FOUNDATIONS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Social Work
Course:
SOWO 510: FOUNDATIONS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Semester:
Summer 2013
Course website:
SOWO 510 course site http://sakai.unc.edu
Course Section: 001
Time and Location: Mondays 9-11:50 am, Room 300 Tate Turner Kuralt Building
Instructor: Lisa de Saxe Zerden, MSW, PhD
Office: TTK Building, Rm. 350
Phone: 919-962-6430
Email: lzerden@email.unc.edu
Office Hours: 12:00-1:00pm Mondays and by appointment
Course Description:
Students will develop knowledge of evidence-based practice, including skills needed
to identify, acquire and assess appropriate interventions for practice and basic skills
required to evaluate their own social work practice.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate the following:
(1) Knowledge of evaluation models and methodologies available to implement
evidence-based social work practices;
(2) Skill in accessing and assessing public databases and research literature as a
foundation for evidence-based practice;
(3) Skill in applying the findings of social intervention research to social work practice
and policy;
(4) Skills to develop and implement intervention evaluations that promote evidencebased social work practice and policy, including skills related to qualitative and
quantitative research, measurement, data analysis, and knowledge dissemination;
(5) Ability to apply knowledge of social work ethics and values to the design of
practice intervention evaluations;
(6) Skill in designing social interventions that are sensitive to and address ethnic,
economic, gender, racial, religious, sexual orientation, and other issues of difference,
culture, and descent; and
(7) Knowledge of the practical, political, and economic issues related to the
evaluation of social interventions.
Required Texts:
 Royse, D., Thayer, B.A., & Padgett, D.K. (2010). Program evaluation: An
introduction (5th Edition). Belmont, CA: Brooks-Cole.
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

Rubin, R. & Babbie, E.R. (2010). Essential research methods for social work
(2nd Edition). Belmont, CA: Brooks-Cole.
Supplemental readings, available on Sakai or through UNC libraries databases,
may be recommended or assigned at the discretion of the instructor.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities which affect their participation in the course should notify
the instructor if they wish to have special accommodations in instructional format,
examination format, etc., considered. Accommodations and services are provided by
Disability Services (Voice/TDD 962-8300; 966-4041). Learning Disability Services (9627227) provides supportive services for students with learning disabilities and
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders.
Policy on Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty is contrary to the ethics of the social work profession, unfair to
other students, and will not be tolerated in any form. All written assignments should
include the following signed pledge: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized
aid in preparing this written work.”
Attendance:
This course will meet face to face only five times. Therefore, attendance at all
classes is required and absolutely critical. If you must miss a class due to a dire
emergency, please notify me as soon as possible. It is not possible to pass this class
with more than one absence.
Teaching Methods and Accountability:
SOWO 510 is a hybrid/blended class, which includes a combination of in-person class
sessions and on-line lessons. Students are expected to meet for class as the syllabus
outlines and complete all online activities. In-class sessions will include class
discussion of critical content issues/questions and skill-building activities.
Assignment Guidelines:
All written assignments must be typed and follow APA format. Several writing
resources are posted on the website. Students should also refer to the following:
 American Psychological Association (2009). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC.
 Note: You can find a self-paced tutorial for APA style at
http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/citations/apa/index.html
Assignments:
Take Home Quizzes:
Students will complete four take-home quizzes throughout the course. These quizzes
will be open book/open notes and will test knowledge of the assigned readings for
that week. The four quizzes comprise 20% of your grade (5% each) and are due at the
beginning of class (9am). Quizzes cannot be submitted after the due date and time.
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CITI Research with Human Subjects Training (Due July 1 at 9am)
Students will complete the on-line CITI ethics training. The CITI Research with Human
Subjects Training provides an opportunity to review historical and current standards
for ethical research that involves human subjects. Allow a minimum of ~3 hours for
completion of online training. The training is worth 10% of your overall course grade.
In-Class Labs
There will be four in-class labs throughout the course that will provide an opportunity
for hands on experiences with multiple aspects/components of the research and
evaluation process. The labs comprise 15% of your overall course grade (3.75% each).
Assignment One (Due July 15 by 9am)
The first half of a proposal for an evaluation project related to your field placement
or specific social work interests will be developed by each student. The first half of
this proposal is included in Paper One. This 4-5 page paper is worth 25% of your
overall grade and will include the following components: Introduction, Literature
Review, Research Question(s) and References.
Assignment Two (Due July 29 by 12pm)
The second half of a proposal for an evaluation project related to your field
placement or specific social work interests developed by each student. This 8-10 page
paper will include the following components: Introduction, Literature Review,
Research Questions(s), Methods (evaluation design, study sample, participant
recruitment, data collection, measures), Discussion and References. This paper is
worth 30% of your overall grade.
