EDL 725
Introduction to Dissertation Studies II—SPRING 2017
Hybrid Delivery
Western Illinois University
Lora L. Wolff, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Educational Studies
Educational Leadership Programs
Room 115D
Macomb Campus
Work: (309) 298-1776 (Least effective contact method)
Cell: (319) 670-8717 (before 9 p.m.)
Home: (319) 524-8184 (before 9 p.m.)
E-mail: [email protected]
Tentatively--Wednesdays 2-4 p.m.; Thursdays 9-11
p.m.
Online Office Hours: I will check online
communications at least once daily including the
weekends.
Additional Office Hours: The weekends that I teach
classes my office hours will include one hour before
each Saturday and Sunday class session and one hour
after each Saturday and Sunday session (substituted
for Thursday office hours).
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
This courses focuses on the development of a well-defined review of the literature (Chapter 2) for the
student’s dissertation prospectus. Topics include finding, reviewing, analyzing, synthesizing, and
organizing the literature along with writing, editing, and revising skills.
PREREQUISITE
Admission to the doctoral program in Educational Leadership or permission of instructor.
ADDITIONAL COURSE COMPONENTS
Students will be assigned their dissertation chair during this course. Note: EDL 682, EDL 701, EIS 702, and
EDL 715 must be completed prior to being assigned a chair along with having taken your comprehensive
exams. Students will conference with their chair about their research at least once during the course (it
would be of benefit to conference with the chair more often). Students will be responsible for initiating the
contact with their once notified by Dr. Halverson.
Time will also be spent reviewing and revising Chapter 3 (Methodology) and planning Chapter 1
(Introduction).
An emphasis will be placed on writing at the doctoral level and APA style.
COURSE DELIVERY MODEL
The course will be delivered using a hybrid format: 25% face-to-face via video-conferencing and 75%
online.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 1
COURSE MEETING DATES
First Class Meeting (Face-to-Face via video-conferencing): Saturday, January 28 (9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. with no
lunch break*)
Student Conference with Lora: Between February 1 – March 15
Student Conference with Chair: Between February 15 – April 29
Final Class Meeting (Face-to-Face via video-conferencing): Sunday, March 26 (9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. with no
lunch break*)
* Students may bring their lunch or order in.
Conferences: To expedite students’ work on their review of literature two conferences will be held.
• Conference 1 with Lora will occur between February 1 – March 15. The purpose of the conference
will be to discuss course assignments, but particularly the outline for the review of literature and
the actual literature review. Other topics will include a discussion of the student’s dissertation
research along with writing and research expectations at the doctoral level. Students will drive the
bus during the conference and should prepare a list of questions/topics to be discussed.
• Student Conferences with Chair: Students will conference with their chair at last once during the
semester with their dissertation chair (no later than April 29th). The conference can be via phone,
Skype, or in-person. Ideally, students would begin regular conversations about their literature and
their research; however, this will depend on the chair.
Synchronous Activities: The synchronous portions of the course will be in a seminar format that is
collaborative, interactive, and dialogic. Synchronous activities will consist of instructor and student-led
discussions and presentations utilizing Codec video-conferencing if appropriate, Skype, Google Hangouts or
another similar tool.
Asynchronous Activities: Asynchronous activities along with all course materials will be available on
WesternOnline (EDL 725 Introduction to Research and Dissertation Studies II). These activities may be
done whenever it is convenient for the student. That being said students should adhere to the posted
deadlines/due dates.
WEATHER PLAN
University Cancellation: Should the university be closed for weather, you will be notified by the
alerts (be sure to sign up for the alerts). I will also send out an email and post to WesternOnline
(News). Plan to work from home if weather forces us to cancel class. We’ll most likely have a
variety of synchronous activities via Skype (with the instructor and other students).
Travel Concerns: Should WIU not cancel class, but weather prohibits you from traveling to class,
you should text or call me and log on to Skype by 9 a.m. I would encourage you to arrange a
classmate to Skype with for class.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 2
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association
(6th edition). Washington, DC.: American Psychological Association. (Reference tool throughout
doctoral program)
Creswell, J.W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
Machi, L. and McEvoy, B. (2012). The literature review: Six steps to success (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin.
