UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
College of Education & Human Performance
I. Descriptive Information
Department:
Course Title:
Course Number:
Course Credit:
Prerequisites:
Intended Audience
Semester:
Instructor:
UCF Coordinator:
Office:
Office Hours:
Email:
Child, Family and Community Services
Research in Career Education
ECT 6791
3 hours
Graduate Standing
Graduate
Summer 2014
Dr. Jo Ann M. Whiteman
Judith D. Montilla
Main Campus, Education Complex Bldg. 123N
Online
Evenings: SKYPE by appointment
SKYPE id: jwhitema1
JoAnn.Whiteman@ucf.edu
Catalog Description: 3(3,0). PR: Graduate Standing. Curricular, instructional, demographic,
and trends research in the field of career education. - (UCF Graduate Catalog)
Course Overview:
A "research" course in occupational education is meant to provide opportunities for review of
research and discourse about occupational (vocational) education. At the graduate level courses
should offer opportunities to write intensively and discuss research findings in preparation for
the comprehensive examinations. The course starts out with an overview of types of research that
has been conducted. Students will then focus on an area of interest to complete the other
assignments of the course which involve the types of research.
II. Statement of Course Goals and Objectives
KEY: FEAP/PEC = Florida Educator Accomplished Practices / Professional Educator
Competencies (http://www.fldoe.org/dpe/publications/preprofessional4-99.pdf)
Quality of Instruction
(a) Quality of instruction
Quality of Instruction
1. Instructional Design and Lesson Planning
2. The Learning Environment
3. Instructional Delivery and Facilitation
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4. Assessment
(b) Continuous Improvement, Responsibility and Ethics
5. Continuous Professional Improvement
6. Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct
Objectives: The student will:
1. Demonstrate the ability to use the Internet search engines
2. Research databases in the UCF Library using online access.
3. Identify an area of research in Occupational Education
4. Summarize research
5. Demonstrate the ability to use APA format
6. Identify and describe descriptive research
7. Identify and describe historical research
8. Identify and describe causal-comparative/correlational research
9. Identify and describe experimental/quasi-experimental
10. Develop as an educated consumer of research results
11. Summarize results of a national report
12. Focus interests from results of this national report
13. Synthesize research as a base for deciding upon a topic for a Journal article
14. Develop a proposal for a journal article
15. Differentiate between causal-comparative and correlational research
16. Identify the listed components of a research article.
17. Reflect, evaluate and discuss the research topics covered in this course
III. Required Texts and Readings
Textbook: None
Research and Articles: Included in Assignments
Supplementary Materials:
Readings (see Bibliography)
UCF Library Access: Library ID Number Request Form
(http://library.ucf.edu/Circulation/ID/IDRequestForm.php)
IV. Academic Course Requirements
1. Assignments (70%)
Your written work must be professional in appearance. It should be free from
grammatical and spelling errors.
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It is very important that you work be posted on or before the published due date and on
time. You will have until a specific date and time for each assignment (see Schedule).
Please see the grading “procedures” provided below.
2. Examination (20%)
There will be one overall final exam at the end of the course. It is weighted at 10% of
the total course grade. Turnaround dates for this varies-but are usually one week. Pay
attention to course Schedule.
3. Reflection (5%)
In each course we require a reflection at the very end of the course. It is done to offer
you an opportunity to sit and think about the course-any aspect of it-and note your
reflections.
4. Professionalism (5%)
Part of being a professional in education is modeling behaviors. You are or will be a
professional educator/trainer and as such are expected to adhere to quality standards in
the (virtual) classroom. Five points will be assigned about midway through the course.
Mid-Term Professionalism Guidelines
Possible
Percentage
Points
Will provide on-line assistance to peers that is within his/her capability in a
professional, respectful manner.
Will complete all assignments on time as per the course calendar and will check with
announcement board for any changes that may occur.