Assignments and Course Performance Assessment:
Take home quizzes
CITI training
Labs
Assignment One
Assignment Two
Course Total
20%
10%
15%
25%
30%
100%
Grading System:
Points
94 - 100
80 - 93
70 - 79
<69
Grade
H
P
L
F
Late Assignments:
Late assignments are strongly discouraged. In case of a dire emergency, a late
assignment may be accepted at the discretion of the instructor. If permission for late
submission is not granted before breaking a deadline, the grade will automatically be
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reduced 10%, and another 10% reduction will occur each day (including weekends).
Please note that technical difficulties are not an acceptable excuse for turning in an
assignment late. All technical inquiries should be directed to the staff of the SSW
Computing Information and Technology Unit (CITU). Please contact Manuel Garcia at
megarcia@email.unc.edu or 919-962-6416.
COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENTS
TO PREPARE FOR CLASS SESSION ONE: Tue June 25 (1-3:50pm* note time change)

Lesson One: Introduction and Overview of Evidence-Based Practice
Goal:
By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to define evidence based practice
(EBP) and authority based practice (ABP), and understand the benefits and challenges
of working from an EBP framework.
Readings:
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 1 (pp. 4-16) and 2 (pp. 20-29)
Royse et al.: Chapter 1 (pp. 1-30)
Optional: Gibbs, L., & Gambril, E. (2002). Evidence-Based practice: Counterarguments to objections. Research on Social Work Practice, 12, 452-476.
doi:10.1177/1049731502012003007
Assignments:
Take home quiz #1 due
TO PREPARE FOR CLASS SESSION TWO: Monday, July 1 (9-11:50am)
Assignments:
Take home quiz #2 due
CITI Training Certificate due start of class
Lesson Two: Ethics for Research and Evidence-Based Practice
Goal:
By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to define the utility of research in
evidence-based practice, describe the scientific process, think critically about ethical
issues related to EBP and social work and Identify safeguards established to prevent
harm to human subjects involved in research.
Readings:
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 4 (pp. 52-63), 15 (pp. 256-271) and 16 (pp. 274-284)
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TO PREPARE FOR CLASS SESSION THREE: Monday, July 8 (9-11:50am)
Assignments:
No quiz today given extensive readings 
Remember Assignment One due Monday July 15
Lesson Three: Program Evaluation - Phase 1 Needs Assessments
Goal:
By the end of this lesson, the student will understand how to conduct a needs
assessment of their organization’s target population.
Readings:
Royse et al.: Chapter 3 (pp. 55-78)
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 8 (pp. 114-129) *skim*
Lesson Four: Program Evaluation - Phase 2 Formative/Process Evaluations
Goal:
By the end of this lesson, the student will understand how to conduct an assessment
of the processes within their organization that determine its effectiveness, including
an assessment of costs and cost associated benefits and effectiveness.
Readings:
Royse et al.: Chapter 5 (pp.108-137)
Lesson Five: Program Evaluation - Phase 3 Summative/Outcome Evaluations
Goal:
By the end of this lesson, the student will have a general understanding of how to
conduct an outcome assessment of their organizations’ target population.
Readings:
Royse et al.: Chapters 7 (pp. 175-190), 9 (pp. 207-211 only)
Hatry et al.: Steps 1 (pp 1-30) and 3 (pp. 59-79) (Will be posted on Sakai)
TO PREPARE FOR CLASS SESSION FOUR: Monday JULY 15 (9-11:50am)
Assignments:
Take home quiz#3 due
Assignment One due
Lesson Six: Evaluation Design
Goal:
By the end of the lesson, students will understand the procedures for planning and
designing an evaluation and obtained the necessary skills to design an evaluation
based on the evaluation question.
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Readings:
Royse et al.: Chapter 9 (212-249)
Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 9 (pp. 132-150)
TO PREPARE FOR CLASS SESSION FIVE: Monday, July 22 (9-11:50am)
Assignments:
Take home quiz #4 due
Remember Assignment Two due July 29
Lesson Seven: Measurement and Questionnaire Construction
Goal:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand how to measure program
outcomes, develop questions and questionnaires necessary for data collection,
identify and critically evaluate the quality of measurement instruments, and describe
ethical and cultural issues related to measurement
Readings:
Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 6 (pp. 80-90) and 7 (94-109)
Royce et al. Chapter 12 (pp. 301-315)
Hatry et al.: Steps 4 & 5 (pp. 81-112) Appendix (pp. 150-162)
**NO CLASS MONDAY JULY 29TH (FINAL PAPERS DUE 12PM)**
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Sowo 510: CITI Training Description
This training provides an opportunity to review the history as well as current
standards for ethical research that involve human subjects. It is an on-line training
comprised of multiple sections with a practice quiz at the end of each section. You
may take the quizzes as many times as you need, but you must complete and pass
all of them for full credit. Please allow a minimum of 2-4 hours for completion of
the online training. The certificate of completion is due at the beginning of class
on July 1 and is worth 10% of your grade.
1. Log onto the CITI Course in the Protection of Human Research Subjects
webpage at: https://www.citiprogram.org
2. Click on the New Users Register Here link.
3. Use the pull down menu for the Participating Institutions option and click on
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
4. Provide a username for yourself such as your name or email address
5. Provide your name and e-mail address information Click on Submit.
6. Provide your member information (For Department, type in ‘Social Work’. For
your role in human subject research, click on the Social Worker option)
7. Select Group 2: Social and Behavioral Research when given the option for
which group is appropriate to your research activities.
