Salem State University - School of Education
Educational Research Across the Curriculum: Fall, 2011
EDU 738 Sections S1 (#3272)Online / Allan (Rocky) Shwedel, Ph.D.
Use this link to access the course website:
You can also get to the course material through a link on Blackboard. You can get to Blackboard
via your Navigator account or
(but it is most convenient to go directly to the course website itself.) / Office Hours:
T & Th 11:30 – 12:30; Th 4:00 - 5:30 or, by appointment
Online Optional Chat via SKYPE: My user name: rockyshwedel
Sunday 7:00 to 8:00 and TBA
Office: Sullivan 203B-2
Telephone: 978-542-6643 (wk.) 617-775-6504 (cell phone)
email: ; &
(Please use the gmail address for course related issues. Thanks!)
Welcome to EDU738
This online research course may be very different from any other course you have taken. In addition to dealing with the content of the course, you will be using a number of computer technology tools that you may have never used before. And sometimes there are technology glitches! Thus, if you are experiencing difficulties of any sort, please contact me as soon as possible. You can call me on my cell phone up to 8:30 p.m. weekday evenings or weekend afternoons. If you leave a message please speak slowly and clearly. Thanks! I hope you find the course engaging and ultimately useful.
Course Overview
“This research course is designed to enhance teachers' knowledge and ability to understand and undertake research in the classroom. Students will survey and practice quantitative and qualitative educational research techniques and critically examine the research literature appropriate to their teaching levels and curriculum area of interest. Students will develop and implement a research project focusing on one or more curriculum areas guided by faculty members with expertise in the research area.”
Thus in order to provide you with an introduction to the concepts, issues and tools used for educational research and to give you a first-hand experience conducting a small-scale research project, the basic format of the course will be for you to first read, talk, and listen, then to plan and do, and finally to reflect and refine.
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Apply knowledge of educational research to interpret and evaluate current research in their area of expertise;
- Apply knowledge of educational research practices as they review research proposals to ensure protection of human subjects and data confidentiality;
- Apply knowledge of educational research practices to develop a feasible research plan;
- Apply knowledge of educational research practices to develop and refine data collection instruments and procedures;
- Apply knowledge of educational research practices to collect and analyze data; and
- Apply knowledge of educational research practices to write an educational research report.
Equity
“Salem State University is committed to providing equal access to the educational experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act and to providing all reasonable academic accommodations, aids and adjustments. Any student who has a documented disability requiring an accommodation, aid or adjustment should speak with the instructor immediately. Students with Disabilities who have not previously done so should provide documentation to and schedule an appointment with the Office for Students with Disabilities and obtain appropriate services.”
Course Requirements
Readings:
The attached syllabus lists the core readings for the course. It is important that you have read the material both for your own learning and for your contribution to the work of your small group.
The following book can be purchased or ‘rented’ online. Other reading materials will be distributed via email or online links will be provided.
Mertler; C. & Charles, C.(2010) Introduction to Educational Research (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education. ISBN: 978- 0- 13- 701344- 9 ( pbk.)
Also available as a 6 month ebook (online or downloadable) from Coursesmart.com:
Computer Hardware & Software:
Hardware:
Computer either:
Windows computer running at least Windows XP with audio (speech and sound) capabilities; Macintosh computer running Mac OS X.
A microphone is needed for talking, as opposed to just typing, on SKYPE but the microphone isn’t an absolute requirement. Earphones are useful but also optional.
Software:
(1)MS Office 2007 or later(available free for Windows and Mac laptops via ITS Walk-In Support in theStanley Building, room 119. Contact the ITS Helpdesk for details: 978-542-2036 ).
(2)SKYPE account and software (version 5.5 for Windows and 5.3 for Mac OSX) (see syllabus for details).
(3a)Google email, i.e., “gmail”, account (see syllabus for details).
(3b) GoogleDocs account – which is included as part of the free Google email account.
(4)Quicktime 7.6 (from – You may already have this on your computer but you should update it to the latest version.)
(5)Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (from - You may already have this on your computer but you should update it to the latest version.)
