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CLASS SCHEDULE:

Course Description:

Instructional Materials and Supplies:

While learners can purchase texts anywhere, we highly encourage all learners to purchase their textbooks through our Southwestern College Professional Studies Bookstore, MBS, which can be accessed when you register for classes or at http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/sckans.htm

Southwestern College Professional Studies 2014-2015

INSTRUCTOR NAME: Dr. Sarah Taylor Agate EMAIL: [email protected]: Rochester, NY PHONE: (585) 435-6085E-OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Thursday, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (CT)

This course will introduce students to action research, a form of self-reflective systematic inquiry by practitioners on their own practice. The primary objective of the course is to prepare students to do action research in schools. There are three other goals: 1) the development of professional community; 2) the illumination of power relationships; and 3) students’ recognition of their own expertise. Credit 3 hours.

May 11, 2015 – August 16, 2015

Action Research MethodologyEDUC 512

Summer 2015

Textbook: Hendricks, C. (2013). Improving schools through action research: A reflective practice approach (3rd

ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Computer/Internet Access/Voice Communication:In addition to the Blackboard assignments, students will be expected to participate in four synchronous (everyone there at the same time) online meeting session via Blackboard’s Collaborate conferencing system. These sessions will last between one and two hours, and students will be expected to attend and participate. Times for each session will be scheduled and noted in the announcements. Students are responsible for assuring that they have internet access and are able to log onto the Collaborate website. To communicate by voice students will need a computer microphone. Many computers have built-in microphones; if yours does not, the next best scenario is the use of a USB headset or a microphone and a set of earphones.

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http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/sckans.htm

SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT: Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas is a learning community dedicated to intellectual growth and career preparation, individual development and Christian values, lifetime learning and responsible citizenship, and leadership through service in a world without boundaries.

RELATIONSHIP TO COLLEGE VISION/MISSION:

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES:

Critical Thinking - The ability to analyze information to arrive at a reasoned judgment of what to do or believe

Ethical Reasoning - The conscious practice and accepted standards of fairness and integrity in all endeavors

Leadership - The ability to create and communicate a vision that inspires others to act or achieve a desired goal

Communication - The ability to communicate effectively using reading, writing, listening, behavior, media, quantitative data, and technology

Career Preparation - The cultivation of knowledge, attitude, creative skills, to excel in life's chosen work

ATTENDANCE POLICY: For on ground courses, learners are expected to attend all classes for the full length of the class period. One or more absences per course may result in a lower grade. Learners are responsible for missed material and for arranging make-up work. More than two absences per class in one six week period is considered unacceptable and may result in a lower grade for the course. Tardies may be counted as absences at the discretion of the instructor. For online learners, regular, systematic weekly participation is required according to the tenets established on the course syllabus. More than two weeks of nonparticipation in one six-week period may result in a lower grade for the course. Learners who fail to demonstrate participation in an online course by the end of the third week of class and who cannot be reached by phone or e-mail may be administratively withdrawn unless other arrangements have been made with the instructor.

INCOMPLETES: A learner may request a temporary grade of incomplete when the work of the learner has been generally satisfactory but for reasons beyond the learner’s control it has not been possible to complete certain assignments made by the instructor. A minimum of 50 percent of the course work must be completed before an incomplete can be granted. If the instructor agrees to the learner’s request, the learner and instructor must jointly complete a form describing the work remaining in the course and a plan for its completion. The form will then be submitted to the Chief Academic Officer. If the incomplete is acceptable the form will be filed with the Registrar. If an incomplete is given, the learner will work with the instructor to set a reasonable deadline. A deadline of no more than 30 days is strongly suggested. Under extreme conditions, learners may request a maximum of 90 days after the end of the course to complete the course work. A grade of F will automatically be entered as a final grade if the remaining work is not completed by the deadline. Incompletes must be requested by the learner prior to the end of class, and are awarded at the discretion of the instructor. To qualify for an incomplete, the learner must have made satisfactory progress in the class, and have encountered extraordinary circumstances


This course relates to the college mission by advancing the successful student’s knowledge and skills in the development of action research to improve education practices and K-12 student learning.

