EPSY 5990
Supervised Research and Program Evaluation
Spring 2016
Department of Educational Psychology
University of North Texas
Instructor: Dr. Abbas Tashakkori
Office: Matthews Hall 316
e-mail:
Capstone for the MS in Educational Psychology incorporates the knowledge and skills acquired in the appropriate concentration of the Master’s degree, and provides an opportunity to explore solutions to applied problems through conducting research or evaluating programs under the supervision of a faculty advisor.
Prerequisite(s): Taken during the last 12 semester hours of Masters course work
Course Description and Requirements:
This Capstone course provides the opportunity for Masters students in EPSY to incorporate domains of knowledge and learning experiences in their academic Concentrations, with the goal of creating a consistent and meaningful Gestalt that may continue evolving in the future.
Creation of an electronic portfolio that includes past relevant course outcomes/artifacts in the MS program is the starting point for the creation of such a Gestalt. Following the creation of a folder in DropBox as a depository for all the documents in the portfolio, and uploading a brief bio about oneself, four inter-dependent tasks are required for the completion of the course:
1. (Paper 1, 10-15 pages) An annotated bibliography consisting of summaries and critical analyses of 10 journal articles that are highly relevant to the focus/interest area within your Masters degree plan;
2. (Paper 2, 12-16 pages) A paper mapping your “learning experiences” consisting of a summary of the courses taken in the Masters program, course artifacts/outcomes, feedback received on them, and an analysis of how each course shaped your professional/academic identity and/or in various chosen competency areas 9see instructions below);
3. (Paper 3, 10-15 pages) A synthesis paper incorporating the previous two tasks into a detailed essay to tells your growth story and future professional/personal trajectory shaped by both your learning experiences (Paper 2) and the knowledge base (Paper1).
4. Creation of a LinkedIn profile, and uploading a Bio/summary for public/professional access. The scope of the uploaded self-description is fully determined by you, and is not subject to evaluation for the course. Additionally, the development and posting of a more detailed summary of the synthesis paper as a Blog to post in one of the social media is strongly encouraged, but not required.
Creating a depository for your portfolio:
Your first step is to create a DropBox folder called "LastName-EPSY5990-Sp2016" (substitute LastName with your last name!) and “share” the directory with the instructor.Please let me know if you need further instructions about how to create an account on DropBox.com, or how to ‘share’ a folder with others.
The Portfolio (on DropBox) is shared with the person teaching this course throughout the semester, and will include all papers and products (video clips, artwork, term papers, etc.) created in each student's previous courses (and are referenced in the current papers), as well as the feedback received for thee products. The 4 tasks specified for this course (EPSY 5990), and the feedback you receive on them will also be uploaded in the same electronic portfolio.
At the end of the semester, the Professor should be “unshared,” stopping his/her further access. This will assure the continuation of each student's full ownership/control of the folder/portfolio in the future.
Name the directory in DropBox starting with your last name, then course number, then SP2016 (for example: Smith-EPSY5990-Sp2016). Then, invite the instructor to “share” the folder with you (in the DropBox, send the invitation to: ""). If you don't have a DropBox account, please sign up for a new personal one, create a folder as described, and invite me to join the shared folder.
After you set up the folder and 'share' it with the instructor, the next step is to test it by uploading your brief Bio (a Word file consisting of 1-2 paragraphs about you and your professional-life experiences). Call this "about me-YourName" (substitute YourName with your last name!).
Also, post your Bio ("about me")in the Discussions Board for this course. This is shared with currentstudents in the course, and will be removed at the end of the semester.
Deadline: January 25, 2016.
Task 1 (25 points): Creating a Knowledge Base: Annotated Bibliography
· Find 10 recent (2013-2016, data-based, empirical) journal articles within your disciplinary focus.
· Create an annotated bibliography (10-15 pages) summarizing each of these articles in a few paragraphs, the last of which explaining how that article is related or may contribute to your intended professional goals. Each paper should be summarized in one page, font 12, one-inch margins. You may add an introduction and/or a concluding section if you wish. Put all the APA-formatted references together as the last section of your paper (note: this is not consistent with other advice regarding annotated bibliographies that instruct you to put each reference at the top of the page for each summary. Instead, please include all the references in one section titled “References”. This will allow the TurnItIn to not include it in your ‘originality index’ (see below);
· Make sure that you summarize the actual results of the study (not what is in the abstract), and then present your own conclusions/recommendations that are based on these findings, rather than relying on the authors’ conclusions;
· Make sure you examine each paper with a critical perspective/lens rather than simple reporting. Please do not accept/report recommendations/conclusions unquestionably on face value (or because the authors have made that conclusion). Examples of feedback given before are included in the folder for you to see;
· Submit to TurnItIn by February 21, 2016.
o TurnItIn will close at 11:59 PM the next day, to allow for revised/updated originality index reports (it usually takes 24 hours for a new originality index to be available for your revised draft).
o Make sure your ‘originality index’ in the TurnItIn is not more than 10%, excluding the references. Otherwise, your paper will not receive the allocated points (zero).
o You can upload as many time as you wish, since the latest version uploaded by the due date will be the basis for your grade.
o In order to prevent problems in this Originality Index, please do not list your reference within each report. Include references at the end of your paper. TurnItIn is directed to NOT include the references in your originality report. (note: this is not necessarily consistent with the formatting advise given by others, including APA. But, it makes it easier for you to see how much duplication you have in your text!)
· You will receive feedback from the instructor via email within1-2 weeks, which will also be uploaded to your DropBox portfolio directory.
Task2 (25 Points): Learning Experiences and Links to Professional Goals
Summarize your educational/professional experiences as related to specific focus areas within your Concentration (12-16 pages).