(6)Browser: Firefox is recommended but Internet Explorer or Safari will work too.
Participation:
Since some of the work will be done in pairs or small groups, it is crucial that you take an active and “vocal” role in the online discussions, and other group activities. It is anticipated that group members will collaborate online and/or by phone (or SKYPE, see ). It is OK to meet in person too!
There will be time each week where you can talk with me via an interactive chat on SKYPE (“Coffeehouse738”). These open chats are optional but they may give you an opportunity to get questions answered in ‘real-time and it is a ‘place’ to interact more casually with your fellow students. The times for these open chats will be set after the semester starts and they will be set at times that fit the schedule of as many students as possible.
Since this is a online course, in the event of a university-wide closing or my absence from class, the assignments for our class will continue to be due as listed in the syllabus. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms or another contagious or serious illness, please contact me by email or phone. If necessary, alternate assignmentsmay be arranged. If you do not contact me to seek an alternative assignment, the absence will be considered unexcused.
In the very unlikely event that your group is experiencing some difficulty in terms of functioning productively, please contact me as soon as possible. Each of you has your own work style and expectations for the course. Thus it may be necessary for me to talk to the group as a whole or to individual members in order to get the group on track.
Assignments:
- Due dates for assignments are listed on the course syllabus. There is no final exam. More detailed information will be provided for each assignment. It is expected that all assignments be turned in on the specified due dates.
- For those assignments that are group tasks, a single product is to be turned in for each group. However, for the final research report, even though it will be a group product, each student is required to submit a copy of the final report.
- Drafts and final versions of assignments (or the link to the GoogleDocs file) are to be submitted via the course’s file upload webpages.
- File names should include yours and your fellow group member’s first names along with an indication if it is a draft or final version. (When I get files from many students, it is confusing when the file name is ?”edu738_project.doc” so please be sure to include relevant information in the file name.
- Procedures for using GoogleDocs and the course’s upload pages are explained on the course’s “tutorials” page:
Research Project:
The research project can be done either in a group of 2 to 4 or individually. I strongly recommend a group effort. The only requirement is that the project, including design, data collection, analysis and write-up, must be doable within the semester. Given the time constraints of the semester and other ethical issues, I VERY STRONGLY recommend that you design a research project where you use ONLYyour fellow online classmates as subjects. I will meet, either in person or via SKYPE with each group/individual to discus the logistics of your project. It is important to keep in mind that you CAN NOT collect any data until the research plan has been approved by the Salem State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) and you have obtained permission from each research participant. If you want to collect data from anyone other than class members, the IRB review process may take considerably longer to complete and thus you may be unable to complete the course during the semester. These issues will be discussed thoroughly online.
SSU Email Accounts and Accessing Course Materials Online:
It is the goal of the instructor to make course materials available for viewing and/or downloading from the course website: .You can always get to the course website from Blackboard. To make full use of Blackboard, you need a Blackboard account. If you already have a Blackboard account, you do not need a new one. However, to get a Blackboard account you have to use your Salem State email address. Once you have a SSU email address and have enrolled in EDU738, you will automatically have a Blackboard account. (Contact the instructor if you are having any difficulty.)
Grading:
Among the written assignments, only assignments labeled as “Final” will be used to determine your grade. Each assignment will be assigned points based on its quality. For group assignments, there will be a single grade for each group member. Specific characteristics of high quality work will be described for each type of assignment. In the spirit of the course’s format to ‘reflect and refine’, you are encouraged to resubmit assignments as long as the final versions are submitted on time and the revised version is submitted within 10 days after the you have received feedback from the instructor.
Assignment/Assessment% of Final Grade
1.Review of Primary Research 25% (individual)
2.Research Plan: Problem Statement & Research Questions/Hypotheses10% (group)
3.IRB Application & Consent FormNo grade but must be done (group)
4.Research Plan: Review of Research & Methods20% (group)
5.Final Project (Research Report and Online Presentation)25% (group)
(The presentation is not graded but it must be done)
6.Class Participation (Discussion Boards and Group work)20% (individual)
NOTE: The for the research report the entire report is to be submitted which includes the updated elements from the research plan along with an abstract, the data analysis and discussion.
