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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Social Work
Course Number:
Course Title:
Semester:
Location and Time:
Instructor:
Office:
Mailing:
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Office Hours:
SoWo 510
Foundations for Evidence-Based Practice
Spring 2013
TTK Building, Rm. 300, 9:00-11:50 AM, Fridays
Susan Snyder, PhD
421B
UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work
325 Pittsboro Street, CB# 3550
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3550
Susan Snyder: snydersm@email.unc.edu
919-962-4372
Fridays 12:00-1:00 PM, 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)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Knowledge of evaluation models and methodologies available to implement evidencebased social work practices;
Skill in accessing and assessing public databases and research literature as a foundation for
evidence-based practice;
Skill in applying the findings of social intervention research to social work practice and
policy;
Skills to develop and implement intervention evaluations that promote evidence-based
social work practice and policy, including skills related to qualitative and quantitative
research, measurement, data analysis, and knowledge dissemination;
Ability to apply knowledge of social work ethics and values to the design of practice
intervention evaluations;
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
Knowledge of the practical, political, and economic issues related to the evaluation of
social interventions.
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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Required Texts:
 Rubin, R. & Babbie, E.R. (2013). Essential research methods for social work (3rd
Edition). Belmont, CA: Brooks-Cole.
 W.K. Kellogg Foundation (2004). Evaluation handbook. Battle Creek, MI: Kellogg
Foundation.
 SRI International (2000). We did it ourselves: An evaluation guidebook. Sacramento, CA:
Sierra Health Foundation.
 Supplemental readings are available on Sakai or through UNC libraries databases.
Additional supplementary readings 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 (962-7227) 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.”
Teaching Methods and Accountability:
SOWO 510 is a hybrid/blended class that includes a combination of in-person class sessions and
online lessons. Students are expected to meet for class as the syllabus outlines as well as
complete all online activities. Most in-class sessions will include class discussion of critical
content issues/questions and skill-building activities.
Policies on the use of Electronic Devices in the Classroom:
Use of electronic devices for non-class related activities is prohibited. Cell phones should be
turned off or put on vibrate during class. In the event of an emergency phone call please leave
the classroom for your call.
Attendance & Participation:
Since the class will generally follow a seminar format, group discussion is critical in this class.
Full class participation is possible only when the student attends class regularly, arrives promptly
with readings completed, is ready to respond to the subject matter under discussion and is
prepared to ask questions when speakers present. Participation is defined as the willingness and
ability to add to the discussion, using content from the readings, ask questions of each other,
speakers or Susan, clarify issues that are salient for the student, and the willingness to bring
personal and field experiences into the room that add richness and reality to the discussion. To
earn an H a student must come to class on time, stay for the entire class, and contribute to class
discussion by referencing both class readings and practice experiences. In situations when
students are ill or have an emergency, notification before the class is expected.
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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If the majority of students do not regularly participate in class discussion it will be necessary to
institute more frequent quizzes to ensure that course readings have been completed. A quiz can
include either a paper and pen/pencil test or an impromptu 5-10 minute oral presentation of the
reading. These quizzes would take place at the beginning of class and would comprise half of
the weekly attendance grade.
Students who are missing or late to 3 classes (or more) may receive an L for the course,
because it is not possible to meet course requirements for learning objectives with that level of
absenteeism. Students are responsible for obtaining ALL announcements, instructional
information, and handouts for class sessions they miss.
Assignment Guidelines:
All written assignments must be typed and follow APA format. In addition to providing
formatting and citation guidelines, APA requires students to avoid slang, to write
dispassionately, and to not include contractions. Furthermore, sources for papers should befit a
graduate degree. Thus, Wikipedia should not be cited, no interviews should be included without
prior approval from Susan, and peer-reviewed journals are preferred. 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/?page=apa_sample
Assignments:
In-class Quizzes:
Most class sessions will include an in-class quiz. The quizzes will test students on online
content/materials and the assigned readings for each lesson. The 7 quizzes will occur at the
beginning of each class listed in the syllabus and will comprise 28% of your course grade (4%
each). Missed quizzes must be made up through a personal arrangement with the instructor.
CITI Research with Human Subjects Training:
Students will complete the online 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 5% of your overall course grade and is due Feb 1.
In-Class Labs
There will be 4 in-class labs throughout the semester that will provide an opportunity for hands
on experiences with multiple aspects/components of the research and evaluation process. The
labs comprise 20% of your overall course grade (5% each) and are each due the week after the
in-class activity.
