EDU 715 Syllabus

Course Description:
The purpose of this course is for each student to design, develop, and execute an individual research project on a specific topic germane to the teaching and learning of social studies at the secondary (grades 9-12) level. This course is intended to provide students with experience in educational research.

Course Goals:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Conceptualize a question and conduct a literature review within a specific area of social studies pedagogy;
Design a study in which the researcher attempts to answer this question; this study must be approved by Wake Forest University's Institutional Review Board as well as Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools;
Report the results of this study as well as the implications;
Present the study and findings at a Research Forum to be held in December;
Develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of an effective educator as espoused by the Wake Forest University Education Department's Mission Statement.

Gay, L., Mills, G., & Airasian, P. (2009). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications, 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
ISBN-10: 0-13-233877-7
IISBN-13: 978-0-13-233877-6

Expectations and Grading:
To do well in EDU 715, you should come prepared to all class sessions and actively participate in them. You must complete your assignments fully and turn them in on time. Assignments turned in late (i.e., after the beginning of class on the due date) will be penalized according to the following scale: up to 24 hours late: -10%, 24-48 hours late: -25%, 48 hours-1 week late: -50%, >1 week late: -100%. Unless otherwise noted, all assignments must be completed individually.

The grading structure of EDU 715 is arranged according to a point structure. You earn points for each component or requirement of the class that you meet, and your final grade is determined by calculating the percentage of the total possible points that you have earned. This is elucidated in further detail on the course assignments page.

Students who complete each assignment should not assume full credit will be given. The quality of the assignment will be considered during the evaluation process. Quality refers, but is not necessarily limited, to the following: standard English usage (punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.), neatness, manner of presentation, organization, and APA guidelines.

Attendance is expected and assumed. If you are not present in class, there will not be a reenactment of what transpired during class time. You have one “free” absence. For each subsequent class absence 10 points of your participation grade will be deducted. Please contact the instructor regarding any pre-planned or emergency absences. Students are expected to be on-time. You have one “free” late arrival. For each subsequent late arrival, 5 points of your participation grade will be deducted.

Please turn off all cell phones, beepers, pagers, etc., as they are very disruptive to the learning environment.

Academic Integrity: The policies and procedures of the Wake Forest University Honor System will be strictly followed in this course. The honor system requires that all work be pledged:

Grades of Incomplete: Grades of Incomplete will NOT be given to students who turn in assignments late. Incomplete as a grade will only be given to students who are unable to attend part of the course due to illness or for other reasons approved by the instructor in advance.

If you have a disability that may require an accomodation for taking this course, please contact the Learning Assistance Center (758-5929) within the first 2 weeks of the semester.