The goal of this task is to link your learning across courses to areas of competence that you deem important to your current and future professional/academic interests and plans. At this point, all the available assignments/papers/outcomes from your previous courses should be uploaded in your folder/portfolio for future reference. This is more crucial for the papers/products that you have referred (will refer) to in your papers in this Capstone.
Seven content areas are listed for your Concentration. For each of the seven content areas reflecting your academic and professional goals, write a summary of how the specific competencies, standards, or concepts within that area were covered in your course work, and how you mastered this material (via exams, assignments, mentorship, etc.) to be prepared for your professional/academic plans.
o Submit to TurnItin by March 27, 2016.
o TurnItIn will close at 11:59 PM the next day, to allow for revised/updated originality index reports (it usually takes 24 hours for a new originality index to be available for your revised draft).
o Make sure your ‘originality index’ in the TurnItIn is not more than 10%, excluding the references. Otherwise, your paper will not receive the allocated points (zero).
o You can upload as many time as you wish, since the latest version uploaded by the due date will be the basis for your grade.
· You will receive feedback from the instructor via email within1-2 weeks, which will also be uploaded to your DropBox portfolio directory.
Task 3 (40 Points). The Synthesis Paper: Story of Your Journey!
Your final (10-15 page) synthesis paper is an attempt for you to integrate all the previous work (knowledge base, learning experiences, outcomes), and your work in this Capstone course, into a meaningful autobiography that tells the story of your educational journey.
The goal of this task is to synthesize your knowledge base (Task 1) with your learning experiences across courses and areas of competence (Task2) in the context of your historical goals/expectancies, and end with a predicted direction for your future. Starting from the initial “About Me” summary that you posted early in the semester, the information from your annotated bibliography (showing the state of the academic/professional field) and the experiences/work you identified in Task 2, you should be set to finish this final assignment (synthesis paper) as a guide for your future professional development.
Your general goal is to map your journey: Identify where you were intellectually and professionally, where you wanted to go, your journey through graduate school (and through the knowledge domains in the field), and then make a prediction of where you actually will be in the next few years.
o Start your paper with an introduction (1-3 paragraphs) that shows who you are, including your academic and professional life experiences and background (where you were/are);
o Add a section about your aspired/planned professional and personal future goals (where you wanted to go when you started the journey). Based on the research that you reported in Task/Paper 1, what knowledge base was/is needed/required to reach these goals?;
o Analyze how the experiences in your EPSY graduate program helped you acquire the knowledge and competencies that you need (ed) for reaching each of your goals or the specific expertise needed for these goals (be candid in pointing to any areas that your graduate work did not accomplish as fully as you needed/expected. Make suggestions, if you can, for improvements in the programs!);
o End with a wrap-up of how all you have learned and done in the Masters degree program at the UNT set the stage for your next step/plan (if it has not doe so adequately, explain). Given all of this, where you would like to be in a few years? Where you think you will be in 3-4 years?
You will be surprised as how useful this will be in the future, when you return to it to see how you actively shaped your own professional preparations!Who knows, maybe you decide to make this last paper your public 'blog' for others to read as well!
Submit to TurnItin by April 24, 2016.
TurnItIn will close at 11:59 PM the next day, to allow for revised/updated originality index reports (it usually takes 24 hours for a new originality index to be available for your revised draft).Make sure your ‘originality index’ in the TurnItIn is not more than 10%, excluding the references. Otherwise, your paper will not receive the allocated points (zero). You can upload as many time as you wish, since the latest version uploaded by the due date will be the basis for your grade.
Task 4. Posting for Professional Development (10 Points)
Creation of a LinkedIn profile, and uploading a summary of the synthesis paper for public/professional access.
The scope of the uploaded self-description is fully determined by the student, and is not subject to evaluation for the course (the minimum required is a 1-2 paragraphs of narrative presenting your professional profile, plus completing the sections on education, expertise, etc.).
Additionally, the development and posting of a more detailed summary of the synthesis paper as a Blog to post in one of the social media is strongly encouraged, but not required.
Please email a confirmation, along with a link to your LinkedIn posting by
Tuesday April 26.
General University Information
Student Conduct.
Students are expected to conduct themselves as mature and responsible adults while enrolled in this course. This includes displaying respect for peers and faculty, accepting personal responsibility for arriving to class on time, attending each class session, and maintaining class notes as well as performance on assignments and exams. Do not spend your time in class checking Myspace, Facebook, email, text-messaging friends, surfing the web, etc. In addition, students are expected to responsibly meet the deadlines cited within the syllabus. Please note the due dates for assignments. Do not expect an extension on deadlines. Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student’s conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university’s expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classrooms, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at: www.unt.edu/csrr
Academic Integrity and Academic Dishonesty.
It is expected that students will conform to the University of North Texas Code of Student Conduct and Discipline as outlined in the undergraduate catalog. This states, in part, that all instances of cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism are prohibited and will be reported. Any student who assists in any form of dishonesty is equally as guilty as the student who accepts the assistance. Any work submitted with your name alone on it should represent your work alone. To the extent that others contribute ideas, suggestions, etc., they must be directly credited by name (and full citation as appropriate). Disciplinary action will be taken against any student found in violation of the Code, which may include failure in the course and possible expulsion from the University. You will find the policy and procedures located at: http://vpaa.unt.edu/academic-integrity.htm. Please be aware that any work submitted must be originally created for this class. You may not turn in anything submitted for another course, including work created for another section/semester of this one. For more information on what constitutes plagiarism, as well as tips on citing your resources, visit www.plagiarism.org.