· Web view2012-01-12 · INTS 4301 Interdisciplinary Research Process. Syllabus. The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Urban and Public Affairs—Page 15 of 15

INTS 4301-001/002: INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROCESS Spring 2012

Instructor: Professor Michan Andrew ConnorMeets T/TH 9:30-10:50; T/Th 12:30-1:50 Pickard Hall 107

CONTACT INFORMATION

Phone 817-272-3130 email [email protected]

Office University Hall Room 520 WebPage

Course content on Blackboard and Library Electronic Reserve

Office Hours

Tuesdays/Thursdays 11:00 AM-12:00 PM, 2:00-3:00 PM and by appointment

GTA Dian Nostikasari, [email protected]

Mission of the INTS ProgramInterdisciplinary Studies is a recognized and growing form of academic practice based on the understanding that important problems must be understood and resolved by applying ideas, methods, and intellectual approaches from many scholarly disciplines and applied fields. The program’s mission is based on an emergent understanding of interdisciplinarity as “the hallmark of contemporary knowledge production and professional life.”1 INTS allows students to complete individualized degree plans and prepare for success in changing professional and academic contexts where thinking and working across boundaries is more important than ever.

Description Of Course ContentStudents in this course apply interdisciplinary methods to understand a complex research problem. The goals are to understand how professional researchers produce knowledge in their fields and to improve on disciplinary knowledge by seeking an integrated understanding.

As a class, we will spend the first part of the course discussing a set of readings that illustrate disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and non-disciplinary research, problem formation, and the evaluation of evidence. Students will then work in teams to apply those principles to investigate and understand a research problem chosen by the team.

The written products of this course will be a series of short assignments that prepare students to define a research problem, identify relevant disciplinary literatures, and evaluate scholarly research. In-class quizzes and assignments will monitor reading and comprehension of the assigned texts and reward attendance and participation. Students will present their work individually and in teams to the class. Finally, students will produce a proposal for an interdisciplinary research problem to be pursued in the INTS 4391 capstone course.1 Veronica Boix Mansilla and Elizabeth Dawes Duraisingh, “Targeted Assessment of Students' Interdisciplinary Work: An Empirically Grounded Framework Proposed,” The Journal of Higher Education 78, no. 2 (2007): 215.

mailto:[email protected]

INTS 4301 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROCESSSYLLABUS

Note: Team work requires coordination between the members. The syllabus sets aside multiple class sessions for team work, and Blackboard may be used to supplement face-to-face team meetings with email, chat, and discussion boards.

Student Learning Outcomes for CourseStudents will demonstrate the ability to

Move from personal or common-sense understanding toward academic investigation and analysis

Understand and demonstrate the four characteristics of quality interdisciplinary work: Purposefulness, Grounding, Critical Awareness, and Integration2

Define a complex research problem and express a motive for understanding it Identify and follow the steps of a research process to investigate that problem Assess the differences and similarities among research insights relevant to the

problem (the extent to which they conflict with or complement each other, conflicts within and between disciplines)

Use scholarly ideas with proper citation and without plagiarizing Work effectively in a research team and present findings orally to the class

Textbook and Other Course Materials RequirementsBooks for purchase:

Repko, A. (2008). Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Materials on electronic reserve (most are very short!):

Readings addressing research skills and practices:o Booth, W., Colomb, G. & Williams, J. (2008). The Craft of Research.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Selections on electronic reserve, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to purchase most current edition)

o Edwards, P. “How to Read a Book v. 4.0” o Boix Mansilla, V., Duraisingh, E. D., & Wolfe, C. R. (2009). Targeted

Assessment Rubric: An Empirically Grounded Rubric for Interdisciplinary Writing. The Journal of Higher Education, 80(3), 334-353. doi:10.1353/jhe.0.0044

Readings illustrating conflicts between scholarly and popular perspectiveso Perlmutter, D. D. (2011, February 20). Why politicians should be more

like professors. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Why-Politicians-Should-Be-More/126429/

o Marx, G. (2010, May). Embrace the wonk . Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved August 18, 2011, from http://www.cjr.org/feature/embrace_the_wonk_1.php?page=all

2 Veronica Boix Mansilla, Elizabeth Dawes Duraisingh, and Christopher R. Wolfe, “Targeted Assessment Rubric: An Empirically Grounded Rubric for Interdisciplinary Writing,” The Journal of Higher Education 80, no. 3 (2009): 334-353.

