Syllabus

Course Description

Practicum 1 provides the opportunity for students to relate their learning to field based experiences. This course synthesizes theory and practice. The practicum is planned cooperatively with the professor and through conference calls with a designated school administrator. The practicum will outline a plan for future study.

Objectives

The student will:

• Identify a problem in the educational setting.
• Apply the problem solving process to the project problem.
• Target data illustrating the problem exists.
• Investigate causes of the problem.
• Develop a problem statement.
• Investigate through research possible solutions to the problem.
• Select a solution strategy for the problem.
• Define objectives for the strategy.
• Outline an evaluation plan.
• Understand Institutional Review Process.
• Submit Practicum Proposal.

Curriculum Design

Practicum I is a forty-five hour, 3 credit graduate course. The extent of involvement of the student's administrator is through phone conferences and e-mails with the professor and student where applicable. Documentation of student contact with the administrator will be through notarized papers from the administrator and the student.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

Text: How to Evaluate Research in Education by Jack R. Fraenkel and Norman E. Wallen, published by McGraw Hill, 6th Ed.

Course Outline

Module One: Defining the Problem

Contents:

• "What is" and "what should be" as parameters.
• Writing the problem statement.
• Looking at data to determine the problem.
• Discovery of the real problem.
• Do other problems exist?

Module Two: Identification of the Target Group

Contents:

• Students, parents, and community as target groups for change in relation to the problem.
• Reality check: what can really change?
• Collection of data for the target group: informal vs. formal.
• Background setting for the target group.

Module Three: What have others done?

Contents:

• Research linked to what others have done related to the problem.
• Similar and dis-similar demographics.
• Success and failure of solutions.
• Targeting solutions.
• Selection of solutions.

Module Four: Writing Objectives

Contents:

• Measurable terms of objectives.
• Examples of terms.
• Evaluation of objectives.
• Ways to develop and validate data collection instruments: Questionnaires, surveys, test results, office reports, etc.
• The function of the IRB committee.
• Sample questionnaire development.

Module Five: Planning the Solution Strategy

Contents:

• Does the solution match the objectives?
• Matching the solution to the problem, a quick check.
• Outlining the plan.
• Targeting Implementation. 

Module Six: Evaluation

Contents:

• Does the evaluation match the objectives?
• Include instruments for all members of the target group.
• Sample evaluations.
• Data collections questions.
• Validation of instruments as appropriate.

Module Seven: APA Style

Contents:

• Guidelines for APA writing.
• References.
• Charts, graphs.
• Sample writings.
• Practice the style.

Module Eight: Q and A on the Problem

Contents:

• Individual student concerns.
• Posting of general concerns and questions.
• Developing the draft.

Module Nine: Conference With Administrator

Contents:

• Individual guidelines will be followed with the course professor on the module.

Module Ten: Research Proposal

Contents:

• Preparation of the Practicum Proposal.
• Draft questions and review.
• Assigning mentor as needed.
• Posting of sample works.
• Submission of proposal and follow up paperwork.

Module Eleven: Research Approvals & Consents

Contents:

• On completion of this module, students will be able to request from site administrator, approval for consent to conduct study, in addition to requesting IRB approval.

Course Requirements:

Students are to:

1. Students are to complete all module reflection assignments and forum posting. 30 points
2. Students are to contact a site administrator and submit appropriate paperwork to the course professor regarding their site administrator.  110 points.
3. Students are to maintain a log of all activities completed for the Practicum 1 assignments and responsibilities..  27 points.
4. Students are to submit the Practicum 1 Proposal to the course professor. Up to 28 points (based on rubric score).

Grades
195-182 - A
182-166 - B
165-150 - C

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Bibliography

Brown, K. J. (2002, January). 'One Bite at a Time': Intervention Practices in Utah Districts Strengthen Reading Teachers and Improve Student Literacy. School Administrator, 59, 24+.

Burant, T. J. (1999). Finding, Using, and Losing(?) Voice: A Preservice Teacher's Experiences in an Urban Educative Practicum. Journal of Teacher Education, 50(3), 209.

Carr, K. C. (2003). Today's Reading Clinic: How Relevant Is the Graduate Reading Practicum? A Researcher Evaluates the Effectiveness of a Graduate-Level Clinical Practicum and Finds Positive Results. The Reading Teacher, 57(3), 256+.

Chapman, B. S. (1999). Praxis: An Adult Education Practicum. Adult Learning, 11(1), 14.

Fitch, T. J., Canada, R., & Marshall, J. L. (2001). The Exposure of Counseling Practicum Students to Humanistic Counseling Theories: A Survey of CACREP Programs. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 40(2), 232+.

Fitch, T. J., & Marshall, J. L. (2002). Using Cognitive Interventions with Counseling Practicum Students during Group Supervision. Counselor Education and Supervision, 41(4), 335+.

Fraenkel, J. R..(2001) and Wallen, N.E. (2001). Education research: A guide to the process. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Franenkel, J. (2006) and Wallen, N. (2006). How to design and Evaluate Research in Education (6th ed). Boston, MA:McGraw-Hill.

Glanz, Jeffery. (2003). Action research: an educational leader’s guide to school improvement (2nd ed).. Norwood, MA.:Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.

Glenwick, D. S., & Busch-Rossnagel, N. A. (1993). Co-Teaching a Joint Graduate Practicum in Community and Applied Developmental Psychology. Teaching of Psychology , 20(3), 141-143.

Graf, N. M., & Stebnicki, M. A. (2002). Using E-Mail for Clinical Supervision in Practicum: A Qualitative Analysis. The Journal of Rehabilitation, 68(3), 41+.

Grossman, B. (2005). Maria Berg-Weger and Julie Birkenmeyer, the Practicum Companion for Social Work: Integrating Class and Field Work. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 32(1), 162+.

Haigh, M., & Ward, G. (2004). Problematising Practicum Relationships: Questioning the 'Taken for Granted'. Australian Journal of Education, 48(2), 134+.

Huinker, D., & Freckmann, J. L. (2004, March). Focusing Conversations to Promote Teacher Thinking. Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 352+.

James, L. E., & Watson, S. B. (2001). The Effects of Participating in an Elementary Science Practicum on Classroom Practice. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 13(1), 43+.

Ortlipp, M. (2003). Assessment of the Early Childhood Practicum: What Can We Learn from Tertiary Supervisors' Silences?. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 28(4), 29+.

Panos, P. T., Panos, A., Cox, S. E., Roby, J. L., & Matheson, K. W. (2002). Ethical Issues concerning the Use of Videoconferencing to Supervise International Social Work Field Practicum Students. Journal of Social Work Education, 38(3), 421+.

Ralph, E. G. (1999). Oral-Questioning Skills of Novice Teachers: . Any Questions. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 26(4), 286.

Regehr, C., Regehr, G., Leeson, J., & Fusco, L. (2002). Setting Priorities for Learning in the Field Practicum: A Comparative Study of Students and Field Instructors. Journal of Social Work Education, 38(1), 55+.

Stier, K. W. (2001). Updating Course Content and Instruction through a Practicum Experience. The Technology Teacher, 61(1), 27.  

Teacher Education University reserves the right to adjust and adapt this syllabus as necessary.