CEP 900 & 930, Summer 2018, EPET PhD Hybrid

Face-to-Face Schedule (June 18 – June 29)

Meet in 133D Erickson Hall
Mondays, 9 – 12, 1 – 3:30
Tuesdays, 9 – 12, 1 – 3:30
Wednesdays, 9 – 12, 1 -3:30
Thursdays, 9 – 12, 1 – 3:30
Fridays, 9 – 12, 1 – 3:30

Online Schedule (July 2 – August 16)

Meet online, using this website. Schedule available through the “schedule” tab at the top of this webpage.

Instructors

Faculty

Graduate Assistants

Overview of the Courses

CEP 900 – Proseminar in Ed Psych & Ed Tech

The Proseminar introduces students to the intellectual life of doctoral education in general and educational psychology and educational technology (EPET) in particular. It is an important starting place for developing your skills in reading and writing critically about educational research, and for conceptualizing your own research on EPET issues.

Specifically, the Proseminar is designed to:

  1. Provide an overview of the major EPET theories and issues.
  2. Foster a general sense of EPET scholarship.
  3. Develop the ability and skills to appreciate and criticize EPET scholarship.
  4. Provide opportunities for students to become familiar with the research process, important tools, resources, as well as important professional activities and events in education research.

CEP 930 Educational Inquiry

CEP 930 Educational Inquiry introduces students to different ways of studying educational issues, considering both the “how” and the “who,” “what,” and “why” of educational research. Educational inquiry cannot be described simply by its methods, as it is an activity where values matter, as do our identities as scholars and citizens, our beliefs about knowledge, and the way we understand education and the world around it. Thus, educational inquiry takes place within a larger social context that influences the way research questions are generated, framed, and studied.

Specifically, this Educational Inquiry course is designed to help students:

  1. Develop some basic mastery of research, including modes of research (e.g., field studies, experimental, quasi-experimental, mixed models) as well as issues that apply to all forms of research (e.g., theory, validity, reliability, generalizability, and composition).
  2. Become critical consumers of published research while also developing an introductory knowledge of the options available to them in conducting their own research.
  3. Develop a basic understanding of contemporary issues and problems in educational inquiry.

Course Readings

Required Books

These are books you need to buy before the start of the course.

  • American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. All writing in this class will conform to APA standards, so it is very important for you to get familiar with the APA book. Much of educational research uses the APA guidelines for publication. Formatting is important.
  • Rose, M. (2004). Mind at work: Valuing the intelligence of the American Worker. New York: Penguin.
  • Schunk, D. H. (2011). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th Edition). Boston, MA: Addison Wesley.
  • Remler, D.K. & Van Ryzin, G.G. (2010). Research methods in practice: Strategies for description and causation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

In addition there will be a series of articles and other readings that we will use for this course. This list of these additional readings is maintained elsewhere on the site.

Recommended Additional Materials

You are not required to buy these books, but we think you may find these references handy not only during this summer, but throughout your career. For example, the handbook chapters are considered the one of the definitive sources on any topic. As you begin your journey on becoming an expert on your research interests, a couple of chapters may be immediately salient to you. Later, as you join in collaborative work, other courses, you may appreciate a 15 page “definitive source” on a topic you need to know more about quickly. They will serve your well throughout your academic career.

We also recommend that you use a bibliographic database to document and organize what you read (CiteULike, Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, etc.). It will make your academic life much easier if you get into the habit now of documenting and organizing what you read, taking notes, and keeping track of your thinking as you read. We will discuss bibliographic databases in depth during early class sessions, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of options. Please wait until after our discussions to choose a bibliographic platform.

Oldies, but Goodies

The following are very old, but you’ll find them on many academic’s desks (including Cary’s and Matt’s). We think you might find them handy at some point, but you are by no means required to buy them

Course Requirements

  • Class Attendance. For the face-to-face sessions, students should attend every class, except in cases of illness and/or extenuating circumstances.
  • Incompletes. A grade of incomplete will be given only if (1) all completed work is satisfactory (i.e., averages 3.0 or better) and (2) there is a valid reason that you cannot complete the course. If interested in an incomplete, students should contact one of the course professors as soon as possible.
  • Students with Disabilities. If you are a student with a documented physical or learning disability, please contact one of us by the first week of class so that we can make arrangements for necessary accommodations.

Course Grades & Assignments

Final grades will be assigned as follows, based on the total number of points you earn

4.0 = 93-100 2.5 = 78-82 1.0 = 63-67

3.5 = 89-92 2.0 = 73-77 0.5 = 58-62

3.0 = 83-88 1.5 = 68-72 0.0 < 58

The following weighting of the assignments will be used in determining course grades:

Research Development Project (RDP) – 30%

Through a series of structured steps, you will (a) develop and refine your research interests and (b) begin to think about what high-quality research would entail in that particular area.