RESOURCE MATERIALS FOR THE COURSE AND DOCTORAL PROGRAM
Bryant, M.T. (2004). The portable dissertation advisor. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Creswell, J.W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th
edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
Fink, A. Conducting research literature reviews: From the internet to paper (4th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage Publishing.
Glatthorn, A.A., & Joyner, R.L. (2005). Writing the winning dissertation: A step-by-step guide. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Krathwohl, D.R. & Smith, N.L. (2005). How to prepare a dissertation proposal: Suggestions for students in
education and the social and behavioral sciences. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
Ling Pan, M. (2013). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (4th edition).
Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing. Recommended
Ridley, D. (2012). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage Publishing.
Rudestam, E. (1992). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
OTHER MATERIALS
Western Illinois University Educational Leadership Dissertation Guidelines.
Other materials will be available on WesternOnline.
VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS
I will be a regular and consistent online presence. I will check online communications (posted to
WesternOnline and email) daily. I will also be online at the times listed above (See header of syllabus). If
for some reason, I am not able to check communications for an extended period of time, I will send an email
to class members (e.g. travelling to a conference, extreme illness, a death in the family). Generally, I am
online in the early morning (7-9 a.m.) and in the early evening (6-8 p.m.). I also have email open
multiple times during the day so that is the best form of online communication. If you have an urgent
request/question/subject, your best bet is to email me.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 3
SUBJECT LINE IN EMAIL
If you need to contact me via email ([email protected]), please include “725” in the subject of your email
(e.g. 725 Assignment 4 Question). This will alert me to a student correspondence related to our class.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The student will:
1. Continue to the develop research and writing skills expected at the doctoral level.
2. Conduct a focused review of the relevant literature on the student’s chosen topic based on the
student’s dissertation research.
3. Write a comprehensive review of the literature in preparation for the proposal meeting and
eventual dissertation.
4. Demonstrate organizational skills through development of an outline of their review of literature
and a tentative outline/timeline for their dissertation work.
5. Further develop fluency with APA style.
6. Develop peer reviewing and critiquing skills through collaborative activities.
7. Display conferencing skills in conjunction with peer reviewing skills.
8. Review, revise, and polish the research design (i.e. methodology section--Chapter 3) of his/her
research proposal.
9. Articulate the highlights of his/her literature review in class discussions.
10. Plan for the dissertation process including stress, time management, project management,
committee formation, dissertation proposal and defense, and human subjects review (IRB).
AVAILABILITY
Just a reminder that you can see my availability (along with the availability of your classmates) in
WesternOnline. Log on to WesternOnline, go to “Communication.” Then select “Classlist.” You will see a
green bubble/dot to the right of the person’s name if they are online. If online, you can engage the person
in a “chat.” See “virtual office hours” above for information about when I’ll be online and available.
REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY
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Access to a computer (laptop or desktop) for the duration of the class and bring the laptop to any
face-to-face class meetings
Access to high speed Internet
Access to…
o Adobe Acrobat Reader
o Microsoft Word (or a comparable word processor)
o Microsoft PowerPoint
o Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari
o Appropriate plugins for your Internet browser
o Skype
RESPONSIVENESS
Responding to Communications: I will do my best to reply to your communications within 24-hours. If I
have not replied to your communications in a timely fashion, please re-contact me. I will not be offended.
Responding to Discussions: I will work to respond to discussions within 48 hours during the assigned
week. I intend to reply to/comment on original discussion postings. However, please note that I will not
reply to each and every discussion reply.
Responding to Assignments/Submissions: My goal is to turn around your assignments as quickly as
possible. A lot of this depends on when people submit, the number of people who submit in a given
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 4
timeframe, and my other professional responsibilities. I will have at least two classes and several students
proposing and defending their dissertations. If after a reasonable amount of time, you haven’t received
feedback, please, please, please…send me a quick email. Sometimes in a course with a significant online
presence, an assignment/submission can get overlooked. For assignments submitted to the “dropbox,” I
will generally send feedback via WesternOnline in the form of a PDF with written comments. In some
cases, I may only write comments in the comment box. In other instances, I may also send response back to
you via email.
