Schedule

Resources

Syllabus [pdf]

Discussions

Introduction

This page has links to a variety of resources you may find useful as you continue through the course. More resources are included in specific lessons. If you discover a resource you think I should add to this list, please let me know via email or by sharing on the course discussion board. Either way, please provide a brief description of why you think the site is useful.

Assignments

Eleven homework assignments are scheduled throughout the semester. Each assignment is fully described on this website. A printable summary is available.

Your term project offers your choice of a research proposal or a literature review.

• A research proposal should give the overall impression that you are getting a command of the literature in your field. It should offer evidence you know the work remaining to be done, and you have ideas about how to competently conduct at least one small piece of that work. Furthermore, your proposal should give the reader a clear idea of how to replicate your work. Download grading guidelines.[pdf]
• A literature review demonstrates your awareness and understanding of one or more major trends in your field. In it, you should present a balanced view of the various positions held by experts, highlighting and synthesizing areas of agreement and disagreement. Download grading guidelines.[pdf]

All students will present a summary of their literature review or research proposal. Presentations may be no longer than 7 minutes. This time limit will be strictly enforced. Order of presentations will be determined February 11. Peer critiques will be completed for each presentation using a rubric. [pdf]

Presentation Resources

Making Effective Oral Presentations - This website was created for a speech communication class. It offers excellent advice about developing speeches and using visual aids. Don't forget to read about practice and delivery. It's a very important step.

Tip Sheets for Class

Creating Effective Summaries - You will be writing summaries for a number of journal articles throughout this class. Use this guide to help.

Classifying Research Methodologies - A graphic organizer to help classify methodologies.

General Interest

Sound Learning - From Minnesota Public Radio, this website is a launching point to their content on the web. The site offers suggestions for instructional use. There are examples of oral history projects, interviews, and other artifacts of a qualitative nature.

Writing

APA Style Workshop - from Purdue's Online Writing Laboratory.

Common Errors in English - Do you sometimes misuse words? Take a look at this site to rid yourself of a large number of common errors.

The University Writing Center has a large collection of useful handouts including: Five Easy Comma Rules, Quoting and Paraphrasing, Integrating Quotations, APA Parenthetical Documentation, and Five Uncommonly Serious Mistakes. Use the ones you need to improve your writing.

Using English for Academic Purposes - This website has an abundance of resources for using English in the academic setting. There are countless links, suggestions for making oral presentations, writing essays, and even taking notes during lectures. Although designed specifically for International Students, I know American students can benefit from their advice and resources

Search Skills

Guide to Specialized Search Engines

Four NETS for Better Searching - A tutorial to improve your use of Google.

FindSpot - The one stop shop to learn search syntax on most major search sites.

Tools

Acrobat Reader - download Acrobat Reader to read pdf files.

EndNote - Citation management software available to UCF students at no cost.

Statistics Resources

Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics - Home to case studies and simulations in statistics.

Statistics Computation - a web site from a professor at Vassar

UCF-related Links

UCF Library - Many electronic databases are available from the main library web page.

University Writing Center - The University Writing Center web site has a variety of handouts and links to improve your writing. You can schedule a Writing Center appointment, too.

Institutional Review Board - The IRB body must approve any research conducted at UCF.