UMUC-EUROPE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

PUAD604 Syllabus

Course Title Evaluation Research
Term TERM 3, 2003/2004
Education Center DIST-ED_EUROPE_GRAD
Faculty Member Kenneth Kovach - kkovach@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

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 CB6 1NW, UK

Consultation:


Term III Dates: 26 Jan 2004 - 16 May 2004

NOTE: The WebTycho classroom number GRPP 999 will be used for this course, along with PSYC 561, GUCO 561, and INSS 690.

As this class will be handled mainly through distance education, any assistance or help can be obtained through the forum established or directly to the instructor. The latter should involve personal issues only.

Required Texts and Readings:

Primarily articles from current journals and periodicals - other materials as appropriate.

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC:  Author

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:

All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library (http://www.umuc.edu/library/) to obtain the various resources necessary to develop a Professional Paper.

Recommended Journals:

Various journals and sources can be used to obtain information. A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the PA WebBoard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~pa), the Counseling WebBoard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~couns), and the MIS WebBoard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~mis).

Course Description:

Prerequisite: Advancement to candidacy in the M.P.A. program and successful completion of the graduate PA comprehensive examination. This course will explore the methods and models for policy analysis and program evaluation; methods of collecting and analyzing evaluation data; processes for linking evaluation to policy formulation and program management. Emphasis is on how to conduct formative evaluations of government programs. Students are also able to make the appropriate distinctions between the administrative systems that make government programs work as well as how the impact of these programs on the quality of life in society is measured. Students produce a professional paper within their chosen area of interest. This course is graded Pass (P) or Fail (F) and is normally conducted over two terms.

Course Goals:

Bowie State University requires all graduate students to complete an advanced research paper. In Europe, this requirement serves as a capstone to the students' programs of study. As such, it is designed to assist students in all degree programs to move beyond the classroom by consulting with experts from their chosen professions and engaging in professional activities. Students are encouraged to participate in the professional associations most likely to either disseminate or publish the results of their advanced research projects. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs faculty and staff refer to these projects as Professional Papers. UMUC Europe Graduate Programs contribute to the professional development of their graduate students by publishing final drafts on a dedicated web site and providing funding to attend professional conferences. Additional information on these initiatives may be found at www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/.

Definition of a Professional Paper 
  • A Professional Paper is based on research conducted solely by the author. Examples include, but are not limited to:
    1. Academic, professional, or trade journal articles,
    2. Case studies,
    3. Policy analyses, policy proposals, project management reviews, and program evaluations,
    4. Pre-procurement or pre-implementation analyses of new technologies or best practices,
    5. Grant proposals, and
    6. Responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs). This final example is consistent with the type of papers written for the UMCP M.A. in Counseling and Personnel Services.
  • The length, style, and format of the final draft of any Professional Paper are defined largely by the nature of the audience and the standards employed in that particular segment of the profession. Audiences and venues for publication and dissemination of final drafts may include but are not limited to:
    1. The readership of academic, professional, or trade journals, including online journals,
    2. Conferences conducted and organized by professional associations such as ACA or EB-ACA, ASPA, ICMA, AOM, ACM, AITP,
    3. Political institutions (Congress, state legislatures, regulatory boards, city councils, school boards, state mental health boards, etc.),
    4. Management teams (government and non-profit agency directors, boards of directors, CEOs and CIOs, schools principals, etc.), and
    5. Funding organizations (National Science Foundation, National Institutes for Health, National Institute for Mental Health, Rand Institute, Hoover Institute, etc.).
  • Any Professional Paper, written for UMUC Europe Graduate Programs, regardless of audience, length, style, or format, uses the APA citation style and reference style.