ABOUT EDL 725’S INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH (Based on the ideas and work of Rhonda
McClellan, University of Central Arkansas)
Facilitator. My role in the course is that of facilitator. I will not be the “sage on the stage.” I will work to
facilitate our learning and our discussion. I will work to facilitate your work on your individual literature
review. For the class to “work” all class members need to…
Engage. Engage with your colleagues. Engage with your topic. Engage with your writing. Engage with
your dissertation chair. You are transitioning from being a student to being scholarly colleagues to each
other and with your professors and other academics. All of us are fine-tuning our scholarly skills and
expertise. What this means is I have a responsibility to introduce you to becoming a community of scholars
and those types of conversations. We began this in EDL 682 and EDL 712 and will expand in this course. I
will invite (and maybe ignite) your intellectual engagement through our readings, through our discussions,
through our peer reviewing, through our reflection, and through our conversation. You and your
classmates should come to each class session with questions and probes based upon the assigned reading
and your reading related to your personal research topic.
This course is a critical part of your doctoral education, your future research proposal, and eventually your
dissertation. Make this course count. Make your work in this course count. The course will be informative
as you delve into the “literature” about your topic, helpful as you fine-tune your future dissertation topic,
and challenging. The usefulness and rigor of the course depends on what you and the class make of it. Be
responsible for your own education and…
Collaborate: Research about education has indicated that when people work together, they learn about
themselves and others. By broadening perspectives, we gain a deeper appreciation for what we personally
believe and for how we comprehend the world. In this course we will collaborate in many ways…through
listening to others talk about their literature review and topics; by recommending literature, articles, or
authors class members should read for their literature review; and by reading each other’s work (e.g.
methodology chapter, references, and literature reviews) and being critical friends. You need to contribute
to the class knowing when to step forward and when to step back.
The penultimate product for this class will be a draft of your literature review (Chapter 2 of your proposal).
The lit review will not be “done,” but the level of doneness is variable and totally up to you and the effort
and time you expend. How long will your literature review be?…it depends. On you. On your topic. On
your level of engagement. On the time you have available. Ideally, it would be 30-50 pages plus references
(that’d be a nice amount of “doneness” and you’d be well on your way). Minimally, you need to have 20
pages plus references by the end of the course (EDL 725).
OUR ONLINE CLASSROOM AND PROCEDURES
Class week: Each class week begins on Monday and ends on Sunday. The course will open up online
December 1 with Week 1 beginning January 16th and ending May 2nd.
Announcements: I will use the “Announcement” section of our class to share important (at least in my
mind) information about the class. These announcements are available on our course homepage and can
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 5
also be accessed via “Communication” and then clicking on “Announcement.” You can see previous
announcements by clicking on “Show All Announcements” (in the bottom right corner of the
“Announcement” box). I anticipate posting a “Announcement” posting at least once a week that outlines
the activities for the week. These postings will generally occur on Fridays.
Course Content and Materials: To access our course content…
• Log on to WesternOnline
• Select our course (EDL 725 Introduction to Dissertation Studies II)
• Click on “Resources” on the purple information bar
• Select “Content”
• Look on the left column in the Table of Contents.
Generally, the content for the course is arranged by week in a folder. There are additional folders that
contain other course resources.
Each week’s folder has the dates of the week in the heading. Below the folder is the date when the folder
will open up.
Discussion Area: All class “discussions” are found by logging on to WesternOnline and then:
• Clicking on “Communication” on the purple information bar
• Choose “Discussion”
• Then select the appropriate discussion topic.
There will be a limited number of discussions for the course. Each discussion forum will be open for
posting a few days before the “week begins.” Note: I have also linked the “discussions” to each week of the
course.
FAQ: There is a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section where I have tried/will try to answer questions
that you may have about our online course.
GRADING SCALE
93 - 100%
A
A = Superior Graduate Work
279-300 points
85 - 92 %
B
B = Good Graduate Work
255-278 points
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
70 - 84 %
C
C = Unacceptable Work at the Graduate Level
210-254 points
60 - 69 %
D
180-209 points
00 - 59%
F
000-179 points
GRADING PHILOSOPHY: NO ZEROS POLICY
Please note that I subscribe to the “no zeros” grading philosophy advocated by Guskey, O’Connor,
Reeves, and Wormeli. You will get no less than 50% of the points possible for any assignment even if
you do not do the assignment. If you have questions, I’d love to chat about this topic. Additionally,
there is no “extra credit” to pad your grade.
POSTING OF GRADES
Grades will be posted in your “grades.” To access your grades…
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Log on to WesternOnline.
