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Research Seminar in Education
Syllabus EDU/ECE /SPE 496
Spring 2007
Monday 6:00 – 8:40 P.M.
Class Materials:
Text
Creswell, John, (2002) Research Design, Second Edition, Qualitative,
Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage
Shields, Bruce, (2003). Writing
Papers APA-Style: Ten Commandments That I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before
I Graduated From College. Thomson.
A variety of scholarly journals, books, and other materials found in
libraries will be used to complete in-depth reviews of literatures and to
explore types and varieties of topics used in educational research.
Course Objectives:
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To evaluate educational research and analyze procedures, logic
and strategies implemented by researchers.
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To
complete a research study.
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To complete research papers demonstrating effective
research designs.
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To present papers to faculty
members and the public in a senior symposium
Prerequisites:
Senior Status and
Completion of EDU 427
S
tudent Learning Objectives: Upon
completion of the Research Seminar, students will:
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demonstrate responsibility,
accountability, and creativity;
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have
initiated life-long learning and practiced risk-taking;
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have successfully demonstrated the
competencies of research skills, speech skills, time-management
skills, independent-learning skills, and organizational skills;
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have established working relationships
with the community.
Student Outcomes
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Given class discussions and study guides, students will: |
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Outcome |
Measure |
Department
Outcomes |
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Demonstrate critical thinking in
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evaluating educational
research
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recognizing research procedures
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following research logic
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exploring research strategies
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recognizing sociopolitical
contexts
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Completion of study guide sheets
Written Paper |
1.3
1.4
1.7
3.33
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Identify specific features, purposes and procedures
implemented in educational research
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experimental
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descriptive
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historical
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evaluative
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Study guide |
1.4 |
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Given a senior research proposal student will: |
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Create a design that will
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Written paper |
3.32 |
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Given a senior research paper |
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Written paper |
3.31-3.33
4.3
1.5-1.7
1.8-1.9-4.4 |
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Given senior research project, student will participate in a
public symposium in a highly professional manner : |
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Senior Symposium |
5.3 |
Professionalism: all work will be expected to demonstrate strong
written and/or oral communication, effective problem solving, critical
thinking, moral reasoning, spiritual awareness and growth, and leadership.
Please do your
assignments carefully and on time. If you are having difficulty meeting
assignment time lines, please contact the instructor prior to the due
date. Papers submitted late will not receive a grade higher than "C,"
although a note is made of the quality. Papers receiving less than a
passing grade may be rewritten and resubmitted so that the assignment is
satisfactorily completed. This is your capstone project – there is no
allowance for poorly written and/or carelessly proofread papers.
Requirements:
This class is conducted as a seminar which means: "a group of advanced
students studying under a professor with each doing original research and
all exchanging results through reports and discussions." (Merriam Webster) This entails student and instructor
interaction and discussion regarding both content topics and issues
related to student research. The purpose of the research project is to
provide you an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and skills and to
present the results to a symposium in a genuine, meaningful and practical
learning experience.
Research Project. All students (alone or in groups) will design
and carry out a research project of limited scope. The project will
include:
- Development or refinement of a research question
- Previously written (in EDU 427 or ECE 343) review of literature
relevant to topic
- Formulation of a hypothesis/question or hypotheses/questions to be
tested in your research project
- Design of an appropriate methodology for collecting and analyzing
data from second language learners
- Data collection and analysis
- Written report on your project about 30 pages in length
- Presentation of study and results on Scholar's Day
Tutorials: Each week you will undertake a task,
project, or quiz related to the
development of your research project that mirrors the chapters of
the textbook.
Discussion: Each week a pair of students will lead a discussion
on a research study found in their review of literature.
Attendance:
This course will consist mainly of discussions and attendance is
necessary for learning and meeting the objectives. Missing a class is
equivalent to missing a week of classes and can jeopardize your grade.
Each tardy or leaving early for any reason will lower your grade by 1%.
Each absence for any reason will lower your grade by 2%. Exceptions may be
made at the discretion of the instructor.
Senior Paper and Presentation: Each pair/group of students will conduct
a research study, write a paper and present their work at
a senior symposium on April 25th.
Learning Activities/Assignments
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Project development assignments |
10 |
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Lead Research Article/Chapter Discussion |
20 |
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Participation, attendance, quick writes |
10 |
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Senior Paper & Presentation |
60 |
Grading:
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93 - 100 |
A |
60 – 69 |
D |
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84 - 92 |
B |
>60 |
F |
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70 – 83 |
C |
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Important Information
Details about all assignments and activities will be posted on the web
site as the information is needed. Access the web site frequently
for updated information and announcements.
| Laptop
Use Laptop use in
classrooms creates new and exciting possibilities for
teachers and students when used appropriately. Please
use your laptop ethically and for educational purposes
and activities permitted by the instructor.
Unacceptable uses include: instant messaging, e-mailing,
unassigned Internet browsing, game-playing and
completing homework for other classes. Violations of
this request will result in withdrawal of permission to
use the laptop in this class and may affect your grade
in the course.
Special Accommodations
If you have a certifiable learning or physical
disability and require special accommodations, please
call and make an appointment with the disabilities
coordinator in the Achievement Center ADA office at
399-2366. Considerable lead-time is required for
accommodations, so it is important that your request is
received in the Achievement Center ADA office as early
in the semester as possible. Please note: your
request will be handled confidentially.
Policy for Academic Honesty
Plagiarism, defined as the use of another’s words and
ideas as one’s own, does not benefit students. It
creates dependencies that are non-productive. References
must be cited and quotation marks used in direct quotes.
Crediting authors with ideas in paraphrasing and
rearranging is effective writing. Academic dishonesty
includes cheating on exams or quizzes, representing
someone else’s work as your own work or working jointly
on a project that is expected to represent only one
student’s original and individual work.
Evidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty in all
institutions carries serious consequences, such as loss
of grade and standing. These are serious offenses and
will not be tolerated. If a student is guilty of
academic dishonesty, it is noted in the student
information data base and becomes a part of her academic
record and is available to advisors and faculty. The
complete Academic Honesty Policy is available on the
Teacher Education website and in the Teacher Education
Handbook.
Declaration of Open Discourse
In the spirit of intellectual inquiry, College of
Saint Mary is committed to the exchange of diverse
ideas and viewpoints. In this environment, honest
discourse is valued; demeaning remarks are not
tolerated. Each member of the campus community is
encouraged to:
- Recognize the basis of her or his own
assumptions and perspectives,
- Acknowledge the assumptions and
perspectives of others,
- Promote understanding and respectful
dissent.
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Tentative Schedule |
