics

APA

Parts of a

Manuscript

(Complete

reading) in

Chapter 1:

Content and

Organization of a

Manuscript

Chapter 4:

Reference List


5.1. Your class is writing a literature review on a dissertation selected

from the Argosy Online database. Opinion is divided on where the

overview should be placed. Would you recommend that an overview

be placed near the beginning or near the end of a literature review?

Support your response with good and bad examples.

5.2. What is your opinion of the following statement of implications

included near the end of the Conclusions and Implications section of a

research report?

―The implication of this finding is that teachers need to be more

sensitive to students’ needs.‖

5.3. Your colleague, Ms. Sherman, is writing a literature review and

asks you to read it. You find she has reviewed many variables related

to her topic. What would you suggest that she consider including in the

title of her review?

5.4. For which of the following should you include the date that you

consulted the reference?

a. Material posted on the Web.

b. Material published in a journal.

c. Material published in a book.


5.5. You are reading the literature review of a research report, when

you come across the following material. ―The beneficial effects of

social rapport have been conclusively established over decades of

scientific research. The availability of social support significantly

enhances people’s general well being and happiness as well as their

ability to withstand a variety of major stressors such as serious illness

(Coyne & Smith, 1994). On the other hand, people who lack social

support appear to be at risk for developing a range of physical and

mental health problems. For instance, those who do not have

satisfying…‖In your opinion, does the first sentence provide a strong

beginning for the review? Does the second sentence emphasize

authorship or content? Present your response in the form of a paper.

5.6. The Methodology section needs to include details about the

location, participants, the selection process, the instruments or

apparatus used to collect new data, the procedures followed, and the

data analysis tools used. Do you feel that all of this information is

necessary—is some redundant? Is there any other information you

think should be included? Illustrate your responses with examples.

5.7. Review the Sample Dissertation in Resources and comment on the

Methodology section. What elements, according to you, are effective

and what does it lack? If you were the author, what would you include

and why?

Assignments:

5.1. Application

Critique the following title of a literature review. ―Socioeconomic

Status Plays a Role in Determining Physical Health.‖ Submit your

critique as a Microsoft Word document, in 12 pt font and double-

spaced. Make sure the critique does not exceed two pages. Also, use

APA 5th

ed. style.

5.2. Creating a self-inventory and improvement plan.

Read the article ―Leader Standards Comparison‖ and look at the

various national and state standards. Based on the information in this

article, you will now create a self-inventory and improvement plan. In

approximately 500-700 words (one page), give a specific self-appraisal

of your strengths, weaknesses, and personal qualities you believe will

contribute to your success in your chosen field of study. Include a

discussion of those personal characteristics you have developed as a

result of your education and training. Include in your self-assessment

any significant and relevant experiences that have strongly impacted

your self-awareness and ultimate decision to continue to pursue your

chosen career.


6 Turning the Prospectus into a

Proposal

The Defense Process

Revising the Proposal into a

Dissertation

Cone & Foster

Review Chapter 9:

Selecting the

Appropriate

Statistics


6.1. In the following reference, what element is missing its italics?

Doe, J. Y. (2004). An experimental study of the feasibility of

modifying the school lunch program. New Journal of Educational

Studies and Research, 63, 555-578.

Study the APA 5th ed. style guide. How would you rewrite the same

reference if it were an article published in a journal?

6.2. The following reference to a journal article contains information

that is not needed to identify the article. What information is not

needed?

Smith, J.Y. (2004). A new experiment on the feasibility of further

modifying the school lunch program. Extensive Lunch Programs

Journal, 33, Issue 52, 67-74.

Explain. Support your response with a citation to the APA 5th ed. style

guide.

6.3. You’ve been using the Internet to conduct research while writing

your literature review for class. You locate some interesting material

but decided not to include it in the literature review. Should you

include a reference to it in your reference list? Why?

6.4. Are the introduction and literature review always integrated into a

single section? Is it different for a proposal compared to the final

dissertation? How is the prospectus different from the proposal?

Assignments:

6.1. Application

Complete as directed by the facilitator.

Select a dissertation from Electronic Dissertations and submit a one-

page summary and critique of this dissertation. The summary is written

like an abstract, which according to APA is less than 150 words, and

should include the need for the study, the purpose of the study, the

theoretical framework, the method and participants, results, and

recommendations for future research. The critique should include a

discussion of any issues you believe may have an impact on the

validity or reliability of the results of this study, any recommendations

for future research that you believe should be added, and any other

reactions you have to this study.