Will use netiquette in all communication. No slang, caps, or abbreviations in any
communication. Only use standard font/size, such as Times New Roman , Calibri, or
Arial in font 10, 12 or 14. Italics and bold face fonts may be used sparingly.
Will use full, complete sentences with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation on a
regular basis in all course communications.
Will choose positive word choice and positive tone when writing. For example, "No
problem. Forget about it" can be rewritten to "You're welcome. It is my pleasure.”
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
V. Administrative Course Requirements
Attendance. This course places a strong emphasis upon the interaction of the students therefore
you are expected to attend all class sessions. The failure to attend class will negatively affect
your grade.
Late Assignments. Please see the professor if you are turning in an assignment late.
VI.
Evaluation and Grading System
All of our courses use the same grading scale and follow the same grading procedure. This is
based on specific principles:
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1. The work you do is performance based, assignments are actual or simulate real world
work.
2. If you did not receive 100% of the points for an assignment, there are opportunities to
earn extra credit points to improve your grade.
3. Work is assessed using criterion and not norm-referenced; a "normal curve" is not used in
calculating grades or assignment scores in our courses.
4. Exams, as such, are weighted lower than in most other college courses, hence we attempt
to treat adult learners as adult learners. There are no make up exams.
5. A "participation" component termed "Professionalism" is included in each course to
simulate required participation in real-world work.
Each student earns points throughout the course. Listed below is the grading scale used in the
course. Points given to each assignment are seen in the course's "Schedule."
Grading scale:
Letter Grade Percentage
A
94 - 100
B
87 - 93
C
80 - 86
D
73 - 79
F
72 and below
The faculty in this program has chosen NOT to adopt plus or minus policy for grades.
Grading Procedures: The following are the grading procedures used in determining your grade
in each course.
1. Late Assignments
Assignments need to be posted to Discussions by 11:55 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time on the due date. A late assignment is graded as follows:

Beginning after 11:55 p.m., 1 point is deducted for every day that the
assignment is posted late in Canvas.
Any time you feel you might be falling behind in the course, it is best to contact
the intern or myself to discuss your situation. No assignments will be accepted
after the final day of class.
2. Extra Credit
If you did not receive 100% of the points for an assignment, there are
opportunities to earn extra credit points to improve your grade. There are no
reposting of assignments or make up exams.
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3. Posting of Grades
Grades are completed one week after the due date. For example, if your
assignment was due on Sunday at 11:55 p.m., then the grades are posted by the
following Monday morning OR sooner. You can view your grades by selecting
the "My Grades" link from the web course homepage. If you do not see your
grade after the week, please notify me.
VII.
Major Topics of the Course
Career Research
Methods of Research
Topical Research
Analyzing Research
Writing a Proposal
Preparation of Journal Articles
VIII. Tentative Course Schedule
Due
Points
Date
Assignments
Type of
Assignment
Orientation
0
Individual
Assignment 1 - Topics
Overview of research
5
Individual
Assignment 1 – Topics Discussion
1
Entire class
Discussion
Assignment 2 – Types of Research
Types of research methods
5
Individual
Research Quiz
5
Assignment 3 – Part A
Analyze Introduction, Context and Employer perspectives
10
Individual
Individual &
Discussion
Participation
Assignment 3 – Part B
Analyze Trends in career education and transitions after high
school
10
Individual &
Discussion
Participation
Assignment 3 – Part C
Analyze postsecondary vocational education, conclusion &
appendices
10
Individual &
Discussion
Participation
5
Professionalism – Orientation Assignment describes this
grade – 1, 2 or 3 of the 5 points may be earned at this time.
Based on your professionalism - all 5 points can be earned by
the end of this course
5
Individual
Assignment 4 – Proposal for Journal Article
Prepare an outline for a proposed journal article
10
Individual
Assignment 5 – Manuscript of Journal Article
10
Individual
Assignment 6 – Article Writing Discussion
Summary of research
10
Class participation
Reflection
5
Individual
Final Exam
Prepare a journal article for submission
20
Individual
IX. Bibliography
Reid, Jo-Anne, Singh, Michael, Santoro, Ninetta & Mayer, Diane (2011). What does
good teacher education research look like? Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher
Education, 39(3), 177-182.
