Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSWO 504 – Social Work Research II — Spring B 2019

Credits - 3

Description

Research II (SSWO 504) builds upon the knowledge, methods, and skills provided in Research I. Students will continue to learn how to critically assess research from ethical, multicultural, and social justice perspectives particularly in the context of agency-based research and program evaluation. Students will conduct a research evaluation project. This includes 1) formulating a question, 2) designing and implementing a study, and 3) interpreting and presenting the study findings. An expectation is for students to collaborate with their field placement instructors, employers, or a community group with the aim of improving individual or community health (using the WHO definition).

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:

1. Practice social inclusion to enable people, populations, and communities to fully participate in society, enhance human bonds in the context of cultural diversity and ensure improved quality of life and equitable resource distribution. EPAS Competencies 2 & 3
2. Engage in culturally-informed relationship building, being respectful of the complexity and diversity of contexts and circumstances. EPAS Competencies 3 & 6
3. Utilize theories of human behavior, social systems and social inclusion when offering interventions with people and their environments. EPAS Competency 8
4. Promote ethical reflection, critical consciousness and shared decision-making based in social work values and with consideration of the broader contexts of the world in which we live. EPAS Competency 1
5. Balance the roles of helpers, activists, and advocates through collaboration with communities to build healthy and sustainable resources. EPAS Competencies 2, 5, & 6
6. Engage as critical consumers and producers of research as it relates to assessment, intervention and evaluation of clinical and community practices. EPAS Competencies 4, 7, 8 & 9
7. Practice person-centered and collaborative community partnerships across diverse settings. EPAS Competency 6

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Develop a research design appropriate to the student’s research question. PROGRAM OUTCOME 6. As measured by 1) DISCUSSION FORUMS and 2) FINAL COURSE ACTIVITY PAPER.
2. Ethically and rigorously implement research design. PROGRAM OUTCOMES 4 & 6. As measured by 1) RESULTS CHAPTER 2) FINAL COURSE ACTIVITY PAPER and 3) DISCUSSION FORUM.
3. Analyze data using SPSS or other statistical software. PROGRAM OUTCOME 6. As measured by 1) SPSS PRACTICAL EXERCISES and 2) RESULTS CHAPTER.
4. Explain the importance of disseminating research findings and translating findings into action steps to address individual and community concerns. PROGRAM OUTCOMES 3 & 6. As measured by 1) DISCUSSION FORUMS and 2) WEEKLY REFLECTIVE JOURNALS.
5. Explain how research and program evaluation informs and transforms social work practice. PROGRAM OUTCOME 6. As measured by DISCUSSION FORUMS, 2) WEEKLY REFLECTIVE JOURNALS, and 3) FINAL COURSE ACTIVITY PAPER.

Assignments

The following assignments will be graded:

• Discussions: Initial posts to discussion forums (both group and individual) are due by the close of Friday and responses to others in the forums are due by the close of Tuesday (except in week 8).
  • Whole Class Discussion Forums: Provides the opportunity to present writing skills at the graduate and professional level, demonstrating the application of research concepts and skills. (graded)
  • Small Group Discussion Forums: Provides a social gathering place for a small group to discuss broader concepts in the field of social work and research. The group forum experiences are designed to be engaging, lively, and serve as a place to practice professional conversation with colleagues/peers. (graded)
• Written Assignments: There are two written paper major assignments due in this course; the Results chapter in week 6 and the Final Course Activity Paper in week 8. (graded)
• SPSS Activities: There are 5 assignments due in this course that are solely focused on SPSS operation and quantitative data analysis. (graded)
• Weekly Journal Entry: The weekly journal entry offers a place to write reflectively about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the course on a weekly basis. (graded)
• Supplemental Instruction: Offers free, weekly live lecture and demonstrations of topics related to the weekly course content mostly focusing on statistics and analysis of data. Supplemental Instruction resources can be found in the SI Resources link on the left navigation menu in Blackboard. (ungraded)

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