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THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Course No:
SOWO 510 (Section 004)
Course Title:
Foundations for Evidence-Based Practice and Program Evaluation
Semester
Spring 2016
Time & Location
(Tuesday, 9:00 – 11:50) Room TT Room 114
Instructor:
Amy Blank Wilson, PhD, LSW
School of Social Work, Room 324C
Office: 919.962.3598
amyblank@email.unc.edu
Office Hours:
Mondays 12pm - 2pm
(Students are encouraged to request appointments during these hours)
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 evidence- based
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.
NOTE: Faculty reserve the right to amend the contents of this syllabus. Students will be advised
of any changes in a timely manner. This syllabus may not be reproduced without the permission of
the instructor.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND READINGS:
Rubin, R. & Babbie, E. R. (2016). Essential research methods for social work. (4th ed.) Boston,
MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-1-305-10168-5
This text book is available in the UNC Student Stores. Links to other assigned and/or
recommended readings, videos, or slides will be posted on the class Sakai site:
http://sakai.unc.edu.
POLICY ON INCOMPLETE OR LATE ASSIGNMENTS: An assignment is considered late
if it is submitted any later than the start of class on the day it is due. The grade for late
assignments will be reduced 10% per day, including weekends. That is, if an assignment is
turned in any later than the start of class, the grade will be reduced by 10% if turned in within the
next 24 hours, 20% if turned in within 48 hours, 30% if turned in within 72 hours, etc.
Please keep me informed if any problems arise with meeting due dates. Extensions may be given
at the instructor’s discretion but only in situations where students contact the instructor prior to
the date the assignment is due. The policy on late assignments applies to all written assignments
and exams.
A grade of “Incomplete” will be given in extenuating circumstances and in accordance with
SSW and University policy. It is the student’s responsibility to request and explain the reasons
for an Incomplete. The instructor has no responsibility to give an Incomplete without such a
request.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty is contrary to the ethics of
the social work profession, is unfair to other students and will not be tolerated in any form.
Please refer to the APA Style Guide, The SSW Manual, and the SSW Writing Guide for
information on attribution of quotes, plagiarism and appropriate use of assistance in preparing
assignments. All written assignments should contain a signed pledge from you stating that, "I
have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in preparing this written work.” In keeping with
the UNC Honor Code, if reason exists to believe that academic dishonesty has occurred, a
referral will be made to the Office of the Student Attorney General for investigation and further
action as required.
FORMAT FOR WRITTEN WORK: APA format should be used for all written assignments.
Students should refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th
ed.) for information on APA format:
American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association, 6th Edition. Washington, D.C.: American
Psychological Association.
Students should also consider the UNC writing center (Phillips Annex) for on-line and tutorial
help (http://writingcenter.unc.edu/ or 962-7710).
POLICY ON ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students
with disabilities that affect their participation in the course and who wish to have special
accommodations should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (Voice: 9628300; Relay NC: Dial 711). Students must have a formal letter from the Office of Accessibility
Resources and Services to receive disability-based accommodations. Students should discuss the
need for specific accommodations with their instructor at the beginning of the semester.
TEACHING METHODS:
We will use PowerPoint lectures, case examples, multimedia, problem-solving exercises, in class
activities, and peer group discussions related to students’ research topics.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
Although we will use laptops to complete in-class activities and labs, electronic devices (e.g.,
cell phones, laptops, tablets) should not be used during class for social purposes or other
activities irrelevant to the course content. Alerts and notifications on devices should be silenced
during class. Students who must answer emails/phone calls/ text messages should do so during
the 15 minute break.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS
Course Evaluation
Requirement
Quizzes (5)
Research ethics (CITI) training
Class participation
Midterm exam
Evaluation proposal
Proposal Presentation
% of total
20%
10%
25%
35%
10%
GRADING SYSTEM
The scores for each assignment will be combined and converted to the following scale for final
grading:
94 and above
80 – 93
70 – 79
69 and below
H
P
L
F
Research and ethics training (due January 26th):
You must take the Human Subjects Research Course for Social Behavioral and Educational
(SBE) modules. This is an online training and can be accessed through
https://www.citiprogram.org. You will need to register with CITI before starting the course. You
must pass the assessment at the end of the training in order to get credit for this assignment.