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preventing the completion the class by the scheduled end date. Extension of the deadline may be allowed by special permission of the Chief Academic Officer in cases of illness or other conditions beyond the learner’s control. Requests for extensions of deadlines must be initiated by the learner and endorsed by the instructor involved in order to be considered. During the period in which a learner holds an incomplete, the grade point average will be calculated without counting the incomplete. A learner who has received a grade of Incomplete in a course cannot submit a withdrawal request for the course. An instructor may not give an incomplete unless the learner has requested it. If the form is not submitted to the Professional Studies Academic Affairs office by the end of the grading period for that term, a grade of F will be recorded.

OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASSES: Withdrawal requests must be made in writing or by submitting the online form found at:http://w3.sckans.edu/ps/withdraw/

Official Withdrawal from CoursesA learner may withdraw from a course at any time before the start of the last week of class in a regular six week session and receive a grade of WD which does not influence the grade point average. For courses lasting longer than six weeks, the last date to withdrawal is two weeks before the end of the course. A charge will result for any course withdrawal after the end of the first week of class. Military learners who wish to inquire about the impact of mobilization, activation, and temporary duty assignments on academic standing and financial responsibilities associated with adding, dropping and withdrawing from a course, should speak with their academic success coach or a staff member in the billing office at (888) 684-5335.

ONLINE WRITING CENTERView this brief video tutorial that explains how to enroll.

SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE DEETS LIBRARY INFORMATION:To use the library's databases from off-campus, you will need to go to the library's website at http://www.sckans.edu/library/libraryinfo_offcampus.html or surf from the college's home page

Since you have to log into the proxy server in order to use many of the library's databases and other electronic resources, you will need to know your SC ID number. If you want to use a resource that is in the public domain (that doesn't require proxy server authentication) such as the American Religion Data Archive or the Internet Guide to Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing, you do not need to log in to the proxy server. For assistance with any questions or problems about accessing electronic resources, please contact:

Southwestern College Deets Library Library phone: 1-866-734-1275Email: [email protected]

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum system operating requirements are available at http://www.southwesterncollege.org/content/upload/files/system-requirements.pdf.

Academic Integrity

Southwestern College assumes the academic integrity of its learners.


http://www.southwesterncollege.org/content/upload/files/system-requirements.pdf

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.sckans.edu/library/libraryinfo_offcampus.html

http://www.screencast.com/t/LO3BmJxcV

http://w3.sckans.edu/ps/withdraw/

Academic dishonesty is any act of cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and abuse of resources, forgery of academic documents, dissimulation, or sabotage, and any act of aiding and abetting academic dishonesty. In cases where academic integrity is in question, the following definitions and policies will apply:

1. Cheating is using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise. Examples: copying homework, copying someone else’s test, using an unauthorized “cheat sheet,” etc.

2. Fabrication is the falsification or invention of any information or citation in any academic exercise. Examples: making up a source, giving an incorrect citation, misquoting a source, etc.

3. Plagiarism is the representation of the words and ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise. Plagiarism includes failing to give a citation for using work from another person or source. Modifications to phrasings do not reduce the requirement for giving a citation. This also applies to information obtained electronically, such as from the Internet.

4. Dissimulation is the disguising or altering of one’s own actions as to deceive another about the real nature of one’s actions concerning an academic exercise. Examples: fabricating excuses for such things as missing classes, postponing tests, handing in late papers; turning in a paper for one class that was originally written for another class, etc.

5. Abuse of resources is the damaging of any resource material or inappropriately limiting access to resource material which is necessary for academic work. Examples: hiding library materials; removing non-circulating material from the library; hiding or stealing another person’s textbook, notes or software; failure to return library materials when requested by the library, etc.