Schwitzer, Alan M.; Duggan, Molly H.; Laughlin, Janet T. & Walker, Martha A (2011).
Community college adjustment among dislocated workers. Community college
Journal of Research & Practice, 35(8), (August 2011), pp. 645-666.
Skidmore, Susan T & Thompson, B (2010). Statistical Techniques Used in Published
Articles: A Historical Review of Reviews. Educational and Psychological
Measurement, 70(5), (October 2010), pp. 777-795.
Vermunt, Jan D. & Endedijk, Maaike D. (2011). Patterns in teacher learning in different
phases of the professional career. Journal of Learning and Individual
Differences, 21(3), 294-302.
Historical Works:
Barlow, Melvin, et al, (1988). The legacy of M.D. Mobley. Alexandria, VA, American
Vocational Association.
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Barlow, Melvin, et al, (1974). The philosophy for quality vocational education programs.
Alexandria, VA, American Vocational Association.
Evans, Rupert N. & Herr, Edwin, (1971). Foundations of vocational education, 2nd
edition. Columbus, Ohio, Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company.
Holt, W.S., (1922). The federal board for vocational education. New York, D. Appleton
and Company.
Hull , Dan & Grevelle, Julie, (1998). Tech prep the next generation. Waco, TX, Cord
Communications.
Law, Jr., Charles J., (1994). Tech prep education: a total quality approach. Lancaster,
PA, Technomic Publishing Company.
Pautler, Jr., Albert J., (1999). Workforce education: issues for the new century. Ann
Arbor, MI, Prakken Publications.
Pucel, David J., (2001). Beyond vocational education. Larchmont, NY, Eye on
Education.
Scott, John L. & Sarkees-Wircenski, Michelle, (2001). Overview of career and technical
education, 2nd edition. Homewood, Illinois, American Technical Publishers.
Stern, David, Finkelstein, Neal, Stone III, James R., Latting, John, & Dornsife, Carolyn,
(1995). School to work: research on programs in the United States. Washington,
D.C., The Falmer Press.
Thompson, John F., (1973). Foundations of vocational education: social and
philosophical thoughts. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
Orientation Assignment: http://education.ucf.edu/teched/orientation.cfm
Completion of these components is critical – therefore required. The benefits to you include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Success using your web course, the software program UCF uses, for our online courses.
Ability to perform basic word processing skills.
Clear understanding at onset of this course of the grading plan and grade scale.
Interaction among students in this course in a non-graded manner.
There are NO points attached to this assignment, yet it coincides with the beginning of each
course. The benefits are many and we feel a need to incorporate this in ALL our courses.
After completion of the Orientation Assignment you, the prospective new student will be able to:
1. Identify important aspects of learning on-line.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Locate selected buildings on the UCF campus in Orlando.
Cite references according to protocol.
Follow UCF student conduct policies.
Accept grading policies for our courses.
Learning on-line
When UCF began using the Web for courses in the summer of 1996, and we adopted it fully for
our courses then. There was no infrastructure as we have now. Initially our courses were very
technically challenging by today's standards, and yet our students not only survived but thrived.
However, because of growth and access by a wider range of skilled students a tutorial was
developed. Of course the tutorial is on-line, teaching people how to be on-line using Canvas and
providing refresher training in basic word processing.
Completion of this tutorial can take up to one hour – time well spent up-front, for technical
success later. You are asked, urged, cajoled, pressured, and even required to complete the tutorial
as soon as possible.
1. Access "Learning on-line"
Review:
o Skill Requirements
o Technical requirements
2. Complete:
o Orientation Course
As a reminder, use the checklist below as review in your web journey.
Canvas Technical Competencies
Just as you would not embark on a long-distance trip without knowing something about the
vehicle you are traveling in, you should not enroll in web courses without acquiring some skills
of the vehicle used to transfer your knowledge to the instructor.
