Faculty Contact Information:
Instructor: Dr. Brett Hamilton
Email Address: bhamilto@faculty.ed.umuc.edu, Novantiq@aol.com
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Consultation:
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Tel and Fax: 06434-6222 (1100 hrs - 2100 hrs, 7 days)
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Required Texts and Readings:
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 PUAD 704 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
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Supplementary Readings:
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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.
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Recommended Journals:
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A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed in the UMUC library. 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.
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Course Description:
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Prerequisite: None. 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 theroies and designs for methodological approaches that apply non-experimental and quasi-experimental research designs as part of the research strategy.
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Course Goals:
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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 professioal paper required in PUAD 704.
This course will investigate:
1. claims of validity and reliability.
2. data collection techniques.
3. data management and presentation techniques.
4. qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluation.
5. the elements of research design.
6. the fundamentals of research execution.
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Course Objectives:
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At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method by distinguishing between applied, basic, quantitative and qualitative research, and descriptive and inferential statistics.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of program evaluation as a research methodology.
3. Analyze professional situations for research/evaluation purposes.
4. Generate research problem statements.
5. Develop research proposals appropriate to problems statements in specific professional settings.
6. Execute literature reviews.
7. Formulate hypotheses.
8. Develop data collection and data analysis strategies.
9. Establish the internal and external validity and the reliability of measurements.
10. Analyze, interpret and apply published research findings to professional settings.
11. Present research findings in written, graphic or oral formats.
12. Define ethical and legal constraints on research.
13. 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%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
F Below 70%
Percentage scores adding to 100% will be given to six different activities. The weighting of each activity is given under Course Requirements.
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.
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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:
Assignment: Critique of research = 5%
Quizzes -- two at 5% each = 10%
Midterm Exam = 20%
Final Exam = 25%
Term Paper (proposal) = 25%
Participation = 10%
Attendance must meet or exceed 75% of the scheduled contact hours.
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Description of Course Requirements:
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND TERM PROJECT:
Our course has two general objectives: (1) to prepare our own proposal for a professional research project, and (2) to prepare us to critique the research activities of others.
We shall see how to conduct a review of the literature to locate and understand existing research in topics which interest us.
NOTE: Keep always in mind that the main objective of this course is to help us to prepare a written “proposal” in which we develop a plan either to answer our research question(s), or to produce a professional paper on a subject that is based on or supported by empirical research. The purpose of our proposal might be to obtain approval, support or funding enabling us to do the actual study or project. The purpose of the professional paper might be to contribute to our understanding of an issue based on a comprehensive analysis of empirical research findings.
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 ten-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.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Initial meeting: Attendance is critical for this course which will meet for only SEVEN DAYS! It is assumed that no student will miss a single class meeting. An extreme situation which leads to a necessary absence must be documented. In the event a student misses more than one meeting, the instructor will review the student's status in the class. If the student misses more than 25% (13 hours) of the scheduled classes (48 hours), a "Failure for non attendance" may be assessed.
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Course Schedule:
GENERAL PREPARATORY NOTE:
Please realize that our time is unusually short for us to cover important material for a course in research methodology and because of this I am asking students to make an heroic effort to engage in extensive and concentrated reading of our two fine textbooks right away. Please don’t wait to read, whatever you do!
Much time will be needed for the preparation and writing of your research proposal. In order to help organize our subject matter and to keep our stress down concerning examinations, I shall supply a study guide to help students focus on the key points to retain from the readings and the lectures. Your tests will ask of you only that
material covered in the readings and virtual classroom discussions and that has been targeted in the study guide. All quiz material will have appeared in the study guide so there should be no surprises. Your final exam question will be similar to a Master's comprehensive question and will involve application of what you have learned.
Our course supports two general objectives: (1) to help us to develop and format our own proposal for a professional research project, and (2) to give us tools with which to evaluate the research activities of others.
Course Schedule:
EDUC 706/PUAD 502 at Wiesbaden
Weekends: 26/27 Jan, 9/10 & 23/24 Feb, 8/9 March, 2008; 0900-1600
FIRST WEEKEND: 26/27 January 2008
Reading Assignments:
Leedy & Ormrod - Chapters 1-2, pp. 1-42; “What is Research?” and “Tools of Research”
Babbie – Part 1: “An Introduction to Inquiry”, Chapters 1, pp. 1-29. “Human Inquiry and Science.”
1. Recommended for self-study: To check your understanding of assigned Leedy chapters, take the Self Assessment quizzes at http://www.prenhall.com/leedy. These quizzes are for your own use only, so you need not report your results to me.
2. USEFUL WEBSITES: Check “Additional Resources” section of the syllabus for useful tutorials on Research Methodology and Proposal Writing. Note: Elements of a research proposal and professional research report can be found at http://www.statpac.com/research-papers/research-proposal.htm
3. The scientific method as a “way of knowing”; Basic Concepts in Research vs. Evaluation -- Similar Processes but Different Purposes.
4. Handouts of course study guide.
Reading Assignments:
Leedy & Ormrod – Chpt 3, pp. 43-63. “The Problem: The Heart of the Research Process.”