The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Urban and Public Affairs—Page 2 of 15

http://chronicle.com/article/Why-Politicians-Should-Be-More/126429/


o Beam, C. (n.d.). The only politics article you’ll ever have to read: What if political scientists covered the news? Slate. Retrieved August 18, 2011, from http://www.slate.com/id/2256068/

o Gabler, N. (2011, August 13). The Elusive Big Idea. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/opinion/sunday/the-elusive-big-idea.html

Readings illustrating disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to problemso Henig, R. M. (2010, August 18). What Is It About 20-Somethings? The

New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all

o Shea, C. (2011, June 12). Rule Breaker. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/The-Biology-of-Ethics/127789/

o Krugman, P. (2010, April 5). Building a Green Economy. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/magazine/11Economy-t.html

o Markus, H. R., & Conner, A. (2011). The Culture Cycle. Edge.org. Retrieved January 11, 2012, from http://edge.org/response-detail/1627/what-scientific-concept-would-improve-everybodys-cognitive-toolkit

o Vander Ven, T. (2011). This is the s*** show: An introduction to college drinking. Getting Wasted: Why College Students Drink Too Much and Party so Hard. New York: New York University Press. 1-19.

o Asma, S. T. (2011, October 30). Gauging Gender. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Gauging-Gender/129538/

o Anderson, J. (2011, February 11). Adam Smith, Marriage Counselor. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/fashion/13Cultural.html

Reference Materials: A Guide to APA style:

o APA Style online: apastyle.org (includes topic searches and tutorials)o Purdue University Online Writing Lab:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/

Librarian to ContactInterdisciplinary Studies Reference Librarian: Jody Bailey ([email protected])

Active Learning

Students learn best when they take an active part in the education process. This course will be organized around some of the principles of the inquiry method, which stresses the motivation to learn and the identification by students of problems that are important to


mailto:[email protected]

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/fashion/13Cultural.html

http://chronicle.com/article/Gauging-Gender/129538/

http://chronicle.com/article/Gauging-Gender/129538/

http://edge.org/response-detail/1627/what-scientific-concept-would-improve-everybodys-cognitive-toolkit

http://edge.org/response-detail/1627/what-scientific-concept-would-improve-everybodys-cognitive-toolkit

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/magazine/11Economy-t.html

http://chronicle.com/article/The-Biology-of-Ethics/127789/

http://chronicle.com/article/The-Biology-of-Ethics/127789/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/opinion/sunday/the-elusive-big-idea.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/opinion/sunday/the-elusive-big-idea.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2256068/


solve over the delivery of “content” by the professor. Students (individually, in teams, and as a class) will be engaged with deciding what is important to know and why it is important (problem definition), how to begin developing that knowledge (research strategy), and how different forms of knowledge are relevant to understanding or resolving a research problem (analysis and evaluation).

Active Learning Policies: This is not a lecture course where the professor delivers content. It is a research

course where information, ideas, and issues will be discovered and introduced to the class by teams of students. A lecture course is about receiving knowledge and understanding produced by others; a research course is about following a process to produce new knowledge and understanding.

Students will discuss the research presented by other teams to encourage a collaborative learning process.

As researchers, we are not concerned with beliefs, opinions, personal preferences, or conventional wisdom. Our mantras will be “how do we know,” “how can we find out,” and “what is the evidence”? Constructive disagreements that address these questions are a valuable part of the learning experience.

Students will be responsible for finding, evaluating, and presenting to the class the ideas and findings that are relevant to the problem their team is exploring.

In-class quizzes will be given on the week’s reading material. These quizzes will be frequent, but not scheduled, and, along with other graded in-class activities, will account for 15% of the course grade. The quizzes will be given only in class. The two lowest grades will be dropped, including quizzes missed for absences.

Please use electronic devices as tools for learning, not distraction. I reserve the right to ban laptops or smart phones if this becomes a problem.

Course RequirementsFor students who entered the INTS program prior to the 2006 catalog, successful completion of INTS 2301 with a grade of “C” or better is urged. For those entering the program under the current catalog (2006), a grade of “C” in INTS 2301 is required to enroll in INTS 4301.

