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TEL 792 Research (3 credit hours)
Directed Field Study Syllabus and Guidelines
May 21, 2012 to July 13, 2012
Instructor:Office Hours:
Telephone:
Email:
Class Times/Place: / Dr. Debby Zambo
By appointment
602-543-6334
Varied with mentor (40 hours) and weekly online deadlines
Course Description
In this course you will design and implement a learning experience (Frame of Study) to enhance your knowledge of leadership, innovation, research, and/or your dissertation topic. You will be required to read scholarly books, write a book reviews, and engage in a Directed Field Study. You will have assignments both in the field and online. The culminating assignment for this course is an integrative and introspective essay.
Course Objectives
This course has three objectives. It will provide an opportunity for you to:
1) Work with and learn from a leader outside your normal sphere.
2) Develop your capacity to learn independently – to study, reflect, assess, and cultivate yourself as a leader, innovator, and agent of change.
3) Broaden and enrich your knowledge through reading and writing.
Course Timeline at a Glance
May 21 / Mentor selected – work with them may beginMay 28 / Books selected
Frame of study uploaded
June 4 / Readings for Discussion Board #1
June 11 / Discussion Board Posting #1 Due
June 18 / Book Review #1 due
June 25 / Readings for Discussion Board #2
July 2 / Discussion Board Posting #2 Due
July 9 / Book Review #2 due
July 13 / Final paper due
PREPARATION: Do these things prior toMay 21 - the beginning of the course.
1. Read the Article: This course requires you to be self-directed. Itdemands an out-of-the box and new way of thinking about teaching and learning. To understand the philosophy behind the course read the article by John Seely Brown, Allan Collins, and Paul Duguidtitle Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning. The article is at the end of this syllabus (and up loaded in Blackboard). Pay close attention to the notion of cognitive apprenticeships.
2. Select a Field Mentor: Choose someone who can work with you during the time specified for the course 40 hours from 5/21 to 7/10 (the last day of class is 7/13 and your final paper is due that day). Times and dates for this work are flexible - they are set by you and your mentor. However, you will have Discussion Board postings that require fieldwork be spread over the session. Do not plan on doing your 40 hours in one week.
Your mentor may be from any profession (e.g., a religious leader, a leader of a charitable organization, a corporate leader, a leader in health care, a leader in law or government, an entrepreneur, or an educational leader/innovator). You may not choose a colleague, someone whose work you already know well, or someone who is your direct or indirect supervisor. Your Directed Field Study should broaden your perspective and provide time and space for you to learn from someone new, different, and interesting. This is a rare opportunity to move outside your comfort zone and widen your professional lens. Choose someone who is willing to spend time with you.Choose someone you will feel comfortable talking with and someone who will feel comfortable talking with you.
If you do not have a Mentor (and have exhausted all possibilities) by May 15th contact your instructor and she will supply names for you to contact.
3. Choose Two Scholarly Books to Readand Write About:For this course you will be required to readandwrite an academic review oftwo scholarly books. The books you choose cannot be required for another course or have been already used in a course. The books you selectmay focus on leadership, innovation, change, research, or your dissertation topic. The choice of books is up to you. Your Mentor may offer suggestions of books that have been helpful to him or her. You can also consult scholarly book reviews such as Education Review (edrev.asu.edu), Teachers College Press ( Teachers College Record (tcrecord.org), or Harvard University Press for choices. Books must be scholarly.
RESPONSIBILITIES: You will need to do to pass this course.
NOTE: This is an online course. All information and readings will be uploaded in Blackboard and all assignments must be submitted electronically to Blackboard.Because you will not meet face-to-face your instructor will communicate electronically. While the course is in session be sure to check your email consistently and regularly.
1. DEVELOP A FRAME OF STUDY: (10% of your grade) – After you have recruited a Mentor develop a Frame of Study, or roadmap for your Directed Field Study (a 3-4+ double-spaced page paper). Keep in mind the philosophy of the course. You should be in a cognitive apprenticeship and learning in situ. To benefit you need to have a road map. Your Frame of Study should focus on broadening your perspectives, advancing your leadership capabilities, preparing you to conduct action research, preparing you to implement an innovation and/or become a an agent of change. It is a good idea to develop your Frame of Study with your Mentor.