On the menu bar, click on “Grade Tools”
Choose “Grades.”
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 6
The assignments are listed there along with your score. Comments, if included, are also displayed there. If
I’ve attached a document with additional comments, you will find it there. You will need to download that
document to view my comments. If you feel there are any errors in your grades (a discrepancy between
your score and what is posted), please email me right away. Again, use the name of our course in the
subject line of the email.
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
Timeliness: Participation in discussions must be completed within the week assigned. For the discussions
to be valuable, the postings must be timely.
Participation: Students are expected to participate in our online class by responding to the instructor’s
prompts. Additionally, students are to ask questions and/or comment on the responses of classmates.
Please review the rubric for “participation” in the “Rubrics” folder in our class content. The rubric outlines
the grading criteria (including quantity of participation, quality of participation, frequency of participation,
and amount of participation). Please note that you do not have to reply to each and every posting by each
and every student in our “discussion” area. Please try to post to a variety of students, not just your “online
friends” or those who post early.
Grading of Participation: Each scored discussion post is worth five (5) points based on the participation
rubric.
Scoring of Discussions:
5 points
4.5 points
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 points
PEER REVIEW
Discussions will be scored using the following scale as a guideline.
1 original posting & 3 responses to peers
1 original posting & 2 responses to peers
1 original posting & 1 response to a peer
1 original posting & no responses to peers
No original posting & 2-3 responses to peers
No original posting and 1 response to a peer
Almost all research designs go through a peer review process and the assignments for this class are no
exception. Students will participate in reviewing other students’ work. Each of us bring different skills,
perspectives, and insights to the peer review process. This process is designed to be supportive and
constructive providing you the opportunity to improve the quality of your submissions and your research.
You will provide and receive constructive suggestions. Our work will involve mutual support and
collaboration. You are expected to practice your best professional relationship skills in your peer
reviewing efforts.
PROBLEMS INTERFERRING WITH OUR COURSE
If personal, work or family issues or problems arise that interfere with your ability to complete or continue
this course (in a timely manner), contact me immediately. We will work together to resolve the problems.
EXTENSIONS
I understand that we are all busy people and sometimes we are not able to adhere to stated due dates. If
you need an extension, please talk with me (Skype or phone). Make sure you contact me prior to the due
date if you need an extension. If you choose to take advantage of my liberal extension policy, I will not
grant any future extensions. Note: Extensions will not be given for discussion postings.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 7
REWRITES
Because of the nature of the course, rewrites will only be available on Assignments #4 and #7. If you earn
less than a “B” and turned the assignment in on or before the due date, you will be allowed one subsequent
rewrite. That rewrite must be submitted within one week of your having received feedback from me.
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION
All written assignments should be submitted to the WesternOnline dropbox by the date indicated (See p.
12 and subsequent pages for descriptions of the assignments).
Save your assignments in the following manner:
Last Name Assignment #X (where X = the assignment number)
Smith Assignment 5
Include the following information on the left side of the first page (single-spaced):
• First name Last name
• EDL 725 – Spring 2017
• Assignment #X: Name of Assignment
• Date
COURSE OUTLINE
A weekly course outline will be distributed to students via email and posted to WesternOnline (News or
Course Content). Additionally, a letter to students will outline what student need to complete before the
first course meeting.
Here is an outline of the weeks:
• Week 1: Monday, January 16 – Sunday, January 22
• Week 2: Monday, January 23 – Sunday, January 29
• Week 3: Monday, January 30 – Sunday, February 5
• Week 4: Monday, February 6 – Sunday, February 12
• Week 5: Monday, February 13 – Sunday, February 19
• Week 6: Monday, February 20 – Sunday, February 26
• Week 7: Monday, February 27 – Sunday, March 5
• Week 8: Monday, March 6 – Sunday, March 12
• Week 9: Monday, March 13 – Sunday, March 19
• Week 10: Monday, March 20 – Sunday, March 26
• Week 11: Monday, March 27 – Sunday, April 2
• Week 12; Monday, April 3 – Sunday, April 9
• Week 13: Monday, April 10 – Sunday, April 16
• Week 14: Monday, April 17 – Sunday, April 25
• Week 15: Monday, April 26 – Sunday, May 2
NOTE: On Monday, May 3 all course assignments due
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 8
NETIQUETTE
It is important that we all “play nice in the sandbox.” Some guidelines for this include:
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Treat all people in our learning community with respect.