Final Exam: Evaluation Proposal Paper and Presentation
A proposal for an evaluation project related to your field placement or specific social work
interests will be developed by each student. This 7-10 page paper will include the following
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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components: Introduction, Literature Review, Research Questions(s), Methods (evaluation
design, study sample, measures) and References. Each student will present a summary of their
evaluation to the class in 15 minutes. The paper and brief class presentation are worth 45% of
your overall grade.
T
Assignments and Course Performance Assessment:
Quizzes
CITI training
Labs in class
Paper (The following sections will be submitted separately)*
Intro due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu) 2/1/13
Literature Review due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu) 2/15/13
Research Question(s) due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu) 4/5/13
Methods due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu) 4/5/13
Discussion due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu) 4/19/13
Total Possible for Paper
Class Presentation
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5
20
5
7
3
20
5
40
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Grading System:
H = 94-100
P = 80-93
L = 70-79
F = 69 and below
Incompletes are only given in extraordinary circumstances after a discussion between the
student and professor.
* Because you are writing the components of your paper as separate sections please be mindful
of the fact that you will need to have included a total of 8 sources by the time you have
submitted all of the sections on 4/19/13.
Late Assignments:
Late assignments are strongly discouraged. In case of a dire, life-threatening 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 reduced 10%, and
another 10% reduction will occur each day (including weekends). Please note that days begin at
12:00AM.
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 919962-6416.
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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COURSE OUTLINE & ASSIGNMENTS********************
PART I: USING EVALUATION TOOLS IN PRACTICE
Week 1, Jan 11: Introduction to This Course
Students will have an in-class session this week.
Goal: By the end of this week, the student will understand how to proceed with the hybrid
course and access/utilize Sakai and all online materials.
Assignments:
 To familiarize yourself with the structure and format of the course, please review some of
the materials located on the Sakai website for this course. Watch the Orientation video
that describes the course, its objectives and structure.
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 1
Week 2, Jan 18: Program Evaluation - Phase 1: Needs Assessments (Online Lesson 2)
Students will have an online session this week, but will not have an in class session.
Goal: By the end of this lesson, the student will understand how to conduct a needs assessment
of their organizations target population.
Assignments:
 Sakai online lesson
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 9 & 13 (pp. 240-241)
 Axford, N. (2010). Conducting needs assessments in children’s services. British Journal
of Social Work, 40(1), 4-25. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcn103
 Farrell, S. J. & Reissing, E. D. (2004). Picking up the challenge: Developing a
methodology to enumerate and assess the needs of the street homeless population,
Evaluation Review, 28(2), 144-155. doi: 10.1177/0193841X03261484
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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Week 3, Jan 25: Ethics for Research and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practice
(Online Lesson 3)
Students will have an in-class session this week.
Lesson
2) to think critically about ethical and
Goal: By the end of this lesson, the student will
be able
cultural issues related to EBP and social work and Identify safeguards established to prevent
harm to human subjects involved in research and evaluations of practice.
Assignments:
 Sakai online lesson
 In-class quiz on readings and online lesson
 CITI Training Certificate of Completion due
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 16 & 17
 McCracken, S. G. & Marsh, J. C. (2008). Practitioner expertise in evidence-based
practice decision-making, Research on Social Work Practice, 18, 301-310. doi:
10.1177/1049731507308143
 Regnerus, M. (2012). How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex
relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study. Social Science Research,
41, 752-770. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2012.03.009
 Bartlett, T. (2012). Controversial gay-parenting study is severely flawed, journal’s audit
finds. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from
http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/controversial-gay-parenting-study-is-severelyflawed-journals-audit-finds/30255
Week 4, Feb 1: Evaluations of Evidence-Based Practice (Online Lesson 3)
Students will have an in-class session this week.
Lesson 2)
Goal: By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to explain the contributions of research
and evaluation to evidence based practice (EBP) in social work.
Assignments:
 Sakai online lesson
 Introduction is due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu)
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 2, 4 (pp. 50-55), 5, 13 (pp. 230-232; 238-242)
 Kellogg Evaluation Handbook: Chapters 1 and 2 (pp. 2-13)
 SRI-Sierra Evaluation Guide: Chapter 5
 Tickle-Degnen, L. & Bedell, G. (2003). Heterarchy and hierarchy: A critical appraisal of
the “levels of evidence” as a tool for clinical decision-making, American Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 57, 234-237. doi:10.5014/ajot.57.2.234
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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PART II: EVALUATING YOUR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
Week 5, Feb. 8: Week 5, Feb 8: Program Evaluation - Phase 2: Process/Formative
Evaluations and Cost Benefit/Effectiveness Evaluations (Online Lesson 4)
Students will have an in-class session this week and Lab #1
2)
Goal: By the end of this lesson, the studentLesson
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.