Type up your Frame and in it:
- Explain your Mentor, her/his role/leadership, and context. Also provide your Mentor’s contact information (email and phone number).
- Explain why you chose this individual to be your Mentor.
- Pose 3-5 questions you hope to answer as you work with her/him.
- Explain how you plan to answer your questions (data, readings, field-work). Include a timeline (5/21 to 7/13).
- Explain how your Frame of Study will advance your leadership capabilities, help you become a better researcher and/or leader/innovator, and how your work fits into your learning and professional goals.
Graphic organizers and other ideas are welcome as long as the points above are clearly explained.
Submit your Frame of Study in Blackboard > Assignments>Frame of Study by midnight May 28th.
A late submission will result in points not earned (specifics are below under Late and Missing Assignments).
2. READ 2 SCHOLARLY BOOKSAND WRITE 2 ACADEMIC BOOK REVIEWS: (20% of your grade)Academicbook reviews help others understand what a good book is about. Reviews should be approximately 2 double-spaced pages. The guide titled Writing the Academic Book Review at the end of this syllabus should be used as a guide. Sample reviews can be found at:
Book Review #1 is due June 18th
Book Review #2 is due July 19th
Upload your book reviews into Blackboard>Assignments>Book Reviews. Late reviews will result in points not earned (specifics are below under Late and Missing Assignments).
3. DISCUSSION BOARD READINGS AND POSTINGS- (20% of your grade)Discussion Board postings are due by midnight on the dates posted. Late postings will result in points not earned (specifics are below under Late and Missing Assignments). Posts are intended to be original, thoughtful, succinct, and well written. They do not need to contain literature. Postings should show reflection and synthesis of ideas. They should tell a mini-version of your experiencewith your Mentor week to week.
June 4th Read: Wicked Problems and Chapter 3 on the continuum of positionality inThe Action Research Dissertation.
June 11th Posting #1 due: When you answer these questions consider theJune 4th readings, the books you are reading, and the theories you are learning in TEL/EDA 704.
What mission/vision is/has your Mentor promoted?
How did he/she plan for this innovation/change?
What resources are/were provided?
How is progress checked? What if any data is being used?
Explain the challenges (resistance/push-back) your Mentor is facing. Are they Wicked Problems?
Explain what your mentor is doing in response to his/her challenges.
Explain the resistance/push-back your Mentor is encountering (if any) and how he/she is dealing with this resistance.
What challenges will your action research address? Are you facing Wicked Problems?
Chapter 3 of TheAction Research Dissertation is about positionality. How mightconsideration of these ideas help you avoid resistance to your innovation?
June 25th Read and Evaluate Your Leadership Style:Read Hall and Hord’sChapter 6 Describing Leaders and the Differences they Make. Use the rubric in the Appendix to evaluate your Leadership Style.
July 2 Posting #2 due:When you answer these questions consider readings June 25th readings, the books you are reading, and the theories you are learning in TEL/EDA 704.
Explain your Mentor’s leadership style. How does a leader’sstyle affect and influence those around her or him (including you)?
Explain if and how your mentor listensto and learns from others. How are multiple perspectives viewed?
Is change in your Mentor’s setting a team or solo effort?
Based on the Hall and Hoard Rubric explain how your leadership style is similar or different from your mentor’s style.
How will your style help or hinder you as a leader of change?
4. SUBMIT AFINAL PAPER: (60% of your grade)Submit a 10+ page paper that summarizes and integrates what you learned from the books you read, your Self-Study Journal, the discussion board postings, your work in the field with your Mentor, and the theories learned in TEL/EDA 704.
In this paper explain:
1. If and how you met the goals you set in your Frame of Study.
2. The new insights/knowledge/skills you gained from the articles, chapters, and books, discussion board, and field work with your Mentor. How has your work in this course broadened your perspective, advanced your leadership capabilities, and prepared you to lead change and innovations? This essay should integrate your experiences, knowledge, readings, and reflections.
This paper is due in Blackboard > Assignments>Final Paper by July 13.
Include bibliographic citations (in APA format) for any literature used.
Assessment
This is a pass/fail course. Earning a grade of Pass for this course will require submission of all assignments on time:
1. Submission of a Frame of Study (10% of your grade)
2. Discussion Board Postings (20%)
3. Academic Book Reviews (20%)
4. Final Paper (50%)
Late and Missing AssignmentsAll work is due by midnight on the date posted.
