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.
Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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:
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 | 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 |
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 1 – Mar 7
Week 2: Mar 8 – Mar 14
Week 3: Mar 15 – Mar 21
Week 4: Mar 22 – Mar 28
Week 5: Mar 29 – Apr 4
Week 6: Apr 5 – Apr 11
Week 7: Apr 12 – Apr 18
Week 8: Apr 19 – Apr 23 (short week)
Discussions
Assignment Overview:
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
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
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.
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/
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.