Assignments:
 Sakai online lesson
 In-class quiz on readings and online lessons for past 2 weeks
 Lab #1
Readings:
 Kellogg Evaluation Handbook: Part 2 (pp. 20-27)
 Glisson, C. (2007). Assessing and changing organizational culture and climate for
effective services. Research on Social Work Practice, 17, 736-748.
 Orthner, D.K., Cook, P., Sabah, Y. & Rosenfeld, J. (2006). Organizational learning: A
cross-national pilot-test of effectiveness in children’s services, Evaluation and Program
Planning, 29, 70-78.
 Heinz, L. C. & Grant, P. R. (2003). A process evaluation of a parenting group for parents
with intellectual disabilities. Evaluation and Program Planning, 26, 263-274.
 Schweinhart, L.J. et al. (2005). The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study through age 40:
Summary, conclusions, questions. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.
Week 6, Feb 15: Evaluation Types - Phase 3: Summative/Outcome and Impact
Evaluations (Online Lesson 5)
Students will have an online session this week, but will not have an in class session.
Goal: By the end of this lesson, the student will have a general understanding of how to develop
a program logic model and conduct an outcome assessment of their organizations’ target
population.
Assignments:
 Online lesson
 Literature Review is due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu)
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 4 (pp. 55-59)
 Kellogg Evaluation Handbook: Part 2 (pp. 28-46)
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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

Allen, T. & Bronte-Tinkew, J. (2008). Outcome evaluation: A guide for out-of-school
time practitioners. Washington, DC: Child Trends. Available at
http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2008_01_07_OutcomeEvaluation.pdf
Deckro G., Ballinger K., Hoyt M., Wilcher M., Dusek J., Myers P., Greenberg B.,
Rosenthal D., & Benson H. (2002). The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce
psychological distress and perceived stress in college students, Journal of American
College Health, 50, 281-287. (Review methods section, pp. 282-283)
Week 7, Feb 22: Evaluation Design (Online Lesson 6)
Lesson 2)
Students will have an in-class session this week and Lab #2
Goal: By the end of the lesson, students will understand the procedures for planning and
designing an evaluation and apply the necessary skills to design an evaluation based on the
evaluation question.
Assignments:
 Online lesson
 In-class quiz on readings and online lessons for past 2 weeks
 Lab #2
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 3, 11, 12 & 13 (pp. 233-238)
 Deckro G., Ballinger K., Hoyt M., Wilcher M., Dusek J., Myers P., Greenberg B.,
Rosenthal D., & Benson H. (2002). The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce
psychological distress and perceived stress in college students, Journal of American
College Health, 50, 281-287. (Review methods section)
Week 8, March 1: Sampling Strategies (Online Lesson 7)
Students will have an online session this week, but will not have an in class session.
Goal: By the end of the lesson, students will understand the advantages and disadvantages of
various sampling designs and how to select an appropriate design for an evaluation in their area
of practice.
Assignments:
 Online lesson
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapter 10
 SRI-Sierra Evaluation Guide: Chapter 10 (pp. 81-86)
 de Anda, D. (2007). Intervention research and program evaluation in the school setting:
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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Issues and alternative research designs. Children and Schools, 29, 87-94. doi:
10.1093/cs/29.2.87
Week 9, March 8: Measurement Issues in Evaluation (Online Lesson 8)
Students will have an in-class session this week and Lab #3
Goal: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand how to measure program
outcomes, identify and critically evaluate the quality of measures, and describe ethical and
cultural issues related to measurement
Assignments:
 Online lesson
 In-class quiz on readings and online lesson
 Lab # 3
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 6, 7 and 18 (pp. 324-325)
 SRI-Sierra Evaluation Guide: Chapter 3 (pp. 13-19)
 Dana, R. (1996). Culturally competent assessment practice in the United States. Journal
of Personality Assessment, 66, 472-487.
 Foa, E.B., Johnson, K.M., Feeny, N.C., & Treadwell, K.R. (2001). The child PTSD
symptom scale: A preliminary examination of its psychometric properties. Journal of
Clinical Child Psychology, 30, 376-384.