6. Forgery of academic documents is the unauthorized changing or construction of any academic document. Examples: changing transcripts, changing grade books, changing grades on papers which have been returned, forging signatures, etc. Examples also include completion of an application for any Southwestern College academic program which omits or falsifies any requested information. Such violations can result in the revocation of the application, even if approval was previously granted on the basis of fabricated information.

7. Sabotage is the damaging or impeding of the academic work of another learner. Examples: ruining another learner’s lab work, failure to participate in group assignments, destroying another learner’s term paper, etc. .

8. Aiding and abetting academic dishonesty is knowingly facilitating any act defined in points 1-7.

Policies for Dealing with Violations of Academic Integrity:

Course:1. The instructor shall determine if the infraction is intentional or unintentional. 2. The instructor may issue a reprimand (written or oral) for intentional or unintentional violations,

and/or assign a reduced score or zero for the assignment (paper, exam or project). Institutional procedures will also apply if a zero is recorded due to an intentional violation of the academic integrity policy.

3. The most severe violations of academic integrity may result in the learner receiving a failing grade in the course. In such circumstances the instructor will consult with the Chief Academic Officer prior to assigning the failing grade. Institutional procedures will also apply if a learner receives a failing grade due to a violation of the academic integrity policy.

4. The learner may appeal the instructor’s decision to the Chief Academic Officer.

Institutional: 1. When a zero is recorded for an assignment because of intentional academic dishonesty the

occurrence will be a reported, in writing, to Chief Academic Officer.


2. The violation will be documented by the appropriate college staff members. 3. Validated attempts of academic dishonesty will become a permanent part of the learner’s academic

record. 4. The Chief Academic Officer will review the documentation and may issue a written warning

(Probable first violation) or suspend (subsequent violations) the learner from Southwestern College.

5. The learner may appeal the Chief Officer’s decision to the Academic Governance Committee Appeals must be submitted in writing within 30 days of notification by the Chief Academic Officer. Decisions of the Academic Governance Committee are final.

APA CitationSouthwestern College Professional Studies, utilizes the guidelines prescribed by the American Psychological Association (APA), sixth edition (2009) for formatting manuscripts and documenting various kinds of sources when submitting written work. APA resources are provided in the Online Writing Center.

SafeAssign®

This instructor may use SafeAssign®, which is a system that allows for checking the originality of writing and proper APA citing. Your assignments may be run through this software.

EVALUATION:

100% = A+ 77% - 79% = C+ 94% - 99% = A 74% - 76% = C 90% - 93% = A- 70% - 73% = C- 87% - 89% = B+ 67% - 69% = D+ 84% - 86% = B 64% - 66% = D 80% - 83% = B- 60% - 63% = D-Note: A final grade of WF (Withdraw/Fail) will be recorded for learners who either never access/attend or submit any assignments for courses.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES:


Upon Completion of this Program of Study, the learner should be more proficient in the following areas:

Critical Thinking - The ability to analyze information to arrive at a reasoned judgment of what to do or believe

Ethical Reasoning - The conscious practice and accepted standards of fairness and integrity in all endeavors

Leadership - The ability to create and communicate a vision that inspires others to act or achieve a desired goal

Communication - The ability to communicate effectively using reading, writing, listening, behavior, media, quantitative data, and technology

Career Preparation - The cultivation of knowledge, attitude, creative skills, to excel in life's chosen work

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COURSE OUTCOMES:

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGIES:

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Instructional Methods for EDUC 512 Action Research:You will learn action research from theory to practice. You will be involved in an active learning environment where online discussion is essential for peer interaction. You must master all the concepts and knowledge about action research in order to apply the process of action research into a real-world educational setting with high credibility.

Course Requirements:Your learning performance will be evaluated based on your eight projects and professionalism, including instructor-facilitated discussions through Blackboard, Collaborate Online Sessions, and project sharing.

