Spring
Semester, 2012 (3 Credit hours)
Day/Time
of Course: Tuesdays 10 am-12 pm
Location of
course: 1023 Orr Major
Instructor:
Jeff Radel,
Ph.D.
Click here to send Jeff e-mail.
Offices:
Occupational Therapy Education Dept.
Rm. 3033 Robinson, KUMC
Tel: 588-7195
Office hours: by appointment
The unfortunate reality is that faculty members really do have responsibilities other than those related to students! Please understand that even if we are not available when you stop by the office, I am committed to responding to the needs of students. If I am not unavailable, take the time to send an e-mail message or to leave a note with a secretary indicating other possible meeting times and a telephone number where you may be reached. I will contact you as soon as an opportunity presents itself.
The Professional and Technical Writing portion of this course will meet weekly, on Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm in Orr-Major 1023.
The Research Experience component of this course has no designated meeting times this term, due to the varied natures of the research projects. Regular meetings among your research group and with your mentor are encouraged. The instructors for this course will attempt to track progress on your various projects throughout the term. We also will facilitate progress of the studies or act as resources as needed or requested
Guiding Principle: Understanding the research process is a key element for developing occupational therapy principles and guiding practice, and skill in conveying meaning through professional and technical writing is essential for communicating outcomes, interpretations, and instructions.
Course Description:
The Professional and Technical Writing portion of this course will allow
students to achieve competency in scientific writing and use of the American
Psychological Association (APA) style. The Research Practicum portion of the
course provides an opportunity for students to carry out a research project
under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The course will culminate with both a
formal, written report and an oral presentation of your findings.
Key Questions: As this courses progresses, students will consider the following questions:
Teaching/Learning Experiences: This will be a task-oriented research course, based upon a central research project. The course will emphasize both the process of conducting research and the process of communicating that research to others. This course builds on the material presented last year in the OCTH 725 (Research Process) course, and will culminate in the production of both a research paper and an oral presentation by your group, summarizing your research findings. Weekly class meetings will follow a writer's workshop format that will include group meetings with the instructors. These will be scheduled during the normal class period and requires the group to bring their writing assignment for the week. The remainder of the class time will be spent in research groups for the next class period. Attendance of all group members is mandatory. Completion of edits and remedial assignments are mandatory.
Scheduling of research activities will be negotiated among group members, research mentors, and other associated individuals. Students will be required to meet with their research mentors and research group on a regular basis, with the frequency of meetings to be determined by the group and mentor together. These meetings are for the purpose of discussing research projects in enough detail so that students are prepared to read literature related to their research project, pursue the research, collect and analyze data, then report their findings in a formal research paper and an oral presentation.
The anticipated outcome of these experiences is production of an entry-level occupational therapist who is aware of the relation between good research and good practice, is capable of critical analysis of scientific and clinical research literatures, is aware of the need for problem identification, good research design and methodology, and the appropriate evaluation, interpretation, and presentation of research findings in a professional setting.
Required Texts/Materials:
(you may use the 8th, 9th, or 10th edition of this text)
You may also find this collection of web-based research resources to be helpful during this course.
Attendance Policy: Department policies state that students are expected to notify instructors of an absence before class begins and that prompt arrival is expected. Extended absences of three weeks or more requires withdrawal from semester coursework. Extended absences of less than three weeks requires that student assume responsibility for meeting with the instructor, plan a process to make up work and learning, and thoughtfully review and discuss appropriateness of return to the curriculum. Absence from a required weekly group meeting will constitute a mandatory reduction of one letter grade from the weekly assignment grade.
Disability: If you require an accommodation because of a disability in order to complete the course requirements you should contact the instructor or the Equal Opportunity / Disability Specialist (913-588-7813, TDD 913-588-7963) as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodations may be considered.
Performance Expectations/Evaluation Methods/Grading Scale: The grade earned in OCTH 790 will be based on (1) your completion of the Human Subjects Research Compliance tutorial and quiz, (2) a Conflict of Interest Disclosure, (3) the research paper, and 4) the oral presentation.