Avoid using the caps lock feature AS IT IS USUALLY INTERPRETTED AS YELLING.
Be cautious when using humor or sarcasm…the intended tone of a message is sometime
lost electronically.
Make sure your posts are on topic and within the scope of the course material.
Take your posts seriously and review them before posting.
Be sure to read all messages in a thread before replying.
Avoid short, generic replies such as, “I agree.”
Always be respectful of others’ opinions even when they differ from your own.
When you disagree or have a different viewpoint, you should express your position in a
non-critical way.
Do not make personal or insulting remarks.
Be positive.
Be self-reflective…think about what you are posting.
Use proper language.
Be professional.
For more information about netiquette or if this is your first online or hybrid course, please visit,
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html including:
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Rule 1: Remember the human
Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior that you follow in real life
Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
Rule 4: Respect other people’s time and bandwidth
Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
Rule 8: Respect other people’s privacy
Rule 9: Don’t abuse your power
Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 9
DEPARTMENT AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS
In order for students to take their written comprehensive (final) exams, students must not have any
incompletes in any coursework.
INCOMPLETE GRADE FOR MISSING COURSE REQUIREMENTS
A temporary grade of “I” (incomplete) indicates that a student has been unable to complete coursework
due to circumstances beyond his or her control. A request for an incomplete grade may be approved at the
discretion of the faculty member. Students failing to complete the required coursework within one year
will receive a grade of “F.” An incomplete may be given only when a student, due to circumstances beyond
his or her control, is unable to complete course requirements within the official limits of the term. The
instructor may allow additional time for completion of the requirements after consideration of a written
petition from the student to the instructor. The petition must include what the student will do to complete
the requirement and the expected date of completion of the incomplete requirements.
ATTENDANCE
For courses at the 700 level:
• Attendance and participation is critical.
• A student who is absent for more than 50% of a scheduled day of a weekend academy class will be
assigned additional work by the instructor.
• If a student is absent for more than 50% of the first day of a weekend academy class, the instructor
may, at his/her discretion, exclude the student from attending the class.
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS
In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic
accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an
accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain
documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Support Services and provide it to the
instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as
he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may
require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as
to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support Services at
309-298-2512 for additional services.
WIU ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY
Western Illinois University is dedicated to the discovery and communication of knowledge. The University
can best function and accomplish its objectives in an atmosphere where high ethical standards prevail. For
this reason and to ensure that the academic work of all students will be fairly evaluated, the University
strongly condemns academic dishonesty. The most prevalent forms of academic dishonesty are cheating
and plagiarism. Dishonesty of any kind with respect to examinations, course assignments, alteration of
records, or illegal possession of examinations shall be considered cheating. It is the responsibility of the
student to not only abstain from cheating, but also to avoid making it possible for others to cheat. Any
student who knowingly helps another student cheat is as guilty of cheating as the student he or she assists.
The submission of the work of someone else as one's own constitutes plagiarism. Academic honesty
requires that ideas or materials taken from another course for use as a course paper or project be fully
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 10
acknowledged. Plagiarism is a very serious offense in whatever form it may appear, be it submission of an
entire article falsely represented as the student's own, the inclusion within a piece of the student's writing
of an idea for which the student does not provide sufficient documentation, or the inclusion of a
documented idea not sufficiently assimilated into the student's language and style.
STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A complete set of links to student rights and responsibilities can be found at the following URL:
http://www.wiu.edu/Provost/students/
UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER
The University Writing Center is available to assist you with general and specific questions on writing
assigned in any discipline and at any academic level. The one-on-one assistance available at the University
Writing Center is valuable for generating ideas, talking about global-level writing issues such as
organization, and even working through grammatical problems. The University Writing Center is located in
Malpass Library (3rd floor, west side). Call for an appointment (309-298-2815) and be sure to bring a copy
of your assignment. There is also a Writing Center at the Moline campus.