Week 10, March 15: Spring Break – No class
Week 11, March 22: Questionnaire Development (Online Lesson 9)
Students will have an in-class session this week and Lab #4
Goal: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand how to develop questions
and questionnaires necessary for data collection
Assignments:
 Online lesson
 In-class quiz on readings and online lessons for past 2 weeks
 Lab #4
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie: Chapters 8
Kellogg Evaluation Handbook: Chapter 5 (pp. 69-81)
 SRI-Sierra Evaluation Guide: Chapter 9 (pp. 67-78)
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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
Orthner, D.K., Jones-Sanpei, H., & Williamson, S. (2004). The resilience and strengths of
low-income families. Family Relations, 53, 59-167.
Week 12, March 29: Holiday – No class
Week 13, April 5: Presenting Evaluation Proposals (online Lesson 10)
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal: By the end of the lesson, students will understand how to prepare and present proposals to
conduct an evaluation of an intervention in an agency or organization within which they are
working or supporting. The proposal is designed to improve best practices with that agency or
organization
Assignments:
 Online lesson
 Quiz on readings and online lesson
 Research questions & Methods due via email (snydersm@email.unc.edu)
Readings:
Rubin & Babbie: Appendices A and B
SRI-Sierra Evaluation Guide: Chapter 11 (pp. 87-104)
Foundation Center (2012). Proposal writing short course. (on line at:
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html
Weeks 14 and 15, April 12 and 19: Student Presentations
Students will have an in-class session this week
Goal: By the end of this session students will effectively present evaluation proposals to their
peers and describe the potential impact on social work practice. Students will also practice
providing feedback to peers on ideas for improving evaluation designs.
Assignments:
 Student Presentations and Final Papers due. Turn in all components of the paper via
email to snydersm@email.unc.edu
 Peer feedback and evaluation
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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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 online 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 3-4 hours for completion of the online training. The certificate of completion is
due at the beginning of class on July 2 and is worth 5% 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 and password for yourself such as your name or email address and
complete the rest of the registration information requested on the page in numbers 3-5
(security question and answer, first name and last name, and email address. For questions
6 and 7, please select “no.” For question 8, please respond “yes” or “no” depending on
your preference.) Click Submit.
5. Complete the fields requested in “Member Information.” (For Department, type in
“Social Work”. For your role in human subject research, click on the Social Worker
option. When you are asked whether or not you are affiliated with UNC, please click
Affiliated.) Click Submit.
6. When you are asked to select your curriculum (the CITI course you wish to take), please
select the first option, “I would like to review the Human Subjects Protection (IRB)
modules.” Click Next.
7. Please select the response that applies to you for the question “Have you completed the
CITI UNC-Chapel Hill Basic Course?” Click Next.
8. When you are asked to select a group most appropriate to your research activities, please
select “Group 2 Social and Behavioral Research.” Click Next.
9. Click “No” to continue with your current selection when asked if you want to add the
training requirements for another institution.
10. From here you can select “Enter” and begin the training.
11. You can stop and start as needed. You can also retake any quiz by going back to the same
section again.
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.
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When you have finished the training, please print out the certificate of completion with
your name on it to turn in for assignment credit.
Final Exam: Evaluation Proposal Paper and Presentation (Due April ?? and ??)
For the final exam, students will develop a proposal for an evaluation project related to field
placements or a specific social work interest. Each student will present a summary of their
evaluation to the class in 15 minutes. This 10-12 page double-spaced paper is worth 40% and
brief class presentation 5% of your overall grade.
The paper should include the following six components:
1. Introduction: The introduction should include a brief statement of the problem to be
addressed by a social intervention and information concerning the prevalence (i.e., the
number of people in a population who have the problem), and costs (social and financial)
of the problem. This section should conclude with a discussion of why the problem is
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, in one or two sentences describe your plan for
addressing the problem with an intervention.
3. Research Question(s): List the specific and measurable research question(s) that will
guide your evaluation. In addition, please state your hypothesis for each question.
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: Identify the method (qualitative or quantitative), describe the
design, and include appropriate design notation.
 Study sample: Describe the sample population and specific sampling strategy
 Measures: Describe the measures and be sure to include information about the
reliability and validity of each. Please attach the actual survey or instrument as an
appendix if you have access to it, otherwise the types of questions included.
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, policy and research.
6. References & Writing: Provide an accurate list of all cited sources in APA format
(minimum of 8). The paper should be clearly and concisely written and checked for
errors prior to submission.
This is a proposed schedule of assignments and readings. Susan reserves the right to make adjustments to the
schedule as needed.