Syllabus – EDU738 Research Across the Curriculum (Fall, 2011)
(Note some aspects of the schedule may vary depending on IRB approval)
Please check the website ‘Announcements Page’ for any last minute changes:
Dates / Topics / Core Readings/Viewings / Comments & Due Dates for AssignmentsWeek #1
9/5 /
- Introduction & Technology Tools
Introduction and creating SKYPE and Google Accounts
Please note that there will be OPTIONAL in person ‘technology tool’ training sessions to be offered this week and next week. / Sign Up and install free Skype account:
Sign Up for free Google email Account:
Send an email to Rocky with your SKYPE username, GOOGLE gmail address, and telephone number
Participate in Online Discussion – Introductions (9/8 through 9/11)
Optional: There will be an optional ‘technology tool training session’ on Thursday, the 8th from 4:00 to 6:00 and Monday the 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 in SB304, the CTEP computer lab.
Week #2
9/12 /
- Optional on-campus software training session
- Using Online Resources
- Educational Research: Its Nature and Rules of Operation
- Locating Published Research
(2) Linder, Gordon, & Harris (download from Rocky’s site)
(3) Research Checklist by K. Hill (download from Rocky’s site)
(4) Week #2 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site)
(5) Mertler & Charles: Chapters #1 & #4 / Participate in Online Discussion of the Linder et al. article (9/12 through 9/15)
Optional: There will be an optional ‘technology tool training session’ on Mondaythe 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 in SB304, the CTEP computer lab.
Week #3
9/19 /
- Types of Educational Research and Corresponding Sources of Data
- Interpreting and Summarizing Published Research
(2) “Critically Analyzing Information Sources”
(3) Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals
(4) Week #3 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / Post Online potential research topic(s) of interest to you (9/19 through 9/22)
Participate in Online Discussion of M&C chapters 2 & 5 (9/19 through 9/22)
Week #4
9/26 /
- Selecting, Refining, and Proposing a Topic for Research
- Human Subjects, Samples & Research Ethics (Informed Consent)
(2) Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Study
(3) “National Cancer Institute’s A Guide to Understanding Informed Consent”
(4) Week #4 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / Participate in Online Discussion of the Stanford Prison Study (9/26 through 9/29)
9/29 Submit Assignment #1: Review of Primary Research -4 articles(Individual)
Note: I will be in Liberia from 10/1 through 10/11 and I will only have intermittent email access.
Week #5
10/3 /
- Selecting, Refining, and Proposing a Topic for Research
- Instrumentation and Data Collection
(2) Using Audience Awareness to Contextualize Your Research Goals
(3)Week #5 Rocky's Lecture (pt2) - What makes a good problem statement?
(1) Week #5 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / 10/9 Finalize Research Group Members and Topic (Submit topic and list of group members to me via gmail)
Note: I will be in Liberia from 10/1 through 10/11 and I will only have intermittent email access.
Week #6
10/10 /
- Procedures and Tools for Gathering Data
- Designing a Research Project,
- Introduction to Hypothesis Testing and Statistics
(2) “Introduction Section A (‘What are Statistics’) though Section H (‘Measurement’)”
(Note: Standard mode – read text; Multimedia – audio & slide version)
(3) “ Chapter 9: Logic of Hypothesis Testing”
(Note: Standard mode – read text; Multimedia – audio & slide version)
(4) Week #6 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / Research Groups “meet” via Skype to work on Assignment #2- Research Plan; Problem Statement and Research Questions/Hypotheses
Participate in Online Discussion of M&C chapters 6 & 8 10/10 through 10/13)
Week #7
10/17 /
- Survey Design – Using Survey Monkey
- Survey Research
(2) Week #7 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site)
(3) “The Survey System's Tutorial, revised May, 2008”
(Note just view this page, you shouldn’t sign up for anything here.)