AMMENDABILITY
The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus provided sufficient notice is given to
students. If a change is made to the syllabus, I will post the revisd to WesternOnline and email the revision
to students using WIU email addresses. I will not add an assignment without removing a comparable
amount of work.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 11
ASSESSMENT (Note: Assignments in the gray box should be completed prior to Weekend #1)
Activity
Points
Notes
Activity #1: PHOTO Upload a photo of
yourself to WesternOnline
--
Please do this before first day of the course. There are no points attached to this
activity; however, to earn an “A” or “B” in the course, this activity needs to be
completed. If you have done this in a previous course, you do not need to resubmit.
--
Assignment #1: Chapter 3—
Methodology (Revision)
20
Please do this before the first course meeting. There are no points attached to this
activity; however, to earn an “A” or “B” in the course, this activity needs to be
completed. If you have done this in a previous course, you do not need to resubmit.
Students will bring two hard copies of their revised Chapter 3 the first day of class for
peer review and discussion. This should be a revision of the document worked on in
EDL 715 (Fall 2016). A rubric is available for this assignment in the
“Assignments/Rubrics” folder.
Activity #2: SKYPE—Send Lora a Skype
request (dr_wolff_kcsd; Lora Wolff)
See p. 13 for assignment details.
Assignment 2: One-on-one Conference
5
Assignment #3: Outline of Literature
Review
10
Assignment #4: References
20
Assignment #5: Review of the Literature
#1
50
Assignment #6: Review of Literature #2
75
See p. 14 for assignment details
(See p. 14 for assignment details)
See p. 14 for assignment details
Draft due in class: Day 1 (Saturday, January 28th)
Final Due: Monday, February 6th uploaded to WesternOnline
Students will schedule and plan this one-on-one conference that will be held via
Skype.
Due: Between February 1 – March 15
Students will create an outline of their literature review. Students will also upload to
the “discussion” section of WesternOnline so the outlines will be available to all class
members. Additionally, we will discuss the outline of the literature review during our
one-on-one conference.
Due: Monday, February 13
Students will submit the reference section of their dissertation using the “Reference
Section Formatted” template available on WesternOnline. The reference section can
and should include references for the literature review and Chapter 3 and if appropriate
Chapter 1. Proper APA format should be utilized. See reference materials in the
course content folder.
Due: Prior to April 1
Students will submit a minimum of five (5) pages of their review of literature. A rubric
is available for this assignment in the “Assignments/Rubrics” folder.
Note: A student with a goal of proposing his/her research in September 2017 should
push for more than the five page minimum.
See pp. 15-16 for assignment details
See pp. 15-16 for assignment details
Due Date: Monday, February 27
Students will submit a revision of the first five pages of their review of literature
(Assignment #5) along with a minimum of an additional five (5) pages of their
literature review. Students should bring a hard copy of the draft to class for peer
review.
Note: A student with a goal of proposing his/her research in September 2017 should
push for more than the ten page minimum.
Assignment #7: Review of Literature #3
100
Assignment #8: Conference(s) with
Dissertation Chair
10
Class Participation
10
See pp. 15-16 for assignment details
Initial Due Date: Sunday, March 26 (in-class)
Final Due Date: April 3rd
Students will submit a minimum of 20 pages of their literature review. This includes a
revision of the ten pages previously submitted along with ten additional pages.
Note: A student with a goal of proposing his/her research in September 2017 should
push for more than the twenty (20) page minimum. The lit review for your proposal
should be 40-50 pages.
Due: Monday, May 1
Students will conference with their dissertation chair at least once during the course to
discuss the literature review (Chapter 2), further development of Chapter 3, and the
development of Chapter 1 along with the dissertation expectations of the chair.
Due: Between February 15 – April 29
See department attendance policy on p. 3.
Participation in discussion and activities is critical to the success of a seminar as is class
attendance. There is an expectation that all students will be in attendance for all
sessions and actively participate in activities. Students must be present to earn these
points. Five points will be available for each class meeting.
More information about each assignment follows beginning on p. 13 (pp. 13-16).
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 12
EDL 725 Assignment Details
Activity #1: Upload Photo
• Upload a photo of yourself to WesternOnline.
• This is required to earn an “A” or “B” in the course.
• Please upload before our first class meeting.
• Note: You may have already completed this during EDL 712 or another course!
Activity #2: Send Lora a Skype contact request
• Send Lora a Skype contact request so we can Skype for our one-on-one conference.
• This is required to earn an “A” or “B” in the course.
• Note: You may have already completed this during EDL 712 or another course!
