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Seminar Research Writing EDLD (607) CRN 32792–2 credits
Dissertation Methods Apprenticeship (610) CRN 32798 – 4 credits
Spring 2013
Thursday 4:00 to 7:50 pm
Deni Basaraba, Ph.D.
Adjunct InstructorCourtesy Research Associate
E-mail:
Office Hours: By Appointment Only /
Gerald Tindal, Ph.D.
Castle-McIntosh-KnightProfessor of Education
Phone: (541) 346-1640
Fax: (541) 346-5174
e-mail:
Address: COE 102h Lokey
Office Hours: By Appointment Only
Purpose and Outcomes
The primary purpose of EDLD 607 and 610 is to provide doctoral students in the D. Ed. Program, a structured and guided opportunity to complete their dissertation proposal by the end of their second year in the doctoral program.
The course will…
(a) Provide students with feedback, input, and direction on the preparation of the format and content of their proposal,
(b) Permit students to keep their advisors informed of their progress during the seminar to gain advice and input on the development of their proposal,
(c) Provide students with technical advice on selected topics specific to the preparation of their dissertation proposal, and
(d) Ensure that students are making sustained and adequate progress toward the completion of the dissertation proposal by the end of the spring term (i.e., mid May 2013).
Students are expected to…
(1) Complete a coherent literature synthesis that presents a cogent empirical and theoretical framework and rationale for a problem of practice,
(2) Articulate the research design methods to be used in the proposed dissertation proposal including setting and subjects, dependent and independent variables, and proposed (perhaps tentative) procedure for data analysis, and
(3) Prepare a research proposal that meets the requirements of the Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership’s graduate and doctoral standards.
Specific Objectives
The specific objectives for the course are to:
• Complete the methodology outline for a dissertation proposal,
• Establish the literature needed to vindicate the methodology, and
• Complete a draft dissertation proposal.
Class Meetings
Advanced Research Writing meets every week from 4:00-4:50 PM on Thursdays (2 credits); an additional 4 credits are added as part of Dissertation Apprenticeship from 5:00-8:50. Therefore, as a 6-credit combined class, students attend each Thursday from 4:00-7:50 PM.
Attendance and Required Materials
Class Attendance Required. Students are required to attend class either live at the site or as part of a webinar/call in. The instructor recognizes that students will be working on their dissertation proposal continuously and when their professional schedules and personal lives permit. The class is entirely devoted to ensuring that each student is actually writing (i.e., composing, editing, revising) on his or her individual dissertation proposal.
If you do not plan to attend class on a particular Thursday, please contact the instructor by 5:00 PM of the Wednesday (close of business) before the class meeting of your planned absence, and arrange an alternative plan.
Laptops Required. Because students will be writing in class, each student is requested to bring his or her own computer to class.
Input from Advisors. Students are expected to submit their proposal to their faculty advisor (if different than the instructor) at the end of course for input and feedback.
Class Structure
The course is structured with two formats: (a) a site visit in which the instructor meets individually for 30 minutes with each student at that site (and other students show up to write on their dissertations, or (b) individual conference calls in which students call in at a specific time to preview or review the work to be done in that class session. See attached dates and times for site visits or individual call in times.
Grading
•A=Attend all site visits, call in all scheduled times, submit all drafts following APA style •B=Attend all site visits, call in allscheduled times, and submit all drafts in unique style.
•C=Attend most site visits, call in most scheduled times, and submit drafts in unique style.
Class Outcomes
At the end of the year, students are required to submit a proposal to their advisor that should be acceptable for conversion to a dissertation proposal. The nature and scope of the dissertation proposal will be determined, in part, by a range of factors, including, for example, the student’s advisor’s preferences, the proposed composition of the doctoral dissertation proposal committee, the logistics of the proposed study, the scope of the proposed dissertation study, and so forth. The proposal should be submitted as sections each week (using file names specified in the table of weekly meetings). Follow the template of topics, in which successive sections are completed during the quarter. Each week, sections/papers are due at the COB on the night before class. Please be sure to send your sections/papers to your peer reviewer at the COB the night before class as well so that he/she will have time to read your sections/papers the following day during class.
Please use the following file naming convention: The proposal should be submitted using the following file name: LastnameDraft1____,LastnameDraft2____.doc, (TindalDraft1Proposal.doc). Of course the number will change throughout the quarter. Please pay attention to Capital and lower case letters and don’t use spaces, dashes, or underlines.
A final draft needs to be submitted during the last class session (June 7, 2012) using the following file name: LastnameProposalFini.doc.
