Syllabus



	EDR798 : Syllabus : Syllabus

Syllabus - Dissertation Seminar

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Course Name:	EDR 798, Dissertation Seminar Fall 2002
Instructor:	Mary I. Dereshiwsky, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Research
Office Location:	Eastburn Education Building, Room 207K (2nd floor)
Office Telephone:	(928) 523-1892
E-mail Address:	statcatmd@aol.com
Office Hours:	By prior arrangement/appointment
Required:	Access to Internet and e-mail, preferably using your student dana account. (You will need to know your dana user name and password in order to access our Virtual Conference Center (VCC), even if you are using another Internet Service Provider.) *IMPORTANT:* You MUST also have ONE-TIME ACCESS to Microsoft Word, either on your own computer or through a friend or colleague. *I will transmit ten (10) Dissertation Seminar learning modules to you as soon as you send me an e-mail message indicating you're aboard and ready to get started! They comprise the main textbook reading for our course. They are intended to serve as your guidelines on "suggested subheadings for each dissertation chapter, their order, wording and content", as well as "what NOT to do: mistakes commonly made which should be avoided." The last two of these ten modules tell you EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS IN A PROSPECTUS HEARING and DISSERTATION DEFENSE and HOW TO PREPARE** for these all-important key meetings!! I would urge you to print these ten modules out, perhaps put them in a binder and study them very carefully and continually throughout the course! *You MUST ALSO maintain a continual online presence* during the ENTIRE official Fall '02 semester, through Friday, 12/13/02.**
Course Objectives:	This course is intended to facilitate individual student preparation of key portions of the first three chapters of the doctoral dissertation (the prospectus). Students will write, revise and share individual drafts of these key portions of the prospectus with one another and with the instructor via our Web-based Virtual Conference Center (VCC) cyber-classroom posting area.

Due Dates for Assignments:

Please note: All assignments are due by 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on the dates shown below:

Module #1, "Getting Started:"

Assignment #1: Study the EDR 798 Syllabus and Study Learning Modules #1and #2 (please see above for more on these 10 learning modules to be transmitted to you in Microsoft Word format as file attachments to e-mail)

Assignment #2: Get an NAU Student Dana Account

Assignment #3: Let's Get Acquainted (VCC self-introduction posting)

Let's Chat About It: Discussion Topic #1 (VCC folder postings: you must make at least one substantive post of your own and respond to at least one other post of a classmate's within five (5) working days of the following due date)

Due Monday, 9/16/02.

- - -

Module #2: "Stating the Problem:"

Group Assignment #1: Post to the VCC - Due Monday, 9/23/02.

Group Assignment #2: Peer Review - Due Monday, 9/30/02.

Group Assignment #3: Post to the VCC - Due Monday, 10/7/02.

Group Assignment #4: Post to the VCC - Due Monday, 10/14/02.

- - -

Module #3: "Literature Research:"

Study Learning Module #3

Group Assignment #1: Post to the VCC - Due Monday, 10/21/02.

Let's Chat About It: Discussion Topic #2 (VCC folder postings: you must make at least one substantive post of your own and respond to at least one other post of a classmate's within five (5) working days of the following due date)

Due Monday, 10/21/02.

- - -

Module #4: "Research Design and Procedures"

Study Learning Modules #4, 5 and #6

Group Assignment #1: Post to the VCC - Due Monday, 10/28/02.

Group Assignment #2: Post to the VCC - Due Monday, 11/4/02.

Group Assignment #3: Post to the VCC - Due Tuesday, 11/12/02.

Group Assignment #4: Post to the VCC - Due Monday, 11/18/02.

Let's Chat About It: Discussion Topic #3 (VCC folder postings: you must make at least one substantive post of your own and respond to at least one other post of a classmate's within five (5) working days of the following due date)

Due Tuesday, 11/18/02.

- - -

Module #5: "Data Analysis:"

Study Learning Modules #7, #8, #9 and #10

Group Assignment #1: Data Analysis - Due Monday, 6/2/02.

Let's Chat About It: Discussion Topic #4 (VCC folder postings: you must make at least one substantive post of your own and respond to at least one other post of a classmate's within five (5) working days of the following due date)

Due Monday, 6/2/02.

- - -

Grading Policy: As per external policy of the NAU Graduate College, EDR 798 is graded as follows:

--Provided you are making continual and satisfactory progress on the course requirements above, you will receive an "In Progress" (IP) at the end of the Fall '02 semester (this is when pre-session grades are officially recorded by our Registrar's Office).

URGENT: Missing two or more due dates as outlined above will denote failure to make continual and satisfactory progress, as well as a need for you to re-enroll in EDR 798 Dissertation Seminar in order to qualify for the IP interim grade.

--When you have successfully completed your prospectus (first 3 chapters of the dissertation), and you have successfully passed your prospectus hearing, you must submit the following to the EDL Office:

(1) A copy of the first three chapters as you submitted them to your dissertation chair and committee (these NEED NOT include any recommendations or suggestions that you were provided DURING your prospectus hearing--pre-hearing version is A-OK);

(2) A copy of the cover page of your prospectus signed by your chair and committee to signify their acceptance of your prospectus and advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree.

When the EDL Office has received both of the above, I will then process a "Change of Grade" form to clear your IP and replace it with a "Pass."

- - -

PLEASE NOTE: You are strongly discouraged from enrolling in EDR 798 Dissertation Seminar during the same semester that you are preparing to take your doctoral comprehensive examinations!

My ten years of past experience with this course have shown that students who try to enroll in EDR 798 and prepare for comps concurrently have invariably fallen behind in our course requirements.

It is strongly suggested that you first concentrate on comps; then, once that important milestone is cleared, you will then be able to more comfortably and less stressfully devote your full attention to the preparation of your dissertation prospectus in EDR 798!

Just One More Thing: Please remember that I'm ALWAYS here for you ANYTIME you have a question, problem or concern!!!

Please don't let 'small stuff' fester and turn into 'big stuff!'

There's NOTHING we can't improve, even a little, if you share the problem with me promptly and agree to work in positive partnership with me on its resolution!

Welcome aboard! I'm glad you're part of my cherished cyberfamily! And, I'm looking forward to working with you on this dissertation "cyber-odyssey!"

Once you have finished you should:

Go back to Dissertation Seminar

E-mail M. Dereshiwsky at statcatmd@aol.com
Call M. Dereshiwsky at (520) 523-1892