TEL 792 Research (3 credit hours)
Directed Field Study Syllabus and Guidelines
May 21, 2012 to July 13, 2012
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Telephone:
Email:
Class Times/Place:
Dr. Debby Zambo
By appointment
602-543-6334
debby.zambo@asu.edu
Varied with mentor (40 hours) and weekly online deadlines
Course Description
In this course you will design and implement a learning experience (Frame of Study) to enhance your
knowledge of leadership, innovation, research, and/or your dissertation topic. You will be required to read
scholarly books, write a book reviews, and engage in a Directed Field Study. You will have assignments both in
the field and online. The culminating assignment for this course is an integrative and introspective essay.
Course Objectives
This course has three objectives. It will provide an opportunity for you to:
1) Work with and learn from a leader outside your normal sphere.
2) Develop your capacity to learn independently – to study, reflect, assess, and cultivate yourself as a leader,
innovator, and agent of change.
3) Broaden and enrich your knowledge through reading and writing.
May 21
Course Timeline at a Glance
Mentor selected – work with them may begin
May 28
Books selected
Frame of study uploaded
June 4
June 11
Readings for Discussion Board #1
Discussion Board Posting #1 Due
June 18
June 25
July 2
July 9
July 13
Book Review #1 due
Readings for Discussion Board #2
Discussion Board Posting #2 Due
Book Review #2 due
Final paper due
PREPARATION: Do these things prior to May 21 - the beginning of the course.
1. Read the Article: This course requires you to be self-directed. It demands an out-of-the box and new way of
thinking about teaching and learning. To understand the philosophy behind the course read the article by John
Seely Brown, Allan Collins, and Paul Duguid title Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning. The article is at
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the end of this syllabus (and up loaded in Blackboard). Pay close attention to the notion of cognitive
apprenticeships.
2. Select a Field Mentor: Choose someone who can work with you during the time specified for the course 40
hours from 5/21 to 7/10 (the last day of class is 7/13 and your final paper is due that day). Times and dates for
this work are flexible - they are set by you and your mentor. However, you will have Discussion Board postings
that require fieldwork be spread over the session. Do not plan on doing your 40 hours in one week.
Your mentor may be from any profession (e.g., a religious leader, a leader of a charitable organization, a
corporate leader, a leader in health care, a leader in law or government, an entrepreneur, or an educational
leader/innovator). You may not choose a colleague, someone whose work you already know well, or someone
who is your direct or indirect supervisor. Your Directed Field Study should broaden your perspective and
provide time and space for you to learn from someone new, different, and interesting. This is a rare
opportunity to move outside your comfort zone and widen your professional lens. Choose someone who is
willing to spend time with you. Choose someone you will feel comfortable talking with and someone who will
feel comfortable talking with you.
If you do not have a Mentor (and have exhausted all possibilities) by May 15th contact your instructor and she
will supply names for you to contact.
3. Choose Two Scholarly Books to Read and Write About: For this course you will be required to read and
write an academic review of two scholarly books. The books you choose cannot be required for another
course or have been already used in a course. The books you select may focus on leadership, innovation,
change, research, or your dissertation topic. The choice of books is up to you. Your Mentor may offer
suggestions of books that have been helpful to him or her. You can also consult scholarly book reviews such as
Education Review (edrev.asu.edu), Teachers College Press (www.tcpress.com), Teachers College Record
(tcrecord.org), or Harvard University Press for choices. Books must be scholarly.
RESPONSIBILITIES: You will need to do to pass this course.
NOTE: This is an online course. All information and readings will be uploaded in Blackboard and all assignments
must be submitted electronically to Blackboard. Because you will not meet face-to-face your instructor will
communicate electronically. While the course is in session be sure to check your email consistently and
regularly.
1. DEVELOP A FRAME OF STUDY: (10% of your grade) – After you have recruited a Mentor develop a Frame
of Study, or roadmap for your Directed Field Study (a 3-4+ double-spaced page paper). Keep in mind the
philosophy of the course. You should be in a cognitive apprenticeship and learning in situ. To benefit you need
to have a road map. Your Frame of Study should focus on broadening your perspectives, advancing your
leadership capabilities, preparing you to conduct action research, preparing you to implement an innovation
and/or become a an agent of change. It is a good idea to develop your Frame of Study with your Mentor.
Type up your Frame and in it:
 Explain your Mentor, her/his role/leadership, and context. Also provide your Mentor’s contact
information (email and phone number).
 Explain why you chose this individual to be your Mentor.