To receive a final grade for this course, each student will be required to provide a peer-review for all members of their research group (including themself!), submitted via ANGEL’s dropbox within 1 day following their group’s final oral presentation on OT Research Day.
Please note that learning assistance, academic performance enhancement, and psychological services at KUMC are free, confidential, and available at Student Counseling & Educational Support Services by calling 913-588-6580 or visiting G116 Student Center.
Assignments: The Course assignments are summarized on-line. All written assignments for this course should be double-spaced and printed in 12-point font. Please refer to the Assignments webpage for details. Course meetings follow a writer's workshop format, so all assignments are due upon their assigned date without extension. All incomplete writing assignments will receive a maximum grade of "D". Due to the vagaries of data collection and analysis, your research mentor may apply for an individual assignment extension on your behalf. This must be from your mentor, in an email or written format, and sent to the instructor(s) prior to the assignment due date.
|
KUMC
Human Subjects in Research tutorial & quiz |
No points, but completion of these materials is required before continuing with the course! |
|
Review the Prentiss-Hall tutorial "What is
Plagiarism" |
No points awarded, but you would be well-advised to learn about this topic now, before any problems arise! |
|
Concept map |
20 |
|
Literature search #1 |
30 |
|
Introduction |
30 |
|
Methods |
30 |
|
Literature Search #2 |
30 |
|
Data analysis |
30 |
|
Discussion |
30 |
|
Research paper |
200 points |
|
Oral presentation |
150 points |
|
Individual performance assessment |
50 points |
|
TOTAL |
600 possible points |
Final grades will be
assigned according to the following scale:
|
A |
90% or higher overall |
|
B |
80-89% overall |
|
C |
70-79% overall |
|
D |
65-69% overall |
|
F |
below 65% |
Academic and Professional Conduct: Students participating in this course are required to understand and comply with Federal and KUMC's institutional standards for conducting research. The initial course assignment will be to complete the IRB certification process.
We encourage all students to read the School of Allied Health's Student Handbook (link downloads a .pdf file) for policies regarding academic and non-academic misconduct. In addition, you will be required to observe any policies for professional conduct specific to the site(s) at which you may find yourself conducting research (e.g., school dress codes, etc.)
Professional Writing: Clear professional writing is an essential skill in professional practice. Developing skill in professional and technical writing is an important aspect of your learning within this curriculum. To support this learning each instructor will consider elements of language use in the grading of written communications, including appropriate content, style, word choice, syntax and mechanics. If you need help with your writing, please contact the Student Center at ext. 8-6580 or visit the KU writing center website: http://www.writing.ku.edu
Weather Policy: The
KU Medical Center's standard policy is to remain open for business as a medical
institution and as an academic institution in spite of weather conditions
(even though KU-Lawrence may not be having classes). You are responsible for
all material related to this course.
Early in the term, each research group also should clarify expectations with the research mentor as to conducting research in such situations, particularly if research subjects may be expecting to take part in a study on that day.
Course/Faculty Evaluations: Your feedback regarding this course and the instructors not only are essential for maintaining our NBCOT accreditation, but are a requirement of the Kansas Board of Regents, and also are important elements in developing future offerings of the course and improving our effectiveness as instructors. Please be pro-active and support our continued efforts to improve and refine this course by providing constructive criticism, as well as identifying aspects of the course you found particularly effective. Evaluations will be available on-line after spring break and until the start of finals week. You will be provided with instructions on how to access the evaluation materials. The summarized and de-identified information will be provided to the instructor once course grades have been submitted officially.
Student Responsibility: Any student who does not understand and/or accept the contents and terms of this syllabus must notify the instructors in writing within one week after receiving the syllabus.
For a schedule of class meeting times, topics to be covered, and assigned materials, please refer to the OCTH 790 course timetable.
NOTE: This electronic version of the course syllabus for OCTH 790 represents a binding contract between instructors and students, and may not be altered without express consent of the individuals concerned.
Information related to how this
course addresses ACOTE's Accreditation standards
(Jan 2008 revision).
End of OCTH 790 syllabus
Comments? Send e-mail to Jeff Radel
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