|
Kingsborough
Community College
The City University of New York
___________________________
Syllabus
___________________________
BEH 70: Behavioral Science - Introduction to Research - 4 credits, 6 hours
(Spring)
Course
Coordinators: Professor Diane Bennett, Mr. David Troy (718) 368-5295
Course Overview:
This course is designed to provide students with the necessary
tools for the design and implementation of original research for the INTEL
National Science Talent Search competition. Topics include theoretical
issues in scientific research, research techniques, design and methodology,
data analysis, and proper formatting of scientific reports. The specifics
of the course content evolve in response to issues that emerge as students
develop their projects. Thus, the scheduling of topics listed in this
syllabus is subject to change as the semester progresses.
This course affords talented and hard-working High school students
(you!) the opportunity to participate in scientific research and scholarship.
As part of a college community, you will further your excellence in performance
and achievement while developing skills as a researcher and scientist.
Students who participate to their fullest abilities will accomplish
the following:
- Develop the necessary
tools for the design and implementation of original research for the
INTEL National Science Talent Search competition.
- Learn about theoretical
issues in scientific research
- Research techniques
- Research Design
and methodology
- Data analysis
- Correct formatting
of scientific reports
- Choose and explore
a topic of interest related to psychology or sociology.
- Find and study
a variety of journal articles related to topics of interest.
- Learn to write
a research study, including:
- Abstract
- Introduction,
ending with problem statement and hypothetical questions
- Review of Literature
- Methodology
- Result (analysis
of results)
- Discussion/Conclusions
- Reference section
Required Texts:
Russell K. Schutt, Investigating the Social World: The Process
and Practice of Research. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press,
1996)
Arthur Aron & Elaine K. Aron, Statistics for the Behavioral
and Social Sciences: A Brief Course. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 1997).
Course Assignments and Evaluation: Students will be evaluated
primarily on the basis of their ability to develop a workable research
project over the course of the semester. There will be short written assignments
throughout the term, which are specified in the following pages. These
written assignments, taken together, form the core of the student's research
proposal that will be submitted to the college's Institutional Review
Board for approval.
The course assignments and their grading weights are summarized as follows:
| Class
Performance and Assignments |
| a) |
Attendance
& Class participation |
20% |
| b) |
Homework
assignments |
20% |
| c) |
Research
proposal |
20% |
| d) |
Completed
IRB w/Intrument |
20% |
| e) |
Literature
review & analysis |
20% |
All written assignments
must be typed and submitted in duplicate. E-mailed documents must be either
in Microsoft Word format or saved in Rich Text Format (the latter is an
option under the "File Type" drop down menu in most word processing programs).
Students must do the reading in advance of the class meeting!
Important:
Bring in a flash drive with you to class to save work done in computer
lab.
NOTE:
ALL WORK MUST BE SAVED ON YOUR HARD DRIVE, ON A DISKETTE/FLASH DRIVE,
AND IN AN E-MAIL ATTACHMENT TO YOURSELF WHICH MUST BE ACCESSIBLE FROM
THE COMPUTER LAB.
Course Schedule
*HW is due via e mail every Tuesday before class that week on
Thursday!
|