This course assumes that the student has developed the following skills in INTS 2301 and related coursework:

The ability to write at the college level.o There are many good references for clear informative writing. One of the

best is Harvey, M. (2003). The Nuts & Bolts of College Writing. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub. Co.

o A familiarity with APA citation styleo Knowledge of how to comply with academic honesty regulations, cite

sources, and avoid plagiarism Understanding of the definition of interdisciplinary studies and how it relates to

and differs from disciplinary knowledge production.o Awareness of the benefits of interdisciplinary learning, thinking, and

producing new knowledge



o Familiarity with the concept of disciplinary perspective, the defining elements of disciplines, and the intellectual practices of major disciplines and applied fields

Computer Policy Most work will be submitted electronically in this course, reflecting the centrality

of computers to academic and professional life. Work MUST be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx file

extension) or another form that is agreed upon in advance by the professor and the student or team of students.

o If you use another word processor (Works or Open Office) be sure you know how to save your work in Word document form. If I can’t open it to read it, I can’t grade it.

It is the student’s responsibility to keep a saved copy of all work (ideally backed up on another medium) in the event that an assignment must be resubmitted.

o Flash drives are an ESSENTIAL tool for students to make sure that their work is not lost. I recommend using two drives in case one fails.

o “Computer crash” will not be accepted as a generic excuse for late work. Written assignments should be submitted through Blackboard.

o Computers must be configured properly to use Blackboard featureso students using home or personal computers are responsible for visiting

http://www.uta.edu/blackboard/students/systemconfig.html to verify that they are using a computer with sufficient performance and properly configured software to use Blackboard.

o It is the student’s responsibility to checkBlackboard to ensure that assignments are submitted and uploaded properly at the time they are submitted.

Grading PolicyThe student’s grade for the course will be earned through demonstrating progressive mastery of the steps of the interdisciplinary research process and related academic skills and practices that will be necessary to pass the capstone course. The grade of “C” that is required to move on to INTS 4391 reflects that the student has demonstrated the minimum skills and abilities needed to pass the capstone course. Individual assignments will be graded according to that standard.

The following scale will be applied to both individual assignments and to the course grade as a whole:

A= 90-100 points. An “A” reflects consistent excellence in the course, strong initiative, and the student’s commitment to their own learning and success.B=80-89 points. A “B” reflects work that is consistently above the minimum. C=70-79 points. A “C” reflects minimum proficiency in the main objectives of the course needed to proceed to INTS 4391.D=60-69 points. A “D” reflects the fact that a student has not mastered material essential for success in INTS 4391 or has not given the instructor a sufficient


http://www.uta.edu/blackboard/students/systemconfig.html


basis for judgment because of unexcused failure to complete course work. F=<60 points. A failing grade will typically reflect missed assignments, academic honesty violations, and/or a lack of engagement with the course.

The professor does not “give” students grades. Rather, the professor evaluates a student’s work against standards to determine what grade has been earned. Grading rubrics will be made available for each assignment and will be posted in electronic form on the Blackboard page for each assignment. Students and teams should consider the rubrics as guidelines for the expectations of the assignment and be aware that their grade will depend on fulfilling the criteria set forward in the rubric.

The student’s grade for the course will be based on the following:Individual Value Team ValuePhotoessay (presenting a potential research problem)

5 Research Problem Statement plus presentation

10

“Bridge” Sources Assignment 10 Mapping the Problem plus presentation

20

Comparison of scholarly sources 15 Annotated Bibliography and Integrative Model

15

Problem Statement for INTS 4391

5

In-Class Quizzes on readings, in-class participation exercises

15

Submitting Peer Review for team assignments (1 point, 2 points, 2 points)

5

Total 55 45

Peer Review Process for Team AssignmentsPeer Review is part of the academic and professional worlds. It ensures that the individuals in a work team are accountable for their performance to the other team members.

For every assignment, each team will receive a score on a 100 point scale. This will constitute 80% of each individual’s grade.

The remainder of the individual grade will be determined by peer review. Each member of the team will rate the contributions made by the team members (including themselves) to the success of the project.

I will then compare the peer review score to the team grade to get a weighted score for the remaining 20% of each individual grade.

This means that the quality of the team’s work will set a baseline for the score each individual will achieve, but those who contribute more will receive a higher individual grade than their team and those who contribute less will receive a lower individual grade.

Submitting peer review reports is mandatory for all team assignments. Peer review reports are due from each team member when the written assignment is



turned in. There will be a separate location on Blackboard to submit peer review reports.

