MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY Fall 2010Course Number: ADM 630 Credit Hours: 3Revised Summer 2011Department: Educational Studies, Leadership, and CounselingI. Title: Methods of ResearchII. Catalog Description: A study of procedures used to locate sources of information, organize and interpret collected data, and apply results of published research. Various research methods are studied and used.III. Purpose: This course is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of the research and evaluation process through the application of research and evaluation principles in the classroom and/or school. Assessment principles and the use of descriptive and inferential statistics will be applied. Each student will complete a school/classroom –based evaluation/research project.Principles, dispositions and skills consistent with the Interstate School Leader Licensure Standards (ISLLC) and the professional Code of Ethics for Kentucky School Certified Staff are incorporated into this course in ways consistent with the purpose of the course and individual student readiness. The unit’s theme of the reflective decision-maker is emphasized, as students are required to reflect upon course experiences as part of the learning process and the unit’s conceptual framework of teacher as leader is addressed as course experiences and theprogram as a whole are focused upon the development of leaders. NCATE expectations with regard to KERA Initiatives and EPSB themes are incorporated through courses as consistent with the scope of each course. KERA Initiatives: N/A EPSB Themes: Diversity and Assessment are addressed through action research project. Technology is used in the course to support data analysis. Dispositions toward the consumption and creation of research as a professional activity is emphasized.IV. Course Objectives: Students completing ADM 630 students will be able to a. Identify how research can inform practice (ISLLC I, II; ETS 4, 5).b. Evaluate and synthesize research applicable to his/her classroom, school or workplace. (ISLLC II; ETS 5)c. Design a research/evaluation project for his/her school, classroom or workplace. (ISLLC II; ETS 5)d. Interpret and evaluate formative and summative assessment results for his/her classroom, school or workplace. (ISLLC I, II; ETS 4, 5)e. Collect and analyze school/classroom or workplace data as part of conducting the research/evaluation process. (ISLLC I, II; ETS 4,5)2f. Present the results of the research/evaluation project as a formalized report and as a presentation in accordance with standards of the profession. (ISLLCI, II; ETS 4)V. Content Outline/ Course Activities: This course is designed around the following units of studya. Research as Inquiry in Learning Communities.b. Writing a research/evaluation proposal.c. Identifying and interpreting formative and summative assessment results. d. Data collection and analysis processes.e. Reporting research/evaluation findings.VI. Instructional Activities: This course utilizes the Blackboard course management system. (http://estudy. m urraystate.edu/w e bapps/login/). You need your MSU ID and Password to log in. The course instructor will communicate with students viaa variety of interactive tools including discussions, announcements, and email. Students in this course are required to log in Blackboard regularly (at least once a week) to access the course content, to participate in class discussions or chats, andto complete course assignments.Online course requirements:Email Account: An email account is mandatory for this course. At the beginning of the semester, the student should inform the instructor of his or her preferred email address. Throughout the semester, course-related information may be distributed to the student’s preferred email address. Students are expected to check their email regularly (at least once a week for course updates). Please note:Email is used primarily as a tool of communication in this course. All assignments in this course must be submitted to Blackboard (Detailed “How to submit” instructions will be provided for each assignment).Internet Access: Students in this course are required to have access to high-speed internet and a computer in order to have a successful experience in this online course. This online course is not appropriate for a student who has no or limited (such as dial-up) internet access.File storage: Students in the course are required to have a file storage/retrieval media (such as a computer hard disk, USB flash drive, memory card, or CD-RW)for the purpose of saving students’ own work completed in this course. Students in this course are required to make backups regularly to safeguard their own data.Digital camera: Students in the course are required to have access to a digital camera. Students may be required to take photos of the artifacts they created forthis course and to upload photos (in jpg file format) to Blackboard.VII. Field and Clinical Experiences: The teacher’s classroom acts as the laboratory to explore course issues.VIII. Resources: The Internet and university library will be used as resources.MSU E-study Center (http://ca m pus. m urraystate.edu/blackboard/help/)IX. Grading ProceduresALL assignments and learning tasks must be completed. Any incomplete assignment or task will result in a lowered letter grade. Assignments turned in after the due date will result in a deduction of 5 points per day the assignment is late. The grading system is as follows:Learning Tasks Complete/ IncompleteIncomplete task will result in a lowered letter grade.AssignmentsMajor Research Project(10 points each × 6 steps)60 pointsOral Presentation 20 pointsHomework/ Discussion assignments(10 points each × 7)70 pointsTotal: 150 Possible PointsA = 135 - 150 points 90 – 100% B = 120 - 134 points 80 – 89%C = 105 - 119 points 70 – 79% D = 90 - 104 points 60 – 69%E = 89 or less below 60%X. Attendance Policy: This course adheres to the policy published in the MSU Graduate Bulletin. There will be no required face-to-face meetings for this course, but students will be expected to make weekly progress online.XI. Academic Honesty Policy: Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person’s materials as one’s own), or doing work for another person which will receive academic credit are all impermissible. This includes the use of unauthorized books, notebooks, or other sources in order to secure or