Babbie – Chapters 2 and 3, pp. 30-84. “Paradigms, Theory, and Social Research” & “The Ethics and Politics of Social Research.”
1. Perception as a Function of Interaction between Observer and Object System; Political and Ethical Issues in Research.
2. Overview of the vocabulary of processes, and tools of research: independent and dependent variables, operational definitions, kinds of dependent measures, instrumentation and data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, proposal and reporting formats.
3. Assignment: Review of two proposals.
Reading Assignments:
Leedy & Ormrod – Chpt 4, pp. 64 – 84. “Review of the Related Literature.”.
Babbie – Chpt 17, pp. 489-511. “Organizing a Review of the Literature.”
1. The importance of a literature review to the framing of a research proposal.
2. Understanding the Literature Review: What it is and how to do it.
Reading Assignment: Leedy & Ormrod – Chpt 5, pp. 85-114. “Planning Your Research Project.”
Babbie – Chpt 4, pp. 86-119 “Research Design” & Chpt 8, pp. 220-242 “Experiments.”
1. Independent & dependent variables; validity and reliability; external and internal validity; units of analysis; kinds of studies; correlation.
2. Comparing qualitative and quantitative approaches
3. Assignment: Initial student project proposal topics in outline form submitted for critique and OK for go-ahead by Second Weekend.
SECOND WEEKEND: 9/10 February 2008
Reading Assignments: Leedy & Ormrod - Chpt 6, pp. 115-132. “Writing the Research Proposal.”
Babbie – Chpt 10, pp. 284-317. “Qualitative Field Research.”
1. General Criteria for Writing the Research Proposal.
2. Guidelines for finding and shaping problems.
3. Planning the research proposal.
4. Critique of first assignment
5. Quiz #1
Reading Assignments: Leedy & Ormrod - Chpt 7, pp. 133-159. “Qualitative Research.” Babbie – Chpt 9, pp. 242-284. “Survey Research” & “Evaluation Research.”
1. Problem statements and research hypotheses; purpose of research design; concept of “control” of alternative hypotheses; purposes of control groups.
2. Types of research
Reading Assignments: Leedy & Ormrod - Chpt 8, pp. 161-177. “Historical Research” & Chpt 9, pp. 179-216. “Descriptive Research.”
1. Types of research (continued)
2. Due: First cut of student outline of course project for class discussion and instructor OK.
3. Continuing class review of course study guide
4. First half of Midterm Exam.
THIRD WEEKEND: 23/24 February 2008
Reading Assignments: Leedy & Ormrod - Chpt 10, pp. 217-244. “Experimental and Ex Post Facto Designs.” Babbie -- Chpt 13, pp. 318-347. “Qualitative Data Analysis.
1. Research designs; control of variables; conversation analysis and coding strategies; measures of variability, advantages of factorial designs.
2. Second half of Midterm Exam
Reading Assignments: Leedy & Ormrod - Chpt 11, pp. 245-280. “Statistical Techniques for Analyzing Quantitative Data.”
Babbie – Chpt 14, pp. 404--429. “Quantitative Data Analysis.”
1. Converting qualitative data to numerical format; developing codes and categories (continued).
2. The logic of inferential statistics: population sampling strategoes; the use of the “null hypothesis”—type I and type II errors; probability and levels of significance.
Reading Assignments: Leedy & Ormrod - Chpt 12, pp. 282-301. “Technical Details: Style, Format, and Organization of the Research Report”
1. Relationship between the proposal and the final report.
2. Open critique and final OK for student proposals.
3. Quiz #2
FOURTH WEEKEND: 8/9 March, 2008
1. Presentation of project proposals to class for possible questions and discussion. (continued)
2. Class discussion of problem issues of experimental design and inferential statistics.
3. Open oral review of course study guide and student proposals.
2. Due: Term Projects submitted to student assignment folder.
3. Final Exam.
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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:
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Hamilton has provided organization development and management consulting services to civilian, military and academic organizations for over twenty years. 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.
He has taught for the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Maryland University College, Boston University and the Army Management Staff College.
For the University of Maryland, University College he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in management theory, organizational behavior, research and evaluation methods, organization development (OD), communication, and conflict management.
His doctoral research at UCLA experimentally investigated key variables in the stage theory of Piaget which are normally used to assess cognitive development in children. While working at Mattel Toys, Inc., he applied the findings of his research to the development of educational toys and educational products. At UCLA he conducted research into instructional programming variables in the construction and assessment of computer assisted instructional programs.
His work history includes training research and development with Thiokol Chemical Corporation, Ampex Computer Products Company, McDonnell-Douglas Space Systems Center, Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, Kettering Foundation (I.D.E.A. Research and Development), Mattel Toys, Inc., Army Management Staff College, International Training Consultants, the American Postal Corporation, and FranklinCovey Europe.
Now living in Germany, Dr. Hamilton has provided services in change management, professional skills development, and instructional system design. He completed both undergraduate work in Psychology and graduate work in Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology at UCLA.
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