Assignment #1: Chapter 3—Methodology
In EDL 715 you drafted your “Chapter 3—Methodology.” You will:
• revise that document based on Dr. Webb’s feedback. Those revisions should be
made prior to our first class meeting.
• bring TWO hard copies of your most recent “Chapter 3—Methodology” to our first
class meeting.
• Also bring your document in electronic format to be accessed during class.
In class we will peer review your Chapter 3 and then discuss. Then you will:
• revise based on your peers’ comments.
• submit to the Assignment #1 dropbox (WesternOnline) for Lora to review.
Students should submit “readability statistics” with their assignment (a screenshot is fine).
Target statistics:
• Passive sentences: less than 20%
• Reading level: 9.0 – 12.0
Peer Reviewing Due Date: Saturday, January 28th
Due Date: Monday, February 6th
Lora will review and provide comments on
WesternOnline via the Assignment #1 dropbox.
Recommendation from Lora: After revising based on
my comments, send your revised Chapter 3 to your
dissertation chair and continue your conferencing with
your chair about your proposal/prospectus. Do NOT
send to your chair until AFTER your chair has been
assigned and until you’ve had an initial contact with
you chair.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 13
Assignment 2: One-on-one Conference with Lora
Conference 1 will occur between February 1 – March 15. The purpose of the conference will be to
discuss course assignments, but particularly the outline for the review of literature and the actual
literature review. Other topics will include a discussion of the student’s dissertation research area
along with writing and research expectations at the doctoral level. I would anticipate conference
length being 10-15 minutes depending on the individual student’s questions and needs. Students
may request additional conferences throughout the course.
Assignment 3: Outline of Literature Review
Students will create an outline for their literature review. I’d suggest using the outline in the
“front matter” (R7 Front Matter Sample and R8 Front Matter with Notes) to guide your work. The
outline may be more detailed than what appears in the actual Chapter 2, but should serve as a
detailed guide for the drafting of your literature review (Chapter 2). This will be a work in
progress as you work on this assignment.
Draft Due Date: Monday, February 11th
Submit to Assignment #3 dropbox in WesternOnline. Feedback will be provided to the dropbox.
Assignment #4: References
Students will create the reference section (a separate document) of their references for their
literature review and for Chapter 3 (and Chapter 1 if drafted). Proper APA format should be
utilized. This will be a work in progress as you work on your literature and proposal/prospectus
(Front matter, Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, and back matter). Materials are available in WesternOnline to
assist with this work.
Draft Due Date: Prior to April 1st
Submit to Assignment #4 dropbox in WesternOnline. Feedback will be provided to the dropbox.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 14
Assignment #5, #6 and #7: Chapter 2—Literature Review
This assignment (actually assignments) will be a cumulative assignment. The goal is to have a solid draft of
at least 20 pages as you build towards a completed Chapter 2—Literature Review for your research
proposal (also called a prospectus). A thorough literature review (Chapter 2) for the proposal and final
dissertation would be in the 40-45-50 page range depending on your topic. It just all depends.
Assignment #5: This will be five pages of your literature review. You should submit your
assignment to the Assignment #5 dropbox no later than February 27th. Feedback will be provided
via WesternOnline. You should continue on with Assignments #4 and #6 while you wait for
feedback.
Assignment #6: For Assignment #6 students will revise the previously submitted pages of the
literature review (Assignment #5) based on Lora’s feedback. Then students will add a minimum of
five additional pages (for a minimum of 10 pages). Students should bring two hard copies of
Assignment #6 to class on Sunday, March 25th for peer reviewing. After revising based on your
peers’ feedback, you should submit Assignment #6 to the Assignment #6 dropbox no later than
April 3rd. Feedback will be provided via WesternOnline. Again, you should move forward with
Assignment #7 as you wait for feedback.
Assignment #7: For Assignment #7 students will revise the Assignment #6 based on Lora’s
feedback and write an additional 10 pages for a minimum of 20 pages. Students should submit
Assignment #7 to the Assignment #7 dropbox in WesternOnline no later than Monday, May 1st.
Feedback will be provided via WesternOnline.
The Review of Literature
This chapter (Chapter 2) begins with an introduction that explains the purpose of the literature review,
provides a thorough review of the literature in an organized manner, and concludes with a summary. You
may not be able to write the introduction to Chapter 2 until you have the bulk of your Chapter 2 drafted.