7 Results, Discussion,

Recommendation Sections

Review of Human Subject(s)

Cone & Foster

Chapter 11:

Presenting the

Results

Chapter 12:

Discussing the

Results


7.1. Your colleague, Martin, is reading a research report, which begins

with the researchers stating that ―many young adolescents continue to

attend school even though they have mentally dropped out.‖ In your

opinion, is this an important point to make in the introduction to this

particular study? If so, would you find it useful to have more

information on this issue?

7.2. Study Article 17, #9 in the Lawrence S. Lyne textbook. In your

opinion, has the program been described in sufficient detail? Explain.

Also, the participants in the study were described as one science

teacher from a small, rural middle school, and 15 seventh-grade and 18

eighth grade students in his two science courses. Is this sample

sufficiently large enough to generalize results to a larger population?


7.3. You are reading a report that states that the control group consisted

of ―similar individuals.‖ Debate: Would it be helpful to know how the

researchers determined their similarity?

Assignments:

7.1. Assume you are conducting a study on the topic mentioned in

article 17 of the Lyne textbook. Describe the research methodology

you would follow. Compare this with the research methodology that is

described in the text. Outline your findings.

Describe the methodology you would follow for selecting the control

group for your research. Identify at least three tools (questionnaires,

etc) you would use.


8 Final Prospectus Presentations,

Critique and Feedback

Course Summary


8.1. Evaluate how the course has met your expectations.

8.2. Of the concepts covered in this course, identify the concepts that

you feel are the most and least relevant today. Rationalize your

response with examples.

Assignment:


Course Project: Prospectus

Overview

You will propose a study. As defined in the Argosy University Guide to the Dissertation Process on p. 18, a Prospectus is a three (3) to five

(5) page document, which will aid faculty in deciding whether they will serve on your committee. It is a requirement of the dissertation

process.

General Project Instructions

You need to include:

- A brief statement about the nature of the your research topic area,

- Your experience or ability to conduct the research or evaluation,

- What reading you have already completed related to the research, and

- Enough information to allow the faculty committee nominees to ask questions before committing themselves to the committee.

In addition to the narrative, attach:

- A short bibliography of past related reading,

- A suggested literature review outline that includes databases and key words related to the research topic, and (4 major sub-topics

(background) with 6-8 studies listed and referenced under each topic)

A Brief proposed methodology

- Theoretical framework

- A ―best guess‖ at a timeline for completion of the three Dissertation blocks:

Dissertation Block 1



Presentation

You will prepare your dissertation prospectus as a Word document to be emailed directly to your instructor. However, you will present it using

a PowerPoint presentation.

Session 1 Introduction to the Prospectus

Task #1 Introduction section

Introduce yourself to your class colleagues and tell them the following:

- Your name and home campus

- The working title of your proposed study i.e. your topic.

- Your professional expertise and personal background that you bring to the research project (This is part of your research prospectus but not

the proposal.)

- Your timeline for completing the study and target graduation date. (This is included in your prospectus but not the proposal.)

Session 2: Research Topic and Purpose of the Study

Task #2 Research Topics and Purpose

Describe in no more than two paragraphs the general topic you have chosen. State in one sentence what is a problem you have identified

within the general topic that needs to be studied, and briefly add why the study of this topic is important or of service to the field of education.

Note: many times the ―problem‖ at this stage is formed as a question:

- ―What happens when third grade students are provided with a certain curriculum?‖

- ―What causes some college students to succeed in online classes when others do not?‖

Include APA in-text citations for any references to prior studies.

As you read other students’ topics ask yourself: Are they trying to solve a personal issue? Are they trying to ‘save the world?’ Is the focus

narrow enough? Is the explanation clear?

Respond to at least two classmates to ask for clarification of their topics or to provide suggestions to narrow or broaden their topics.

Session 3: Finding a Theory and Educational Significance

Task #3 Finding a Theory

Theory can provide a real focus that will go a long way toward helping you build a solid and coherent dissertation study. The use of theory

will increase the probability that your study will make a contribution to your field and profession. All aspects of the study are affected by its

theoretical framework. The theoretical framework in relation to the specific research problem to be investigated can be pictured as a set of

interlocking frames. The outermost frame—the theoretical framework—is the disciplinary orientation that you draw upon to situate your

study.

Using the guidelines above, in no more than 2 paragraphs, describe the theoretical framework that will underlie your proposed study. In the

first paragraph concisely describe the disciplinary orientation and in the second paragraph, succinctly describe the underlying concept, model

or theory.

Include APA in-text citations for any references to prior studies.

Include a properly formatted reference list below your two paragraphs for any references cited in your two summary paragraphs.

(Note: you may not be able to format the hanging indent, but you will be able to punctuate and capitalize correctly.)

Respond to at least two classmates for ask for clarification of the theory(s) or to provide suggestions for other relevant studies or theories from

your readings or academic experiences that they may want to consider.

