Faculty Contact Information:
Faculty Contact Information:
Instructor: Dr. Brett Hamilton
Mailing Address: Am Borngraben 10, 65510 Idstein-Walsdorf,
Email Address: Novantiq@aol.com | |
Consultation:
| Tel and Fax: 06434-6222 (1100 hrs - 2100 hrs, 7 days) | |
Required Texts and Readings:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edi.). 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 only
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:
| Each instructor has his or her preferences for supplementary reading material that may be added here. In addition, all graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online 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:
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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.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
- A 90%
- B 80 – 89%
- C 70 – 79%
- F Below 70%
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. 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:
- Participation in classroom discussions 10%
- Preparation of a Research or Evaluation Proposal 25%
- Presentation of Proposal 10%
- Completion of Assignments 10%
- Completion of midterm examination 20%
- quizzes 10%
- Critiques of selected research studies 15%
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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.
Write a graduate level research or evaluation proposal. This proposal should be of professional quality appropriate to submission to a funding or contracting agency. The proposal will require you to conceive an undertaking, frame a worthwhile question, plan your design and method, and summarize the implications of the results of your work. You should count on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional quality work.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your proposal in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material.
Complete a midterm examination and a few quizzes: 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.
In addition, the examination process will require the student to give methodological critique of one or more existing research publications. | |
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:
First meeting
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
History of Evaluation
Assignment: Weiss - Preface ix - xii; Chapter One, "Setting the
Scene." Pp. 1-19
Second meeting
Types of Evaluation
Assignment: Weiss - Chapter Two, "Purposes of Evaluation." Pp. 20-45.
Planning and Designing an Evaluation
Assignment: Weiss - Chapter Four, "Planning the Evaluation"
Pp. 72-96.
Ethical Issues for the Evaluator
Assignment: Weiss - Chapter Five, Pp. 109-113;
Leedy Pp. 107-110.
Third meeting
Research vs. Evaluation .. Differences in Purpose
Nature of Research
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter One, Pp. 3-13.
Homework: Chapter One of Self Assessment quizzes at
http://www.prenhall.com/leedy
Fourth meeting
Overview of Research Tools
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Two, Pp. 14-46.
Homework: Self Assessment quiz - Chapter Two.
Handout: Study Questions for Leedy - Chapters One and Two.
Literature Review
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Four - Pp. 70-90.
Fifth meeting
Importance of Stating the Problem
Guidelines for Finding and Shaping Problems
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Three, Pp. 49-63.
Homework: Self-Assessment Quizzes Chapters Three and Four
Handout: Study Questions for Chapter Three and Four
Sixth meeting
Preparing the Research Proposal
Assignment: Leedy - Pp. 63-69.
Note also elements of a sample final report, Weiss- Pp. 294-303.
General Criteria for a Research Project
Key Concepts and Terms: validity and reliability of measuring instruments
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Five, Pp. 91-121.
Homework: Self-Assessment Quiz for Chapter Five
Writing the Research Proposal
Samples of Proposals
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Six, Pp.122-142.
Homework: Self-Assessment Quiz for Chapter Six
Seventh meeting:
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
Qualitative Methods
Methodology, Tools, Data Collection and Interpretation
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Seven, Pp. 147-170; Weiss - Chapter
Eleven, Qualitative Methods, Pp. 252-270.
Homework: Self-Assessment Quiz for Chapter Seven
Homework: Study Questions for Chapter Seven
Eighth meeting
Qualitative Methods (Continued)
Handout: "Unobtrusive Measures";
Handout: Study Questions for Chapters Six and Seven
Development of Specific Measures
Historical Research Methods
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Eight, Pp.172-187.
Homework: Study Questions for Chapter Eight.
Assignment: Leedy - Self Assessment Quiz for Ch. Eight
MIDTERM EXAM
___________________________________________________
Ninth meeting
Quantitative Research -- Concepts and Vocabulary
Descriptive Statistics
Reporting and Dissemination of Descriptive Data
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Eleven, Pp. 264-272.
Handout: Descriptive Measures
Measurement Concepts
Assignment: Weiss - Chapter Six, Pp. 114-151;
Assignment: Leedy -Chapter Eleven, Pp.252-264.
Assignment: Leedy - Self Assessment Quiz - Ch. Eleven
Homework: Study Questions for Chapter Eleven
Tenth meeting
Inferential Statistics
Controlled Experiments
Key Concepts: Representative Sampling, Randomization, Control
Groups, threats to internal and external validity, reliability
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Ten, Pp. 229-250.
Homework: Study Questions for Chapter Ten.
Assignment: Leedy - Self Assessment Quiz for Ch Ten
Handout: "Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for
research" by Campbell and Stanley
Eleventh meeting:
Research Designs and Controlled Experiments (continued)
Causation vs. Correlation
Assignment: Weiss - Chapters Eight, Nine and Ten, Pp. 180-252
Ethical Issues in Field Work
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Ten, Pp. 229-250.
Homework: Study Questions for Chapter Ten.
Twelfth meeting:
Analysis and Interpretation of Data
Inferential Statistics .. Logic and Analysis of Statistical Tests
Hypothesis Testing
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Eleven, Pp. 272-280.
Role of Randomization in Meeting Assumptions of the Test Used
Use of Significance Levels (Levels of Confidence)
T-test, ANOVA, Chi-Square,
Handout: Examples of data analysis using each of these
statistical approaches
Assignment: Self Assessment Quiz - Ch Eleven
Thirteenth meeting
Interpretation of Results
Assignment: Weiss - Chapter Twelve, Pp. 271-293.
Directional Hypotheses and the Role of the Null Hypothesis in Test Procedure
Why We Can't Prove the Null Hypothesis
Organization of the Research Report
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Twelve, Pp. 285-304.
Assignment: Leedy - Chapter Thirteen, Pp. 294-319.
Assignment: Leedy - Self Assessment Quiz - Ch Twelve
Fourteenth meeting
Clarification of Issues/problems and review where necessary
Student Presentations and Defence of Proposals
Fifteenth meeting
Student Presentations and Defence of Proposals
Sixteenth meeting
Wrap-up of Student Presentations
Course evaluations
FINAL EXAMINATION | |
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:
About Your Instructor: Dr. Hamilton provides organization development and management consulting services to civilian, military and academic organizations. He has conducted training research and development in the aerospace industry as well as basic learning research in education. He has delivered OD training for organizations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.
His ten year university teaching experience includes the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Maryland, Boston University and the Army Management Staff College. At the graduate level he taught organizational psychology, research methods for the behavioral sciences and program evaluation methods as well as core courses in Business Management including leadership, organizational communication, and organizational change processes. His research at UCLA centered
on the cognitive development in children and he has applied this work to the design of computer-assisted-learning strategies as well as to the development of educational toys.
His work history includes design and development projects with organizations such as Thiokol Chemical, Ampex Computer, McDonnell-Douglas Space Systems Center, Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, Kettering Foundation, Mattel Toys, Quark Express, Army Management
Staff College, International Training Consultants (Teheran, Iran), the U.S. Army Europe, and the American Postal Corporation.
Now living in Germany, Mr. Hamilton provides management consulting services in change management, personal productivity, and instructional system design. His recent consulting activities have focused on creative decision processes and the role of managers in conducting these processes while building and maintaining working environments supportive of innovation. He completed both undergraduate work in Psychology and graduate work in Education at UCLA. | |