Point Value:

Projects and Project Guidelines:Projects:You will do eight projects within 12 weeks. Projects A and B familiarize you with different research methodologies, especially action research. Projects C through H guide you through all the steps for an action research study in an educational setting. All the projects are individual projects; however, you are encouraged to discuss with your


Upon completing this course, the student will be able to: Describe the systematic process of conducting an action research study in an

educational setting. Complete an action research plan including all steps involved in an action research

study. Create all documents needed for an action research study. Prepare a written report for action research studies. Discuss various issues (including, but not limited to leadership, ethics, and

communication) in educational action research studies.

Note: At the end of the course, students may vary in their ability to achieve these outcomes. You are more likely to achieve these outcomes only if you attend class and/or online activities as required by the syllabus, complete the requirements for all assignments to the best of your ability, participate actively in class activities and group work as directed, and study diligently for exams.

The content knowledge, materials, and instructional methods associated with this course are aligned with the goals of the Center for Teaching Excellence Conceptual Framework:

Goals of the Beginning and Advanced Teacher Education Program:The quality educator will possess wisdom of practice,

have the ability to facilitate student learning,have the ability to interact effectively, and have the ability to reflect.

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instructor and peers about the projects whenever you need help. You are also required to share your project with your peers, so at the end of the summer session, you are required to prepare a PowerPoint presentation summarizing your action research study plan (Projects C through G) and present your project at an Online meeting session (through Collaborate). You are encouraged to provide comments on your peers’ presentations, the purpose of which is to enhance peer interaction and evaluation. Please note that NO LATE PROJECT IS APPECTABLE AND NO REVISION IS PROVIDED unless otherwise announced.

Project Guidelines:Projects A and B lay a sound foundation for the following projects C-H. Read the articles attentively and think thoroughly to fully understand the concept and process of the action research. Projects C through H require carefully planning and writing. Please use correct terms in writing to avoid possible confusion. These projects are logically sequenced and closely related. It is impossible for you to start a project without having completed the prior project. Therefore, you have to complete and turn in each project by the due date in order to avoid troubles for the following projects. It is your own responsibility to track your projects, and it is strongly recommended for you to follow the timeline. As previously stated, NO LATE PROJECTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Therefore, it is your responsibility and to your own benefit to turn in a high-quality project by the project due date. Proof read your projects before you turn them in. Your projects will be evaluated as an F if they contain excessive errors in spelling, punctuation, syntax, and grammar. The guideline is provided in the activity section of each chapter of the textbook.Make sure you read the textbook carefully to avoid unnecessary point deduction from your projects. In the final week, summarize your projects and make a PowerPoint presentation to share your work with the class. Upload your PPT file as an attachment. You are encouraged to visit your peers’ presentations and provide your positive comments, from which you learn from one another. The eight projects are:

A. Comparison of Article on Cooperative Learning…………………….……………………B. Reading Action Research Studies ………………………………………………………...C. Reflecting to Identify a Research Focus…………………………………………………..D. Reviewing the Literature…………………………………………………………………..E. Articulating Research Questions and Planning the Intervention …………………………F. Choosing Data Collection Strategies ……………………………………………………..G. Creating a Plan for Increasing Validity, Gaining Informed Consent, and Creating a

Timeline …………………………………………………………………………………..H. Submitting a final research proposal in APA-format (Planning the study and writing the

report) ……………………………………………………………………………………..

H-1. Creation of PowerPoint and online presentation of Project H

A: 20B: 20C: 20D: 25E: 25F: 25G: 25H: 40H-1: 10

Discussion Board Assignments:Discussion board assignments in Blackboard require you to start a discussion thread on the posted topic and respond to at least two other students’ discussion threads. Four (4) points are for each thread that you start and two (2) points for each response. Your discussion will be evaluated based on both quality of the information posted and quantity of posting relative to the expectations. Extraneous remarks such as “I agree,”


