Neag School of Education
University of Connecticut
Fall 2016 – Gentry 101
Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. – noon
Instructor: Del Siegle, Ph.D.
del.siegle@uconn.edu
www.delsiegle.info
860-486-0616
Office: Gentry 119C

Course Overview:
This is a doctoral seminar designed to provide participants with the opportunity to explore a variety of issues related to giftedness and further develop their role as scholars. The course is designed to be interactive. Participants are expected to conduct and share reviews of literature and conduct research studies. The course will culminate with scholarly products for an authentic audience.  The course requires active participation in classroom activities, informed by the pre-class work.

Goals and Objectives:
As a result of active participation in this course through readings, research exercises, class attendance, and class discussions, it is expected that the student will:

• Develop expertise in APA publication guidelines
• Create and submit an IRB
• Conduct an extensive review of literature
• Analyze research literature, identify research holes in the literature, and develop research questions based on the limitations found in the research
• Develop expertise in an issue related to children with gifts and talents
• Collect and analyze data
• Write and submit a scholarly paper based on original research conducted as part of the class

 

Textbook:

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.)

 

Class Meetings (Road map)

August 30

• Overview of a seminar and its purpose
• Difference between bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees
• Issues 1) in the field and 2) for individuals (http://padlet.com/del_siegle/issues)
• Possible publication formats and audiences
• Information on GAs in gifted education

September 6

• Presentations of gaps in the literature (Project 1)

September 13

• Presentations of gaps in the literature (Project 1)
• Review of APA

September 20

• Presentations of gaps in the literature (Project 1)

September 27

• “A Morning with Joe Renzulli”

October 4

• Presentations of gaps in the literature (Project 1)

October 11

• Presentations of gaps in the literature (Project 1)

October 18

• Presentations of gaps in the literature (Project 1)

October 25

• Discussion of research designs
• “Needs Statements”  (Project 2)

November 1

• Discussion of research designs

November 8

• Select experts for interactions
• Achievement Orientation Model
• Discuss review of literature

November 15

• IRB content due (Project 3)
• Interact with the experts

November 22 – Fall Break

November 29

• Interact with the experts

December 6

• Review of literature due (Project 4)

 

Assignments:

Project 1: Due September 6 (25% of your grade)
Locate a minimum of five research articles on the issue you selected from our class discussions. An important component of a scholarly manuscript is often a section on “Suggestions for Future Research.” Using that section, and your understanding of the results presented in each research article, conduct a 10-15 minute class discussion that includes the following: a) overview of the issue [5 points], b) suggestions for future research provided in the articles [5 points], c) your own suggestions for future research based on the results of the studies you read [5 points], d) what you consider the most pressing research opportunity [5 points], and your research question suggestions for others on Google Doc [5 points].

Project 2: Due October 25 (25% of your grade)
Dissertations and scholarly articles generally begin with a needs statement (Statement of the Problem). This is a clearly articulated argument for why the study is important and should be conducted [10 points]. It culminates in the purpose of the study, often stated as a research question [5 points].  For dissertations, this is traditionally the first chapter. It is usually several paragraphs to a published page in scholarly journal articles. Prepare a written “Statement of the Problem” with references in APA format [5 points]. It should be 12 point Times, 1 inch margins, double spaced, and between 2 and 3 pages [5 points].

Project 3: Due November 15 (25% of your grade)
All research conducted by faculty and students at the University of Connecticut must be approved by the UConn Institutional Review Board (IRB). The type of IRB you submit (e.g,, IRB-1, IRB-5) depends on the nature of the study. IRBs are submitted electronically through INFOED. Prior to making the electronic submission, prepare a Word document [10 points] with the information you will submit electronically: instruments, participants, and procedures [10 points]. CITI training is required before submitting an IRB [5 points].

Project 4: Due December 6 (25% of your grade)
The completed review of literature should be between 4 and 8 pages (excluding references) [5 points]. This is a current synthesis [15 points] of the literature related to the study you are conducting. It will follow your need statement in your final paper for this class. Follow APA formatting guidelines including 1 inch margins, 12 point Times font, double spacing, running head, and appropriate formatting of references [5 points].

 

Grading:
You will receive a grade for each assignment based on the requirements listed above. Your final grade will be a combination of those grades. Late work will be penalized by one grade per week that it is late. This seminar will only work if everyone contributes and meets the assignment deadlines. In your professional careers you will find that your success often is contingent on timely assistance from colleagues and their success at times is dependent on your prompt responses.

A   93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B   83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C   73-76
C- 70-72
D  60-69
F  below 60

Rights and Responsibilities:

Absence of Students due to Religious Beliefs
Connecticut law states that no person shall be expelled from or refused admission as a student to an institution of higher education for the reason that he is unable, because the tenets of his religion forbid secular activity on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study or work requirements on such particular day or days or at such time of day. Any student in an institution of higher education who is unable, because of such reason, to attend classes on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day shall be excused from any examination or any study or work assignments on such particular day or days or at such particular time of day. The University Senate requires that students anticipating such a conflict should inform their instructor in writing within the first three weeks of the semester, and prior to the anticipated absence, and should take the initiative to work out with the instructor a schedule for making up missed work.  For conflicts with final examinations, students should, as usual, contact the Office of Student Services and Advocacy (formerly the Dean of Students Office).

Academic Integrity
A fundamental tenet of all educational communities is academic honesty; academic work depends upon respect for and acknowledgement of the research, ideas and intellectual property of others. When we express our ideas in class assignments, projects or exams, we need to trust that someone else will not take credit for them. Similarly, others need to trust that our words, data and ideas are our own. We find the intellectual property of others in textbooks, periodicals, newspapers, journals, solution manuals, dissertation abstracts, emails, the internet and other sources electronic or otherwise. Regardless of where we find information, protecting and acknowledging the rightful originators of intellectual property is vital to academic integrity.

Academic misconduct is dishonest or unethical academic behavior that includes, but is not limited, to misrepresenting mastery in an academic area (e.g., cheating), intentionally or knowingly failing to properly credit information, research or ideas to their rightful originators or representing such information, research or ideas as your own (e.g., plagiarism). Knowing what constitutes academic misconduct is so important to an educational community that all students are encouraged to go to their advisors, instructors, counselors, or assistant deans of students whenever they need clarification. When an instructor believes there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate a clear case of academic misconduct within a particular course taught by that instructor, the instructor shall notify the student in writing, and also orally if possible, that unless the student requests a hearing to contest the instructor’s belief, the instructor shall impose the appropriate academic consequences warranted by the circumstances. This should occur within 30 days of discovery of the alleged academic misconduct. The appropriate academic consequence for serious offenses is generally considered to be failure in the course. For less serious offenses regarding small portions of the course work, failure for that portion is suggested, with the requirement that the student repeat the work satisfactorily for no credit.

Students with Disabilities
Please contact the instructor during office hours to discuss academic accommodations that may be needed during the semester due to a documented disability. If you have a disability for which you wish to request academic accommodations and have not contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD), please do so as soon as possible. The CSD engages in an interactive process with each student and reviews requests for accommodations on an individualized, case-by-case basis. The CSD collaborates with students and their faculty to coordinate approved accommodations and services. The CSD is located in Wilbur Cross, Room 204 and can be reached at (860) 486-2020 or at csd@uconn.edu. Detailed information regarding the process to request accommodations is available on the CSD website at www.csd.uconn.edu.      

Please visit  http://provost.uconn.edu/syllabi-references/ for additional university policies regarding your rights and responsibilities.

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles from it.
–Socrates