Faculty of Social Work,
Continuing Education 2002-2003
Applied Social Research
Instructor:
Tel: 905 820-0945; Email: robert.macfadden@utoronto.ca
Course Outline
Making Research
Work: Using Quantitative Methods to Improve Your Practice
This eight week, web-based course introduces learners to the quantitative method in social work research. With a focus on assessing practice effectiveness, examples from a range of fields will be used with a special emphasis on the health services. The course begins with online introductions and some exercises designed to introduce learners to the basic skills required to participate in an online course. The first topic will be an introduction to epistemology and how we know what we know. Our “many ways of knowing” will be explored with an emphasis on and critique of positivism. The various approaches to evaluating practice will be introduced and remain a significant thread throughout the course. The content will move to developing a research question, exploring the literature, determining an appropriate research design, hypothesis testing, sampling, data collection, analysis, report writing, and conclude with examining single-case and program evaluation approaches to evaluating practice.
Objectives
To understand the various ways we “know” something, including the underlying assumptions, strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to social work research with special emphasis on positivism and empiricism;
To develop an understanding of the central elements of the quantitative approach including problem formulation, literature review, methodology, research designs including single-case, survey, experimental and quasi-experimental approaches, question formulation, reliability and validity, sampling, data collection, and analysis;
To understand how diversity issues impact all phases of the research process and consideration of the ethical issues in social work research with special reference to the health sector;
To understand various approaches to evaluating practice and how quantitative methods support these approaches;
To develop beginning skills in formulating a researchable question and in designing a quantitative approach to evaluating some aspect of your practice or your agency’s services.
Instructional Methods
This totally web-based course uses multiple forms of facilitation and resources. Content and content-related links exist in the various course areas including weekly objectives, and lectures. Common content and link areas include: Research Studies; Bibliography; and a Webliography. Course facilitation involves encouraging online discussion through moderating chat sessions and a class listserve, responding to individual students’ e-mail (robert.macfadden@utoronto.ca), telephone contacts and responses to assignments. Chat sessions are voluntary and synchronous (i.e., happen in real time) and will occur every two weeks or four times during the eight week course. Chat sessions involve students signing on at the same time and contributing ideas and responding to each other. A listserv involves asynchronous communication (responses are sent later) through e-mail. A student list is created and learners can respond simply to all members of the list by selecting the “reply” option. The course encourages students to utilize the vast resources of the world wide web and to share useful information and links. Another feature of the course is e-partnerships. Students are encouraged to pair with each other to enhance the learning process. The instructor will assist any students who wish to find an e-partner. Some students may also wish to work individually. E-partners may collaborate on assignments and should inform the instructor about this by the third week of the course.
Assignments
Some students who are not interested in receiving a credit for this course may wish to participate but not submit assignments. Students who contribute regularly (i.e., post at least two messages to the listserv weekly and attend and participate in two of the four chat sessions) but who do not submit an assignment will receive a certificate of attendance. Students who contribute regularly (as per above) and successfully complete the two assignments will receive a certificate of successful completion.
Assignment 1:
Develop a research question that is relevant to your practice or your agency’s
services and include 5-10 references from the literature supporting the
development of this question. Length: 5 double-spaced pages for an individual;
10 pages for e-partners. Due Date:
Assignment 2:
Develop a quantitative research proposal to evaluate the effectiveness of some
aspect of your practice or your agency’s services. Include a literature review
with a theoretical background and discussion of the intervention along with
methodology including sampling, instrumentation, data collection, proposed analysis,
a discussion of ethics and how diversity issues (e.g., gender, culture, age,
etc.) are addressed. Length: 10 pages
for an individual, 20 pages for e-partners. Due Date:
Course Schedule
This course is divided into 8 modules and each new module starts on Wednesday morning. Access to each new module is opened each Wednesday morning to ensure that the learners explore the same issues together and contribute to the weekly discussions.
Week 1
Wednesday, January
29th
Experience in the basic skills required for this online course:
Signing on
Navigating the course website
Sending an e-mail
Participating in chat
Sending a listserve message
Signing on to the e-text by William
Trochim, Research Methods Knowledge Base
at http://www.atomicdogpublishing.com/home.asp
. Reviewing the Table of Contents and navigating throughout the text.
Introductions to other students
Submitting a short bio to the student bio section
Greeting other students through informal messaging
A short greetings chat experience
Introduction to the course
Reviewing the course syllabus
Exploring the course website and areas
Using the Webliography to explore the Internet
Exploring practice effectiveness from quantitative perspective
Week 2
Wednesday, February
5th
Many ways of knowing: Exploring Empiricism and Positivism
Strengths and weaknesses of a quantitative approach
Grinnell, Chapter 6: “Research Approaches” (pp. 88-114): Chapter 7: “Utilization of Research Approaches” (pp.115-126).
Week 3
Wednesday, February
12th
The Research Process
Researcher Bias
Developing a research question
Conducting a literature review
Overview of the quantitative approach
Research ethics, informed consent and diversity issues
Single case approach
Section 4, “Problem Formulation”.
Grinnell, Chapter 5, “Formulating Research Questions” (pp.73-78).
Trochim, Chapter 1, Section 3, “Ethics in Research”.
Grinnell, Chapter 4: “Research Ethics” (pp.55-69); Chapter 23: “Single-
System Designs” (pp.455-480).
Week 4
Wednesday, February
19th
Research designs
Grinnell, Chapter 12: “Group Research Designs”; Chapter 13: “Case Research Designs”.
First Assignment
Due February 19th
Week 5
Wednesday, February
26th
Levels of measurement
Instrumentation, reliability & validity
Developing questionnaires
Sampling
Grinnell, Chapter 8: “Measuring Variables” (pp. 129-150); Chapter 9: “Measuring Instruments (pp. 151-179); Chapter 10: Designing Measuring Instruments (pp. 181-203)”; Chapter 11: “Sampling” (pp. 207-223).
Week 6
Wednesday, March 5th
Data analysis
Secondary data analysis
Report writing
Week 7
Wednesday, March 12th
Single system evaluation
Week 8
Wednesday, March 19th
Program evaluation
Sharing student proposals
Summary & conclusions
Grinnell, Chapter 24: “Program-Level Evaluation” (pp. 481-509); Chapter 25: “Evaluation in Action” (pp. 510-526).
Second assignment
due
Course7outline