Faculty Contact Information:
Ken J. Kovach, EdD
PSC 37, Box 3414
APO AE 09459
+44 (0)1353 860 671 - ph/fax/ans
KJKovach@aol.com
English address:
31 Hempfield Road
Littleport
Cambs CB6 1 NW, UK | |
Consultation:
Term III Course Term Dates: 26 Jan -16 May 2004 --- Mid Break: 15-28 March 2004
Note: The WebTycho classroom number GPRM 999 will be used for this course in conjuction with PUAD502.
For course issues, communicate through the course forums (Conferences). For personal/private issues, communicate directly with the instructor. | |
Required Texts and Readings:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC: Author
Leedy, P.D. & Ormrod, J.E. (1985). Practical research: Planning & design (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Weiss, C. (1997). Evaluation (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall. --- Chapters 7, 10, 11 are required. Additional chapters may be assigned as supplementary reading by the classroom instructor.
Citing Electronic Resources: APA Style. Retrieved July 14, 2003 from http://www.umuc.edu/library/guides/apa.html
Online Guide to Writing and Research. Retrieved July 14, 2003 from
http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/ewp_writingcenter/writinggde/welcome.shtml
Procedures for Completing the Research Project Notification and Human Subjects Protection Form. Retrieved June 16, 2003 from http://www.ed.umuc.edu/staff/faculty/detech/pedagogy/proceduresform.html
University Of Maryland University College Policy Manual Policy 130.25: Conducting Research Involving Human Subjects. Retrieved June 16, 2003 from http://www.ed.umuc.edu/staff/faculty/detech/pedagogy/policy%20manual.html | |
Supplementary Readings:
|
Graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the Counseling WebBoard at http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/couns/. and the PA WebBoard at http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~pa.
The Qualitative Report, a peer-reviewed, on-line journal devoted to writing and discussion of and about qualitative, critical, action, and collaborative inquiry and research, is especially useful for this course. | |
Course Description:
| This course is designed to provide the graduate student with an understanding of the various kinds of behavioral research and to develop an understanding of various research designs appropriate to behavioral sciences. Use of basic statistical techniques appropriate to these designs is included. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: EDUC 506 or EDMS 645. | |
Course Goals:
| This course provides graduate students with the conceptual and practical tools to develop proposals for and conduct non-experimental research projects, policy analyses, and program evaluations, as well as to evaluate and incorporate the implications of published reports into their practice as counsenling professionals. Students are actively encouraged to use this class to develop the proposal for the professional paper required in GUCO/PSYC 561. | |
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate
an understanding of the scientific method by distinguishing between applied, basic, quantitative and qualitative research, and descriptive and inferential statistics.
- Demonstrate
an understanding of program evaluation as a research methodology.
- Analyze
professional situations for research/evaluation purposes.
- Generate
research problem statements.
- Develop
research proposals appropriate to problems statements in specific professional settings.
- Execute
literature reviews.
- Formulate
hypotheses.
- Develop
data collection and data analyses strategies.
- Establish
the internal and external validity and the reliability of measurements.
- Analyze, interpret, and apply
published research findings to professional settings.
- Present
research findings in written and graphic or oral formats.
- Define
ethical and legal constraints on research.
- Analyze
the application of information technology in research. | |
Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90 - 100 points
B 80 – 89 points
C 70 – 79 points
F Below 70 points
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC Europe Graduate Catalog at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs/grad_03-04.pdf. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society. In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to meet:
Class participation ------ 30 points
Writing assignment 1 ----- 10 points
Writing assignment 2 ----- 10 points
Writing assignment 3 –---- 10 points
Midterm exam ------------- 20 points
Final exam --------------- 20 points
Total ------------------- 100 points | |
Description of Course Requirements:
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional for every hour of a face-to-face class and approximately ten hours of preparation per week for a DE class. Conferences will be etsablished, some with specific deadlines. Responses will be required for each conference and to other students' inputs. Quality, timeliness, and compeletness will be reviewed.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level deliverables. Three specific writing assignments will be required. Details will be provided in advance of the due dates. The first will be a brief 1-2 page proposal of a research study during the second week. Begin now to think about a plan of action. Another writing assignment will involve the Introduction chapter, and the last will be an article analysis.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In a DE class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates. You will be required to develop a visual presentation (powerpoint is one method) of your research study proposal.