Fairly evaluating co-workers is a serious responsibility. Team members should communicate clearly in advance about what is expected of each member and abide by those agreements when assessing each member’s contribution. If team members appear to be using peer review to carry out grudges or not taking the process seriously, I will withhold the team’s grade on the assignment until I can meet with the entire team to resolve the issue.

Late Work PolicyThis course moves sequentially to build research skills; work cannot be made up late without compromising the research process. Therefore late work is strongly discouraged:

All due dates on the syllabus are firm and are defined to the minute on Blackboard.

Written Assignments will have due time of 12:00 AM. This is “zero hour” of the due date. It follows 11:59 PM of the day before.

Written Assignments may be turned in up to one week after the due date with an automatic 10 point penalty. Late assignments reduce your margin for error to pass the course.

o Some assignments, as noted on the syllabus, may not be turned in lateo After one week from the due date, assignments will not be accepted.

Exceptions may be made when students present documentation of an unforeseeable, significant, and unavoidable situation that prevented their completion of the assignment on time.

Absences for Military Service: Absences for military deployment or mandatory training will be excused without penalty and lateness will be excused on affected assignments. Students must meet the instructor to agree to a plan to complete course work if significant time will be missed due to deployment. Where possible students should provide documentation listing all relevant facts of deployment, including but not limited to dates, duration, and expected ability to do course work while deployed.

There will be no extra credit offered to individual students.

The Instructor reserves the right to modify assignments with due notice.

Attendance Policy Attendance at class meetings is vital to student success and attendance at every session is the default expectation for the course. Team work requires that all students be present at class to meet with team members to complete assignments. This expectation will be backed up with in-class quizzes and assignments that will be given only in class.

Drop PolicyThe last day to drop with a grade of “W” is March 30, 2012. Students must complete a drop form obtained through an INTS advisor.



Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (http://wweb.uta.edu/ses/fao).

Approximately a third of the credit for this course will be earned before the drop deadline. It will be possible to make up for a slow start in the course with later assignments, but students should consider the implications of their decision to stay in or drop the course. Blackboard will be set up so that students can calculate their grade in progress during the semester.

Incomplete PolicyIncomplete grades (“I”) are given only under rare circumstances and only when unusual, unavoidable, and serious circumstances prevent a student from completing course work on time. To qualify for an incomplete, a student must meet the following requirements: (1) have satisfactorily completed at least half of all required work, (2) must document extreme need (though this does not guarantee an incomplete), (3) and must notify the instructor in writing the reason for being unable to continue to attend class and complete the remaining course requirements.

Students should be advised that the instructor does not look favorably on granting an incomplete to students based on difficulties that have emerged before the drop deadline. Students who are having difficulties that threaten their ability to complete the course before the drop deadline should consult with the instructor to determine the appropriate course of action.

If the student is granted an incomplete, s/he is required to make up ALL missed work prior to the end of the next long semester. The instructor will specify in writing the work that must be completed and both instructor and student will sign this as a contract for clearing the incomplete.

Grade Grievance PolicyStudents are always welcome to discuss with the instructor the grade earned and ways that the student might have earned a better grade. In cases where the student disagrees with the instructor’s judgment and wants to formally appeal the grade, UTA procedures require that the student initiate discussion with the instructor about the grade and the nature of the disagreement.


http://wweb.uta.edu/ses/fao


In the event that personal discussion does not resolve the student’s concerns about a grade, the student may contest his/her grade with the instructor in accordance with UTA policies. The student must follow the procedure specified in the “Student Grievance Procedure Related to Grades” in the university’s online catalogue at http://wweb.uta.edu/catalog/content/general/academic_regulations.aspx#10 .

Academic DishonestyAcademic dishonesty undermines the integrity of the program and the university. UTA’s drive for national recognition for academic quality is undermined by academic dishonesty. Pervasive academic dishonesty devalues your degree.

Students should know UTA’s definition of scholastic dishonesty:

"Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2)

I will enforce penalties for infractions according to UTA policies.

Form of Dishonesty Description PenaltyPlagiarism (Most Severe)

Passing off material from an internet source as one’s own work; purchasing, accepting, or taking a paper from another person or entity; turning in another student’s work

Failure of course; Automatic referral to student conduct

Plagiarism (Severe) Cut and paste or retype text from web or print source into assignment verbatim (word for word) without citation or quotation

Automatic zero on assignment; Automatic referral to student conduct

Plagiarism by close paraphrase

Reproduce substantively the language (words, phrasing, sentence structure) from original source without quotation, even with citation. This type of plagiarism may occur by accident or by sloppy research. Even though the intent is not to cheat, the student must commit to adopting better practices.