Following are some competencies you must achieve before leaving today. Be sure to be checked
off by the instructor or a mentor to show that you have the basic knowledge to use Canvas.
You must be able to do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Access the web course(s) in which you are enrolled.
Log in with your username and password.
Access course components.
Post comments to Discussion Topics.
Enter Chat room and post comments.
Access Course Mail to select specific addresses, write notes or respond to mail.
Find mail in your Inbox and the Outbox
Copy and paste to and from Canvas
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9. Include URL's in your postings. (copy & paste)
10. Access "My Grades"
11. "My Participation".
Writing Papers & Posting References - Procedures
APA STYLE
http://apastyle.org/
APA (American Psychological Association) will be used to cite sources. This resource,
revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples
for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and
the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association, 6th edition, second printing.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and
instructional material, and it is a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue.
HOW TO RESEARCH THE INTERNET
1. Go to www.google.com
2. Select "Advanced Search" (hyperlink found on the right of the
searching field)
3. Fill in the information needed to minimize your searching time.
Select the "Advanced Search Tips" at the top of the page for help
*TIP: A good scholarly resource is the “Journal of Technology Education” from the
Virginia Tech (2010) retrieved on January 2, 2012 at
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/index.html
This site has several articles on technology education.
HOW TO ORGANIZE A PAPER
The purpose of me providing you this site is because I want you to know
that I will be grading you on the organization of your paper. Your paper
should contain a thesis statement that contains your topic sentence, the
main body (all of the paragraphs should reflect what is in your topic
sentence) and a conclusion.
Steps in writing a paper. (n.d.) Retrieved from the Dartmouth College
writing website retrieved on August 12, 2012 at
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http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/wri
te.shtml
Team Strategies:
When you first heard that you would be working in a team, you might
have thought "oh no!" Understandable, you might have had a bad
experience in the past with a team project in another class or at work.
However, learning how to work in a team environment is beneficial to you
for problem solving, working under the pressure of a time limit, and
learning how to work with others. Also, team work is a reality of the
workforce. Learning some of the strategies given below is useful for the
present class and a possible future job requirement.
STEPS TO BEGINNING A TEAM PROJECT
1. Make contact in your team discussion group.
2. Discuss the topics below (Team Rules & Guides to Discuss) with your
team members.
3. The team makes a decision on who is doing what when.
 Picking a leader is optional. Understand that if each team member
completes their designated job, the team can function without a
leader. However, the team might want to designate a leader due to
the circumstances. Also, sometimes, leaders will just occur as the
team proceeds with the project.
4. The team begins to work on the project with a PLAN.
TEAM RULES & SKILLS TO DISCUSS
RULES
1. Member's Schedules
2. Member's Assigning the Portion of the Project to Complete
3. Member's Assigning the Completion Dates
SKILLS
1. Member's Attributes/Skills
2. What the Member Wants to Contribute.
Plagiarism & Turnitin
Our courses ask of you to visit many web sites, as part of using what has been done at other
places and actually reviewing research. It could be very easy to forget to offer a complete
citation. Some could also omit entirely a quote or reference. While the former may happen, the
latter should never occur. When it does it is plagiarism and is very serious.
The faculty at UCF now has access to a site to which we can submit student work for comparison
to previously published work - Turnitin (http://www.turnitin.com). You do NOT want to
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plagiarize or not include a complete citation for any reference or quotation. Above all else
include the complete citation information when required.
Ethical policies:
At UCF adhering to acceptable ethical practices is considered essential. To that end you are
asked to:

Access the Golden Rule on line

Read thoroughly Student Rights and Responsibilities

Rules of Student Conduct

Student Academic Behavior Standards
Introductions
Our web courses are very interactive. Therefore, it is important that you participate as scheduled
and in the proper location within the course as assigned. To practice this and to get to know
others in this course you are asked to offer an introduction when you start each course. We use
the "Discussion" area with one titled "Introductions." Once you are permitted access to the
course on the first day of class, go to "Discussions" and select "Introductions." Type your name
in the "Subject" line.