Assignments that are later after 3 days will not be accepted and will result in a 0 for that assignment.
Evaluation will focus on the completion of each element in the assignment, demonstration of knowledge/reflection, and the professional appearance of your work.
Incompletes
The University allows a grade of Incomplete when students are unable to complete a course due to circumstances beyond the student’s control. If you cannot meet course requirements by the dues dates, you should reconsider enrolling in this class at this time.
University and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (MLFTC)Policies
Academic Integrity/Plagiarism
The ASU Student Handbook contains the following information: “The highest standards of academic integrity are expected of all students. The failure of any student to meet these standards may result in suspension or expulsion from the university and/or other sanctions as specified in the academic integrity policies of the individual academic unit. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication, tampering, plagiarism, or facilitating such activities. The university and unit academic integrity policies are available from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University and from the deans of the individual academic units.” The rest of the code, which consists of several pages, is available at the following URL.
Disability Accommodations for Students
Students who feel they may need a disability accommodation(s) in class must provide documentation from the Disability Resource Center (DRC; UCB 130) to the class instructor verifying the need for an accommodation and the type of accommodation that is appropriate. Students who wish accommodations for a disability should contact DRC as early as possible (i.e. before the beginning of the semester) to assure appropriate accommodations can be provided. It is the student’s responsibility to make the first contact with the DRC.
Religious Accommodations for Students
Students who need to be absent from class due to the observance of a religious holiday or participate in required religious functions must notify the faculty member in writing as far in advance of the holiday/obligation as possible. Students will need to identify the specific holiday or obligatory function to the faculty member. Students will not be penalized for missing class due to religious obligations/holiday observance. The student should contact the class instructor to make arrangements for making up tests/assignments within a reasonable time.
Military Personnel Statement
A student who is a member of the National Guard, Reserve, or other U.S. Armed Forces branch and is unable to complete classes because of military activation may request complete or partial administrative unrestricted withdrawals or incompletes depending on the timing of the activation. For information, please see
Harassment Prohibited
ASU policy prohibits harassment on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, Vietnam era veteran status, and other protected veteran status. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employees or expulsion of students. Contact Student Life (UCB 221) if you feel another student is harassing you based on any of the factors above; contact EO/AA (480-965-5057) if you feel an ASU employee is harassing you based on any of the factors above.
Grade Appeals
The professional responsibility for assigning grades is vested in the instructor of the course, and requires the careful application of professional judgment. A student wishing to appeal a grade must first meet with the instructor who assigned the grade to try to resolve the dispute. The process for grade appeals is set forth in the undergraduate and graduate catalogs, which are available at
Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones should remain off during class time; no phone calls or text messaging will be permitted.
Lap Top Use Policy
Lap Tops are required and should be brought to class each session as they will be used for class activities, exercised, writers’ workshops, data analyses, and the like.
Electronic Communication
Acceptable use of university computers, internet and electronic communications can be found in the Student Code of Conduct ( and in the University’s Computer, Internet, and Electronic Communications Policy (
Technological Services and Support
The College of Teacher Education and Leadership encourages students to make use of technological services available through ASU to make their learning experience more efficient. Students with personal laptop computers or netbooks can connect wirelessly to the Internet and to printing services on all four campuses and some PDS sites. The following support services are available to support student computing needs.
Student Purchases
Discounted pricing for students purchasing laptop or desktop computers is available at through the ASU bookstore or online. ( The John Babb Scholarship provides $500 financial reimbursement for qualified students. (
ASU Campus Classroom Connectivity
In-class use of laptops is encouraged by MLFTC. In cases where students need to make presentations during class, most classrooms have the capability of allowing laptops to connect to classroom projectors. Mac laptops may require an adaptor. For collaborative work, social networking tools are provided to ASU students through a Google partnership, including Google docs, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and sites. (
Hardware and Software Support
ASU 1:1 Technology Studios provide support to students on all four campuses for hardware, software and operating systems, security, networking, etc. (
Virus scan software downloads are available free for students. (
MyApps provides free software tools, online applications, and information about discounted software for purchase. (
D. Zambo
Summer 2012 TEL 792