This assignment assignment includes 6 steps.

  • Step 1 Interest Statement (5%)
  • Step 2 Logic Model (5%)
  • Step 3 Annotated Bibliography (10%)
  • Step 4 Draft Research Proposal (25%)
  • Step 5 Peer Review (20%)
  • Step 6 Respond to Reviewers (15%), and Final Proposal (20%)

-> CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE RDP <-

Five Empirical Article Critiques – 25%

The article critique assignment involves a thorough review of an empirical research study, where ’empirical’ refers to research involving original data collection and making inferences from those data. To help you develop this important skill, you will complete five article critiques this summer.

-> CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE ARTICLE CRITIQUES <-

Discussion Forums – 20%

Each week of the online portion of the courses, you will use Discussion Forums to respond to a list of questions related to the readings. Good responses incorporate course material(s), exhibit cogent thinking, and avoid simplistic over-generalizations and personal anecdotes. Bad responses are vague and not well developed. Each of your responses should not exceed 250 – 500 words (i.e., no more than 1-2 pages).

To encourage critical thinking, sharpen understanding, and make new connections, each week you will also use the Discussion Forum to respond to at least TWO classmates’ reading responses (e.g., 9 total question = 18 total responses to classmates). Responses to classmates’ posts should be written clearly and criticism should be respectful. Good responses are specific: “Your point about X made me think more about Y and the way it relates to Z…” Or, “Your summary of X surprised me, as I interpreted that to mean Y…” Bad responses are overly general – e.g., “Nice post. Interesting ideas. Never thought of that.” Each of your responses to classmates’ posts should be 125-250 words.

Learning Activities – 10%

A number of learning activities are used to help develop your skills as a researcher. These include:

Constructive Controversies. To deepen understanding and enhance your critical thinking skills, you will also engage in a series of Constructive Controversies. For example, during week one we will consider the controversy: “Should schools embrace computers and technology?” At the end of each controversy, you will work with a partner to write a brief (1/2 – 1-page, or 125 – 250 word) consensus statement reporting your final position on both sides of the controversy. Unlike traditional debates, however, where the goal is to ‘win’ the argument, the goal of our “constructive controversy” (and science in general) is (a) to ensure a full, and critical understanding of both sides of the issue, and (b) to synthesize respective positions in a consensus statement that includes only the best and most valid arguments from all sides of an issue.

Interview about Motivation. You will conduct an audio interview with one or two participants to better understand what motivates people to learn. -> CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE AUDIO INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT <-

This I Believe … My Research Interests. Making research interests compelling using digital storytelling. -> CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE DIGITAL STORYTELLING ASSIGNMENT <-

Participation – 10%

Active participation in class activities is the most important requirement of this class. This includes coming to class (face-to-face or online) prepared, actively participating in discussions, and interacting with your base groups. Participation also includes your willingness to engage in and complete “ungraded” assignments.

Online Portfolio – 5%

As part of the Proseminar you will also create a Web site that will become a portfolio of your work. Please note: we will discuss the form and purpose of your online portfolio in Proseminar, but we will not focus on how to create web pages. It is up to you to decide what tools you will use to create your Web pages, and to learn to use those tools.

Your online portfolio should represent your intellectual work in the Proseminar and also serve as starting point for representing your work and interests throughout your doctoral studies. Specifically, your online portfolio should minimally include: Research Development Project, research article critiques, reading reviews of course readings, Curriculum Vitae (professional resume), other written work for this course.

-> CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS ABOUT THE ONLINE PORTFOLIO <-

Academic Honesty and Integrity

Article 2.3.3 of the Academic Freedom Report states that “The student shares with the faculty the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of scholarship, grades, and professional standards.”

In addition, the (insert name of unit offering course) adheres to the policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades; the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades; and Ordinance 17.00, Examinations. (See Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide and/or the MSU Web site: www.msu.edu.)

Therefore, unless authorized by your instructor, you are expected to complete all course assignments, including homework, lab work, quizzes, tests and exams, without assistance from any source. You are expected to develop original work for this course; therefore, you may not submit course work you completed for another course to satisfy the requirements for this course. Also, you are not authorized to use the http://www.allmsu.com web site to complete any course work in CEP 900 and CEP 930. Students who violate MSU rules may receive a penalty grade, including–but not limited to–a failing grade on the assignment or in the course. Contact your instructor if you are unsure about the appropriateness of your course work.

Deliberate alteration or deletion of official course documents on this website, or other misuse of editorial privileges are also considered to be a violation of the academic honesty and integrity policy with consequences for your grade, up to and include a failing grade on an assignment or the course.

See also https://www.msu.edu/~ombud/academic-integrity/index.html

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a documented physical or learning disability, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can make necessary accommodations.