8. Click on Grade book link when you arrive at the learner menu.
9. You can stop and start as needed. You can also retake any quiz by going back
to the same section again.
10. Print out the certificate of completion with your name on it to turn in for
assignment credit (10%).
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Assignment One – Introduction to Evaluation Proposal Description
A proposal for an evaluation project related to your field placement or specific social
work interests will be developed by each student. The first half of this proposal is
included in Assignment One. This 4-5 page paper will include the following sections:
Introduction, Literature Review, Research Questions, and References.
Paper One is due at 9am on July 15.
The paper should include the following three components:
1. Introduction: The introduction should include a description of the agency,
population, program or policy on which you are focusing and address the
following:



What is the problem that you are addressing with a social intervention?
What is the prevalence and cost of this problem (i.e. the number of
people in a population who have the problem, the social/financial cost,
etc.)?
How do you know this is a problem? Why is it important to the field of
social work?
2. Literature Review: Empirical research pertaining to relevant interventions,
programs or policies and their outcomes specific to the student’s population
and problem should be reviewed concisely and critically. Also, end with onetwo sentences that identify the intervention/aspect of the program that you
plan to address and evaluate in your research proposal.
3. Research Question(s): List the specific and measurable research question(s) and
rationale that will guide your evaluation.
 Why is your research question timely or relevant?
 What valuable information will be gained?
 PICO framework
4. References & Writing: A minimum of six outside peer reviewed journal articles
appropriate to support the problem/issue and literature review (pay attention
to currency of references). References should be cited in the text and listed in
the reference section according to APA guidelines. The paper should be clearly
and concisely written and checked for errors prior to submission. On-line
references do not count towards 6 required sources.
Grading Rubric: Required Components and Points Possible
Introduction
7
Literature Review
8
Research Question(s)
5
References & Writing
5
8
Total Possible
25
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Assignment Two: Evaluation Proposal Paper and Presentation
For the final exam, students will develop an 8-10 page proposal for an evaluation
project related to field placements or a specific social work interest.
Assignment Two is due on July 29 (12pm).
The paper should include the following six components:
1. Introduction (Updated): The introduction should include a description of the
agency, population, program or policy on which you are focusing and address
the following:



What is the problem that you are addressing with a social intervention?
What is the prevalence and cost of this problem (i.e. the number of
people in a population who have the problem, the social/financial cost,
etc.)?
How do you know this is a problem? Why is it important to the field of
social work?
2. Literature Review (Updated): Empirical research pertaining to relevant
interventions, programs or policies and their outcomes specific to the student’s
population and problem should be reviewed concisely and critically. Also, end
with one-two sentences that identify the intervention/aspect of the program
that you plan to address and evaluate in your research proposal.
3. Research Question(s) (Updated): List the specific and measurable research
question(s) and rationale that will guide your evaluation.
 Why is your research question timely or relevant?
 What valuable information will be gained?
4. Methods: This section will present the plan for how the research question will
be addressed. Please provide separate subheadings for each of the following:
 Evaluation design: What is your overall study design? Identify the method
(quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods), describe the design
(groups studied and/or compared), and include appropriate design
notation. List key independent/dependent variables.
 Study sample: Describe the sample population and specific sampling
strategy. Who will be included? Who will be excluded? (Here you will
address demographic and other characteristics of your sample)
 Participant Recruitment: How will you reach out to participants? How
can you ensure inclusion of all relevant participants? (Are there any
subgroups that might be especially challenging to reach? What efforts
can you make to include them? What incentives, if any, will you offer?)
 Data Collection: What will be the logistics of data collection (when,
where, who)? Do your methods pose potential challenges for participants
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
(i.e. literacy, language, cultural issues, and privacy)? How might you
address these?
Measures:
o If using an existing instrument: Indicate why you chose this
instrument, including validity, reliability, and appropriateness for
your population. Please attach the actual survey or instrument as
an appendix if you have access to it, otherwise please attach the
types of questions included in the instrument.
o If designing your own instrument: Indicate your rationale, and
steps to ensure quality (validity, reliability, and appropriateness
for your population). Please attach the types of questions to be
included in the instrument.
5. Discussion: This section should include a thorough discussion of the following:
 Strengths and limitations of the evaluation.
 Potential implications of the findings for social work practice (be sure to
address how the evaluation will benefit your agency in particular and its
clients), policy and research.
6. References & Writing: A minimum of eight outside peer reviewed journal
articles appropriate to support the problem/issue and literature review (pay
attention to currency of references). References should be cited in the text
and listed in the reference section according to APA guidelines. The paper
should be clearly and concisely written and checked for errors prior to
submission.
Grading Rubric: Required Components and Points Possible
Intro
2
Literature Review
4
Methods
10
Discussion
8
References & Writing
6
Total Possible
30
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