Faculty Contact Information:
James) Alexander Boeringa, Ph.D.; ABPP
ABOERING@FACULTY.ED.UMUC.EDU | |
Consultation:
| 1 hour prior to class or by appointment | |
Required Texts and Readings:
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American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Babbie, E. (2007). The Practice of Social Research (11th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson-Wadsworth Inc.
Leedy, P.D. & Ormrod, J.E. (2005). Practical Research: Planning & Design (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. [This text is also used for GUCO/PSYC 861 Seminar Paper.]
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:
| 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:
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. As this course replaces EDUC 506, students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: EDUC 706, EDUC 506 or EDMS 645. | |
Course Goals:
| This course provides graduate students with the conceptual and practical skills to develop proposals for and to conduct research projects, policy analyses, and program evaluations, as well as to evaluate and incorporate the implications of published reports into their practice as counseling professionals. Students should use these skills in developing the professional paper required in GUCO/PSYC 861. | |
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:
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Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90 - 100%
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" is used to designate academic failure. "FN" 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, available in your local Education Center or online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs. | |
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:
Participate in classroom discussions...............10%
Write graduate level papers or case studies........30%
Orally/visually present prepared material..........20%
Complete one or more written examination(s)........40%
All examinations must be taken and all assignments submitted on the scheduled date. Missed exams and late papers will receive a zero. The only exceptions to this are permission of the instructor in writing obtained as soon as possible prior to the due date, documentation of an extreme emergency, or military orders which could not be foreseen. | |
Description of Course Requirements:
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Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the onsite 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 eight-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most fourteen-week graduate distance education courses require at least ten hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of coursework from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment. APA style is mandatory for all graduate counseling course work. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level work.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In an onsite course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In an online class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.
Complete one or more written examination(s): The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary for successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used in this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam. | |
Course Schedule:
This schedule presents 16 units or modules, with each unit corresponding to a half-day on weekends. In addition to all scheduled readings please have read and be ready to use and/or discuss the other required material.
First Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 1
Aug 19 AM Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Aug 19 PM Scientific Approach and Types of Research
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 1 and 2
Aug 20 AM Research Design
Aug 20 PM Ethics
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 12
Second Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 2
Sept 9 AM Problem Statements and Hypotheses
Sept 9 PM Research Methodology
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 5 and 6
Sept 10 AM Initial Proposals Due
Sept 10 PM Discussion of Proposals
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 7 and 8
Third Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 3
Sept 23 AM Research design
Sept 23 PM Data Analyses
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 9 and 10
Sept 24 AM Oral Presentations of Proposals
Sept 24 PM Critiques and Revisions
Preparation: Practical Research Ch 11
Fourth Weekend: Have Read The Practice of Social Research Part 4
Oct 7 AM Papers Due
Oct 7 PM Review of Material
Oct 8 AM Final Exam
Oct 8 PM Course Evaluations
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Academic Policies:
Note: Any written assignment in this course may be submitted to TurnItIn.Com. This statement constitutes prior notice.
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. | |
Faculty Bio:
| I was born and grew up in the Chicago area, spent 2 years in the Army, attended Trinity College, University of Chicago, and Hope College and graduate school at the Univ. of Texas at Austin. I received my Ph.D. in 1979 and later a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology. I began my career at the UT Medical School in Galveston, TX, worked in various Veterans Administration Hospitals and retired as Chief of Psychology Services from the Houston, VA. I have taught as part time faculty at several Universities, and my professional experience includes Private Practice, Hospitals, a Community Health Center, Student Health Center and both Adolescent and Children’s Facilities. I have taught for UMUC since 2001 in locations all over Europe. Of particular relevance to this course I have served on academic, thesis and dissertation committees and previously assisted several students at UMUC; and, of course: I survived my own ordeal of “trial by writing.” My joys are to teach, to travel, and to spend time with my 2 sons. | |