Syllabus

Master of Science in Health Informatics

HIN 785 — Health Informatics Capstone – Fall AB 2020

Credits - 6

Description

This course begins the 16-week capstone experience in Health Informatics by providing students the opportunity to implement what they have learned through the examination of trends, technologies, and opportunities facing the field. Examining cutting-edge developments in the science and practice of informatics will provide students with a broader understanding of where health informatics may be heading, as well as the challenges facing the field. Students will write a review of the literature pertaining to aspects of their practicum experience in the context of shrinking the research-practice gap. Additionally, at the end of the course, students will describe their practicum journey and future plans via an ignite presentation. 6.000 Credit hours

Materials

All materials for this course will be online. There is nothing to purchase.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Course Outcomes:

Upon the successful completion of HIN 785, students will be able to:

  • Find and evaluate peer-reviewed research articles.
  • Distinguish the difference between concerns in research and concerns in practice.
  • Develop a research paper that integrates practical experience with literature review findings.
  • Analyze the interpersonal structure of a workplace 
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the interpersonal structure
  • Produce a professional presentation synthesized from a practical or project experience
  • Develop a career-oriented professional profile

 

Assignments

Please note that all times in the syllabus and in Blackboard refer to Eastern Time. The discussion board will open at the start of the week due for submissions.

Discussion Board Posts — There are 5 graded discussion boards that address the topic of the corresponding week. These assignments will assess your ability to clearly and accurately apply concepts from your readings and from your own experiences. You are expected to submit an initial post and comment on at least 2 other students’ posts. You need to follow APA guidelines for citing any sources you may reference in either your initial post or your response to others. Refer to the Discussion Rubric and discussion question for submission guidelines.

Please be sure to follow the individual directions provided with each Discussion Board Prompt, as the requirements may vary from Discussion Board to Discussion Board.

Initial post: You should submit your initial post by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Your initial post should be approximately 500 words.

Response to others: You should comment on at least 2 other students’ posts by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Your comments to others should be thorough, thoughtful, and they should offer some new content. Do not merely respond with “I agree” or “I disagree.” Engage directly with the ideas of your classmates and briefly mention which part of the post you are responding to.

Professional Resume – You will create a formal resume that will be submitted in the last week of class. A preliminary draft version will be submitted in week 14 for feedback from the instructor. Refer to the Resume Rubric and assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines.

Key Assignments

There are four key assignments in this course.

Journal and Quarterly Reports

After 30, 60, 90, and 120 hours of your practicum or project work, you will submit a reflective journal entry and a quarterly report form. In the journal entry describe and reflect on your experience within the hosting organization or working on your project. The quarterly report serves as a snapshot of how well you are doing compared to the proposed project plan timeline. See the Journal and Quarterly Report Rubrics and assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines.

Literature Review Paper

You will write a review of the literature paper addressing a specific problem related to your practicum or project experience. You will write a 10-15 page paper using APA Style formatting and citations. Throughout this course, you will complete and submit parts of your paper for grading and feedback before the final version which is due in week 13. The assignments you will submit in support of the Literature Review Paper include:

Research Question, Preliminary Search Terms and Count of Returned Citations – Articulate a research question specific to a problem and related to your practicum or project experience. Specify your search terms, select bibliographic databases, and conduct your preliminary search of peer-reviewed literature.  Due in week 2. Refer to the Research Question, Preliminary Search Terms and Count of Returned Citations Rubric and assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines.

Refined Search Terms – Refine your search terms and databases to collect more targeted peer-reviewed literature and provide an opportunity to revise your research question, if needed. Due in week 4. Refer to the Refined Search Terms Rubric and assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines.

Literature Review Matrix – Download the Excel Literature Review matrix spreadsheet. Document each study/article from your library search you plan to review as part of your paper. Follow the directions included on the spreadsheet. Be sure to include an APA formatted citation for each study/article. Refer to the Literature Review Matrix rubric and assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines. Due in week 4.

Annotated Bibliography and Citation List – This assignment has two parts. Part one of the assignment is to provide an APA formatted list of ten citations for the studies/articles you plan to review as part of your paper. Part two of the assignment is to write an analytical Annotated Bibliography for five of those articles. Due in week 4. Refer to the Annotated Bibliography and Citation List Rubric and assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines.

Introduction, Background and Significance, Methods, and Results Section Drafts – Everyone has their own way to write a paper. Some people write sequentially, from the beginning to the end, while others write from the middle outward. In weeks 5, 7, and 9, you will write the introduction, methods, and results sections of your literature review. You may choose where you want to start writing (beginning or middle), the only requirement is that one section of the paper must be submitted for each week.

If you are a “middle-out” writer, you might submit the methods section in week 5, the results section in week 7, and finish with the introduction in week 9. Top-down writers will submit the introduction in week 5, methods in week 7, and results in week 9. Refer to the assignment prompts in the course and rubrics for submission details.