The literature review should be carefully organized using headings (See Table 3.1, p. 62, APA Handbook).
In many cases the literature review headings mirror the research questions. The literature review
establishes a context for the investigation so is a very important part of the proposal and the dissertation.
A wide variety of sources should be used to identify important previous work on the topic. In a literature
review significant findings and major conclusions from cited sources are evaluated and interpreted in
terms of their impact on the present work or proposed research.
Organizing the Literature Review (We’ll discuss this in more depth in class)
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction (identifies the topic, establishes the importance of the topic, defines key terms,
explains literature search strategies, provides a description of the extent and nature of the
literature, and provides an overview of the rest of the review). Note: You do NOT use a heading for
the introduction
Historical Background (if appropriate)
Theory/Research Specific to the Topic
o Section 1
o Section 2
o Section 3 (Continue with as many sections as necessary)
Review of Literature Summary (What is known and what is not known about the topic?)
Contributions to the Study (What this study will add to the field?)
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 15
References
• Each reference cited in the literature review must have an in-text APA citation.
• References read, but not utilized in the “proposal” (Ch. 1-2-3) are not included on the
reference list.
• Every source referenced in the document must be listed in APA format in the reference list.
• The reference list is alphabetized and double-spaced.
• A “hanging indent” format should be used (Format-paragraph-special-hanging indent-.5”).
• For proper formatting of references (including online references) see the APA Style Manual
(6th edition).
• The reference list (for your dissertation) should eventually have at least 40 citations.
Guidelines for EDL 725 Class Submission:
• Length: 20-50 pages plus reference section (The closer you get to 50, the closer you’ll be to
having this document ready for your proposal meeting.)
• The heading should be REFERENCES (centered, all caps, not bold) with 3 vertical spaces
before the first entry.
• 1.5” margin on left; 1” margin on top, bottom and right
• Font: Times New Roman
• Font Size: 12 point font
• Double-space throughout your reference list
• Utilize APA format for in-text citations and works cited
• Works cited/references should begin on a separate page
• Include page numbers according to APA style
• A title page is not required nor is it desirable
• Readability Statistics Goal: 8.0 to 12.0
• Passive Sentences Goal: Less than 10 percent (Less than 20% is acceptable; Less then 30%
is livable)
• Include a screenshot of your readability statistics (See Assignment #3 for more
information)
Rubric: Available in the “Assignments/Rubrics” folder on WesternOnline.
Finally, it’s time to become good friends with the APA Stylebook (6th edition). Becoming friends
now will make your work much smoother in the future as you finalize your proposal and write
your dissertation.
Assignment #8: Conference with Dissertation Chair
Students will conference with their dissertation chair at least once during the course. Minimally,
the conference should focus on the review of literature. However, additional topics include
Chapter 1, Chapter 3, the IRB, the prospectus process, and the research process in general.
Students will submit a brief 1-2 paragraph overview of the conversion with his/her chair to the
Assignment #8 dropbox. Also include the date of the conference along with your chair’s name.
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 16
Appendix A
Sample Outlines of the “Review of Literature”
Sample 1
CHAPTER III: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction (with no heading)
The New Standards Project
Language Arts Portfolios
Collegiality
Portfolios, the New Standards Project and Collegiality: The Pieces Put Together
Sample 2
CHAPTER III: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Background
Search Procedures
Overview of Studies of Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Integration
Overview of Studies of Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusion
Factors Influencing Teachers’ Attitudes
Child-related Variables
Teacher-related Variables
Gender
Age-teaching experience
Grade level taught
Experience of contact
Training
Teachers’ beliefs
Teachers’ socio-political views
Educational Environment-related Variables
Some Conclusions/Hypotheses Emerging from the Literature Review
Methodological Issues
Directions for Future Research
See also samples in “Preparing Literature Reviews” (Chapter 7—pp. 42-43)
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 17
Appendix B
Final Dissertation Length Guidelines
Target Length for Chapters: 140 pages plus preliminary materials, references, and appendices
Chapter
Preliminary Materials
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Lit Review
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter 5:
References
Appendices
Target Length
As appropriate
20
50
20
30
20
40+ cited references
As appropriate
Notes
EDL 725  Wolff  SPRING 2017  Page 18