Day #1, June 17th
CEP 955 Summer Hybrid, 2013
Jack SmithMichigan State University
Overview: Practicum & Summer Model of CEP 955 Rationale for the Research Practicum requirement
Coming to think and act like a researcher Model for your dissertation The requirement has been very successful
CEP 955: Need a place to learn research design (not methods) Two major course goals
Produce a defensible Practicum proposal Learn general knowledge about research design
The Practicum Committee (advisor, 2nd faculty, student) Practicum timeline
Generate the full proposal (end of Summer 2013) Defense to Practicum Committee (end of Summer/early Fall) Carry out the study (2013-14 academic year) Analysis & writing (Spring/Summer 2014?) Defend your study (Spring/Summer 2014?)
Practicum Proposal developmentCEP 955 course goals are the same in hybrid
& F2F modelsProposal development is a gradual, effortful
processProgram stance: Start with educational issue,
topic, problem of interest to studentsStudents build their proposals organicallyDesign: orchestration and alignment of piecesMust engage your advisor; Jack will be sitting
in few of your Practicum defenses
CEP 955 PhasesPhase I (now complete)
Apologies for less intensity from Jack (in recovery)Build on your proposal sketch from CEP 901BGoals: Continue your reading, focus on research
questionsPhase II: A “crash course” (10 days for 14
weeks); go home with a long “to-d0” listPhase III: Put Phase II learning to work fullyFinal goal: Present a “good” draft of your
proposal to your advisor in August (before Committee)
Major Topics in Phase IIEmpirical and theoretical “related” researchFraming theory (grand and local)Crafting good research questions
Personally meaningful, empirical, significant, point to feasible inquiry
RQs, traditions of research, & types of studiesConcepts, definitions, and measuresSites, samples/participants, and human subjectsData collection (in relation to RQs)Data analysis (what you will do with your data)Non-linear, cyclical development
Sketch/Plan for Phase IIIGo home with better text, lots more knowledge,
and a substantial to-do listTake a break for a weekJack will read and comment on your full proposal
at most twice before August 2nd
Intermediate draft (best before July 19th)“Course final” version
Can revise the “course final” before submitting to your Advisor in August
Work with your Advisor to make final additions and plan for proposal defense (to Practicum Committee)
Questions & Issues?The PracticumThe courseThe role of advisor and Practicum Committee
Our Course PracticesToggled schedule in Phase II (CEP 953 & 955)Seminar discussion: What does it mean?Challenge (for us all): General (shared) topics and your
individual proposals, topics, and learning needsChallenge (for us all): Many worthy tasks, not much time
(between classes)Challenge (mostly for you): The “world” is always calling;
how you will manage your focus and attentionJack’s limits (in Erickson); how you can helpHelp with the physical arrangement of the room &
scribingReacting to small pieces and specific issues will be
possibleConsultation away from class: Skype seems like the best
bet
BooksScientific Research in Education, National Academy Press,
2002. Influential (still); lots of qualitative critics Meaning vs. rigor in research
John Creswell, Research Design, Sage, 2009 (3rd Ed.) Addresses both quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods
designs JS disagrees frequently
Gall, Gall, & Borg, Educational Research: An Introduction, Pearson, 2007 (8th Ed.) Covers the waterfront (designing and carrying out ed. research) Lots of useful chapters But after #6, not be equally useful to all
Campbell & Stanley, Experimental & quasi-experimental designs for research, 1963, Houghton-Mifflin A classic of experimental design; very conservative Like the discussion of threats to validity (not just for
experiments)Your first impressions from?
The Structure of ProposalsThree views in print: Smith (what is a proposal?),
Pajares (elements); Gall, Gall, & Borg (chapter 2)Major conflicts/disagreements?Today, a more conceptual viewProposals have three main parts
“Front-end” (motivates and frames the RQs)RQs, Hs(?), and overview of study (briefly)Study design (how you will address the RQs)
What this means for CEP 955 this summerMy expectation: All three components in most
proposals will changeExamine your current version; status of each of the
segmentsDiscussion
Theory Bites (rationale)
An invented name; analogy to small plates in restaurants
Analysis task and presentation task in 955Learning opportunity for you and your peersPremise: Jack’s likes theory; wants you to as wellMain functions in educational research
Illuminate phenomenaSynthesize discrete studiesExplanation if not prediction
Course goal: Everyone gives at least one theory bite
Theory Bites (specifics)Think about a productive choiceSign up on the Course Schedule page (first come,
first serve); note provision number/class; may have time for two TBs each day
Five slides; no more than 10 minutes; Jack will cut you off; need to clear on what you want to say; Q&A as long as it is productiveTheory name, principal author/proponent, central
text (or two), what is it a theory of?Theory core; up to five main principles/assertionsWhy/how it seems relevant to your work?Your questions and/or next steps
Homework for tomorrowBe on time; make sure “the trains run on time”Four choices of “successful” Practicum
proposals; read at least one for flow and general structure; don’t make it a “strong” model
Contact your advisor about one hour of Phase II meeting time
Tune up your personal pageReturn to your current proposal and evaluate:
Assembly a Day 1 “to do” list to make it complete and competitive
Tomorrow’s focus: The “front end”, especially problem statements