Introduction
One of the primary assignments for this course is a research project you will conduct as a class. This is not a hypothetical project, but a real project that will provide needed information to the community organization working with you. That organization has identified a research question it would like you to investigate. As a class, you will inform yourselves about the organization and the community context it works in (a needs/assets assessment), find existing research that addresses that question (a literature review), and divide into sub-teams to conduct various studies to address the research question (your options will include interviews, surveys, observations, content analysis, and others).
Finally you will disseminate your findings through a group presentation to the class and your community organization and through a wiki site. You will receive information via email about signing up with an account in PBWorks, the wiki site provider.
The assignment divides the steps of a research project into sub-assignments, due throughout the semester. A separate assignment sheet will be distributed to clarify the expectations of each sub-assignment. Assignments will be created collaboratively on the on-line wiki. You will have some in-class time dedicated to working on this project, including some days allocated to field research. However, you should expect to find some out-of-class time to work in your teams. Keep in mind that an additional 50 points of your overall participation grade will be based on your participation in the RING project (download RING assignment)
| Assignments (links below) |
Guidelines and Expectations | Points
|
Due Date
|
| Communication Plan | A description of how you will manage communications in a collaborative assignment involving everyone in the class and a community partner. | 25 | 2/20, 11pm |
| Needs/Assets Assessment | An analysis of the community organization you will work with and the community context they operate in. | 25 | 2/27, 11pm |
| Literature Review | A thematized synthesis of the existing research on your research topic. Note: this assignment integrates with the Praxis Assignment – you will likely use the same articles for both. | 50 | 3/27, 11pm |
| Research Plan | A description of the research project each sub-team intends to conduct, including your sampling plan, final versions of the instruments you will use, researcher protocols, etc. | 100 | 4/3,, 11pm |
| Data Analysis | A description of the findings from each research team. | 50 | 4/24, 11pm |
| Presentation | A formal presentation describing your study, including your findings and recommendations for action. | 50 | 5/3, in class |
| Dissemination of Results | A well-organized description of your study via an on-line wiki, including an executive summary, all of the above assignments, a final report of your findings and recommendations, and a reflection on what you learned from working the project. | 50 | 5/13, 11pm |
| TOTAL POINTS | 350 |