Discussion and Conclusion Section Draft – Everyone will submit the discussion and conclusion sections of the literature review in week 11. Refer to the assignment prompt in the course and rubric for submission details.

Final Literature Review Paper – Revise your paper based on the feedback received on prior submissions and assemble the sections into a complete, polished final version in week 13. Refer to the assignment prompt in the course and rubric for submission details.

Practicum or Project Deliverable

In week 15, you will submit the project deliverable you defined as part of your planning document for either the practicum or project. You created this document prior to registering for this course and received approval for the project from your Preceptor or advisor and the Practicum Coordinator. The final project deliverable is an artifact that is representative of your work at the practicum site or on your project. You may need to talk with your instructor first for more explicit instructions on how to submit your artifact. Refer to the Practicum or Project Deliverable Rubric and assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines.

Ignite Presentation

In week 15, you will give a live Ignite presentation to your instructor and other members of the class about your practicum or project. An Ignite presentation is 5 minutes long and comprised of 20 slides, with slides changing every 15 seconds. Refer to the Ignite Presentation Rubric and the assignment instructions in the course for submission guidelines.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assessment ItemPossible PointsPercent of Total Grade
Discussion Posts (5 total)10 points (2 points each)10%
Journal Entries and Quarterly Reports8 (2 points each)8%
Research Question, Preliminary Search Terms, and Returned Citation Count 55%
Refined Search Terms11%
Literature Review Matrix11%
Annotated Bibliography22%
Introduction, Background & Significance55%
Methods Section Draft55%
Results Section Draft55%
Discussion and Conclusion Section Draft55%
Final Literature Review Paper2020%
Resume (rough draft)22%
Practicum Deliverable1212%
Ignite Presentation1212%
Resume (final)77%
Total100100%

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

Remember, this course schedule runs on the odd-numbered weeks. Each week starts on Wednesday at 12:00 am Eastern Time (ET) and closes on Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET. All assignments must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the due date. 

Course Schedule-at-a-Glance

Learning Modules Topics Assignments Due
Practicum and Project Experience Reflection and Project Plan Journal and Quarterly Reporting – After 30, 60, 90, and 120 hours of your practicum or project

Week 1

8/26 – 9/2

Workplace Expectations Discussion – Initial post due by Sunday, responses by Wednesday

Week 2

9/2 – 9/9

Introduction to Literature Reviews

Research Question, Preliminary Search Terms, and Returned Citation Count due Wednesday 

Week 3

9/9 – 9/16

Navigating the Research Paper  No assignment submissions

Week 4

9/16 – 9/23

Refining the Literature Search 

Refined Search Terms due Wednesday

Literature Review Matrix due Wednesday

Annotated Bibliography due Wednesday

Week 5

9/23 – 9/30

Writing the Introduction, Background and Significance, Methods, or Results Section

Submit one of these section drafts:

Introduction, Background & Significance Section Draft or

Methods Section Draft  or

Results Section Draft

due Wednesday

Week 6

9/30 – 10/7

Leadership/Mentoring in the Workplace

Discussion – Initial post due by Sunday, responses by Wednesday

Week 7

10/7 – 10/14

Continue Writing the Introduction, Background and Significance, Methods, or Results Section

Submit one of these section drafts:

Introduction, Background & Significance Section Draft or

Methods Section Draft  or

Results Section Draft

due Wednesday

Week  8

10/14 – 10/21

Teams and Teamwork Discussion – Initial post due by Sunday, responses by Wednesday

Week  9
10/21 – 10/28

Finish the Introduction, Background and Significance, Methods, or Results Section

Submit one of these section drafts:

Introduction, Background & Significance Section Draft or

Methods Section Draft  or

Results Section Draft

 due Wednesday

Week  10

10/28 – 11/4

Toxic Workplace Discussion – Initial post due by Sunday, responses by Wednesday

Week 11

11/4 – 11/11

Writing the Discussion and Conclusion Discussion and Conclusion Sections Draft due Wednesday

Week 12

11/11 – 11/18

Ignite presentation requirements Ungraded Discussion

Week 13

11/18 – 11/25

Putting it all Together Final Literature Review Paper due Wednesday

Week 14

11/25 – 12/2

Resume Writing Resume Draft  due Wednesday

Week 15

12/2 – 12/9

Ignite Presentation and Project Deliverable

Deliver Live Ignite Presentation – To be scheduled

Ignite Presentation Script and Slides due Wednesday

Practicum or Project Deliverable due Wednesday

Week 16
12/9 – 12/13

Social Network Footprint

Discussion – Initial post due by Friday, responses by Sunday

Resume Final Version due Sunday

 

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 Health Informatics page

APA Style Guide

UNE Libraries:

UNE Student Academic Success Center

The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:

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.

Policies

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

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 Turnitin Student quick start guide.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Attendance Policy

Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.

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.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student 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:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. 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.