Reduced grade, up to zero for assignment; Meeting with professor required within one week to discuss the problem or zero will be given and referral will be made to student conduct

The instructor is obligated to deal with other forms of academic dishonesty not listed here according to UTA guidelines.

I reserve the right to use all appropriate methods to ensure that standards of academic honesty are upheld. This may include the use of antiplagiarism software to scan papers


http://wweb.uta.edu/catalog/content/general/academic_regulations.aspx#10


for Internet plagiarism, Googling phrases from student assignments, and the use of an electronic archive of past INTS papers. Plagiarism Web Sites with Examples:Indiana University Writing Tutorial Services

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtmlPurdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/1/Avoiding Plagiarism (UC-Davis)

http://sja.ucdavis.edu/ files/plagiarism.pdf University of Texas Libraries: Quoting and Paraphrasing

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/services/instruction/learningmodules/plagiarism/avoid.html

Student Support Services Available: The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. These programs include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.

Americans with Disabilities ActThe University of Texas at Arlington is committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As a faculty member, I am required to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities. Students are responsible for informing faculty of their need for accommodation and providing authorized documentation and specific steps for accommodation. Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability. Also, you may visit the Office for Students with Disabilities in room 102 of University Hall or call them at (817) 272-3364.

E-Culture PolicyThe University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the university email address as an official means of communication with students. Through the use of email, UTA is able to provide students with relevant and timely information, designed to facilitate student success. In particular, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation may be sent to students through email.




http://sja.ucdavis.edu/files/plagiarism.pdf

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/1/

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml


All students are assigned an email account and information about activating and using it is available at http://www.uta.edu/oit/cs/email/mavmail.php.

Students are responsible for checking their UTA email regularly, and the instructor will not be responsible for missed messages sent to UTA email accounts.

Student Feedback Survey

At the end of each term, students will be asked to complete an online Student Feedback Survey (SFS) about the course and how it was taught. Instructions on how to access the SFS system will be sent directly to students through MavMail approximately 10 days before the end of the term. UT Arlington’s effort to solicit, gather, tabulate, and publish student feedback data is required by state law; student participation in the SFS program is voluntary.

Office HoursAll students are strongly urged to make use of the professor’s office hours to discuss any matters related to the course or their academic progress. As a general rule, students who make use of office hours are more successful than those who do not. The instructor reserves the right to institute a time slot schedule for office hours if demand is high, and will make reasonable efforts to make and keep appointments to meet students outside of regularly scheduled office hours.

COURSE CALENDAR—Spring 2012

NOTE ON READINGS: ALL READINGS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE FIRST CLASS MEETING OF THE WEEK THEY ARE LISTED.

Sessions 1 and 2: 1/17, 1/19 Topics:

o Session 1: Introduction: Why Research? Why Interdisciplinarity? Review of syllabus, course expectations and design

o Session 2: Review of Core Concepts from 2301 Strategic Reading

Readings: “How to Read a Book v. 4.0” on electronic reserve, or direct download pdf file at pne.people.si.umich.edu/PDF/howtoread.pdf

Assignments: o Make sure UTA email is active o Login to Blackboardo Visit Blackboard configuration site; confirm proper pop-up blocker,

browser, and software configuration for home computer use. http://www.uta.edu/webct/configuration.htm

Sessions 3 and 4: 1/24, 1/26


http://www.uta.edu/webct/configuration.htm


Topics: o Session 3:

Academic Honesty The skill of paraphrasing as part of learning

o Session 4: Topics and Questions

Read: o Chapter 3 “From Topics to Questions”, The Craft of Research, Electronic

Reserveo Repko Text, Sections addressing Step1 of Research Processo University of Texas Library site on paraphrasing:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/services/instruction/learningmodules/ plagiarism/avoid.html


o Session 5: Ideas vs. Information, Research vs. Common Sense Discuss Perlmutter, Marx, Beam on politics

o Session 6: Research Problems Upcoming Photoessay Assignment

Read:o Repko, sections addressing step 1 of interdisciplinary research processo Craft of Research Chapter 4, “From Questions to Problems”o For Discussion 9/6

