EDUC 3789 Seminar: Honors in Education (3 hours)
College of Education, Honors Program
University of North Carolina Charlotte
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Course Summary
The seminar prepares honors students for a successful thesis by introducing them to the
Honors in Education program and by helping them identify an appropriate committee
chair and reader. The seminar also covers guidelines for preparing a thesis and
appropriate thesis designs and themes. The course culminates in the presentation and
defense of an acceptable honors proposal. (Prerequisite: admission to the Honors in
Education program.) Spring semester, day.
Texts
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed. (2001)
Handbook: Honors in Education, College of Education (2008)
IRB-Related Materials (On-line IRB tutorials
(http://www.research.uncc.edu/tutorial/index3.cfm) and forms
(http://www.research.uncc.edu/Comp/human.cfm
Course Rationale
All honors theses are expected to involve original research of some kind. Since honors
students are not likely to have had research experience, this course will provide the basic
information for executing sound research and preparing a thesis that describes the project.
Course Goals
Based upon assignments and selected readings, students will:
 Understand requirements, guidelines, and expectations of the Honors in
Education program
 Understand a variety of research designs and methods
 Understand the roles of the researcher
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Form an appropriate thesis committee (chair and reader)
Draft a research proposal, including a literature review
Present and defend a thesis proposal
Course Topics
 Theoretical frameworks/ Research Paradigms
 Research proposal
 Thesis committee: selection process and roles (chair and reader)
 IRB and Human Subjects approval
 Literature review and referencing
 The Plague of Plagiarism (internet detection)
 Research methods
 Collecting data and being systematic
 Data analysis and interpretation
 Writing up the data, analyses, and conclusions
 Proposal presentation and defense
College of Education’s Diversity Statement
The College of Education at UNC Charlotte is committed to social justice and respect for
all individuals, and it seeks to create a culture of inclusion that actively supports all who
live, work, and serve in a diverse nation and world. Attaining justice and respect involves
all members of our community in recognizing that multi-dimensional diversity
contributes to the College’s learning environments, thereby enriching the community and
improving opportunities for human understanding. While the term “diversity” is often
used to refer to differences, the College’s intention is for inclusiveness, an inclusiveness
of individuals who are diverse in ability/disability, age, economic status, ethnicity,
gender, language, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Therefore, the
College aspires to become a more diverse community in order to extend its enriching
benefits to all participants. An essential feature of our community is an environment that
supports exploration, learning, and work free from bias and harassment, thereby
improving the growth and development of each member of the community.
Individual Needs
It is our goal (and University policy) to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis,
reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities that may affect their ability
to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with
disabilities or other needs are encouraged to contact me early in the semester to discuss
their individual needs for accommodations.
Academic Integrity
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Students have the responsibility to know and observe the requirements of The UNCC
Code of Student Academic Integrity (Policy Statement 105; see
http://www.legal.uncc.edu/policies/ps-105.html). This code forbids both cheating and
complicity in academic dishonesty. Academic evaluations in this course assume that
student work is free from academic dishonesty of any type (including false reporting and
fabrication), and grades will therefore be adversely affected (“F” for the course) by any
academic dishonesty. In addition, students who violate the Code can be expelled from
UNC Charlotte.
NOTE: The Department of Reading and Elementary Education has a special policy about academic
dishonesty. That department will NOT recommend student teaching for any individual whose transcript
shows an "x" designated grade assigned by the Academic Integrity Board for violation(s) of the academic
integrity code.
Course Requirements/Assignments
All formal written assignments are to be completed using MS Word, double spaced, in a
12-point font, with 1 inch margins on all sides. Instructor feedback will be electronic
comments inserted into your Word documents and returned to your UNCC email address.
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Attendance (DEDUCT sum of absences method: 1st absence = deduct 1%, 3rd
absence = deduct 3 + 2 + 1 = 6%, 5th absence = deduct 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15%)
Essays: 20% of course grade
Exams: 30% of course grade
Proposal drafts: 30% of course grade
Part I of the Semester:
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Emphasis on: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Data, Methods, Findings,
References, and APA style for formatting.
Part II of the Semester:
 Emphasis on: design of the research question, data acquisition, management, and
analysis (includes IRB and Human Subjects requirements).
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