“Good thinking,” “I thought of the same ideas,” etc., do not add to the discussion for credit bearing purposes. Therefore, you have to be sure what you post on the discussion board makes sense and is based on the knowledge that you have learned from the readings. Again, you get no points for your discussion if you post something like, “Yes, I totally agree with your wonderful ideas.” In this case, you need to discuss why you totally agree, why you think the ideas are wonderful, etc. NO LATE DISCUSSION POSTING IS ACCEPTABLE. Discussion Board Assignments: (Continued)The point system for the Discussion Board (DB) Forum Online discussion by week is as follows:Week 1: Discussion Board (DB) Introduction: Online introduction (initiate 1 thread (6 points); respond to 2 (2 points each) [to be completed before 5/24]

Weeks 2-11: Discussion Board (DB) Forums 1-9: Online discussion (initiate 1 thread (4 points); respond to 2 (2 points each)

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8 /week

Four Blackboard Online Sessions (Optional) 0

Total Points Possible 290

WEEK-BY-WEEK GUIDE AND DUE DATES

Course Schedule:Please note in the following schedule: 1) The assignment always starts on the week starting date (Monday) and the project due is always on the week ending date (Sunday evening, in case you need more time to complete your projects during weekends) except the final project, which is on a Thursday or unless otherwise specified.2) The project assignment box and the discussion forum are closed at 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on the due date.3) Please start your online discussion on Day One of each week so your peers will have sufficient time to respond to your posting (responses to postings Thursday-Sunday). Any discussion that is posted after Thursday will not be considered as a new thread. 4) Typically, there are two chapters for each week’s reading, of which the second chapter is for the following week’s activities.5) The four online meeting sessions (Collaborate) dates and times will be posted in the announcements with the appropriate weblinks for you to connect.

Week Class Activities and Assignment Readings

Week 15/11-5/17

Get Hendricks (2013) text Introduce yourself on the Discussion Board; respond to at least two classmates’ posts

Week 25/18-5/24

Read the Syllabus Read Hendricks (2013) Chapter One: Research Methods in Education Locate and read the two cooperative learning articles as noted on page 7 in book Activity 1.1 Comparison of Articles on Cooperative Learning

Hendricks (2013) Chapter One: Research Methods in EducationTwo cooperative learning articles as noted on page 7 in the


(refer to page 7 for guidelines) Discussion Board (DB) Forum 1: Initiate one thread and respond to two others. Begin Project A: Comparison of Articles on Cooperative Learning~ Read the two articles noted on page 7 and answer the six questions listed on page 7: Activity 1.1 Keep in mind what was discussed in Blackboard.

book.

Week 35/25-5/31

Review Chapter One Discussion Board (DB) Forum 2 Begin Project B: Reading Action Research Studies~ Locate and read three action research studies and answer the four questions listed on pages 16-17: Activity 1.2 (refer to pages 16-17 for guidelines) Online Meeting Session 1: Wed. 5/27, 7:00 p.m. (CT) Blackboard’s Collaborate: Research-based Practice/Online Database Library Searches Due May 31: Project A (Comparison of Cooperative Learning Articles)

Hendricks (2013) Chapter One: Research Methods in EducationRead three action research studies of your own choice or review the list from your book on pages 18-25.

Week 46/1-6/7

Read Chapter Two Discussion Board (DB) Forum 3 Begin Project C: Reflecting to Identify a Research Focus~ Generate two research ideas through reflecting on the problem that you have identified and write a reflective journal on the two research ideas that you have identified (refer to pages 39-40: Activity 2.2 for project guidelines—steps 1, 2, and 3). Due June 7: Project B (Choose your own three action research articles, read and answer the 4 questions over each article on pages 16-17).