Course Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to accomplish the critical tasks of developing a professional paper, including to:
  1. Identify a relevant research question and developing a strategy to answer that question (see the Professional Paper web site for examples of proposals).
  2. Identify the audience most interested in the question (examples listed above).
  3. Identify literature and other sources of expert information on the question.
  4. Present the research question, the research design, the target audience, and a broad outline of the final paper (called The Proposal) to peers and a subject matter expert.
  5. Obtain permission from UMUC officials to use human subjects if the research design warrants
  6. Obtain written permission from the management of the organization(s) involved with the research. Examples include, but are not limited to, military units, government contractors, DODDs schools, and restricted websites.
  7. Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the proposal as appropriate.
  8. Execute the research design.
  9. Write the Professional Paper that clearly and accurately reports the research findings in a format that meets the needs of the audience.
  10. Present a draft of the Professional Paper to peers and a subject matter expert.
  11. Evaluate feedback received and making changes to the final draft as appropriate.
  12. Submit the final draft to the target audience.
The student will receive 3 semester hours of credit toward his or her master's degree upon successful completion of the course. The role of the student is to:
  1. Initiate and complete each of the critical tasks in a timely manner,
  2. Be the sole executor of the research design and author of the Professional Paper,
  3. Cite all sources of expert information according to the APA style guide,
  4. Present and defend the proposal, progress reports, working drafts, and the final draft in a timely manner,
  5. Engage in discussions with the subject matter expert, the classroom instructor, and graduate student peers in a professional manner,
  6. Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the proposal, the research design, the literature review, the report of findings, the discussion, and the recommendations,
  7. Evaluate feedback received and make appropriate changes to the length, style, and format of the Professional Paper, and 
  8. Provide Graduate Programs with an electronic copy of the final draft of the Professional Paper and the documentation from the subject matter expert.

Grading Information:

This course is graded on a Pass or Fail basis only. Students who successfully complete the work in this course receive a Pass, which indicates a minimum grade of B. Students who do not successfully complete the requirements receive a grade of Fail.

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 available online at UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center.

Course Requirements:

Graduate school at the master's 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:
  • Develop a Research proposal                                      10%
  • Develop a literature review and research assumptions             10%
  • Present and submit a draft of the final paper                    20%
  • Identify appropriate venues for publication or dissemination     10%
  • Develop and present a Final draft of the paper                   40%
  • Participate in the review of other proposals and final paper     10%

Description of Course Requirements:

A research paper that defines the problem or research area tutorially, clearly explains current issues, elaborates on the relevance of the topic in relation to current affairs, and provides some indications of what will happen in the future. Evaluations will be based on content, presentation, and quality of expression. Papers are expected to meet or exceed accepted graduate-level English and scholarship standards. Papers must conform to the APA documentation style with minor modifications. To aid the student in succeeding, the course provides the student with multiple checkpoints and opportunities to receive feedback from the instructor and other students.

Research Proposal: The one to two page Research Proposal will contain a clear statement of:
  • the purpose of the research, research questions, and preliminary thesis or hypotheses;
  • the boundaries of the research area;
  • an outline of the research sub-topics;
  • the methodology used, i.e. literature or field research;
  • a preliminary reading list.
Literature review and research assumptions: A 5 – 6 page paper summarizing the academic and professional literature most relevant to the student’s topic and making explicit the student’s theoretical and conceptual assumptions.

First Draft: Students are expected to discuss their interim results with the group and accept/provide constructive criticism from/for other group members in the course of paper preparation.

Identifying appropriate venues for publication or dissemination: The literature review and first draft should culminate in the student being able to discuss a variety of possible venues for publication or dissemination of his or her research findings.

Final Draft and Presentation of Research: Participants will present their research findings and conclusions to the class using appropriate audio-visual and handout materials.

Class Participation: The essence of a seminar is the exchange of information among peers. Thus, members of the group will be expected to interact on each other's research areas in class plus via the Internet. That interaction should also involve positive comments and recommendations on how research topics can be strengthened.

Course Schedule:

Module 1: Development
Week One - present draft proposal to classroom
By Week Two - identify subject matter expert and deliver draft proposal

Module 2: Refinement and Initiation
By Week Four - present revised proposal to classroom and submit final draft of proposal to instructor along with the comments from the SME

Module 3:Execution
By Week Eight or Nine - present working draft/lit review to classroom
By Week Twelve - present complete draft to SME and submit to instructor

Module 4:Conclusion
By Week Fourteen - present complete comments from SME to instructor
By Week Sixteen - present final draft to classroom

Academic Policies:

Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog or from your local Education Center, 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.


Last updated by Kenneth Kovach: December 13, 2003, 12:32 pm
Find this syllabus linked from the schedule at: http://www.ed.umuc.edu/schedule