Midterm and Final examinations: The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam. Each will count for 20 points and will be sent to you directly and place din the Course content forum.
All Assignments must be placed in your Assignments folder. | |
Course Schedule:
This schedule presents 16 units or modules, with each unit corresponding to a regular three-hour weekday meeting, a half-day on weekends, or a full week of DE.
Initial meeting: 26 Jan -2 Feb 2004
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation to subject
Complete Conferences established and review all Course Content items.
Second meeting: 2 - 9 Feb
Topic/titles
Problem formulation
Research process
Plagiarism certificate
Read chapters 1, 2, & 5 of Leedy & Ormrod and review Weiss' chapters 1 & 2.
Complete all Conferences and review Course Content as described above. This is a continued class requirement for each weekly session.
Develop your topic/ title for a professional paper. Note: This activity may be changed for your Professional Paper requirement; however, it will be used to begin your research activity learning in this course.
Third meeting: Dates to be established for all future sessions, but weekly activities will be developed.
Topics:
Qualitative versus quantitative research approaches
Research question or research hypothesis
Null and alternate hypotheses
Accomplish Conference forum activities as described above and for all remaining sessions. Review course text for chapter information on the session topics and Conferences established.
Fourth meeting: Research designs
Read applicable chapter material from your course texts and review other useful sources for research designs.
Fifth meeting: Introduction chapter
Review of the Literature chapter
Review course material and other useful sources for information on these topics.
Sixth meeting: APA
Technical reporting
Seventh meeting: Open Review topics
Eighth meeting: Midterm exam 8-14 March 2004
The exam will be provided in Course Contents and sent directly to each student for placing in the Assignments folder.
Mid break 15 -28 March 2004
Ninth meeting: Validity
Reliability
Descriptive statistics
Tenth meeting: Descriptive statistics
Eleventh meeting: Inferential statistics
Data Collection
Twelfth meeting: Inferential statistics
Data collection
Thirteenth meeting: Data presentation
Data analysis & interpretation
Fourteenth meeting: Findings and Conclusions
Fifteenth meeting: Overview and Q & A
Sixteenth meeting:
Final exam 10-14 May 2004 | |
Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
Professor Ken J. Kovach has been teaching for various colleges and universities since 1981, and mainly instructs for the University of Maryland's graduate programs in Counseling, Public Administration, and Management Information Systems. His main subjects include statistics, business management, counseling, career development, education, and qualitative and quantitative research, among others. For Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Ken focuses on corporate and business aviation, aviation management, and air cargo. He has taught over 460 various courses in different formats, to include distance education, independent study, conference classes, and in-residence.
Ken gained extensive experience while spending 23 years in the U.S. Air Force performing duties in the European Airborne Command Post (EC-135), logistics, plans, transportation, administration, patient care, aerial delivery, air passenger & cargo movements, vehicle management and control, VIP transportation, and others. He served five years in the Air Force's hospital system as psychriatric specialist, then was commissioned through the Airmen's Education & Commissioning Program and appointed as Transportation officer. Ken negotiated civilian contracts, represented management in labor disputes, and accomplished various managerial duties in a variety of command levels. He earned over 30 Department of Defense and Air Force awards during his career, among them the Airman's Medal, Air Medal, and Air Force's Outstanding Transportation Officer.
He conducts major research efforts in personnel management, labor relations, teaching, and corporate aviation. His publications include texts in Corporate and Business Aviation and Corporate Aviation Management; three distance education courses for Embry-Riddle; a National Business Aviation Association management certificate program in aircraft selection, outfitting, & retrofitting; a research writing guide for the University of Maryland; a Major Applied Research Project; and other educational writings. His doctorate was from Nova University (EdD in higher education), master of arts (MA in guidance & counseling) from Wayne State University, and bachelor of business (BS) from the University of Tennessee. Ken is active in the American Counseling Association, the American Statistical Association, and the Institute of Transport Administration, as well as being a Founder Member of the Air Transport Administration; chairs major graduate research projects; advises in corporate and business aviation; and facilitates career planning for those seeking guidance. He has a British wife and two highly educated daughters. His interests continue to be in sports, research activities, and helping others learn. | |