Dates – Locations – Topics –Structure for Advanced Research Writing
Wk / Date / Structure / Format-Medium / Focus1 / 4/4 / 4-5 Lecture
5-6 goals
6-8 Write / Webinar
/ Inventory of writing; immediate and long term goals (products and dates); committee protocols and procedures
2 / 4/11 / 4-5 Lecture
5-6 Q & A
6-8 Write (+ peer review) / JT presents
Q & A / Reading journals; understanding tabular data; attending to methodology; structuring the logic of your study
3 / 4/18 / 4-5 present introduction
5-6 Q & A
6-8 Write (+ peer review) / Webinar
/ APA draft 1introduction*
4 / 4/25 / 4-5 Present expanded introduction
5-6 Q & A
6-8 Write (+ peer review) / JT provides feedback on introductions / APA draft 1methods*
5 / 5/2 / 4-8 Student presentations / All provide structured feedback / Proposal practice
6 / 5/9 / 4-5 Q & A
5-8 Write (+ peer review) / Tutor
Q & A / APA draft 2methods*
7 / 5/16 / 4-5 Q & A
5-8 Write (+ peer review) / Tutor
Q & A / APA draft 1 methods* (with statistical analysis proposed)
8 / 5/23 / 4-5 Q & A
5-8 Write (+ peer review) / Tutor
Q & A / APA draft 2introduction*
9 / 5/30 / 4-8 Student presentations / All provide structured feedback / APA draft 1discussion* (with threats to validity considered)
10 / 6/6 / 4-5 Q & A
5-8 Write (+ peer review) / Tutor
Q & A / Assemble proposal – due 6/8
* Due on Wednesday before class at COB
Basic Assumptions
- Reference written material according to the 2001 (6th edition) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association -- the APA manual. USE THIS MANUAL AS A REFERENCE FOR ALL OF YOUR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS.
- Edit written work before submitting. When in doubt, check a good, desk-version American English dictionary for both spelling and grammar rules.
- Complete and submit assignments on time. Late drafts are not accepted.
Attendance Policy
Attend class regularly and come prepared to contribute in the following manner:
- Discuss concepts, analyses, and implications from the assigned readings.
- Participate in small group activities.
- Apply what is learned from readings, lectures, and activities to your own writing.
Absence Policy
Students must contact the instructor in case of illness or emergencies that preclude taking quizzes as scheduled or attending class sessions. Messages can be left on the instructor's voice mail or e-mail at any time of the day or night, prior to class. If no prior arrangements have been made before class time, the absence will be unexcused.
If you are unable to attend due to a personal and/or family emergency, contact either instructor as possible. On a case-by-case basis, the instructors will determine whether the emergency qualifies as an excused absence.
Academic Misconduct Policy
All students are subject to the regulations stipulated in the UO Student Conduct Code ( This code represents a compilation of important regulations, policies, and procedures pertaining to student life. It is intended to inform students of their rights and responsibilities during their association with this institution, and to provide general guidance for enforcing those regulations and policies essential to the educational and research missions of the University.
Conflict Resolution
Several options, both informal and formal, are available to resolve conflicts for students who believe they have been subjected to or have witnessed bias, unfairness, or other improper treatment.It is important to exhaust the administrative remedies available to you including discussing the conflict with the specific individual, contacting the Department Head, or within the College of Education you can contact Ron Beghetto, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, at (541) or Surendra Subramani, Diversity Coordinator, at (541) 346-1472 or
Conflict Resolution (continued)
Outside the College, you can contact:
• UO Bias Response Team: 346-1139 or
• Conflict Resolution Services 346 -0617 or
• Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity: 346-3123 or
Diversity
It is the policy of the University of Oregon to support and value diversity, requiring that we:
• Respect the dignity and essential worth of all individuals
• Promote a culture of respect throughout the university community
• Respect the privacy, property, and freedom of others
• Reject bigotry, discrimination, violence, or intimidation of any kind
• Practice personal and academic integrity and expect it from others
•Promote the diversity of opinions, ideas and backgrounds which is the lifeblood of the university
Documented Disability
Appropriate accommodations will be provided for students with documented disabilities. If you have a documented disability and require accommodation, arrange to meet with the course instructor within the first two weeks of the term. The documentation of your disability must come in writing from the Disability Services in the Office of Academic Advising and Student Services. Disabilities may include (but are not limited to) neurological impairment, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, chronic medical conditions, emotional/psychological disabilities, hearing impairment, and learning disabilities. For more information on Disability Services, please see
Expected Classroom Behavior
Classroom expectations include:
• Participating in class activities
• Respecting the diversity of cultures, opinions, viewpoints in the classroom
• Listening to fellow students, professors, and lecturers with respect
• Arriving on time, prepared for class
• Attending for the duration of class; not reading other materials, books, newspapers
• Racist, homophobic, sexist, and other disrespectful comments will not be tolerated.
Grievance
A student or group of students of the College of Education may appeal decisions or actions pertaining to admissions, programs, evaluation of performance and program retention and completion. Students who decide to file a grievance should follow the student grievance procedure, or alternative ways to file a grievanceoutlined in the Student Grievance Policy ( or enter search: student grievance.
Inclement Weather
In the event the university operates on a curtailed schedule or closes, UO media relations will notify the Eugene-Springfield area radio and television stations as quickly as possible. In addition, a notice regarding the university’s schedule will be posted on the UO main home page (in the “News” section) at If an individual class must be canceled due to inclement weather, illness, or other reason, a notice will be posted on Blackboard or via email. During periods of inclement weather, please check Blackboard and your email rather than contact department personnel. Due to unsafe travel conditions, departmental staff may be limited and unable to handle the volume of calls from you and others.