(4) “Examples of survey item types”
(Note just view this page, you shouldn’t sign up for anything here.) / 10/20Submit Assignment #2: Research Plan: Problem Statement & Research Questions/Hypotheses (Group)
Week #8
10/24 /
- Experimental, Quasi-Experimental, and Single-Subject Designs
(2) Week #8 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site)
NOTE: The groups for the moderated discussions will be identified prior to Week #8. Depending on the number of groups, the moderated discussion schedule may change slightly. / Research Groups “meet” via Skype to work on IRB application
Participate in Online Discussion of M&C chapter 13 (10/24 through 10/27)
Week #9
10/31 /
- Analyzing Research Data and Presenting Findings
- Working with Data (Using EXCEL & Google Spreadsheets (pt. #1)
(Group) (Crucial Date!!)
(See the assignment for details)
Week #10
11/7 / Working with Data (Using EXCEL & Google Spreadsheets) (pt #2) / (1) Mertler & Charles: Chapter #7
(2) Week #10 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / Participate in Online Discussion of M&C chapter 7 (11/7 through 11/10)
Week #11
11/14 / Reliability an Validity / (1)Week #11 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / Research Groups “meet” via Skype to work on Assignment #4 - Research Plan: Review of Literature and Methods
Week #12
11/21 /
- Probability
- Data collection & initial data analysis
*Data collection pending IRB approval
Week #13
11/28 /
- Preparing a Research Report
(2) Week #14 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / Participate in Online Discussion of M&C chapter 9 (11/28 through 12/1)
*Data collection pending IRB approval
Research Groups “meet” via Skype to work on Final Research Report
Week #14
12/5 /
- Non-experimental Quantitative Research
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Evaluation Research
(2) Week #15 Lecture (download/view from Rocky’s site) / Research Groups “meet” via Skype to work on Assignment #5: Final Research Report
Participate in Online Discussion of M&C chapters 10 & 12 (12/5 through 12/8)
12/10 Submit Optional Draft of Assignment #5
Week #15
12/12 / Data Analysis / 12/13 Submit Assignment #5, Part I: PowerPoint/Keynote presentation of Research Study (Group)
Participate in Online Discussion of group presentations (12/14 through 12/18)
Week #16
12/19 / Presentations of projects / 12/22 Submit Assignment #5, Part #2: Written version of Final Research Report (Each member of the group submits a copy of the final report.)
Note that the Final Report is not due until the day after classes end. If you or a member of your group expects to graduate in at the end of the semester, it is crucial that the report be turned in on time.
Note #1: Draft versions of assignments will not be used for determining your grade for this course.
* You may be asked to participate in many of the research studies being conducted by your classmates. Participation is voluntary but if you do participate, plan on allocating some time during the data collection phase to complete any surveys etc. sent to you by your classmates.
A Partial List of Previous EDU738 Group Research Projects
General Topic / Format of Research Study- The Effect of Test Preparation on Anxiety and Performance
- A Study of Mathematical Understanding Through the Use of Manipulatives
- Does Sex Education Promote or Prohibit Sexual Activity?
- Violence in Schools: Are School Uniform Polices Effective?
- Motivation in Reading Study
- Effect of tangible Rewards on Homework Completion
- Homework Type Study
- Impact of Learning Through Group Activities
- Role of Information on Attitude Change Regarding Bilingual Education
- Attitudes Toward Co-Op Teaching
- Attitudes Toward Inclusion
- Use of Praise vs. Tangible Rewards and Mathematics Motivation
- Attitudes Toward Same Sex Classes
- Impact of Self Monitoring on Learning
- Impact of Viewing TV Violence on Teacher attitudes
- Attitudes Towards Full vs. Half day Kindergarten
- Methods of Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Classrooms
- Impact of Team Teaching on Planning Time
- Impact of Music on Studying
- Teachers’ Perceptions of the Needs of Students Whose Parents had Divorced
- The Impact of Text Structure and Format on Learning
- Antecedents to Risk-Taking Behavior Among Middle School Students
- Effects of mild exercise on test performance
Selected Bibliography