Faculty Contact Information:
Term 2
31 October 2005- 29 January 2006
Break 24 Dec 2005 1 January 2006
Dr. Ken J. Kovach
PSC 37, Box 3414
APO AE 09459
kkovach@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
kjkovach@aol.com
ph/fax: +44 (0)1353 860671
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Consultation:
Online or phone call
+44 (0)1353 860671
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Required Texts and Readings:
Text used exclusively in this course --
Anderson, D.R., Sweeney, D.J. & Williams, T.A. (2003).Modern business statistics with Microsoft Excel, (1st ed.). New York: South-Western College Publishing.
Texts used in multiple courses --
Weiss, C.( 1997). Evaluation, (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall. Chapters 6, 7, 12 only
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, (5th ed.). Washington DC: Author.
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Supplementary Readings:
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All 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.
Student will need:
- a handheld calculator with the capability to do exponentiation, roots and handle 2 variables x & y (the TI-30X IIB currently available at AAFES for ca. $12.95 is adequate);
- access to a personal computer with MS-Excel installed (either your home computer, your work computer with permission from your supervisor, or use the hardware and software at a UMUC computer lab). The use of a computer is highly recommended for working with larger data files assigned as homework and supplied on CD-ROM with the text book.
Optional:
- manuals for Texas Instruments calculators can be found at:
http://education.ti.com/us/global/guides.html
- reference book on MS-Excel
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Recommended Journals:
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Course Description:
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Prerequisites: The equivalent of College Algebra or permission of the Program Director.Provides the knowledge necessary to interpret published research results and to permit elementary research in business and public administration. Content includes: descriptive statistics, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, ANOVA, sampling, correlation, linear regression and multiple regression.
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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. Upon completion of the course, participants should have an understanding of:
- Research methods as used in management settings.
- Quantitative research approaches.
- The of previous research and related literature.
- The process of hypothesis formulation and testing.
- Descriptive and inferential statistics.
- Data requirements for statistical procedures.
- Ethical considerations and constraints.
- The role of information technology in quantitative research and statistical analysis.
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
- Determine when quantitative approaches are necessary and appropriate
- Interpret quantitative research
- Apply various inferential statistical tests
- Develop sampling and data collection techniques
- Utilize descriptive statistics to report findings
- Define ethical and legal constraints on research
- Present research findings in written and graphic or oral formats
- Analyze the application of information technology in research
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90 100 points
B 80 89 points
C 70 79 points
F Below 70 points
Participation 25 points
Taskings 20 points
Midterm Exam 30 points
Final exam 25 points
Participation: The student is expected to participate regularly in discussions and complete Conferences established on time. A participation score will be objectively and subjectively assessed at the end of the course by the instructor. Objective assessments will be made based on timeliness and meeting Conference deadline requirements. Additionally, the median and mean values will be reviewed for the number of responses and words provided. Subjective assessments will be made on quality of responses, to include depth and completeness. Group work will be considered in this assessment.
Tasking: One major tasking will involve development of a mini research report involving collecting data and using the data in a statistical framework. Details will be provided in the Course Content. The purpose of this task is to apply concepts being studied. Various components of the report will include the topic and title, Abstract, Introduction, brief Literature Review, population/sample(s), hypotheses (null & alternate), data presentation and analysis, to include an inferential test. Details will be announced in the class.
Exams: A midterm and final will be use to assess student knowledge and understanding on the chapters assigned and on topical issues presented during the class. The final will only involve material from the midterm.
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F 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.
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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, the following are required:
1. Positive attitude towards learning.
2. Good communication throughout the course.
3. Support of group efforts.
4. Quality responses to Conference discussions.
5. Active participation in assigned activities.
You are expected to actively participate in this course while enjoying your learning. Each student is expected to have completed any assigned tasking, reviewed the current literature on the topics being considered, and prepared for active participation in class activities. Classroom policies will be discussed during the first class. Distance Education students are required to visit the course forum a minimum of three times per week. You are expected to notify your instructor or field representative at the earliest if you will miss class or withdraw. Written assignments will be given a due date, and only extenuating circumstances will allow extra time for completion. Any previous written work may be used in required reports; however, proper citing and referencing must be made and the information must only be supporting data. This course should help you become more aware of personnel needs, desires, and requirements and become effective counselors. Communication is the key to its success. If you have any questions or need to discuss any matter about the course, please contact your instructor.
