Faculty Contact Information:
Ken J. Kovach, EdD-----------------------ph/fax: +44 1353 860 671
PSC 37, Box 3414-------------------------KJKovach@aol.com
APO AE 09459
English Address:
31 Hempfield Road
Littleport, Cambs CB 6 1nW, 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 EDUC506.
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 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:
| Prerequisite: Undergraduate American political science or American government. This course focuses on the study and application of research methodology for organizations for use as a tool in decision-making. Emphasis is on applied research theories and designs for methodological approaches that apply non-experimental and quasi-experimental research designs as part of the research strategy. | |
Course Goals:
| As one of two research methods courses in the MPA program, 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 professionals. M.P.A. students are actively encouraged to use this class to develop the proposal for the professional paper required in PUAD 604. | |
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.
Read chapters 1 & 2 of Leedy & Ormrod and review Weiss' chapters 7, 10, & 11.
Second meeting: 2 - 9 Feb
Topic/titles
Problem formulation
Research process
Plagiarism certificate
Complete all Conferences and review Course Content as described above. This is a continued class requirement for each weekly session.
Read chapters 1-5 of Leedy & Ormrod and 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.
Third meeting:
Qualitative versus quantitative research approaches
Research question or research hypothesis
Null and alternate hypotheses
Accomplish forum activities as described above and for all remaining sessions.
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
Mid break 15 -28 March 2004
Ninth meeting: Validity
Reliability
Descriptive statistics
Tenth meeting: Descriptive statistics
Eleventh meeting: Inferential statistics
Data Collection
Twelfth meeting: 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:
Ken J. Kovach has been a faculty member with UMUC since 1993 and for other schools since 1981. His main subjects include research and statistics, management and leadership, and production and operations. He has taught over 450 classes through the years and spent 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, first enlisted and then commissioned through the AECP program.
Ken worked in the airborne command, command and staff, plans, operations, transportation, logistics, and other functions. He has developed higher education distance education programs for Embry-Riddle, professional programs for the National Business Aviation Association, and research guidelines for various schools.
His most recent publication has been Corporate Aviation Management and keeps involved in professional associations (American Counseling Association, Institute of Transport Administration, etc).
Ken received his bachelors of science in business with the University of Tennessee, masters of arts in guidance & counseling with Wayne State, and doctorate of higher education with Nova Southeastern University. He is married and has two highly educated daughters. | |