Dr. Darwin Dennison

      HEA 359 Research Methods

 
   

Course Description

HEA 359 Research Methods is an online course offered during Spring Semesters only. (Prerequisite: HEA 355 encouraged.) The Reseach Methods course provides a technology-based course that prepares community health education students to evaluate health related research interventions, surveys, meta-analyses and descriptive studies. The class focuses upon the active involvement of the students in analyzing completed research studies and developing skills to plan and evaluate research. Continuing assessment will be conducted through the completion of weekly exercises, online quizzes and tests to determine the evidence of student's online effectiveness in locating, analyzing and understanding community health education research. Students will review the research literature in commuity health education and related areas and will be completing summaries of studies (SOS's) to become fluent in research related issues and methodology.

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Course Policies and Agreement

During the first two days of class you must respond via Blackboard email to attest that you have read the Course Policies and Agreement. You must send an email in Blackboard, a simple “OK,” that you agree to the following six (6) mandatory conditions of this class:

1. HARDWARE AND SKILLS. You must have access to a computer, preferably on a day-to-day basis, Pentium 3 or higher with DSL or cable Internet connections. When you logon to Blackboard please check to determine if your browser is ready for online use. If it is not ready, you must make it ready by completing the check list on your screen. If you have difficult please consult with tac@uncw.edu. You must allow pop-ups on your browser to successfully complete the course. If you have difficulty please consult with tac@uncw.edu.  You should also have JAVA installed on your computer... go to www.sun.com  to download the free version... you must have version 6. If you have difficulty, please consult tac@uncw.edu. It is helpful if you are comfortable with file management, uploading and downloading files, the Internet, and able to maintain adequate computer security. If you have questions regarding hardware and skills go to  http://www.uncw.edu/online/techreq.html and http://www.uncw.edu/itsd/students/onlinewebct.htm. If you have difficulties during the course contact tac@uncw.edu, phone 962-HELP (962-4357). Please indicate to the TAC consultant that you are taking a Blackboard course... provide the consultant with the course number and instructor. 

2. TESTS. You understand that there will be three (3) online tests... plus a few quizzes.  All tests are timed, that is, you must complete the test in 50-minutes from the time you log on. Each test is scheduled for one day… morning, afternoon, and evening, usually on Wednesdays, no exceptions. You can take the test any time within the scheduled period. The tests are electronic and tests that are past due can not be made up. Tests must be taken as an individual effort.

3. ASSIGNMENTS. All assignment files (Topics) must be electronically uploaded into Blackboard for full credit. Assignments sent via email in Blackboard or campus email do not receive credit. Late assignments do not receive credit. You understand that it is your responsibility to learn to download your assignments to your desktop and then upload your completed assignments into Blackboard, on time and complete, for full credit. There are no exceptions. Contact TAC if you have difficultly with file management issues with the assignments.  Posting assignments correctly with complete and accurate information on time is a determinant of your grade. All assignments are due on Tuesdays or Wednesdays as posted. New assignments are posted Thursday or Friday. When the time period is closed... it is done. If you wait until the last hour, over time you will have crashes, the site will be down, and/or other issues may cause you to submit your assignments late and you will lose points. Submitting early is to your advantage.

4. SERVER DOWN/DRIVE CRASHED. You understand that there are information technology issues that you must personally deal with and resolve to successfully complete the course including but not limited to server being down, or viruses / crashes destroying your work before it is uploaded into Blackboard. It is your responsibility to resolve any computer related issues so that your assignments/tests are submitted on time. You are advised not to wait until the deadline to submit your assignments, quizzes, or tests. If you wish to be safe from a technology standpoint, use UNCW microcomputer lab computers. Also please use UNCW information technology support (TAC or the Help Desk) to answer navigation, browser, file management, and server related issues.

5. PARTICIPATION. You understand that the course professor can view your participation statistics, that is, how much time you spent online. You understand that if you have an issue that prevents you from being online for more than 3-days, you must provide rationale or risk being dropped from the class. Each week there are assignments due and/or tests. These tasks must be electronically submitted on or before the due date for credit. Electronic assignments that are past due can not be made up.

