Poor Sample Page1
Section 1: Purpose of the Project and Project Background
Keep the following questions in mind while reading the Poor Sample for Section 1: Purpose of the Project and Project Background. The answers to these questions will follow the reading
1.What is the research question?
- Why is the research question important?
- How does the study answer the research question?
- An effective Section 1 is reader friendly; uses lay terminology when possible and technical terms are clarified. Note that in the first two sentences of paragraph 1 from the model sample below the author made the description reader friendly by likening the term “social constructionist framework” to ______.
- A communication theoretical framework
- An academic discourse
- Methodology
- Data collection
- How long is the response to Section 1?
- Two pages
- One paragraph
- One sentence
- Three paragraphs - approximately one page
Here is a sample of a response to Section # 1 that needs some assistance with question 1-4. Read through the sample and see if you can identify what needs to be revised.
Poor Sample for Section 1
The study builds on the belief that there are long-term effects that technology-based education has on “former-at risk” Continuation High School students’ self-esteem, workforce preparedness, and attitudes toward learning. A review of the previous research in the field has shown that there are no immediate gains for “at risk” students’ use of technology-based instruction, but that there are personal and social benefits of technology based instruction that promote long-term individual growth and “former-at-risk” student gains. A review of the literature did not identify long-term effects of technology-based education on former “at risk” students.
1. What is the research question?
If you noticed that the research question is hard to identify – you are correct. This is what is stated in the sample:
The study builds on the belief that there are long-term effects that technology-based education has on "former-at-risk" Continuation High School students' self esteem, work preparedness and attitudes toward learning. (Sentence 1)
Choose the best revision below:
a. My research question is based on my belief in the long-term effects of technology-based education on "former-at-risk" Continuation High School students.
b. The purpose of the study is to support the belief that technology improves "former-at-risk" students' attitudes toward learning.
c. This study asks the question about the belief of the effects of technology-based education on "former-at-risk" Continuation High School Students
d. My research question examines the long-term effects of technology-based instruction on "former-at-risk" Continuation High School students from the perspective of the students themselves. I intend to answer the general question: How does technology-based instruction affect "at risk" Continuation High School students' over the long-term? Specific questions arising from this central inquiry include: What are former-at-risk Continuation High School students' own perceptions of the effects technology-based instruction has had on their self-esteem, workforce preparedness and attitudes toward learning?
Answers:
If you chose a – you are close, but it is not the best response. It does clarify the topic, but it does not describe the central question.
If you chose b – you are wrong. This is not a question.
If you chose c – you are wrong. It does not include all the key components of the research question.
If you chose d – you are correct. This answer is best because it describes the research question, shares the actual question, which includes all parts of the research question.
2. Why is the research question important?
If you noticed it is not clear why the research question is important– you are correct. This is what is stated in the sample
A review of the previous research in the field has shown that there are no immediate gains for “at risk” students’ use of technology-based instruction, but that there are personal and social benefits of technology based instruction that promote long-term individual growth and “former-at-risk” student gains. (Paragraph 1, Sentence 2)
Choose the best revision below:
a. This study's purpose to explore the impact of technology on Continuation High School students is important.
b. My research is important because it seeks to provide information where there is currently no research available identifying the long-term effects of technology-based instruction on former "at risk" students.
c. My research is important because it fills a gap revealed by a review of the literature, specifically that very little is written on effects of technology-based instruction on "at-risk" students over the long-term and nothing is available from the perspective of the former students themselves. Although there is research stating that there are "personal and social benefits of technology based instruction that promote long-term individual growth (citation)," virtually no research identifies specifically what these "personal and social benefits" are for Continuation High School students. My study will examine three specific areas of benefit including, self-esteem, workforce preparedness and attitudes toward learning.
d. The question is important because it gives us information on what leads to the long-term success of "at-risk" students.
Answers:
If you chose a – you are wrong. This is not an explanation.
If you chose b – you are close, but it is not the best response. It does clarify the need, but it does not say how your study fills that need.
If you chose c – you are correct. This answer is best because it explicitly explains why the study is important, explaining not only the need in the current research but also how the study intends to fill that gap.
If you chose d – you are wrong. It does not include all the key components of why the research question is important.
3. How will the study answer the research question?
If you noticed it is not clear how the study will answer the research question – you are correct. This is what is stated in the Sample 1:
A review of the literature did not identify long-term effects of technology-based education on former “at risk” students. (Paragraph 1, Sentence 3)
Choose the best revision below:
a. The study will focus on "former-at-risk" students and will identify the long-term effects of technology-based education.
b. The study explores the research question.
c. The study attempts to answer the research question looking at the data gathered from former students who were at risk.
d. My study attempts to answer the research question by obtaining specific information about the long-term benefits former students report as a result of the technology-based instruction they received as "at risk" students. I focus on gathering data specific to self-esteem, workforce preparedness and attitudes toward learning. Ultimately, I search for the overall social and personal benefits that promote individual and academic growth as experienced by former Continuation High School students.
Answers:
If you chose a – you are close, but it is not the best response. It does clarify the focus of the study, but it does not explain how the study answers the research question.
If you chose b – you are wrong. This is not an explanation.
If you chose c – you are wrong. It does not include all the key components of how the study will answer the research question.
If you chose d – you are correct. This answer is best because it provides a clear explanation of specifically how the study attempts to answer the research question.
4. To what extent was the response reader friendly?
- Was lay terminology used?
- Were the meanings of any technical terms clarified?
If you noticed there is vocabulary used that needs to be defined – you are correct. This is what is stated in the Sample 2:
“The study builds on the belief that there are long-term effects that technology-based education has on “former-at risk” Continuation High School students’ self-esteem, workforce preparedness, and attitudes toward learning” (Sentence 1).
Two items that need to be clarified are the “technology-based education” and “at-risk Continuation High School students”.
Choose the best revision below:
a. “The study builds on the belief that there are long-term effects that education which makes extensive use of technology, such as computer learning programs and on-line instruction, has on students who are considered "at risk" for school failure and who attended an alternative academic setting known as a Continuation High School.”
b. " The study builds on the belief that there are long-term effects that education which uses technology has on former students of a Continuation High School who were considered "at risk."
c. “The study builds on the belief that there are long-term effects that technology-based education, using Mapquests, Visio, ALEKS and Rubistar, has on former "at risk", with scores at below basic."
d. " The study builds on the belief that there are long-term effects that technology-based education has had on students who formerly attended a Continuation High School."
If you chose a – you are correct. This answer is best because it
- It uses mostly lay terminology.
- Provides clarification of any unknown words using lay terms.
- The definition was provided within the text.
- The definition/clarification was positioned directly following the unfamiliar word.
It defines both items that need to be clarified - the “technology-based education” and “at-risk Continuation High School students”.
If you chose b – you are close, but it is not the best response. It is reader friendly because it uses some lay terminology, but it could define technical terms more.
If you chose c - you are wrong. This is not a definition/clarification in lay terminology but rather uses more technical terms to describe the technology and it does not address the “at-risk Continuation High School students”.
If you chose d – you are wrong. It does not include all the key components of using lay terminology and clarifying and defining technical terms. It does not describe the technology-based education.