1. The stuff they hate to love: Engaging graduate students in a required research course
Final e-portfolio
Elspeth Slayter, Ph.D.
School of Social Work
Salem State University
May 2011

2. Final e-portfolio
Access to the Internet required to view all elements of this portfolio
See click here hyperlinks to essays, and other appendices
Caveat: Second time preparing an e-portfolio, apologize for any bugs
3. Table of contents
Context
Project Goals
Linkage of Project Goals, Objectives, Assessment
Implementation of innovation
Findings
Conclusions
4. Context: Students
Social work students do not come to this program to do math
Even though research is MORE than math
Used to believing what they read, hard to break out of mold into critical thinking mode
Approach 3 courses with anxiety, sometimes hostility
5. Context: Existing course
Advanced applied research courses:
Design, conduct year-long research projects
Product is community-based
Requiredin graduate program in social work
Very traditional syllabus (read: students think it is BO-RING, engagement a challenge
Upcoming accreditation suggests need for integration of course content (research-practice)
6. Project goals:
To integrateresearch methods, statistics and social work practicecontent
To increase student engagement in research course
To increase students perceptions of connectionsbetween research, practice
7. Linkage of project goal 1, objectives, assessment
8. Linkage of project goal 2, objectives, assessment
9. Linkage of project goal 3, objectives, assessment
10. PLAN:Implementation of innovation
Two approaches to implementing innovation in course:
11. Implementation of innovation: New framework
New framework for teaching
Process of evidence-based practice as framework added to existing research-as-a-second-language approach
12. Implementation of innovation: New activities, assignments
Activities & Assignments:
Guest co-lecturer:Practice professor visits
Online group activity: Discussion moderated by community partner
Final assignment response: By community agency partner, practice professor
Individual and group activity:Reflection exercises weekly, end-of-semester
13. Findings: Goal 1, objective a
Take-home message:Linkage to current work facilitates some improvement
14. Findings: Goal 1, objective b
Take-home message:I can talk until blue in face, practice professors are gold
15. Findings: Goal 1, objective c
Take-home message:Need to vet partner, establish expectations earlier
16. Findings: Goal 2, objective a
Take-home message: Hard to distinguish have to do project effect from new lens, assignments, activities effect
17. Findings: Goal 2, objective b
Take-home message:Weekly discussions helped, but not in the end EBP platform alone doesnt work for last course, must be in first two courses also
18. Findings: Goal 2, objective c
Take-home message:Something good happened in this class students got why research is required at the very end
19. Findings: Goal 2, objective d
Take-home message:Unclear whether participation impacted by new framework, assignments, activities
20. Findings: Goal 3, objective a
Take-home message:Weekly discussions of evolving findings helped students to make linkages
21. Findings: Goal 3, objective b
Take-home message:Assignment not located at the right point in semester
22. Findings: Goal 3, objective c
Take-home message:Need to weave this skill development approach into first two courses; students over-estimating preparedness?
23. Ranking scale:Likert scale of 1 (Not at all prepared) to 5 (Very prepared)
24. Summary:Take-home messages on integrated content
Linkage to current work facilitates some improvement
I can talk until blue in face, but practice professors are like gold
Need to vet community partner, establish expectations/capabilities earlier
Weekly discussions helped, but not in the end EBP platform alone doesnt work for last course, must be in first two courses also
25. Summary:Take-home messages on engagement
I can talk until blue in face, but practice professors are like gold
Hard to distinguish have to do project effect from new lens, assignments, activities effect
Something good happened in this class students got why research is required at the very end
Unclear whether participation impacted by new framework, assignments, activities
26. Summary:Take-home messages on facilitating linkage
Linkage to current work facilitates some improvement
I can talk until blue in face, but practice professors are like gold
Weekly discussions helped, but not in the end EBP platform alone doesnt work for last course, must be in first two courses also
Weekly discussions of evolving findings helped students to make linkages
Assignment not located at the right point in semester
Need to weave this skill development approach into first two courses; students over-estimating preparedness?
27. Conclusions
New framework appears to function as an engagement tool but needs to be earlier

Unexpected implementation of EBP lens, activities/assignments into unintended course

Hard to distinguish impact of changed approach on engagement:
Lack of pre-test data
Students required to complete community-based research project anyway to pass class (learning moment)
Involvement with practice faculty, community partners wildly popular
I felt better about what was happening in classroom makes me want to continue my efforts
28. Next steps
Implement changes to first of three required research courses
Weave in practice professor/community partner elements into final two courses
Track students from first course to last (different instructors possible)
Conduct course-specific pre-post testing at each stage on engagement, linkage