6. EMAIL. The assignments and procedures in this online class are designed to be clear and precise. Please read all related material before sending your email. If the answer to your question is in an announcement or stated on the weekly learning module or assignment or topic, your question response will be to re-read these references. Please contact TAC@uncw.edu or  962-4357 if your question is regarding file management or navigating Blackboard. If you need to ask a question, you must use the Blackboard email system. In Blackboard, go to Mail, Create Message, then Browse for Recipients, select Darwin Dennison, enter message and select Send. Please Note: All emails must use complete sentences, correct grammar, and spelling or the emails will not be answered. You understand that replies may come at any time within 24-48 hours.

If you agree with these conditions, simply send me an email in Blackboard with an "OK" within 48 hours of the beginning date of the class OR within 48 hours of registering for the class. You will be dropped from the class if I do not receive your Blackboard email. And, I reserve the right to drop you from the class if you do not agree with or consistently do not follow any of these conditions.

*Based, in part, on Dr. Jennifer B. Summerville course material (UNCW).

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Performance Indicators

Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to:

1. Define language of research terms and conditions;
2. Review research and be able to classify the research into experimental, non experimental, qualitative, quantitative classifications;
3. List the major sampling procedures and issues;
4. State and define theories of measurement;
5. Locate research articles and identify the independent variable(s), dependent variable(s), population, sample, hypothesis, and research design;
6. Describe survey research and scaling, list qualitative and unobtrusive measures;
7. Plan, develop and design hypothetical research studies;
8. Name behavioral change theories and describe their underpinnings;
9. List and explain the differences among experimental designs;
10. List and explain the differences among quasi-experimental designs;
11. Evaluate and critique various data analysis procedures;
12. Review the literature and conduct summary of studies (SOS) in community health education;
13. Describe how research methodology can be implemented to improve the practice of health education.

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Course Outline

Introduction to Research Methods
Empirical Research
Experimental vs Nonexperimental
Experimental vs Causal-Comparison
Types of Nonexperimental
Variables in Nonexperimental
Variables in Experimental
Research Hypotheses, Purposes and Questions
Operational Definitions of Variables
Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research
Program Evaluation
Ethical Considerations in Research
The Role of Theory in Research

Reviewing Literature
Strategy for Reviewing Literature
Locating Literature Electronically
Organizing a Literature Review
Writing a Literature Review
Citing References

Sampling
Biased and Unbiased Sampling
Simple Random and Systematic Sampling
Stratified Random Sampling
Other Methods of Sampling
Introduction to Sample Size
A Closer Look at Sample Size

Measurement
Introduction to Validity
Judgmental Validity
Empirical Validity
Judgmental-Empirical Validity
Reliability and Its Relationship to Validity
Measurements of Reliability
Norm- and Criterion-Referenced Tests
Measures of Optimum Performance
Measures of Typical Performance

Experimental Design
True Experimental Design
Threats to Internal Validity
Threats in External Validity
Pre-Experimental Design
Quasi-Experimental Design

Meta Analysis
Introduction to Meta Analysis
Effect Size and Meta Analysis
Strengths and Weaknesses of Meta Analysis

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Required Text

Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials
5th Edition, Mildred L. Patten, Pyrczak Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-884585-64-7 (Pale green cover with black printing.)
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Basis for Grading

Scores on completed day-to-day topic exercises (2 points / class)
Completion of SOS's (5 points / SOS)
Points are taken off for incomplete or late assignments)
Scores on 3 multiple choice tests based upon class activity, assigned readings and research articles
Final grade is based on average score: 3 tests; each test is 25% of grade plus 25% for topic exercises and SOSs. Grading: A 93-100, A- 90-92, B+ 87-89, B 83-86, B- 80-82, C+ 77-79, C 73-76, C- 70-72, D+ 67-69, D 63-66, D- 60-62, F 0-59.

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Students with Disabilities

If you have a diagnosed disability (physical, learning or psychological) which will make it difficult for you to carry out the course work as outlined, please advise me during the first two weeks of the course so we may review possible arrangements for reasonable accommodations. You must also contact and register with the Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (ext. 3746) and obtain an Accommodation Letter.

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