The following items should be addressed in your introduction:
1. Name
2. Email address
3. Where you work (if you do)
4. What you do (if you work)
5. What technical (work) background do you have?
6. All types of education (High School, certificates, licenses, degrees)
This would be a good place to practice copy and paste skills by copying these headings to a word
file of some type, answering the items, and pasting the answers to another file, just for practice
before your course starts. Always review and spell check your posting BEFORE actually posting
add spacing, make headings capitalized or different from the regular text. After pasting your
text, review and make any minor adjustments to spacing, then post.
Immediately upon starting the course:
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1. Post your Introduction with your name in "Subject" line to "Introductions" Discussion
Topic.
2. Reply to peers using "Reply Privately" NOT just Reply or Quote. Each person should
post only one posting to the Introductions area.
THIS SYLLABUS MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR.
CHANGES WILL BE DISCUSSED IN CLASS AND/OR VIA EMAIL.
The UCF Creed
Integrity, scholarship, community, creativity, and excellence are the core values that guide our
conduct, performance, and decisions.
Integrity
I will practice and defend academic and personal honesty.
Scholarship I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental purpose of my membership in
the UCF community.
Community I will promote an open and supportive campus environment by respecting the
rights and contributions of every individual.
Creativity
I will use my talents to enrich the human experience.
Excellence
I will strive toward the highest standards of performance in any endeavor I
undertake.
Conceptual Framework
The graphical representation of our conceptual framework is based on basic geometric shapes
that aptly portray key aspects of the framework:
At the heart of the model are three concentric circles creating a “target” for graduates from all of
our professional education programs. The core objective (“bull’s eye”) is becoming a
Professional Educator, an achievement that requires continuous reflective practice (middle ring)
and professional development aligned with applicable national, state, and institutional standards
(outer ring).
The three triangles represent three broad levels of professional development: Pre-professional,
Professional, and Accomplished (note the physical progression indicating that professional
development always moves in the direction toward Professional Educator). These triangles also
represent the three major dimensions of professional development: knowledge, skills, and
dispositions.
Integrated throughout all aspects of our conceptual framework and thus reflected as a circle-inmotion is our circle of core beliefs (Research Base, Best Practice, Life-Long Learning, Ethics,
Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, Caring, Democracy, Academic Standards, and High Quality
Education).
The outer pentagon of the conceptual framework represents five broad orientations regarding the
preparation of professional educators (Academic, Teaching/Scientific, Practical, Critical/Social,
and Humanistic), which serve as a broad foundation for the framework.
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Conceptual Framework
UCF, College of Education
Conceptual Framework
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Career & Technical Education Educator Accomplished Practices
The Educator Accomplished Practices. Each effective educator applies the foundational
principles through six (6) Educator Accomplished Practices. Each of the practices is clearly
defined to promote a common language and statewide understanding of the expectations for the
quality of instruction and professional responsibility.
Quality of Instruction
1. Instructional Design and Lesson Planning.
Applying concepts from human development and learning theories, the effective educator
consistently:
a. Aligns instruction with state-adopted workforce standards at the
appropriate level of rigor;
b. Sequences lessons and concepts to ensure coherence and required prior
knowledge.
c. Designs instruction for students to achieve mastery;
d. Selects appropriate formative assessments to monitor learning;
e. Uses a variety of data, independently, and in collaboration with
colleagues, to evaluate learning outcomes, adjust planning and
continuously improve the effectiveness of the lessons; and
f. Develops learning experiences that require students to demonstrate a
variety of applicable skills and competencies.