Please bring in a printed verification of completion to class or email electronic verification to the
instructor by the beginning of class on January 26th. This assignment will be counted as a quiz
grade (replacing the lowest quiz score).
Quizzes (Value 20%):
Students will take five quiz over the course of the semester. Questions on the quiz will be drawn
from the class material and assigned readings. Quiz grades will be averaged and the lowest quiz
score will be dropped and replaced with the Research and Ethics Training. The quizzes are meant
to provide feedback about students’ knowledge of core concepts and also provide the
information necessary to take corrective measures, by both the instructor and students, to ensure
that adequate learning has occurred. Students must be in class to take the quiz and make-up
quizzes are not given. In the event that a student misses a class, it will count as that student’s
dropped quiz score. In the event that a student has missed more than one class, the student will
receive a 0 on that quiz.
Class participation (Value 10%):
Participation will be assessed by students’ attendance, involvement in class activities, lab
sessions, contributions to small group assignments, and informed participation in class
discussion. Five points will be deducted from the base score for each class session if you miss
class, are late, or are not prepared for discussions or activities. When students are ill or have an
emergency, notifying the instructor before the class is required. Students missing 3 or
more classes may receive an L for the course because it is impossible to meet the
course objectives with that level of absenteeism. Students are responsible for obtaining from
their classmates ALL announcements, instructional information, and handouts for each class
session they miss.
Midterm (March 8th) (Value 25%): The exam will consist of true/false, multiple choice, short
answer, and essay questions and will cover class content from the first 7 weeks of class.
Final Project: Evaluation Proposal Paper (due April 26th) (Value 35%):
A proposal for an evaluation project related to your field placement or specific social work
interest will be the primary written assignment for this course. This 6-8 page paper will include
the following components: Introduction, Literature Review, Research Questions(s) and
hypotheses, Methods (study design, sampling procedure, variables/measures, data collection
methods, and analysis plan), strengths and limitations of the study methods, Implications for
Practice, and References. An outline for this assignment will be provided in class.
Final Project Presentation (Value 10%):
Most evaluation findings are presented orally to project stakeholders. Students will present a
summary of their evaluation proposal to the class. Each presentation will be 10 minutes with 5
minutes set aside for questions and discussion. Through the presentation, students will share the
details of their evaluations, including a brief introduction to the social problem, research
questions, study design, sample, data collection and analysis plan, strengths and limitations of
the proposal, and implications for practice. Students are encouraged to treat this as they would a
professional presentation. The use of Microsoft PowerPoint is required. Presentations will take
place during the last 2 class session. Details on presentation times will be provided by the
instructor during class.
COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS
Class 1 –
Introduction to course
January 12
Why study research?
Topics Covered
 Course Overview & Syllabus
 Introduction to the scientific method
 Evidence Based Practice
 Comparing Research and Practice
Reading:
 Rubin & Babbie, Ch. 1 and 2
 Gambrill, E. (2001). Social work: an authority-based profession. Research on Social
Work Practice, 11(2), 166-175.
 Yeager, K. & Roberts, Chapter 4. A practical approach to formulating evidence-based
questions in social work. In Eds. A. Roberts & Yeager, K (2006) Foundations of
Evidence-Based Social Work Practice: Oxford University Press, New York, pp 47-58.
 Thyer B., (2004). What is Evidence Based Practice? Brief Treatment and Crisis
Intervention, 4, 167 – 176.
January 19
NO IN CLASS MEETING
Topics: Human Subject
 Complete the online CITI Training at https://www.citiprogram.org. and bring
completion certificate to class on 1/26/16.
 Helpful Tips for this training will be posted in Sakia
Class 2 –
January 26
Research Ethics and Culturally Competent Research.
