Syllabus
Master of Social Work
SSWO 504 – Action Research for Social Work Practice (Spring B 2024)
Credits - 3
Description
This course will build upon the knowledge, methods, and skills provided in the foundation research course. Students will continue to learn how to critically assess research from ethical, multicultural, and social inclusion perspectives particularly in the context of practice-based research and program evaluation. Students will explore the role action research can play in their future roles as social work practitioners. The content of this course heavily integrates other elements of the MSW curriculum.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
School of Social Work Program Outcomes:
Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:
- Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
- Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
- Engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
- Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engage in policy practice.
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the benefits and challenges of community driven Action Research. [EPAS Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice]
- Describe the ethical and methodological considerations in engaging in partnerships with diverse communities. [EPAS Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice]
- Identify the importance of both disseminating findings and translating those findings into action steps. [EPAS Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities]
- Explain how Action Research aligns with social work values and how it can be used in social work practice. [EPAS Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities]
Assignments
Discussions
Discussions are an important part of the learning process in this course. In typical weeks, students are expected to post an initial response to the weekly discussion questions by Saturday, adhering to the requirements outlined in the prompt and Discussion Rubric. Most discussion activities also require you to respond to a minimum of 2 classmates in meaningful and substantive ways.
Critical Self Reflection
In Week 2, you will write a 1–2 page reflection in response to an article titled “Challenging ourselves: Critical self-reflection on power and privilege.”
CITI Training and Reflection
In Week 3, you will complete an online “CITI training for Social & Behavioral Research Investigators.” You will follow up by writing a 1–2 page reflection on how the training covers, or does not cover, ethical issues central to CBPR.
Dedoose Thematic Analysis Assignment
Through Weeks 4 and 5, you and a group of classmates will conduct a thematic analysis on 3 short pieces of literature using Dedoose, an app for analyzing research data. You and your group members will compare coding reports generated by Dedoose. You will share the results of your comparison with the class.
CBPR Presentation and Discussion Facilitation
During Week 6, your group will create a presentation and write a scenario about a topic related to CBPR. You will share your work with the class. During Week 7 you will facilitate the discussion as peers respond to your work. This will help the class analyze differences in CBPR styles and their implications for research.
Grading Policy
The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Point Value | Percentage Value |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement | 1 point | 1% |
| Discussion Forums | 20 points (10 forums x 2 points each) | 20% |
| Week 2 Critical Self-Reflection | 15 points | 15% |
| Week 3: CITI Training and Reflective Paper | 15 points | 15% |
| Weeks 4 & 5 Dedoose Thematic Analysis Assignment | 24 points | 24% |
| Week 7 CBPR Presentation and Discussion Facilitation | 25 points | 25% |
| Total | 100 points | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course Dates:
Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on Wednesday through 11:59 PM ET on Tuesday, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. Unless otherwise specified, all discussion comments and assignments are due the last day of the week. Initial responses to discussion prompts are due by the end of Saturday unless otherwise noted.
Week 1: Mar 13 – Mar 19
Week 2: Mar 20 – Mar 26
Week 3: Mar 27 – Apr 2
Week 4: Apr 3 – Apr 9
Week 5: Apr 10 – Apr 16
Week 6: Apr 17 – Apr 23
Week 7: Apr 24 – Apr 30
Week 8: May 1 – May 5
Week 1: Historical & Theoretical Overview of Action Research: Grounding in CBPR
Discussions
- Introduce Yourself
- Doing CBPR [EPAS 9]
Assignment Overview:
- Review Future Course Assignments in syllabus and course
Week 2: Power, Trust, & Dialogue: Working with Diverse Communities / Partnership Considerations & Practices
Discussions
- Reactions to CCPH and/or CBPR Toolkit [EPAS 4]
- Discussing the definitions, principles and rationale for CBPR [EPAS 4]
Assignment
- Critical Self-Reflection [EPAS 4]
Week 3: CBPR & Ethical Issues
Discussions
- Research Partnership Scenario [EPAS 4]
Assignment
- CITI Training and Reflective Paper [EPAS 4]
Week 4: Review of qualitative research & Dedoose introduction
Discussion
- Observational Skills [EPAS 9]
Assignment
- Begin the Dedoose Thematic Analysis Assignment (facilitated by a group forum) [EPAS 9]
Week 5: Continuing your thematic analysis
Discussions
- Walk with Me [EPAS 9]
Assignment
- Complete Dedoose Thematic Analysis Assignment (facilitated by a full-class forum) [EPAS 9]
Week 6: Funding
Discussion
- Funding [EPAS 4]
Assignment
- Final Presentation: Post a group presentation, scenario, and guiding questions about your CPBR Topic to the full-class forum. [EPAS 4]
Week 7: Dissemination of CBPR findings
Discussion
- Dissemination [EPAS 4]
Assignments
- Facilitate the discussion as peers respond to your group’s final presentation and scenario. [EPAS 4]
Week 8: Wrap up and where do we go from here?
Discussion
- CBPR & Social Work [EPAS 4]
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Social Work page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Social Work Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/social-work/
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
Essential Academic and Technical Standards
Please review the essential academic and technical standards of the University of New England School Social Work (SSW): https://online.une.edu/social-work/academic-and-technical-standards-une-online-ssw/
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Confidentiality Statement
Student and faculty participation in this course will be governed by standards in the NASW Code of Ethics relating to confidentiality in sharing information from their placement sites and practice experiences. Students should be aware that personal information they choose to share in class, class assignments or conversations with faculty does not have the status of privileged information.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Attendance Policy
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.