 Pose 3-5 questions you hope to answer as you work with her/him.
 Explain how you plan to answer your questions (data, readings, field-work). Include a timeline (5/21 to
7/13).
 Explain how your Frame of Study will advance your leadership capabilities, help you become a better
researcher and/or leader/innovator, and how your work fits into your learning and professional goals.
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Graphic organizers and other ideas are welcome as long as the points above are clearly explained.
Submit your Frame of Study in Blackboard > Assignments>Frame of Study by midnight May 28th.
A late submission will result in points not earned (specifics are below under Late and Missing Assignments).
2. READ 2 SCHOLARLY BOOKS AND WRITE 2 ACADEMIC BOOK REVIEWS: (20% of your grade) Academic book
reviews help others understand what a good book is about. Reviews should be approximately 2 double-spaced
pages. The guide titled Writing the Academic Book Review at the end of this syllabus should be used as a guide.
Sample reviews can be found at:
http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=16703
http://www.hepg.org/her/booknote/43
Book Review #1 is due June 18th
Book Review #2 is due July 19th
Upload your book reviews into Blackboard>Assignments>Book Reviews. Late reviews will result in points not
earned (specifics are below under Late and Missing Assignments).
3. DISCUSSION BOARD READINGS AND POSTINGS- (20% of your grade) Discussion Board postings are due by
midnight on the dates posted. Late postings will result in points not earned (specifics are below under Late and
Missing Assignments). Posts are intended to be original, thoughtful, succinct, and well written. They do not
need to contain literature. Postings should show reflection and synthesis of ideas. They should tell a miniversion of your experience with your Mentor week to week.
June 4th Read: Wicked Problems and Chapter 3 on the continuum of positionality in The Action Research
Dissertation.
June 11th Posting #1 due: When you answer these questions consider the June 4th readings, the books you are
reading, and the theories you are learning in TEL/EDA 704.
What mission/vision is/has your Mentor promoted?
How did he/she plan for this innovation/change?
What resources are/were provided?
How is progress checked? What if any data is being used?
Explain the challenges (resistance/push-back) your Mentor is facing. Are they Wicked Problems?
Explain what your mentor is doing in response to his/her challenges.
Explain the resistance/push-back your Mentor is encountering (if any) and how he/she is dealing with this
resistance.
What challenges will your action research address? Are you facing Wicked Problems?
Chapter 3 of The Action Research Dissertation is about positionality. How might consideration of these ideas
help you avoid resistance to your innovation?
June 25th Read and Evaluate Your Leadership Style: Read Hall and Hord’s Chapter 6 Describing Leaders and the
Differences they Make. Use the rubric in the Appendix to evaluate your Leadership Style.
July 2 Posting #2 due: When you answer these questions consider readings June 25th readings, the books you
are reading, and the theories you are learning in TEL/EDA 704.
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Explain your Mentor’s leadership style. How does a leader’s style affect and influence those around her or him
(including you)?
Explain if and how your mentor listens to and learns from others. How are multiple perspectives viewed?
Is change in your Mentor’s setting a team or solo effort?
Based on the Hall and Hoard Rubric explain how your leadership style is similar or different from your mentor’s
style.
How will your style help or hinder you as a leader of change?
4. SUBMIT A FINAL PAPER: (60% of your grade) Submit a 10+ page paper that summarizes and integrates what
you learned from the books you read, your Self-Study Journal, the discussion board postings, your work in the
field with your Mentor, and the theories learned in TEL/EDA 704.
In this paper explain:
1. If and how you met the goals you set in your Frame of Study.
2. The new insights/knowledge/skills you gained from the articles, chapters, and books, discussion board, and
field work with your Mentor. How has your work in this course broadened your perspective, advanced your
leadership capabilities, and prepared you to lead change and innovations? This essay should integrate your
experiences, knowledge, readings, and reflections.
This paper is due in Blackboard > Assignments>Final Paper by July 13.
Include bibliographic citations (in APA format) for any literature used.
Assessment
This is a pass/fail course. Earning a grade of Pass for this course will require submission of all assignments on
time:
1. Submission of a Frame of Study (10% of your grade)
2. Discussion Board Postings (20%)
3. Academic Book Reviews (20%)
4. Final Paper (50%)
Late and Missing Assignments
All work is due by midnight on the date posted.
Assignments that are later after 3 days will not be accepted and will result in a 0 for that assignment.
Evaluation will focus on the completion of each element in the assignment, demonstration of
knowledge/reflection, and the professional appearance of your work.