Topics
 Informed consent
 Protection of human subjects
 Working with vulnerable populations
 Research in a social and political context
 Culturally competent research
Readings:


Rubin & Babbie, Chs 4,5,& 6
Pod Case from on Tuskegee Experiment from Lesson 1 in Brief History of Oppression on
Sakai
Assignments:
 Quiz 1
 CITI training completion certificate due
Class 3 –
Problem Formulation
February 2
Topics:
 Research purposes
 Sources of Knowledge
 Selecting a research problem
 Developing research questions and hypotheses
 Identifying outcomes
 Logic models
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie, Chapter 4, 7, 14 (page 291)
 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide at
http://www.smartgivers.org/uploads/logicmodelguidepdf.pdf - read sections on logic
models
Class 4–
February 9
Measurement
Topics:
 Ways of measuring
 Levels of measurement
 Developing and Evaluating measures
 Operationalizing variables
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie Chapter 8 & 9
 Blank Wilson, A., Farkas, K. & Ishler, K, Gearhart, M. Morgan, R., Ashe, M. (2014).
Criminal thinking styles among people with serious mental illness in jail. Law and
Human Behavior.
Class 5 –
Sampling
February 16
Topics
 Why sample?
 Sampling technology
 Probability sampling
 Non-probability sampling
Reading:

Rubin & Babbie Chapter 11
Assignments:
 Quiz 2
 Evaluation Project Check-in
Class 6–
Data Collection
February 23
Topics
 Using available records
 Observation
 Surveys
 Face to face interviews
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie Chapters 10 & 13
 Blank Wilson, A. (2009). ‘It takes ID to get ID”: Service barriers for people with serious
mental illness leaving jail. Social Service Review, 83,1, 111-132.
Assignments:
 Quiz 3
Class 7 –
Quantitative Research Designs
March 1
Topics
 Internal & External Validity
 Experimental Designs
 Quasi-experimental Designs
Reading:
 Rubin & Babbie, Chapter 12 & 13
Class 8 –
March 8
Midterm
March 15
Spring Break-No class
Class 9 –
Qualitative Research
March 22
Topics:
 When to use Qualitative research


Qualitative data collection techniques
Qualitative data analysis
Reading:
 Rubin & Babbie Chapter 15, 16 (content analysis section), 17 (coding section).
 Blank Wilson, A. (2013). How people with mental illness seek help after release from
jail. Qualitative Health Research, 23(12), 1575-1590. doi: 10.1177/1049732313508476
 Padgett, D. Henwood, B., Abrams, C., & Davis, A. (2008).Engagement and retention in
services among formerly homeless adults with co-occurring mental illness and substance
abuse: Voices from the margins. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 31, 226-233.
Assignments:
 Quiz 4
Class 10 –
March 29
Evaluation Research
Topics:
- What is evaluation?
-Forms of evaluation research
Readings:
Rubin & Babbie Chapter 14
Axford, N. (2010). Conducting needs assessments in children’s services. British Journal of
Social Work, 40, 4-25.
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.
Class 11 –
Inferential statistics part I
April 5
Topics
 Univariate statistics
 Bivariate inferential statistics (T-test, correlation, chi-square, ANOVA)
 Data distribution and display
Readings:
 Rubin & Babbie Chapter 17
 Video-T-tests: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pd3dc1GcHc
 Video- Analysis of Variance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV-WoquC4dA don’t
worry about references to factorial ANOVA or the references to interaction effects
 Video- chi-square tests: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VskmMgXmkMQ
 Video- correlation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=372iaWfH-Dg
 Other handouts to be assigned
Class 12–
April 12
Inferential statistics part II (Lab Session)
Topics:
 Data analysis practice day
Reading:
 Handouts
Assignment:
 Quiz 5
Class 13–
April 19
Student Presentations
Class 14–
April 26
Student Presentations
Assignments: Evaluation Proposal due on last day of class (April 26th).