EDU 620: Data-Driven Decisions: Assignment Specifics

Photo Credit

This course details the processes of using data to make informed decisions regarding student learning, instructional programs, resources, and policies.  Instruction will include aspects of information literacy such as methods for collecting meaningful data, analyses of data, communication of findings, and decision-making based on findings.  Particular emphasis will be given to using teacher and student work samples to make instructional decisions based on analyses of student learning gains and related data.

Graduate Research Paper Essay:

Teacher candidates will complete a 10-15 page paper on a topic in the area of data driven decisions in education.

Step 1: Select a Research Topic

The first step in developing your research essay involves selecting a topic and conceptualizing a research plan. This allows you to outline your topic and identify a research question to address.

For this course, you will identify a topic related to data driven decisions in education and assessment (see broad topics for ideas below).

Due Saturday of Week 2. **The topic must be approved by the instructor**

Step 2: Annotated Bibliography

Once you determine a research topic and question, the next step is to begin identifying and reading the significant references. Locate and read at least 5 scholarly articles, 1 scholarly book, 1 trade journal and 1 website/ blog that pertain to your literature review. You will want to do as much research and reading as possible at an early stage so as to better conceptualize your research question and structure your work well. While you may not include the trade journal/ website/ blog necessarily in your literature review this can be helpful to contextualize and understand findings in the field.

For this next step, your articles and books need to clearly address your topic and support your literature review.

Your references should use APA formatting and should come from appropriate sources, such as peer-reviewed journals, or books published by scholarly presses (no more than one). Begin searching the Aquinas Library for relevant peer research articles. Complete the annotated bibliography using the template provided in the Assignments folder on Blackbaud. You will submit your completed annotated bibliography by Saturday of Week 4.

Step 3: Draft Outline of Research Essay and Abstract

Having selected a research plan, located and reviewed some resources, you are then ready to formalize and personalize the first draft of the outline for your essay. Developing an outline of your research essay will help you stay focused and facilitate the completion of your essay. You can follow different ways of creating an outline, but the general layout of the research essay must contain the following elements:

• Title page
• Abstract page (120 words max.)
• Introduction (theme, research question, and scope)
• Literature review (structured according to the nature of the theme, using appropriate literature to support arguments and employing subheadings to outline the development of the narrative)
• Conclusion
• List of References

Once you have completed your outline, you can craft the first draft of your abstract. An abstract provides a summary of the research essay. The abstract is also iterative – once you have completed your research essay, you will revisit your abstract to ensure it accurately reflects your findings. You will create one cohesive document that includes your draft outline and draft abstract.You will submit this document by Saturday of Week 6.

Step 4: Title and Introduction

As you continue to do research, develop the following elements:

• Title page
• Introduction

You will not submit these elements until you submit your final research essay; however, you may ask your peers to review your work and provide guidance. You may also reach out to your Instructor for additional guidance.

Step 5: Doing Research and Writing the Literature Review, Conclusion, and References

Next, you will continue to do research and start to draft of the final elements of your research essay following APA formatting:

• Literature review (structured according to the nature of the theme, using appropriate literature to support arguments and employing subheadings to outline the development of the narrative)
• Conclusion
• References

You will not submit these elements until you submit your final research essay; however, you may as your peers to review your work. You may also reach out to your Instructor for additional guidance.

Step 6: Final Essay Submission

The research essay should respect the criteria and guidelines found in the next section.

Your completed research essay is due by Week 9, 5pm. Update the Abstract and Introduction sections of your essay based on your research findings. Also review and integrate all of your Instructor’s feedback prior to submitting your paper. Then, create one cohesive document. Your essay should include 10-15 pages of content, and a title page, abstract, and list of references used in the text. APA formatting and style should be used throughout your paper. Please use the following resource to help you in your literature review: http://aquinascollege.libguides.com/literaturereviews

Value: 15%

5 Research Articles (How do I know if it's a research article?)

1 Books (How do I find a book?)

1 Websites/Blogs (How do I know if the website is credible?)

1 Trade Journal (What is a trade journal?) **

 
** Instructors note: Education Week is not an acceptable journal for this assignment.

• A Research Guide. (2014). Creating a research paper outline. Retrieved from https://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html #step4
• Purdue Owl APA
• Austin Community College. (n.d.). Building research papers. Retrieved from https://library.austincc.edu/help/tutorials/research-papers-rise/index.html#/

• American Psychological Association. (2014, April 18). Gimme structure. [Web blog posting] Retrieved from http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/abstracts/
• Academic Resource Center, Tufts University. (n.d.). How to write an abstract. Retrieved from https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.uoregon.edu/dist/5/19998/files/2023/04/HOW-TO-WRITE-AN-ABSTRACT_Tufts.pdf
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Writing Center. (2013). Writing tips: How to write an abstract. Retrieved from http://writingcenter.unlv.edu/writing/abstract.html

 Instructor: Sister Elena Marie, O.P. sremarie@aquinascollege.edu 

 Librarian: Theresa Balick balickt@aquinascollege.edu