Chapter Two: Generating Research Ideas through ReflectionChapter Three: Connecting Theory and Action: Review the Literature

Week 56/8-6/14

Read Chapter Three Discussion Board (DB) Forum 4 Begin Project D: Reviewing the Literature~ Generate a list of topics that emerged from the literature, construct an outline, and write a draft literature review on the research focus that you have identified (refer to page 62: Activity 3.1 for project guidelines). Submit in APA style formatting. Online Meeting Session 2: Wed. 6/10, 7:00 p.m. (CT), Discuss Literature review, grading rubric and research questions Due June 14: Project C (Reflection/Research Focus)

Chapter Three: Connecting Theory and Action: Review the LiteratureChapter Four: Initial Planning of the Action Research Study


Week 66/15-6/21

Read Chapter Four Discussion Board (DB) Forum 5

Chapter Four: Initial Planning of the Action Research StudyChapter Five: Strategies for Data Collection

Week 77/6-7/12

Due July 12: Project D—the Literature Review Begin Project E: Articulating Research Questions and Planning the Intervention~Write a paragraph on the purpose of your study followed by the primary and secondary research questions that are the focus of your investigation (refer to page 74: Activity 4.1 for project guidelines), AND~ Describe the participants in your study and your intervention in detail (refer to page 82: Activity 4.2 for project guidelines—steps 1, 2, and 3), and, if you are collaborating, describe who will be collaborating and their role.

Week 87/13-7/19

Read Chapter Five Discussion Board Forum 6 Begin Project F: Choosing Data Collection Strategies~ Write a data collection plan for your study, including the survey and any supporting documents, etc. (refer to page 121: Activity 5.1 for project guidelines—steps 1, 2, 3, and 4). Due July 19: Project E—Research Questions, Purpose, Participants, Context of the Study, and Planning and Intervention

Chapter Five: Strategies for Data CollectionChapter Six: Final Planning before Implementation of the Study

Week 97/20-7/26

Read Chapter Six Discussion Board Forum 7 Begin Project G: Creating a Plan for Increasing Validity, Gaining Informed Consent, and Creating a Timeline (page 133).~ Write a Plan for Increasing Validity section (refer to page 131: Activity 6.1 for project guidelines), and~ Write an informed consent form (example on page 84) and prepare documents needed for a possible IRB review (pages 81-87).~ Discuss documents needed for an IRB’s approval (additional information in the Course Documents tab for SC)~ Create a timeline for the project (refer to page 135: Activity 6.2 for project guidelines)

Chapter Six: Final Planning before Implementation of the StudyChapter Seven: Strategies for Data Analysis

Week 107/27-8/2

Read Chapter Seven Discussion Board Forum 8 Due August 2: Project F—Data Collection Plan and supporting evidence

Chapter Seven: Strategies for Data AnalysisChapter Eight: Writing and Disseminating the Action Research Report


Week 118/3-8/9

Read Chapter Eight Discussion Board Forums 9 Collaborate Online Meeting Session 3: Wed. 8/5, 7:00 p.m. (CT), Data analysis and presentation of data/Putting the Paper All Together! Work on Project H: Finalizing the Research Proposal (You will not be conducting this study in this course---it remains a proposal) and Writing the Report (use checklist on pages 178-179) Due August 9: Project G

Chapter Eight: Writing and Disseminating the Action Research Report

Week 128/10-8/16

Collaborate Online Meeting Session 4: Wed. 8/12, 7:00 p.m. (CT), Showcase PowerPoint Presentation of Research Proposal

Due NO later than Wednesday, August 12 at 6:00 p.m.: Project H Research Proposal

SENIOR CAPSTONE AND GRADUATE PROJECTS:The majority of the programs offered by Southwestern College Professional Studies conclude with a Senior Capstone or Graduate Project. During the Capstone or Project course students will be required to retrieve papers, assignments and projects that they created during their entire program of study. For this reason it is imperative that students design a method of storing program course work for use during their final class at Southwestern College Professional Studies.

TEACHER EDUCATION CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: The content knowledge, materials, and instructional methods associated with this course are aligned with the goals of the Center for Teaching Excellence Conceptual Framework:

Goals of the Beginning and Advanced Teacher Education Program:The quality educator will possess wisdom of practice,

have the ability to facilitate student learning,have the ability to interact effectively,

and have the ability to reflect.
