COURSE NUMBER:
COURSE NAME:
CREDIT HOURS:
SEMESTER:
COURSE COORDINATOR:
COURSE INSTRUCTORS:
OFFICE/PHONE/EMAIL:
HSC 598
Special Topics in Physical Therapy Research
1.0/ semester repeated to 3.0 total credits
2004-2005
Sung, Karas-Reinthal
Project Advisors
Per each Advisor
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Exploration of specialty areas within the practice of physical therapy, by conducting an in-depth study of a selected
topic. Prerequisite: HSC 592 or permission of the instructor.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
HSC 598 is an independent study course offering students an opportunity to investigate an area of special interest.
Over the course of the program, students will participate in a research project building on the research concepts
presented in HSC 592 Scientific Inquiry. Under the guidance of a faculty research advisor, students will actively
participate in the research process completing individually designed projects. Project activities may include:
completing a systematic literature review; developing a formal research proposal; obtaining Institutional Review
Board (IRB) or University Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval: and/ or completing data collection
and analysis. The actual design and specific requirements of each project will be determined by students in
collaboration with their faculty research advisors.
At the conclusion of the special topics projects, all students will prepare a written summary of project outcomes.
The course also includes graduate seminar classes in fall I and summer II, during which all students will prepare
formal platform presentations highlighting the progress on specific segments of their projects. Otherwise, course
learning experiences are individually designed by students and faculty advisors to meet project requirements.
Students who have a special interest in research may choose to expand their special topics experiences into more
comprehensive research projects. This may be done by using elective course credits to complete the expanded
project. The number of credits and subsequent extent of the expanded project will be determined by the student(s)
in collaboration with their faculty research advisors.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the completion of HSC 598, the student with the guidance of a faculty advisor, will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Participate in a research project adhering to ethical guidelines for human or animal subjects. This
participation may include:
1.1
Perform a systematic literature review on a topic of interest.
1.2
Develop a research proposal (or critique a completed proposal) according to guidelines outlined in
Portney & Watkins, 2000.
1.3
Submit an IRB or IACUC proposal according to established guidelines and obtain approval for
informed consent.
1.4
Implement methods outlined in the project proposal in order to collect data essential to the project.
1.5
Analyze study results using effective data analysis procedures.
Using AMA format, prepare a final paper summarizing the project.
Participate in graduate seminar classes by presenting progress on specific segments of the project using
APTA guidelines for platform presentations.
Participate in peer assessment during graduate seminars.
1
TEXTBOOKS & READINGS:
Portney LG and Watkins MP. Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice 2 nd ed. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall Health; 2000.
Cleveland State University Institutional Review Board Guidelines.
(http://www.csuohio.edu/uored/NewPage/POLICIES/irb.html)
Cleveland State University Animal Care and Use Committee Guidelines.
(http://www.csuohio.edu/uored/POLICIES/anmlcomp.html)
AMA Manual of Style, 9th ed. Chicago, IL: Williams & Wilkins, 1998.
Sharing Your Research: Platform and Poster Presentations. PT Magazine. April 1998, pp. 72-81
Video: Critiquing and Preparing a Platform Presentation. APTA, 1997.
Additional Readings:
To be determined by learning contract developed individually between faculty advisors and students.
TEACHING METHODS AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES:
Seminar presentations/discussions, supervised individual study of research topic, formal writing assignments and
platform presentations.
Graduate Seminars: During seminars, each student pair/ group will be required to prepare a formal presentation
describing specific segments of the project. The Course Coordinator will provide guidelines for project
presentations prior to each seminar session. Attendance is mandatory and all student pairs/ groups will present at
each seminar. During the presentations, the Course Coordinator and student peers will participate in discussion
regarding the projects, asking pertinent questions and providing verbal feedback. Following each presentation,
student pairs will receive written feedback from both the Course Coordinator and their peers. The Course
Coordinator’s written feedback will also be provided to Project Advisors. Project Advisors may attend seminars
presentations as observers, but will not participate in discussion or feedback.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
Graduate Seminars:
Seminar schedule and topics TBD, fall 2004/ summer 2005.
Project Timeline: The progress and sequencing of each project will be determined by individual learning contracts
between students and faculty advisors. As a general guide, projects should follow the following time line:
Fall I
Spring II
Summer II
Fall II
Seminars + preparation of initial research proposal
Continue progress on projects as determined by individual contracts
Seminars + project completion
Preparation of final paper
STANDARD MPT PROGRAM
COURSE REQUIREMENTS/EXPECTATIONS:
See MPT Handbook, Class of 2005, Standard Course Requirements and Expectations.
2
EVALUATION AND GRADING
For HSC 598, all students must register for a total of 3.0 semester credits. It is recommended that students register
for these 3 credits according to the following schedule: 1.0 credit each in Fall I, Summer II and Fall II semesters of
the program. If students choose to register for special topics credits in terms other than those specified, they must
obtain permission from their research advisors. Grades will be recorded in each term that the student schedules
credits. Grading will be determined by adherence to course objectives and individual project learning contracts.
Each student/faculty group will develop a learning contract and research plan, which defines the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Specific aspects of the scientific inquiry process that will be investigated during the project including the
extent to which each course objective will be addressed.
Time line for completion of each project element by semester.
Schedule of meeting dates with faculty advisor.
Expectations for individual student logs outlining each student’s task assignments and completion schedule.
(Each student should complete a log book documenting hours of involvement in the project including date,
activity and amount of time devoted to completing each activity)
Deadlines for submission of written project assignments.
Specific grading policies and requirements for each element of the project.
Attendance at all seminar sessions, adherence to seminar presentation requirements and participation in
peer assessment activities.
Revised 4/19.04
3