Third Action Research Course 652

Faculty: Margaret Riel, (mriel@pepperdine.edu)

Synchronous meeting day and times: Weekly Tuesday, Time determined by Learning Circle

Asynchronous meeting space: Courses (Sakai)

ELT 652 Course Overview:

This is the third course of in a 4-part sequence which is the heart of your work in the program. This graduate program revolves around your action research, all of your classes, your readings, and your different learning communities are designed to help you develop your action research. In this part of the the Action Research course you will begin or continue your process of doing action research, a form of self-reflective systematic inquiry directed by you on your own practice.

Goals of action research include:

• The improvement of your practice-- the knowledge of how your actions affect others
• A better understanding of your practice, the way people relate to one another
• A deeper awareness of how changes in your actions changes your community
• An improvement in the community in which your practice is embedded.

The Overall Plan

Discover (Summer 1)

• Understand action research in relationship to other forms of research
• Explore values and research ethics in the workplaces
• Conduct inquiry in their workplace with the explicit goal of improving their practice.
• Develop a logic model of change

Understand (Fall)

• Develop personal reflective knowledge through problem finding
• Develop observational and ethnographic skills
• Contextualize a problem in the workplace and in the literature
• Learn how to structure and develop a review of literature
• Formulate a plan for solving the problem and begin implementing it

Apply (Spring) •

• Implement the plan in a series of progressive problem solving in cycles
• Learn how to collect and analyze data
• Understand workplace dynamics through systematic inquiry into change
• build knowledge through sharing findings and methods with other action researchers.

Leverage (Summer II)

• Reflect on how to extend the reach of their ideas to different contexts
• Lead from different positions with the reach of technology
• Present their findings a conference format in June the week before graduation.

Student Learning Outcomes for Spring:

LEARN: Understand methods of data collection and analysis directed at understanding how actions affect your community of practice

DESIGN: Complete two or more cycles of action research in your workplace

FORM: Identify how actions shape identity and how change transforms communities

PERFORM: Share action research cycles reports in electronic portfolios

Your Action Research Website

You all have a home for your action research. You will be revising work as we go along. Please move any files you use into your action research folder. You may at some point be asked to move your action research folder to a place to share your work with future cadres of students in MALT. So making it independent of the rest of your site now, will save time later. It is ok to have duplicates of graphics. If you don't understand what I mean we can talk about it at the midpoint meeting. Remember to ask me.

The site will evolve with your work. By the END of this semester you should have the following on your websites. I have noted the parts that come from the Summer and Fall semester as well.

1. A description of the problem that you are researching with action (650 and 651)
2. A detailed description of the field of action (the context)(650 and 652)
3. A well developed review of literature as part of a planning process (651)
4. The Action Research Question(s) (651)
5. A plan and timeline for your research (651 and 652)
6. 2 or more Cycles reports (652)
7. References

And you will continue to develop your:

1. Action Research Journal (Blog) which the data collection for your reflection
2. Analysis of your field of action (Logic Model)
3. Literature Review (adding evidence or claims and evidence as you read)

University Policies

MAINTAINING COPIES OF ASSIGNED COURSE WORK FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION: The Graduate School of Education and Psychology evaluates its programs on an ongoing basis. The data from such evaluations provide us with information to help improve the quality of the educational experience we provide our students. In addition, the data are used by our accrediting bodies, such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). California Council on Teacher Credentials, and the American Psychological Association (APA), to make decisions as to whether we can maintain our accredited status with these respective associations. To this end, we may archive copies of the papers, examinations, exercises, etc. that students complete as part of their required course work so that we can track if students appearto be meeting the objectives of the program in which they are enrolled. Names will be that your course work not be archived for evaluation purposes, please let me know immediately so that I can make such a notation in the files I keep for each student who enrolls in my courses. You have writing help from Pepperdine by contacting the writing support center - http://services.pepperdine.edu/gsep/writing/

CODE OF CONDUCT: The Graduate School of Education and Psychology strives to create a learning environment which is respectful of the rights and dignity of all members our learning community. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a collegial, respectful, and professional manner while participating in all activities associated > with this course. Students are expected to exhibit behaviors and attitudes consistent with appropriate ethical-legal standards, and to refrain from any fraudulent, dishonest, or harmful behaviors such as plagiarism, cheating, or harassment, which compromise the integrity of the academic standards of the university and/or impact the safety and security of fellow students, staff, and faculty. Failure to comply with appropriate standards of conduct may result in a grade of “F” in the course and dismissal from the program.

RESPECTFUL DISCOURSE: The Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology values and respects the perspectives and diversity of our students in regard to ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, age, and ability status. Thus, it is critical that classroom discussions

include respectful dialogue about any issue that impacts the lives of our students, and the

individuals, families, and communities that our students serve.

PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is commonly understood in the academic community to involve taking the ideas or words of another and passing them off as one’s own. When paraphrasing or quoting an author directly, one must credit the source appropriately. Plagiarism is not tolerated at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

DISABILITY STATEMENT: Any student with a documented disability (physical, learning, or psychological) needing academic accommodations should contact the Disability Services Office (Malibu Campus, Tyler Campus Center 225, 310.506.6500) as early in the semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please visit http://www.pepperdine.edu/disabilityservices/ for additional information.