g. Identifies strategies, materials, and technologies that she/he will use to
expand students’ thinking abilities
h. Models and implements the use of higher order thinking abilities
i. Reflects research-based best practices in instructional methods
(Disposition)
2. The Learning Environment.
To maintain a student-centered learning environment that is safe, organized, equitable,
flexible, inclusive, and collaborative, the effective educator consistently:
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a. Organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space, and
attention;
b. Manages individual and class behaviors through a well-planned
management system;
c. Conveys high expectations to all students;
d. Respects students’ cultural, linguistic and family background;
e. Models clear, acceptable oral and written communication skills;
f. Maintains a climate of openness, inquiry, fairness and support;
g. Integrates current information and communication technologies;
h. Adapts the learning environment to accommodate the differing needs and
diversity of students; and
i. Utilizes current and emerging assistive technologies that enable students
to participate in high-quality communication interactions and achieve their
educational goals.
j. Values high academic standards and believes students deserve a highquality education (Disposition)
3. Instructional Delivery and Facilitation.
The effective educator consistently utilizes a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the
subject taught to:
a. Deliver engaging and challenging lessons;
b. Deepen and enrich students’ understanding through content area literacy
strategies, verbalization of thought, and application of the subject matter;
c. Identify gaps in students’ subject matter knowledge;
d. Modify instruction to respond to preconceptions or misconceptions;
e. Relate and integrate the subject matter with other disciplines and life
experiences;
f. Employ higher-order questioning techniques;
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g. Apply varied instructional strategies and resources, including appropriate
technology, to provide comprehensible instruction, and to teach for
student understanding;
h. Differentiate instruction based on an assessment of student learning needs
and recognition of individual differences in students;
i. Support, encourage, and provide immediate and specific feedback to
students to promote student achievement; and
j. Utilize student feedback to monitor instructional needs and to adjust
instruction.
k. Has a repertoire of teaching techniques and strategies to effectively
instruct all students
l. Values technology as a tool to enhance learning. (Disposition)
4. Assessment.
The effective educator consistently:
a. Analyzes and applies data from multiple assessments and measures to
diagnose students’ learning needs, informs instruction based on those
needs, and drives the learning process;
b. Designs and aligns formative and summative assessments that match
learning objectives and lead to mastery;
c. Uses a variety of assessment tools to monitor student progress,
achievement and learning gains;
d. Modifies assessments and testing conditions to accommodate learning
styles and varying levels of knowledge;
e. Shares the importance and outcomes of student assessment data with the
student; and
f. Applies technology to organize and integrate assessment information.
g. Grades student performance fairly and without bias (Disposition)
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Continuous Improvement, Responsibility and Ethics.
5. Continuous Professional Improvement.
The effective educator consistently:
a. Designs purposeful professional goals to strengthen the effectiveness of
instruction based on students’ needs;
b. Examines and uses data-informed research to improve instruction and student
achievement;
c. Works with colleagues to meet identified educational, physical, social, linguistic,
cultural, and emotional needs of students;
d. Engages in targeted professional growth opportunities and reflective practices,
both independently and in collaboration with colleagues; and
e. Implements knowledge and skills learned in professional development in the
teaching and learning process.
6. Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct.
a. Does not intentionally distort or misrepresent facts concerning an educational
matter in direct or indirect public expression
b. Encourages student responsibility, appropriate social behavior, integrity,
valuing of diversity, honesty, and honoring multiple perspectives
c. Understanding that educators are held to a high moral standard in a
community, the effective educator adheres to the Code of Ethics and the
Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession of Florida,
pursuant to State Board of Education Rules 6B-1.001 and 6B1.006, F.A.C,
and fulfills the expected obligations to students, the public and the education
profession. Rulemaking Authority 1004.04, 1004.85, 1012.225, 1012.34,
1012.56 FS. Law Implemented 1004.04, 1004.85, 1012.225, 1012.34, 1012.56
FS. History–New 7-2-98; Amended 12-17-10.
Demonstrates concern for student learning and promotes student well-being through professional
commitment including being punctual, responsible, organized, attends class regularly,
demonstrates pride in self and work, gets along well with others, is self-controlled, and is flexible
(Disposition).
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