Task #4 Educational Significance

The Significance section answers the question: ―Why should anyone care about the results of my study? In the Proposal, this section is usually

very brief and outlines expected significance. After you complete the data analysis in your Dissertation, the significance may prove to be

something other than you expected in the proposal.

Draft the statement of the expected impact or significance of your study will have on the field of education or the potential significance of

what you hope to add to the scholarly literature. [Note: you should use conditional verb forms—―The results may lead to a better

understanding of the adolescent learner.‖ The evaluation of teacher attitudes could help curriculum developers design curriculum that is

more closely aligned with national standards.”]

Session 4: Purpose, Background, and Need for the Study

Task #5 Purpose

The purpose statement is a declarative sentence such as, This study will analyze (or study, or explore).

State the Purpose of the Study in one sentence.

Task #6 Background

The Background is the context of the Problem that you have chosen to study and is one way to demonstrate that your study has attracted the

attention of the educational research community. Bryant (2004) stated that virtually no work on your topic may signal that the topic is very

necessary OR may signal that the topic is not significant.

State the Background of your topic in one or two paragraphs.

Task #7 Need for the Study

The Need for Study follows from the Background; it is the ―however‖ statement. In other words, you are leading the reader logically to see

that ―This much has been done in the past, however, no studies have explore that.‖

Add the statement that summarizes prior research and states clearly why your study is necessary.

Session 5: Formatting your Prospectus and Problem Statement

Task #8 Formatting

In the Dissertation Proposal, all margins are 1‖, all type is 12-point serif (e.g., Times Roman), and all pages are numbered except the title

page. It is strongly suggested that you use Microsoft Word’s Styles feature for the chapter headings, which will make it very easy to create and

insert the Table of Contents right before you print the final proposal. If you do not know how to use styles and insert TOC features, now is the

time use the Help feature in the software (or a user’s manual) to learn about this very useful tool.

Task #9 Problem Statement

Problems abound in education and the social sciences.

Add the problem statement to the Background and Need for the Study sections completed last week and submit both for evaluation.

Session 6: Research Questions

Task #10 Research Question(s)

The research question is your guide to what data you seek and what data you select as important. The research question is ―1. precise, 2.

covers exactly the issue you wish to address, and 3. indicates how you will create your answer‖.

Draft the research questions and add to the Purpose section written in the last week (if you are doing pure quantitative research, you will need

null hypothesis statements) and submit both.

[NOTE: These sections will be revised and included in Chapter 1 of the Research Proposal. These question(s) will be elaborated on in a

separate section of Chapter 3—Methodology.]

Session 7: Access Plan

Task #11 Access Plan

Submit a draft of your plan for how you will gain access to the location and planned population (school, institution of higher education,

professional organization) who will be invited to participate in your study. You should include how you plan to obtain any permission you will

need, e.g., the principle, the district superintendent, parents, etc.

[NOTE: A quick summary of access will be included in Chapter 1 of the Research Proposal. Exact details of the plan to gain access will be

included in the Chapter 3—Methodology of the Proposal. Later, the exact steps of what you actually did to gain access will become part of

Chapter 3—Methodology of the Dissertation. And, the signed permission letters will be included in the Appendixes of the Dissertation.]

Session 7.5 Final Presentation

Task #12 Final submission of the project

Should be submitted in Microsoft Word 2000 or higher. Should include all the sections outlined above. Should use APA 5th

ed. style. Should

be double-spaced and use 12pt font. Should include a PowerPoint presentation that is concise and effectively communicates the information in

the dissertation prospectus.

Grading Criteria:

Grading Scale

A 100 -93

A- 92 – 90

B+ 89 – 88

B 87 – 83

B- 82 – 80

C+ 79 -78

C 77 – 73

C- 72 – 70

F 69 and below

Grading Requirements

Discussion Questions 30%

Application Assignments 30%

Project 30%

Field Experience 10%

100%

Library:

All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students

with links, user IDs, and passwords.

Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books

and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers,

Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are

directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at http://library.argosy.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are

located at http://library.argosy.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html.

http://library.argosy.edu/

http://library.argosy.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html

In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials

searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively,

students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference

assistance from campus librarians.

Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and

transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level

research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and

practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate

feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/.

Academic Policies

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University

requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be

documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the

American Psychological Association, 5th

Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please

refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th

Edition for thesis and paper format.

Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult

the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and

ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources.

You may be asked to submit your course assignments through ―Turnitin,‖ (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help

educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to

billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common

information and duplicative language.

Americans with Disabilities Act Policy

It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with

the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director

http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/

http://www.turnitin.com/

of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be

provided to the student upon request.

Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing

via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion)

to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs

of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.

The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity

Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both the

academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential

to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

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