Perlmutter, Politicians should be more like professors Marx, Embrace the wonk Beam, The only politics article you’ll ever have to read


o Note: There will be several short readings this week, in addition to assigned textbook chapters. Students will be assigned responsibility in groups for presenting a summary and analysis of one reading to the class. The presentation will be a graded in-class exercise.

o Session 7: Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Approaches: (Groups assigned at Session 6) groups discuss their readings

o Session 8: Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Approaches: Groups present the significance of their reading

Read: o Textbook: Repko, sections addressing Steps 2 and 3o Topical Readings:

Krugman, Building a green economy Shea, Rule breaker





Vander Ven, This is the s*** show Markus and Conner, The culture cycle Asma, Gauging Gender Anderson, Adam Smith, marriage counselor

Assignment (individual):o Photoessay due at the end of Sunday night, 2/13o Submit through Blackboard


o Session 9 and 10: Presentations of Photoessays as potential research problems Each student will speak for up to 5 minutes: convince the audience that

the problem you are identifying is important to study.


o Session 11: Conclude Presentations; Discuss and decide on research teamso Session 12: Teams and topics confirmed before class; Discussion of Problem

Statement Assignment; Teams use time to meet/organize/discuss problem statement

Read: o Repko, sections dealing with Step 4 and 5

Assignment (Team):


o Session 13: Popular and “bridge” sources for a problem statemento Session 14: Presentations of Problem Statement: 10 minutes per team

Read: o Find bridge sources relevant to team research problem

Assignments:o Team: Prepare to present research problem to the class; Presentation will

be 20% of the grade for the written assignmento Individual: Complete Bridge Sources Assignment, due end of day 3/4.


o Session 15: Presentations of Problem Statement: 10 minutes per teamo Session 16: Team work time: Incorporate feedback on in-class presentation

into final written version of the problem statement Assignments (Team)



o Written team problem statements due at end of night Sunday 3/11 on Blackboard

o Peer Review scores due at end of night Sunday 3/11

3/13, 3/15: SPRING BREAKSessions 17 and 18: 3/20, 3/21 Topics:

o Session 17 or 18 (TBD) Research Librarian Consultation: Focusing a Literature Search

o Session 17 or 18 (TBD) What is quality interdisciplinary work? (read and discuss Mansilla)

Read: o Mansilla et al., Targeted assessment rubrico Repko, pages addressing Step 6, 7

Sessions 19 and 20: 3/27, 3/29 MARCH 30 IS LAST DATE TO DROP COURSE Topics:

o Session 19: Discuss Henig: Mapping a Problem, Evaluating conflicting insights

o Session 20: NO CLASS MEETING: Use for team and/or library work Read:

o Henig, What is it about 20-somethings?


o Session 21: Integrative Models: The Culture Cycle and the Human Development Index

o Session 22: Team Work: Preparing for Mapping Problem presentations Read:

o Integrative Models: Human Development vs. GDP http://www.measureofamerica.org/human-development/

o Repko, pages addressing Step 8 Assignment (Individual):

o Contrast of Two Scholarly Sources related to problem (Due at end of night, Sunday, 4/8)


o Session 23: Team work: Prepare Presentation of Problem Mapso Session 24: Presentations of Problem Maps



http://www.measureofamerica.org/human-development/


o Session 25: Presentations of Problem Mapso Session 26: Team Work: Incorporate feedback on presentation into final

problem maps. Assignment:

o Team: Written Problem Maps due at end of Sunday 4/22o Individual: Submit Peer Review for Problem Maps by Sunday 4/22


o Session 27: Discuss remaining assignments; o Session 28: Integrative Models and Techniques

Reado Repko, pages addressing Steps 9 and 10

WEEK 15: 5/1, 5/3 LAST WEEK OF CLASSES Topics:

o Sessions 29 and 30: 15 minute appointment slots for teams to discuss annotated bibliography. All teams must participate; individual participation will count as a graded in-class activity. Use the time outside of your appointment for team work.

Assignments:o Team Written Assignment Due: Annotated Bibliography. Due by end of

day on Friday, May 4.o Peer Review for Team Annotated Bibliography Assignment Due Friday,

May 4.o Individual Written Assignment Due: Problem Statement for INTS 4391

Capstone, due by end of day Sunday, May 6.


Documents

· Web view2012-01-12 · INTS 4301 Interdisciplinary Research Process. Syllabus. The University of Texas at Arlington, School of Urban and Public Affairs—Page 15 of 15