24 Oct 2005 Student access to read only course items
31 Oct - Class begins
11 Nov - Last day for 75% refund
25 Nov - Last day for 25% refund
2 Jan - Restart after short break!
20 Jan - Last day for student withdrawals
29 Jan - End of course
13 March - Grades due (delay due to proctored exams delivery).
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Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. This 12 week graduate distance education courses requires at least 10 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Every class meeting is important. The student is responsible for material covered and assignments missed during an absence. It is the students responsibility to coordinate make up work. Communicate with the instructor for any issues involving satisfactory course completion. Case problems require problem solving with statistical calculations and some analysis. The analysis is often as simple as answering three questions associated with the case problem. Even so, it is expected that you will respond in complete sentences, organizing their responses, citing sources where necessary, and using correct standard English. Data, calculations, and tabular results may be presented either as computer-generated output (preferred) or in neatly organized and accomplished hand writing. Pages 122-205 of the 5th edition of the APA manual are especially useful in this course and should be followed in your term paper. Section 3.7. of the manual (pages 174-175) is of critical importance for those wishing to avoid charges of plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, may be acceptable in this course only with proper citing and referencing.
The instructor reserves the right to modify the class schedule based on needs of the students and class progress in consonance with course objectives. Computer software [Excel, etc.] may be used for homework assignments and case problems; but all work must be shown. Exams require more than just computer aided work: specific details of working the problems must be shown in manual form. Handheld calculators are the basic tool for both homework and exams. The focus of this course is in learning the theories and concepts and being able to apply them manually. Computer literacy is a benefit but not a requirement.
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Course Schedule:
Course Schedule: This schedule presents 12 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: 31 Oct 6 Nov 2005
For this and future weekly work, review all course materials and complete any Conferences established. Meet the required due dates as Conferences may be closed. Review Class Announcements and any Course content lecture material. Study groups will be assigned after the first week. Read Ch 1 and complete CH 1 problems 5, 7, 11, & 17. Due 6 Nov.
Second meeting: 7 13 Nov Complete Conferences and read Chapters 2& 3. Complete Ch 2 problems 5, 11, & 43 and Ch 3 problems 5, 11, 13, 25, 31, 47, and 57. Due 13 Nov.
Third meeting: 14 20 Nov. Complete Conferences and read Ch 4. Complete Ch 4 problems 3, 7, 19, 27, and 31. Due 14 Nov.
Fourth meeting: 21 27 Nov. Complete Conferences and read chapters 5 & 6. Complete Ch 5 problems 9, 15, 21, 27. Complete Ch 6 problems 3, 11, 17, 23. For Ch 6, only review the binomial, uniform, and normal distribution. Due 27 Nov.
Fifth meeting: 28 Nov 4 Dec. Complete Conferences and read chapter 7 & 18. Complete Ch 7 problems 5, 15, 21, and 27. Complete Ch 18 problem 21. Complete Conferences and review chapters 1-7 and 18. Due 4 Dec.
Sixth meeting: 5 15 Dec. Complete Conferences established and read chapter 9. Complete Conferences and work Ch 9 problems 3, 7, 19, 29, and 51. Due 11 Dec.
Seventh meeting: 16 23 Dec 2005. Complete Midterm exam. Each student will have a private forum in the Study Group area. Your midterm will be placed there for an open book exam. When completed, place in your Assignment folder and be sure your name is on any attachment.
Eighth meeting: Midterm break is from 24 Dec 2005 1 January 2006. Class for the second half will start 2 January 2006.
Ninth meeting: 2 8 Jan 2006. Complete Conferences and read chapter 10. Complete Ch 10 problems 3, 7, 13, and 17. Complete Conferences and read chapter 12. Complete Ch 12 problems 7, 13, and 15. Due 8 Jan.
Tenth meeting: 9 15 Jan. Complete Conferences established and read chapter 13. Complete Ch 13 problems 3 and 7. Due 15 Jan.
Eleventh meeting: 16 22 Jan. Complete Conferences established and read chapter 14. Complete Ch 14 problems 5 and 9.Complete Conferences established and read chapter 17. Complete Ch 17 problems 3, 15, 21, 27, and 33. Due 22 Jan.
Twelfth meeting: 23 29 Jan 2006. Final exam week on chapters since the midterm (Chs 10, 12-14, and 17). Complete and place in your Assignment forum and be sure your name is on any attachment. Also, your Tasking is required to be placed in the Assignments folder by 29 Jan 2006.
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Academic Policies:
The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi.
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and 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.
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Faculty Bio:
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Ken J. Kovach is actively involved in higher education with various colleges and universities, having taught over 480 higher education courses since 1981. Dr. Kovach began his 23-year military career as a psychiatric specialist. After completing the Airmans Education and Commissioning Program, he worked in various Air Force officer positions including Logistics, Plans, Transportation, and Administration. He serves as an advisor/consultant to management, especially in airline management. Dr. Kovach enjoys helping students plan for their careers and in developing their skills and personal qualifications. He completed his bachelors at the University of Tennessee in Business, masters at Wayne State University in Guidance and Counseling, and doctorate at Nova University in Higher Education. His publications include Corporate & Business Aviation, Corporate Aviation Management, and various writing guides. He is married and has two daughters.
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