Graduate Studies Reports Access
Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - MHS5746
Tracking Number - 2620
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Current Status:
Approved, Permanent Archive - 2012-01-20
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: To GC 11/3/11 for Bridge Cert. GC approved 11/14/11, to USF Syst 11/28/11, to SCNS 12/6/11. Appd effective 1/1/12
Detail Information
- Date & Time Submitted: 2011-09-13
- Department: Mental Health Law & Policy
- College: BC
- Budget Account Number: 582000050
- Contact Person: Paul Stiles
- Phone: 8139749349
- Email: stiles@usf.edu
- Prefix: MHS
- Number: 5746
- Full Title: Applied Quantitative Research Methods
- Credit Hours: 3
- Section Type: D -
Discussion (Primarily)
- Is the course title variable?: N
- Is a permit required for registration?: N
- Are the credit hours variable?: N
- Is this course repeatable?:
- If repeatable, how many times?: 0
- Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): App Quantitative Res Methods
- Course Online?: C -
Face-to-face (0% online)
- Percentage Online: 0
- Grading Option:
R - Regular
- Prerequisites: Because this is an advanced review course students should have completed an undergraduate research course and an introductory statistics class Students not meeting these requirements can seek permission of the instructor
- Corequisites: None
- Course Description: Reviews quantitative research methods while focusing on the application of such concepts in real research contexts preparing students to understand the nature assumptions processes and ethical application of quantitative methodology
- Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Needed for new program/concentration/certificate
- What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This course will be offered as part of the Department of Mental Health Law Policy BRIDGE Behavioral Research Immersion to Develop Graduate Excellence Graduate Certificate which is designed to prepare post baccalaureate students for successful admission to and completion of graduate research programs in the behavioral and community sciences This course is necessary given the tight sequencing of the format of this two semester graduate certificate Moreover a review of existing graduate courses available at the University of South Florida with a primary focus on quantitative research methods conducted though a search of the on line graduate course catalog revealed that no courses have the same applied focus of the currently proposed course Of the 12 existing courses found in the graduate catalog all either had prerequisites that would preclude enrollment by most of the targeted population of the program or focused on foundational or substantive quantitative analytics methods and not primarily applying those methods to real world behavioral research situations The proposed course also differs substantially from existing quantitative research method courses in that it is specifically designed for students in the BRIDGE program and who will concurrently be taking a mentored research experience Given this the course will have a heavy emphasis on assisting students to incorporate quantitative research methods into their research projects as well as applying them to other hypothetical studies In addition given the behavioral and social science focus of this certificate the course will have a heavy emphasis on the use of quantitative research methods in conducting behavioral and social research
- Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? No
- What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) Formal training in quantitative research methods, experience in the instruction of quantitative research methods, and experience conducting quantitative research and/or program evaluation.
- Objectives: The substantive objectives of the course are to provide students 1 a review of relevant substantive topics in quantitative methods 2 practical experience in applying knowledge of quantitative methods to actual problems and projects 3 opportunities to critically assess and discuss analytical approaches by other scholars through their published research 4 experiences to develop and maintain skills important in the appropriate application of quantitative methods 5 better appreciation of the ethical issues involved with the responsible conduct of behavioral research
- Learning Outcomes: Student Learning Objectives at the end of this course students will be able to 1 assess the appropriateness of various quantitative designs given particular research problems 2 demonstrate practical skills necessary for engagement in quantitative inquiry 3 understand ways of measuring concepts and collecting quantitative data for behavioral research 4 better interpret quantitative research findings and be an critical consumer of research literature 5 discuss the ethical issues involved with the responsible conduct of behavioral research
- Major Topics: Description below organized as TOPIC Lab focus 1 Course Introduction Intro to Artic Crit PBL journaling approaches 2 Foundations Scientific Method and Problem Statements PBL What is science What s the question exercise 3 Sampling and Recruitment Sampling Exercise PBL Recruitment strategies 4 Measurement Measurement Exercise 1 5 Research Design Measurement Exercise 2 6 Data Collection Survey Research Websurveys using Surveymonkey qualtrics 7 Data Collection Administrative Data PSRDC Michigan Using admin data exercise 8 Research Ethics Overview IRB Applications mock IRB 9 Research Ethics Skloot Book Radiolab etc Consent exercise 10 Analysis descriptive correlations SPSS indiv descriptive correlations raters 11 Analysis inferential SPSS indiv multivariate regression 12 Analysis overview Picking the right test exercise 13 Evaluation vs Research PBL grp develop eval appr for prob grp wrk today but indiv product due
- Textbooks:
- Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: There are 3 types of required readings 1 one book that should be purchased 2 materials freely available on the internet accessible via a web browser and 3 copyrighted readings on reserve in the library also available via purchase at ProCopy 1 Required book that should be purchased before the start of the class a Skloot R 2010 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks New York Crown Publishing Group Random House Available at the USF bookstore or other booksellers like Amazon com Hardcover edition about 15 00 and Kindle or softcover editions about 10 00 2 Freely accessible required readings For the primary substantive research methods content and readings this course will primarily use William Trochims online Research Methods Knowledge base but others are used as well Links are provided when the reading is assigned below It is expected that students will read the materials for each class before the class session The full citation for the free version of Dr Trochim s online materials is a Trochim William M The Research Methods Knowledge Base 2nd Edition Internet WWW page at URL version current as of October 20 2006 A requirement of the use of the free version is that the in exchange for allowing no cost use of this site in courses on the web Atomic Dog Publishing reserves the right to contact course users to discuss their experience or the potential for subsequent adoption of the proprietary published web and book versions 3 Reserve Readings Additional readings will be added from the current published literature The articles readings will be either available through purchase at ProCopy Fowler Avenue or via checkout at the USF Library Reserve Desk
- Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: SUMMARY 10 Class attendance and participation 20 Research Journals including article critiques 20 Lab Assignments 15 Book Review 20 End term Exam 15 Project Proposal DETAILED DERSCRIPTION AND GRADING POLICY 1 Class attendance and participation 10 Students are expected to attend class to have read the assigned readings for each class and to actively participate in class discussions including the group discussions and exercises If you will need to miss a class e g religious observance or sickness you are expected to contact the instructor preferably through e mail before the class session 2 Research Journals including article critiques 20 For this course you will create and contribute regularly at least weekly to an online research journal sometimes called research notebook via Blackboard that 1 records your thoughts about various concepts discussed and learned 2 documents responses to specific reading reflection questions and 3 provides a platform for submitting article critiques More detailed information about the research journal including the grading rubric will be distributed in the first class and will be available on Blackboard 3 Lab Assignments 20 This course is designed to provide hands on research experiences through various lab and outside class exercises and projects Active participation is critical to successfully completing the lab activities 4 Book Review 15 The history of research with human subjects is replete with ethical dilemmas and controversies To develop a deeper knowledge about some of these ethical concerns particularly when vulnerable people are involved we will be reading and discussing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and you will be writing a book review that outlines and critically analyzes the ethical issues raised by the book Your review is due on xxxxxx 3 2012 at 12 00noon uploaded via Blackboard should be focused on the book and should be about 3 pages long 500 800 words A detailed handout about this assignment will be distributed in class and posted to Blackboard 5 End term Exam 20 There will be an end term examination that will count 20 percent of the course grade and will cover substantive course materials e g readings and lecture discussion covered over the entire course 6 Project proposal 15 During week 13 a PBL problem statement will be distributed to students They will have time during week 13 class and all of week 15 class to research discuss and start drafting a proposed evaluation to address the problem posed While students can work together to research and discuss the proposal they will each need to submit their proposal via Blackboard individually during final exams week More information guidelines on this proposal will be distributed during week 13 7 Based on the preceding percentages grading will be on a 100 point scale with the following ranges Grading Rubric Points of 100 A 97 up to 100 A 92 up to 96 9 A 90 up to 91 9 B 87 up to 89 9 B 82 up to 86 9 B 80 up to 81 9 C 77 up to 79 9 C 72 up to 76 9 C 70 up to 71 9 D 67 up to 69 9 D 62 up to 66 9 D 60 up to 61 9 F
- Assignments, Exams and Tests: See section V immediately above
- Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting Policy for Graduate Students For structured courses 6000 and above the College Campus Dean will set the first day class attendance requirement Check with the College for specific information This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories Educational Outreach Open University TV FEEDS Program Community Experiential Learning CEL Cooperative Education Training and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days times such as directed reading research or study individual research thesis dissertation internship practica etc Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty See USF Regulation Registration 4 0101 http usfweb2 usf edu usfgc ogc 20web currentreg htm Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students In accordance with Sections 1006 53 and 1001 74 10 g Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C 6 0115 the University of South Florida University USF has established the following policy regarding religious observances http usfweb2 usf edu usfgc gc pp acadaf gc10 045 htm In the event of an emergency it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations During this time USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to Blackboard Elluminate Skype and email messaging and or an alternate schedule It s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication and the main USF College and department websites emails and MoBull messages for important general information
- Policy on Make-up Work: See Incomplete Grade Policy in section V above
- Program This Course Supports: Course is part of the BRIDGE (Behavioral Research Immersion to Develop Graduate Excellence) Graduate Certificate Program, which is designed to prepare students for successful admission to graduate research programs.
- Course Concurrence Information: Public Health (Health), Psychology (Arts and Sciences), and all programs in the College of behavioral and COmmunity Sciences.
- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.