Incompletes
The University allows a grade of Incomplete when students are unable to complete a course due to
circumstances beyond the student’s control. If you cannot meet course requirements by the dues dates, you
should reconsider enrolling in this class at this time.
University and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (MLFTC) Policies
Academic Integrity/Plagiarism
The ASU Student Handbook contains the following information: “The highest standards of academic integrity
are expected of all students. The failure of any student to meet these standards may result in suspension or
expulsion from the university and/or other sanctions as specified in the academic integrity policies of the
individual academic unit. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication,
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tampering, plagiarism, or facilitating such activities. The university and unit academic integrity policies are
available from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University and from the deans of
the individual academic units.” The rest of the code, which consists of several pages, is available at the
following URL. http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/studentlife/judicial/academic_integrity.htm.
Disability Accommodations for Students
Students who feel they may need a disability accommodation(s) in class must provide documentation from the
Disability Resource Center (DRC; UCB 130) to the class instructor verifying the need for an accommodation and
the type of accommodation that is appropriate. Students who wish accommodations for a disability should
contact DRC as early as possible (i.e. before the beginning of the semester) to assure appropriate
accommodations can be provided. It is the student’s responsibility to make the first contact with the DRC.
Religious Accommodations for Students
Students who need to be absent from class due to the observance of a religious holiday or participate in
required religious functions must notify the faculty member in writing as far in advance of the
holiday/obligation as possible. Students will need to identify the specific holiday or obligatory function to the
faculty member. Students will not be penalized for missing class due to religious obligations/holiday
observance. The student should contact the class instructor to make arrangements for making up
tests/assignments within a reasonable time.
Military Personnel Statement
A student who is a member of the National Guard, Reserve, or other U.S. Armed Forces branch and is unable to
complete classes because of military activation may request complete or partial administrative unrestricted
withdrawals or incompletes depending on the timing of the activation. For information, please see
http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/usi/usi201-18.html.
Harassment Prohibited
ASU policy prohibits harassment on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, age, religion, national origin,
disability, sexual orientation, Vietnam era veteran status, and other protected veteran status. Violations of this
policy may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employees or expulsion of students. Contact
Student Life (UCB 221) if you feel another student is harassing you based on any of the factors above; contact
EO/AA (480-965-5057) if you feel an ASU employee is harassing you based on any of the factors above.
Grade Appeals
The professional responsibility for assigning grades is vested in the instructor of the course, and requires the
careful application of professional judgment. A student wishing to appeal a grade must first meet with the
instructor who assigned the grade to try to resolve the dispute. The process for grade appeals is set forth in the
undergraduate and graduate catalogs, which are available at http://www.asu.edu/catalog.
Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones should remain off during class time; no phone calls or text messaging will be permitted.
Lap Top Use Policy
Lap Tops are required and should be brought to class each session as they will be used for class activities,
exercised, writers’ workshops, data analyses, and the like.
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Electronic Communication
Acceptable use of university computers, internet and electronic communications can be found in the Student
Code of Conduct (http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/usi/usi104-01.html) and in the University’s Computer,
Internet, and Electronic Communications Policy (http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd125.html).
Technological Services and Support
The College of Teacher Education and Leadership encourages students to make use of technological services
available through ASU to make their learning experience more efficient. Students with personal laptop
computers or netbooks can connect wirelessly to the Internet and to printing services on all four campuses and
some PDS sites. The following support services are available to support student computing needs.
Student Purchases
Discounted pricing for students purchasing laptop or desktop computers is available at through the ASU
bookstore or online. (http://gomobile.asu.edu/) The John Babb Scholarship provides $500 financial
reimbursement for qualified students. (http://gomobile.asu.edu/content/scholarship-info)
ASU Campus Classroom Connectivity
In-class use of laptops is encouraged by MLFTC. In cases where students need to make presentations during
class, most classrooms have the capability of allowing laptops to connect to classroom projectors. Mac laptops
may require an adaptor. For collaborative work, social networking tools are provided to ASU students through
a Google partnership, including Google docs, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and sites.
(https://docs.google.com/a/asu.edu/#all)
Hardware and Software Support
ASU 1:1 Technology Studios provide support to students on all four campuses for hardware, software and
operating systems, security, networking, etc. (http://help.asu.edu/ASU_1to1_Technology_Studio)
Virus scan software downloads are available free for students. (https://webapp3.asu.edu/myapps/)
MyApps provides free software tools, online applications, and information about discounted software for
purchase. (https://webapp3.asu.edu/myapps/)
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Summer 2012 TEL 792